Irish Jesuit Province

A Catholic Chaplain in the Great War (Continued)Author(s): James McCannSource: The Irish Monthly, Vol. 68, No. 806 (Aug., 1940), pp. 407-416Published by: Irish Jesuit ProvinceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20514751 .

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A Catholic Chaplain in the Great War

By JAMES MCCANN, S.J.

(Continued from last month.)

A FTER convalescing for about six weeks, and having spent about two months as a chaplain in a camp in England, I went back to France in February, 1918. 1 had applied

to be transferred to the infantry, so I was sent to a Scotch divi

sion, and took up my quarters with the loth Scottish Rifles, and remained with them till the end of the war.

Trhe chaplains were much better organised with the infantry than with the cavalry. There were four Catholic chaplains for

each division, one for each of the three brigades, i.e., three

battalions and one for the odd units. There were, of course, dis

appointments and difficulties, but, taking the rough with the

smooth, things worked quite satisfactorily. When I joined the

division it was out of the line doing six weeks intensive training. This suited me very well as it gave me time to find my bearings and locate my men. I decided I would always be out of the

trenches for the week-end to hear the confessions and say Mass on Sunday for the battalion which was last out of the line. I would then return to my own battalion on Monday, whether they were in or out of the trenches. I was just beginning to settle down when it came to my knowledge that the previous chaplain, a non-R.C., was never, or only rarely, allowed to go into the trenches. This, of course, would be a serious handicap to a Catholic chaplain, but I believe he could insist if he wished to go. 1 decided to walk warily and hope for the best.

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408 THE IRISH MONTHLY

The night before the division was to return to the line one of the officers said to me after dinner:

" Well, Padre, what are you going to do?" I hesitated, not knowing what to say. There was an awkward pause; then the colonel came to my assistance, saying: " Padre, do just as you like; if you wish to go to the trenches, go, and if you don't want to go, remain behind, but never ask permission from me."

On one occasion when my battalion was about to return to the line after a ten days rest, I met a man who said to me: " Have you seen Corporal So-and-so lately, sir?" I told him I could not remember, but asked if there was anything wrong. He then told me: " I believe he is going with the Presbyterians; some

girl, sir, he met on leave. I don't know much about it, but he was certainly not at your service last Sunday." I made inquiries, immediately, for the corporal, but was told he had gone into the line the previous night with an advance party. This changed all

my plans. I must now go into the line with my battalion, see the corporal on Friday morning, and return on Saturday to be ready to spend the week-end wvith the battalion coming out to rest. After breakfast on Friday I asked for the whereabouts of the corporal and was told he was in the front trench about 150 yards ahead of us. One of the H.Q. officers told me he was going up immediately to see his (the corporal's) company com

mander, so if I went along with him he would show me the way. When we arrived at the company commander's dug-out we were

told the corporal was at a post, in no man's land, about a quarter of a mile out from the trench, that the trench leading out to the

post was little more than a cutting, and that five officers had been

hit by a German sniper during the morniing trying to get out to the post. It was not very encouraging, but to cheer me up the H.Q. officer said: " Padre, I have orders to get to that post; if you insist on coming that's your affair; as we shall be together the

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A CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN IN THE GREAT WAR 409

sniper can only get one of us; he may take you and let me through, so come along."

I followed him up the steps of the dug-out, and we were just within a few yards of the cutting leading to the post when I was stopped by a man, who excitedly said: " Have you seen Corporal

So-and-so, sir?" mentioning the name of the corporal I wanted to see. Whe-n I told him I had not, he said: " He has just gone down wounded in the opposite direction about three minutes ago." I said " Cheerio " to my H.Q. officer and wished him " God speed ". My quest now, providentially, lay in a safer direction. I picked up the corporal in a few minutes. He was scarcely able to crawl along. He was suffering much pain, having been hit by the sniper in the arm. I helped him for about twenty

minutes till we arrived at the battalion aid post. I waited there

till his arm was dressed and he was made fairly comfortable. We then sat down in a quiet corner of the trench to await the ambul ance to take him to the base. I there heard his confession and

saw him being carried on a stretcher to the ambulance, smiling and happy. The H.Q. officer got to the post and returned safely.

