244 Sportsmen Parsons in Peace and War 



regarded him as their best friend, and each cadet who has gone 

 out to face the world has carried with him the priceless blessing 

 of the influence of a good man upon his life. 



It has always seemed to me that the shadows we cast upon 

 those around us form one of our greatest responsibilities. 



At last, in 1905, the wish of his life was fulfilled and he was 

 ordained by the Bishop of Rochester, and became curate to 

 the Rev. Sydney Le Mesurier, vicar of St. Mary's, Westerham, 

 where he was working when war was declared. He at once 

 volunteered for service with the troops, his bishop having 

 " gladly welcomed " his holding his commission side by side 

 with Holy Orders. 



Previously he had held a commission in the 4th Volunteer 

 Battalion of the Hants Regiment, and was at the time when 

 war broke out captain of the Cadet Corps ; he now joined the 

 3rd Battalion of the London Regiment. 



What a pity more bishops have not " gladly welcomed " the 

 patriotic spirit of the young clergy who have volunteered to 

 fight for right and to enable the dignitaries to sit at home in 

 peace ! The prestige of the Church of England has suffered 

 through the action of some of its authorities preventing clergy 

 of military age from taking their share of warlike activities. 

 The attitude of the ecclesiastical bigwigs has been deplorable, 

 and if they knew how much their conduct has done to kill 

 religious feeling in our hearts it would surely fill them with 

 regret. Not all the precious blood of the brave young clergy 

 who have lain down their lives can ever obliterate the harm 

 that has been done. 



Beresford found he could hold services, attend to the 

 spiritual needs of those around him, and still be a man and a 

 soldier. His previous experience and his keenness made his 

 services the more valuable. 



First Beresford was sent to Malta, then France and Flanders. 

 He seemed to have a charmed life, living through three years of 

 incessant danger, having taken part in the battles of Neuve 

 Chapelle, Festubert, the Hohenzollern Redoubt, Bullecourt, 

 Ypres, Givenchy, a place he called the " Duck's Bill," wherever 

 that may be — possibly it was only a fancy name invented by 

 his regiment, for I do not remember hearing of it before— and 

 Poelcapelle, which was the last, on October 26, 1917. A shell 



