By the Rev. Alexander Macrae, Portree.
DEAR MR. EDITOR,—By arrangement with members of the Southern Presbytery, under whose superintendence the Mission to the Forces has been conducted, I proceeded south and arrived in London on the evening of Friday, 1st January. Like my predecessors, I was privileged to make 1 Upper Montagu Street, London—the congenial and hospitable home of Mr. and Mrs. Mackay—my headquarters. In common with others, I feel under a lasting debt of gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Mackay for their kindly and practical sympathy with the deputies in their work. No headquarters could, in every respect, be more suitable. From this centre, I immediately entered upon the duties assigned to me, and, accompanied by Mr. William Grant, I arrived in Bedford on Saturday evening. As my immediate predecessor, Rev. Mr. Cameron, appropriately stated in his report, the work of organisation was well carried out by the friends who are in charge of our London Mission, and the whole machinery was ably set going by the Rev. Mr. Macqueen. Others laboured and I simply entered into their labours.
Bedford is about 50 miles north of London on the Midland Railway, and is one of the many towns that are embraced in what is known as the Midland Counties. Its population is rapidly diminishing, but the town is immortalised by its association with the memory of the immortal John Bunyan. It was at Elstow, a little more than a mile to the south-west of Bedford, the author of “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners” was born. For his non-conformity he was thrown into Bedford “Jail,” then situated on Bedford Bridge, where he wrote his wonderful allegory, the “Pilgrim’s Progress.” The town did itself lasting honour by erecting, in an appropriate place, a striking statue to his memory. From an early period of the Reformation, Protestantism and, afterwards, Puritanism, found a congenial home in Bedford; and even now the cleavage between conformity and non-conformity is, I am told, distinctly growing in intensity. Like many other places that once came under Reforming and Puritan influences, Bedford is not now all that is desirable. The scavengers employed by the Corporation sweep the streets and drive away the refuse on the Sabbath, without respect to the divine command, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” Letters are delivered on the Day of Rest—a fact that does not take place in the large city of London; newspapers are publicly sold in the streets; milk carts run their accustomed rounds; amusements of a character that is questionable on any day are indulged in; and to crown all, the doors of premises licensed to sell drink are thrown open within certain defined periods of the day, a practice that has anything but an influence for good upon the community.
Such is briefly the character of the place into which the whole Highland (Territorial) Division of the British Army, marked out for foreign service, was moved for training purposes. The whole Division, consisting of about 35,000 men—a number equal to the population of the town in normal circumstances—was billeted, partly, in inhabited, and, partly, in uninhabited houses. The men were thus spared the inconvenience and discomfort incident to tent life during the cold winter months. But, notwithstanding the acknowledged comforts they enjoyed, I found Bedford charged with germs of an infectious character that silently but effectually laid prostrate some of the best types of our Highland manhood. An epidemic of measles raged, which, with the addition of complications, was instrumental in cutting off the life of many a promising young man, and households all over our Highlands and Islands were wrapped in pungent grief and sorrow. These young men left their homes in obedience to the summons to arms in defence of their beloved country against a deceitful and merciless foe. They died patriotically, but under far sadder circumstances than though they had fallen victims to the enemy’s fire and shell. The number of cases filled two large Public Schools that were temporarily converted into Hospitals—the Goldington and Amphill Road Public Schools. The extent of suffering humanity was such as I had never before, even remotely, witnessed. Hundreds were reduced to a condition of utter helplessness, and the death-rate was appalling. We tender our sincerest sympathy to parents and friends whom it hath pleased the Lord, in His inscrutable providence, to sorely bereave by the terrible visitation. It spoke loudly and eloquently to all, and I am not without hope that some, at least, may derive a lasting spiritual benefit from it.
When I first went to Bedford I was unfavourably impressed with much of what I saw, and I sent a letter to the Secretary of State for War in the following terms:—
“As Deputy from the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland to minister principally to Gaelic-speaking soldiers from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland at present under training in several parts of England, I beg respectfully to bring under your Lordship’s notice the apparent inadequacy of the arrangements that at present obtain at Bedford for conveying soldiers suffering from measles from their private billets to hospital.
Unfortunately a considerable number of the troops at Bedford are at present suffering from measles, and, as the result of pneumonia supervening, many of them are dying. I fear that the unsatisfactory character of the ambulance van in which patients are conveyed to hospital may largely account for the supervention of pneumonia. It is covered with a kind of canvas open before and behind. It does not afford protection from a cold, chilly atmosphere to those who are in a high state of fever.