He turned up at lunch smiling and jovial as ever, and survived till the end of the war in spite of being in two big battles and

many a tight corner.

When the Germans began their big attack in March, 1918, 1

was sent to the nearest dressing station to the line: a large school

house, five stories high, in the suburbs of Arras. On Holy

Thursday I was rouised from my slumbers by a terrific bombard ment. The Germans were pouring shells into the town and all

around us. With our guns firing back over the school the noise was appalling. It was very unpleasant to hear the shells bursting, and the crash of masonry as building after building was hit. I

knew it must be only a question of minutes before the school's

turn would come. We got accustomed out there to saying:

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410 THE IRISH MONTHLY

" It's no use getting the wind up; you are as safe in one place as another." So I decided to stay in bed. At least I was com fortable there.

At about 4.20 a.m. there was a terrific bang. I knew the school was hit. " What am I going to do now?" I said to myself. " If I get up, the next shell might get me when going down the stairs." So I decided to remain where I was, and that niothing would entice me from my comfortable blankets. Immediately after I had come to that decision I got an inspiration. That it had some

kind of supernatural origin I have never had any doubt, and if I had not acted on it I am sure my earthly career would have come to an end a few minutes after. It suddenly came into my mind that as the school was hit some men might have been hurt, and as I was a chaplain it was my business to investigate the result of the crash. I jumped out of bed immediately. I did not even delay in dressing, but finding a doctor's dressing gown on a chair I threw it round me and rushed down the stairs to inquire mwhat had happened. I was told a corner of the school had been blown to bits, that a few men had received some slight scratches, but that none had been seriously hurt. I then met the colonel, who told me, as things were getting very hot, to get down to the cellars at once and to bring with me any officers who might be in the rooms upstairs. I rushed back to my room to get my clothes.

But, alas! my room no longer existed. In my absence a shell had landed in the middle of the floor, blowing everything to bits, and my bed had been littered with shrapnel. I was only three or four minutes absent, so that if I had not immediately obeyed the inspiration I got, I believe, almost certainly, it would have been

good-bye to mother earth for me. I was able to say Mass at 7 o'clock. I shall never forget it. I am sure I never said Mass so fervently before or since.

When the fighting calmed down a bit on our front I went one

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A CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN IN THE GREAT WAR 411

day to see some of my men who wvere in a village about five miles

behind the line. I sent them word that I would hear their con

fessions in the village church on a certain afternoon, and that we

would have Mass and Holy Communion the following week-dav

morning. About twenty-five or thirty came to confession, and about forty in all attended Mass. When saying Mass I noticed a very devout C. of E. chaplain in the church saying his prayers.

When I was leaving the church he came over to me and said: " Padre, would you mind if I asked you a question?" " Cer tainly," I replied, " any question you like." " XVell," he said, " I am very anxious to know if those men were obliged to be at your service this morning." " Oh, no," I replied, " there was no obligation; I just sent them word that I woould be there for confessions, Mass and Holy Communion, and beyond looking up three or four I left them perfectly free." " Well, Padre," he said, " I never saw anything like that before; I did not think it could be done. "

The division to which I was attached was sent to join the French Army at the end of July, 1918. We were encamped in the forest of Compiegne. We knew that there was heavy fight ing in store for us, as the French were being sorely pressed by the Germans trying at Rheims to force their way through to Paris.

On the afternoon after our arrival in the forest word came about 5 o'clock that we were to start for the line at 2 a.m. Before a

big engagement we chaplains nearly always tried to get our Catholic men together for a General Absolution. This we were allowed to do by special concession during the war. When I learnt that the men's tea was at 8.30 1 started off at once to one of my battalions about a mile away in the forest. Having found the adjutant I asked him to write me a notice saying that the

R.C. chaplain wished to see all the R.C.s at a green patch in the centre of the forest at 8 p.m.

