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THE DIARY OF AN ARMY SCRIPTURE READER WITH THE BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN FRANCE Introduction

William Ransley left the Army in April 1889. After leaving he joined the Army Scripture Readers’ Society and shortly after that he was appointed as Army Scripture Reader. He began his work in Aldershot, where he had first begun soldiering in the early 1880s. After 10 years in Aldershot, he moved to Canterbury for a few months before heading off to the Boer War. When he returned, he was posted to Dover then Shortcliffe and Winchester. He often, in all his postings, visited the injured in Garrison Hospitals and carried out a lot of his work there. Shortly after the outbreak of World War I the Army Scripture Readers’ Society obtained permission from the War Office to send Readers to the Front to do spiritual work among the troops. No readers were allowed to be attached to Units at the Front, so ASR Ransley was sent to the base in Boulogne in 1914.

ASR Ransley worked tirelessly among the various hospitals in Wimereux throughout the war. In December 1915 he was attached to Number 14 General Hospital and upon returning from England, where he spent Christmas with his family, he was posted to Number 5 Convalescent Camp and Number 8 Stationary Hospital. This is where he would see the slaughter of the Somme through the eyes and stories of the endless stream of injured soldiers from both sides.

THE DIARY OF AN ARMY SCRIPTURE READER WITH THE BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN FRANCE July 1916

A wounded man told me: “Different men act differently under shell-fire – some cry, some swear, some pray, and some go mad.” I visited 19 wounded German Prisoners, giving each of them a German New Testament. I made a special effort amongst the Hospital Orderlies by visiting them in their huts and inviting them to a voluntary Service; for I had felt that perhaps the Personnel had been neglected. I explained that I would hold an informal service at any hour of their own choice, as they had told me that they did not care for a strictly C. of E. Service, or, for the inconvenient hour of 6 p.m. at which that Service was held; and that their Chaplain wanted to meet them in this way. 2

They decided 8.15 p.m. as their most suitable time. Accordingly, I was there with one of their number, who had volunteered to play the organ. Only 8 attended, including 1 Staff Sergeant, four Sergeants, and 5 Privates, the Sergeants only attending, as they told me afterwards, “to hear Old Bill (myself) preach.” On the seven following Sundays, I persevered with them, by visiting them and inviting them to the Service; but only the organist turned up. So I gave up this special Service, and helped the Chaplain at his 6 o’c one. It is the remarkable testimony of many who have been responsible for conducting Voluntary Services in our various Base Hospitals that Doctors and Orderlies are very difficult to get to attend them. I am disposed to think that the explanation as regards the Orderlies at our Base Hospitals is, they have comfortable beds, good feeding, regular Pay days, and town attractions. These conditions tend to foster self-satisfaction and the spirit of indifference towards spiritual things. Then, of course, there is the “fear of man that bringeth a snare”, which accounts partly for their attitude. Many would not only like to attend Services, but to be wholly on the side of God; but until a man, living the corporate life of the Army, has taken a definite and open stand for Christ, he is very rarely found courageous enough to ignore the jeer & chaff of his comrades, who, more often than not, concludes that of a man attends a religious service or meeting he is necessarily professing to be religious, and treats him accordingly. “Halloa! You’ve been to the Scripture Reader’s Tent,” or “to Church!” is often said to men on returning from these places, and is sufficient to “choke them off! In too many cases, when there is not the softening influence of suffering, which our sick and wounded go through, to counteract this “fear of man” and indifference, as suffering certainly does counteract it, as shown by the eagerness with which the patients ask for services, and like to be talked to upon the subject of religion. Large convoys of wounded arrive daily, and are evacuated the same day. All speak of “heavy casualties”. A wounded man, elderly, godly, and a Sunday School teacher, told me: “I am sorry the authorities give an issue of Rum to our Boys before going ‘over the top’. I noticed two of my Regt. Too intoxicated to get over the enemy’s trenches in our attack. Either they were not used to rum, or, they had drunk more than their proper share which was issued before our advance.” Another wounded man told me: “Our divisional Commander told us before the attack, that this time we could expect to carry the enemy’s position without suffering many casualties. But as we walked (we were ordered to walk) forward to the attack in the open, we were mowed down by their Machine guns until our advance was completely stopped and before reaching our objective.” I visited 50 odd wounded German Prisoners, and gave each a German New Testament. Wounded arriving and leaving all day. The whole of the Staff worn out with the work of it all. About 200 wounded German Prisoners arrived in a deplorable condition – dirty, smelling, and most of them with 3

every description: bayonet, bomb, shrapnel, shell and bullet wounds. Sixteen of them had limbs amputated in the evening. Many had frightfully disfigured faces. All the wounded very uncomfortable owing to the intense heat, and the Nurses and Orderlies very fagged, but working heroically – they are simply magnificent! It is marvellous how quickly the wounded are dealt with during these awful “Rushes”, as they are usually referred to. Speaking of “Rushes” (Convoys, one after another rushed in and out in the one day), a Sergt. Remarked: “I suppose we are not the only people having “rushes”, in a time like this, I suppose they have big rushes in Heaven, too.” Another 16 amputations and 3 deaths among the Germans. Our 29 Wards and 12 Marquees crowded with wounded! I wrote short letters for patients all afternoon and evening. Distributed Gospels and Lavender bags, the latter were very acceptable. The suffering and consequent moans and groans of the wounded while their wounds are being dressed, is very distressing. A wounded Sergt. told me: “Just before I was wounded I saw our stretcher bearers bring four French women out of the German first line of dug-outs which we had taken. I had heard of this sort of thing before, but this was the first time I had seen it.” The telephone continually in use today with messages as follows: - “Are the German wounded all right?”, “See that they are well cared for”, “Do not allow any unkind treatment”, “Are the German wounded quite comfortable yet?”, “Are they getting everything they need?”, “Have you enough beds for them? If not, clear our own men who are slightly wounded out to Con Camp, and occupy their beds!”. Seventeen wounded Germans were paraded and put in a Motor which was to convey them to the Railway station. They missed the train owing to delay in starting from the Hospital, cause by the nurses in their anxiety to insure that all of them were well supplied with cigarettes and chocolates. I saw our slightly wounded being sent to Con. Camp to make room for Germans, and out “Sitting” patients, like the 17 Germans just referred to, are hobbling along from their different wards to the Motors. “Now then those men, come along, hurry up, don’t be all day!” is shouted to them. These had not been in hospital more than 8 hours; the 17 Germans had been in 3 weeks. In the month of November, 84 “Sitting” cases of German wounded rather unexpectedly arrived. Our own Patients in the Convalescent section of the Hospital, who a few days before had occupied Marquees and had been put into new huts owing to the severity of the weather, were moved back to the Marquees so that the Germans might occupy the huts. In the huts the Germans had spring beds and mattresses with three blankets, while our men in the marquees had to sleep on boards with three blankets and no mattresses. It was suggested that our men be given an extra blanket, as the weather was frosty, and many of the Patients had a temperature of 102. The extra blanket was refused, with the remark: “The men are not put into the Convalescent camp to be pampered and made soft, but to be hardened for duty at the Front again.”

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