282 sportsmen Parsons in Peace and War 



There are several fathers and ministers, but none take same as 

 him. I don't know his name." 



The men generally speak of their regiment as being the best 

 in the service and their Padre the best in the world. I like to 

 hear it. 



One man writing of the time when the force from Suvla Bay 

 came in touch with the advance from Anzac, speaks of Father 

 John Lineham as moving about the whole day between the 

 firing-line and dressing-station bringing in wounded on his back 

 regardless of creed or nationality — Ghurkas, Australians, New 

 Zealanders. 



Another letter says, " After we had halted at the foot of 

 Chocolate Hill to reform, I heard a great cheer, and there was 

 Father Day coming along quite steadily across the battlefield 

 (he had halted to succour some dying soldiers). He shouted as 

 he came, ' Good cheer, boys ! ' and went searching for water, 

 which he found, and then supplied many burning throats with 

 a drink." 



It is delightful to hear the Tommies (most of them) on the 

 subject of the army chaplains. One youth tells me, " And the 

 chaplain he come along the trenches and he says to me, ' Jerry, 

 you keep your heart up and your head down.' " 



Another man waxed eloquent over the amount of work 

 other than priestly duties that the chaplains have done and are 

 doing. Amongst the things that had surprised him was seeing 

 a couple of Roman Catholic priests take off their coats and wash 

 down some blood-soaked ambulance cars. With a sigh of 

 sympathy he added, " And one of them was a bit stout and he 

 did puff and blow ! " 



Up to the time of writing, more than twenty Catholic 

 chaplains have been mentioned in despatches and granted 

 various military decorations. 



Father McMullen was with General Townshend at Kut-el- 

 Amara. 



It is easier to write of the dead than the living ; we are so 

 much less captious of the dead. Be mortuis nil nisi honum. 



An impressive service was held in a little village in Flanders 

 on the^'eve of a big attack. The little chapel that has escaped 

 destruction was crowded with men anxious to make their peace 

 with God ;" there was barely standing room. Close your eyes 