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412 THE IRISH MONTHLY

He said at once: " Padre, it is impossible, I am very busy and there are no notices going out to-night. The men are spread all over the forest, they will never see or hear anything of your notice; you will get no men to-night." I replied: " I only require your notice, sir, I shall be responsible for the men."

He wrote me the note immediately. I then went on to the next battalion and found the adjutant a very difficult proposition. lIe was furious at the idea of writing a notice for me. He used pretty much the same arguments as the other, and added that it -was d nonsense to ask for the men as they were very busy preparing to go into the line that night, and they were having their tea at 8.30. I told him I knew all that and I only wanted his notice. He was on the point of refusing when I said: " Sir, I shall have the men of the other two battalions, and if your men

hear that, they may want to know why they got no notice, there might be trouble." He sat down and wrote the notice at once. I then came back to the adjutant of my own battalion. We had always been good friends. I said to him: " Sir, you may con sider me a d- nuisance if you like but I want your R.Cs. notified that I wish to see them at the green patch about a mile away at 8 p.m. " Well," he said, " Padre, you are a d nuisance, but there is your notice." I arrived at the green patch at 7.50. By 8 o'clock I seemed to have all the men I would get. I knew I had not more than between 180 and 200 in the three battalions, and under the circumstances I would have been quite

pleased if thirty or forty had turned up. While I was speaking to them for a few minutes I was able to count my little band of faithful men. There were just over 120. I explained to them the meaning of the General Absolution, and then asked them to kneel down while we said the Act of Contrition together. They said the prayer with real devotion and fervour. I then gave them

Absolution and my blessing, and wished them God speed. Quite

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A CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN IN THE GREAT WAR 413

a number of non-R.C.s had watched the little ceremony at a respectful distance. I know they were greatly impressed. I

myself was astonished at the number that had turned up. I scarcely dared to " think it could be done ".

There was terribly hard fighting during the ten days that followed. My division and another British division brought down from the north, to help the French, drove back the Germans and took a village called Buzancy. This was the key to Soissons. Soissons fell automatically a few days after. This was the turn ing point of the war, and the retirement of the Germans along the whole front.

My battalion went into the line 800 strong, we came out niot more than 400 weary and exhausted men. We lay down utterly worn out in the first field we canme to. There was not a cigarette among us. I had not seen one for six days. As we were away fronm our supply column, rations had come up very irregularly; some days we had very little to eat. We were told that French lorries would come to take us to our billets fourteen miles behind. After waiting for two hours, Nvord came that the lorries could not be spared and that we would have to march the fourteen rrliles. We pulled ourselves together and got into some kind 'Af formation, determined to make the best of it. The doctor anid the chaplain always marched at the rear of the battalion in case anyone fell out. I could scarcely drag my legs after me. How I was going to get through the fourteen miles I could not tell. The colonel kept marching from the front to the rear of the battalion saying many a cheery word to help us along. On one occasion when he joined the doctor and myself, the doctor said to him: " I am afraid, sir, the Padre won't last much longer." The colonel looked at me and replied in a kindly and cheery voice: "c Oh, the Padre is all right, he'll see it out as well as any of us."

When we had gone about four miles we stopped in a wood to

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414 THE IRISH MONTHLY

have some tea. I lay under a tree utterly weary till my man

brought me a cup of tea and some bread and margarine, and an officer gave me a cigarette, which revived me a little; but the idea of marching ten miles more seemed out of the question.

While I was thinking what I would do, the colonel's man came over to me and said: " Sir, I have the colonel's horse for you."

; Oh," I said, " there must be some mistake." " Oh, no, sir," he replied. " The colonel told me to tell you it is ready for you to take you back to billets. "

I went at once to thank the colonel for his wonderful kindness and tlhoughtfulness. It was onlv the following day I discovered that, when he made that remark: " Oh, the Padre is all right, etc.", he immediately sent a dispatch rider to the village, ten miles away, to have his horse brought up for me. That was the most outstanding act of kindness I ever experienced in my life. I am sure I never could have covered those ten miles w'ithout that horse.

