1 Many thanks
for Lena's
letter. B. E. Force, France. 10/3/'16. My dear Father, Before I begin my
budget I want to take back all the
nice things I said about the weather,
which has simply been on its worst
behaviour. The day after I wrote
to you we left our late billets to
come here, in a blinding snow
storm, and almost everyday since
snow has fallen. It melts during
the day, with the result that we are
living in slush, not too pleasant
for those who have not provided
themselves with a pair of 'gum'
boots, which make trudging
through the mud and water
quite a pleasure. I marched on with the 8 th Fusiliers
but as I have also charge of the 8 th
Inniskillings my first step was 2 to find out where they were
quartered, so as to arrange for
Mass the next day (Sunday). I
found them some from miles
away in what was once a flourish
ing town but now a mass of
ruins. In the midst of the deso—
lation stands a little convent of
Sisters of Charity, absolutely un
touched with the exception of
some broken panes of glass. The Superioress told me they had
had a charmed existence, shells
flying about in all directions,
one eventually having burst in
the garden but no one received
a scratch. She then brought me
into the parish church next
door, its roof & walls pierced with
shell holes with bullet marks
on every side and pointed out
the alter where I was to celebrate
the following morning. On the
principle I suppose, of 'making
my flesh creep' she pointed 3 out the spot behind the alter where a shell had
burst, smashing a big hole in
the wall and blowing the priest
into the middle of the congre
gation without hurting him
or them. However she told me
that the Germans had not bom—
barded the village for the past
twelve months; I began to breathe
freely again and went back
to my own quarters with a
light heart, little thinking of
what was in store for me the
following morning. Having finished my first Mass
at 9 I mounted my bicycle, which
I find sometimes more convenient
than a horse, and set out so as to
be with the Inniskillings at 11.
On the way I noticed that heavy
firing was going on ahead,
but it was only when I reached
a bend in the road that I
realized that the enemy were 4 actually shelling the very spot
I had to pass! At the first arrow
some soldiers stopped me, saying
it was dangerous to go on; at the
moment I was wondering what
had become of the side of a vacant
house which had suddenly vanished
in a cloud of smoke and was
painfully aware of the close
proximity of high explosive
shells. Here was a fire; I know
my regiment was waiting me
in the village for Mass, and also
that half of them were going
to the trenches that afternoon
for the first time; if I did not 5 turn up they would lose con—
fession and Holy Communion,
and the only way to reach them
was by the shell swept road. What really decided me was the thought
that I was carrying the Blessed
Sacrament and I felt that having
our Lord Himself with me no
harm could possibly come to
me. I mounted the bicycle and
faced the music. I don't want
you to think me very brave &
courageous for I confess I felt
horribly afraid, but it was my
baptism of fire and and one needs
to grow accustomed to the sound
of bursting shells. Just then I
was wishing my regiment was
in Gevier and every German gun
in the bottom of the Red Sea or
any other hot place. Call it a miracle if you
like but the moment I turned
the corner the guns ceased firing
and not a shell fell till I was 6 safely in the village church — my
confidence in our Lord's protec—
tion was not misplaced. Naturally I did not know this
was going to happen, and it was
anything but pleasant riding
down the last stretch of road
listening for the scream of the
coming shell. Have you ever had
a night-mare in which you
were pursued by ten mad bulls,
while the faster you tried to run
the more your feet stuck in
the mud? These were just my
feelings as I pedalled down
that blessed road, which seemed
to grow longer & longer the
further I went. At last I turned
the corner, reached the church &
had just begun Mass when
down came the hail of shells
once more. One or two must
have burst very close judging
by the way the walls shook, 7 but I felt quite happy and
quite ready to be blown from
the alter, for I saw a fine
plump Freench woman just behind
me, she might have been killed
but I was quite safe. I mention this little adventure
as I think it will console you
as it has consoled me, showing
that all the good prayers are
not in vain and that this is a
happy omen of God's loving
protection from all dangers. I have just heard that one at least
of the men to whom I gave Holy
Communion that morning was
killed the same night in the trenches.
You may be pleased to learn that
without ever having been a C.C.
I am now full P.P. of this
parish, the Curí being away
at the war and no one to take
his place. (If Fr Tom wants a
good thing in parishes send him
on at once). Last evening I 8 heard quite by chance that an
old woman was very ill, her family
evidently not thinking it worth the
trouble of sending for the priest.
Almighty God seemed to have left
the poor old creature alive till I
reached her and gave her the
Last Sacraments, for she died
almost before I got home. You
see my life has many con—
solations, and it is just as
well for this is a sad, sad war
of which you at home have
but the faintest idea; may the
good God end it soon. Thank you very much for the
interesting number of the I. Catholic.
I quite agree with all Fr O' Connor
says about the universal kindness
shown us by all the officers and men
great respect, but he wrote the rest
of his letter with pen well dipped
in ' Ecrulum de rosi' (or was it a bottle
of red wine?) for I have not yet met a
chaplain who looks on the life as a pressure. Much love to all,
from your loving Willie.