IN THE FIRING LINE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3185, 8 September 1917, Page 7

IN THE FIRING LINE

BRAVERY Or CHAPLAINS. Tlie work of the Churches at the front i* well,set out. in a booklet issued by the Church of England 'Military Afl'aini Committee, in which it is pointed out that the fino work done in the New /a/aland Camp does not end there. On the transports the chaplains have their duties—and right up to the firing line, in .Trance and in Egypt. The booklet says: A'battle is.on. The padre's place is ■with-'the regimental ■ doctor. ' have pushed up as near as we can get to the front line in view of the safety ol'the ■wounded who come in, or lire brought to us. Imagine a more or less protected dug-out holding 50 or' 60 wounded, the padre dresses"and bandages wounds, keeps the billy boiling and'dishes out tea to the wounded./aa stretcher-bearers evacuate the wounded to the. clearing, station. Other- cases, continually stream in. The padre is a spiritual man; sonic of the noiinded are dying, whilst he attends to their physical needs.ho is not forgetful oi the spiritual. Hours Jind hours pass on in this way; no one goes to bed; it is all. very simple, there is nothing to write home ahout; but in these limf3 the padre justifies his appointment. When darkness'falls ho reverently buries tho dead, collects their few personal bolon;- ' ings, tabulates them, and sends them to Headquarters. Or there is a lull in this conUict, stretcher-bearers are only tod few, and the padre goes out into the darkness seeking the wounded find bringing them back to the dressing station: ' . •

After many weary hours, sometimes over two days, the dressing station is st last empty, and the padre returns to/ normal work whilst our men arc- holding the line. ' What is there then to do? Puiing the week-day he censors letters; has interviews in his dug-out; holds Bible and- Confirmation.classes, visits the sick; buries the dead, and makes a continual toiir of the front and .back trencbes: in short, he'sees to it (bathe sees his men wherever they are. On a Sunday he holds three or four celebrations of Holy Communion, two of thrtn Church-.services or Bible classes. Ml this work involves mush walking, and the days seem all 100 short for the 'work there is- to do. If I. were asked what the functions of a: padre at the front is, I should say that he so presents the. cheorf.il side of Christianity in his own life--and bearing that the fellows arc braced and strengthened by 'his nrcsenw and led to • accent the Master WhoFc Ic i=, and Whom hn serves. . ..