After reforming the battalion and bringing it again up to

strength, we had no more hard fighting to do. It was simply a case of following the Germans as they retreated.

After the Armistice it was very difficult to keep the men occupied and interested. About a fortnight before Christmas,

1918, the division arranged a two-days' sports for the men, preceded the day before by a race meeting for the officers. The

adjutant asked me to ride his horse in one of the races. I eagerly consented. There were about fourteen horses in the race. When the flag fell I let him go along at his own pace for about 200 yards. I then looked up and saw that there was only one horse in front of

me, about six lengths ahead. There were two or three beside me, the rest were behind. I thought it might be worth while to try to catch the leader, so I gave my horse a few cracks of the whip. I caught the leader about 200 yards from the post. Wre rode

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A CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN IN THE GREAT WAR 415

home locked together, but I could not quite get up to him. I

was just beaten by a head.

We were billeted in a large Belgian town near Waterloo for

Christmas. I made up my mind to do my best to make the service

on Christmas morning as homely and as devotional as possible. I first got leave to have Mass in a convent chapel which wvould hold about 300. 1 then enquired if there was anyone in the town

who could play the organ during Mass. I was advised to try

the mayor's daughter. I paid her a visit and asked her if she would help me. She very willingly agreed. I got out some

Christmas hymns from Ireland and she practised them with three men of my battalion who had exceptionally good voices. We had about 280 at Mass in the beautiful convent chapel. About half of them went to Holy Communion. The hymns, singing and organ were a great success. When the men had left the chapel, after a holy Christmas morning, I went to thank the lady for all her trouble. " Oh," she said, " I thoroughly enjoyed it; your

English hymns are lovely, but what struck me most was the piety of your men."

After nmy breakfast I went into the smoking-room and found one officer there, the same who nearly introduced me to the

sniper, a real decent fellow and a great friend of mine. I remarked to him that I was surprised to see no preparation for a C. of E. or

Presbyterian service, and I asked him if it was usuial to have no service on Christmas Day. " Well, Padre," he said, " of course we should have a service on Christmas Day, but it is the chaplain's business to arrange that for us, and everyone knows ours are no good."

I was demobilised in the middle of January, 1919. When I was on vacation in Scotland in September, 1939, I met

a man one day in a bus, with whom I got into conversation. Ile told me he had been in the Great War for three years, that he

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416 TIIE IRISH MONTHLY

was wounded on three occasions and gassed twice, that he was

forty-five years of age, but he was doing his best to get back into the army and go out to fight again. " Why, my good man," I

said to him, " would you do that, you have done your bit and done it well?" " Ah, yes, sir," he replied, " that's all right,

but you know, sir, out there there is a good fellowship and an anxiety to help that you never get at home.'

That was my experience also. I never had an unkind or nastv word said to me. I received the greatest kindness and helpfulness from everyone during the whole two years that I was a Chaplain.

FOOTNOTE.-I remember reading, many years ago, the memoirs of a master at Harrow School. He stated that the most thrillingy moments of his life were: first, when he was teaching a class of mathemiiatics and having explained some problern, he looked iound the class and saw the boys were taking it in for the first timie; and, secondly, at an Eton and Harrow match when the first ball was about to be bowled.

The 10th Scottish Rifles with whom I spent the last 11 months of the war were over 80 per cent. Presbyterians. When I first joined them, the men, i.e., the ranl and file, were certainly stand-offish and cold towards me. Five months after I joined them, when they were about to start for the line for the battle of Soissons, as I rode behind the Colonel to the head of the battalion I heard the men remark, certainly three times, " The Padre's with us ". That remark gave me more pleasui-e than anything I ever heard in my life. It was the greatest thrill I ever experienced.

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