army chaplains

[andrew wilbraham]

hi,

would it be possible for any forum users to comment on any questions they would like to see answered about the british army chaplain in the first world war. the reason for this is that i m currently writing my dissertation on this subject and would value any suggestions or queries that could be answered in the piece hopefully resulting in a well rounded dissertation with alot of answers on the relitively little known actions of the army padre. anything from the chaplains duties to their questioning of their faith ect...

thanks

andrew

[jhill]

I wish you well in your project. The relation of soldiers to religion and spirituality was, I think, often much different in those days than it is today, and should be better studied in our own time.

Alas! I am not "up" enough on the subject to give you many intelligent suggestions or questions. Perhaps a standard issue would be the conflict between the pastoral needs of the chaplain's flock and the personnel needs of the army; that is, the uncomfortable fact that the chaplain was at one and the same time a practising clergyman and a serving army officer.

I have before me a copy of Evelyn Waugh's biography of Ronald Knox. Knox was never tempted to become a chaplain, but most of his friends were. The author writes of one of them:

"Maurice Child's application was refused on the grounds, it was said, that in his interview with the Chaplain-General he was asked what he would do for a dying man, and answered: 'Hear his confession and give him absolution.' The correct answer was: 'Give him a cigarette and take any last message he may have for his family.'"

Perhaps this describes the issue.

Good lick!

[andrew wilbraham]

hi,

thats just the kind of thing im looking for, i am not looking for answers just things they may be bugging people, so that i can endevour to answer them in my disertation. that does seem to be the re-occurring theme however, the soldiers did not follow religion in general as this meant(they beleived) they had to live their lives in a godly manner. drinking, gambling and visiting the local madame do not really go together, there fore the padre was seen as the good old boy with a few cigarrettes, sweets and an ear for bending.

andrew