PADRE ON ACTIVE SERVICE

Southland Times, Issue 23945, 11 October 1939, Page 4

PADRE ON ACTIVE SERVICE

ADDRESS TO ROTARY CLUB Experiences as a chaplain to the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces were the subject of an address by the Rev. R. S. Watson, of Ashburton, at the weekly luncheon of the Invercargill Rotary Club yesterday. Mr Watson said that as a battalion padre he had been called upon to carry out many duties. He had, for instance, made wills, and was thus an amateur lawyer, and he had been an amateur caterer, an amateur adjutant, an entertainer and a convener of sports. He had even had occasion to act as an amateur undertaker. '•

To carry out his task successfully a padre had to follow his own common sense, conscience and heart. On Sunday mornings there was a compulsory church service, and sometimes circumstances made it necessary that this should be brief. He recalled one such service which lasted only eight minutes, sermon and all.

A padre to a battalion was given an honorary rank, but that was not the barrier that many people supposed, and indeed there were many occasions when he had to stand alone as an advocate for the lower ranks of the soldiers. Mr Watson also spoke of the cooperation among the different churches while on active service, and of the camaraderie among the officers in a line battalion mess. He also paid a tribute to the wmen who were sent to the war as nurses.

The Rev. J. A. Thomson, on behalf of those present, thanked Mr Watson for his address.