A True Account from the Front Lines of World War 1
The services and sacrifices made by The Salvation Army during combat meant a great deal to the troops overseas. Salvation Army workers risked their own lives, in churned-up battlefields, to cook and provide comfort.
“The Canadian Medical Officer asked the young wounded soldier, ‘Are you in much pain?’
“By the size of the gaping wound in his side, the soldier should have been in severe pain. The doctor applied pressure, packed the wound with gauze and wrapped a thick bandage around the leg. It wasn’t bleeding much now.
“The teen looked up at the doctor from his stretcher at the bottom of the wet, muddy trench. Sweat poured down his face. His pulse was weak and fast. He was in shock, but still conscious. The doctor had a supply of Morphine in his field ambulance kit, which helped the pain a bit.
(Dr. John O’Connell)
“All was not quiet on the Western Front that day. Shells exploded over the trenches with ear shattering bursts. Shrapnel showered down on the Ypres Salient. The Canadian regiment returned fire over no-man’s land to the German lines that almost surrounded them. Stretcher bearers put their lives at risk to remove the soldier and others like him through the narrow base of the salient to safety behind the lines.
“The doctor made his rounds in the trenches, moving from one wounded man to another. He did what he could to relieve pain and torture, to stop bleeding, to dress the wounds. Then he assured the wounded men that there was hope for more treatment back at the base hospital.
“Bombs continued to fall. Shells kept exploding. The doctor persevered with his rounds.
“Then, he was taken by surprise. As he leaned over a patient to comfort him he felt a gentle tap on this shoulder. A kind, soft-spoken British man asked: ‘Captain, would you like a cup of tea and a crumpet?’
“The doctor looked up to see a middle-aged man dressed in his impeccable Salvation Army uniform. He carried a huge teapot, cups, and a knapsack of cakes slung over his shoulder.
“The doctor smiled and accepted the gift with much gratitude. It was better than any gourmet banquet. He enjoyed his only break on that dreadful day of death and horror.
“From that day forward, and for the rest of his life, the doctor carried a deep respect and love for the brave and selfless Christian Soldiers of The Salvation Army.
“I know, because that doctor was my father.”
Charlie