In view of the many valuable lives that are already lost through the prevailing epidemic of measles at Bedford, I judge it dutiful to respectfully bring the state of matters there under your Lordship’s notice, in the hope that your Lordship may be pleased to inquire into the circumstances with results fitted to avert complications of a highly dangerous character.”
To this letter I had the following reply:—”WAR OFFICE, LONDON, S.W., 7th January, 1915.—Sir,—I am commanded by the Army Council to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 5th January, 1915, on the subject of arrangements for conveying sick to hospital, which shall receive attention.—I am, Sir, your obedient Servant, (Signed) R. W. BRADE.” It is possible that reports may have reached the War Office from other quarters; but, in any case, a thoroughly satisfactory motor ambulance was in use before the end of the week; an additional staff of nurses was supplied; and the whole hospital arrangements were so reorganised as to have been placed on a highly efficient footing. The question of inadequate treatment was raised in the House of Commons by the member for Sutherland. Acknowledgment was virtually made of the fact, but the assurance was given that the defect had been remedied. We know that Lord Kitchener’s mastery of detail is complete. He applies it with effect to every department of the army, and we can well conceive that those responsible for what was patently culpable neglect have been dealt with in proportion to the seriousness of their neglect.
I have had the privilege of visiting the hospitals at all times. Hospital visitation, combined with other duties, sufficiently taxed the time at my disposal during the week-end. The hospitals were inconveniently situated—almost at the two extreme ends of the town. It was, however, my practice to visit them every Saturday evening, Sabbath forenoon, and Monday forenoon before I left for Kimbolton. The young men were profoundly thankful for the interest taken in them. They rejoiced to see one among them who could speak to them in their mother-tongue, and their expression of gratitude was profuse, after taking part with them in spiritual exercises. Many have had a good recovery, and I hope and pray that their terrible experiences, far away from their homes and friends, may have an an influence for good upon the whole tenor of their life in future. Scores, however, succumbed to their maladies, and the sight bespeaking their condition of helplessness in the grip of the king of terrors was painful and heart-rending. Nothing could be done but to plead the mercy of God in Christ for them and to resign them into the hands of Him who does as it pleases Him in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. I corresponded with their friends in the Highlands who replied with expressions of sincerest thanks. I experienced the utmost kindness and consideration at the hands of Major Rorie, chief of the medical staff. He took the kindest interest in the sufferers; he encouraged me in every possible way; and his great regret was that, although a Scotchman, he could not converse with them in the language they liked best. Before I left Bedford, the flood of trouble very considerably abated. On the occasion of my last visit, I found the number of cases reduced to about a score and a half. Two of the patients hailed from the heights of Assynt; and as their illness covered the whole period that I was in England, I bade them farewell with a considerable amount of anxiety and misgiving.
Several circumstances militated against the attendance at our religious services. These services were held, mostly in Gaelic, at 3 p.m. and at 7 p.m. each Sabbath. Many of the young men gave unmistakable signs of the influence for good a careful upbringing has had upon them, far away from home and exposed to divers temptations. They were regular in their place at divine worship, except when prevented by force of circumstances. Each had to take his turn at the post of duty. Some were allowed leave of absence. Others suffered from influenza, colds, and other ordinary troubles; and, without a doubt, there was a proportion of those who, Gallio-like, “cared for none of those things.” But the two elements that mostly contributed to a reduced attendance were the prevalence of epidemics of an infectious character, which swept the place during the whole of my eight weeks’ sojourn, and the call from headquarters to certain Battalions to proceed overseas. The 4th Seaforths had gone before my time, and it was with feelings of deepest sorrow I heard on my last Saturday in Bedford that the 4th Cameron Highlanders had gone on the previous day, and that the men of the Ross-shire and Argyllshire Mountain Batteries had received orders to be also in readiness. Bedford presented to me an aching void, and I felt that my work there was done. I can only follow them up, as they are now probably within range of the enemy’s guns, with the fervent prayer that the Lord may be a covering to their head in the day of battle, and that the Word, to which many of them listened with rapt attention, may prove to be an imperishable seed in their hearts.
The 1st Lovat Scouts Reserve Regiment is stationed at Kimbolton. This is a small village 13 miles north of Bedford by the public road, but more than double that distance by train. The men composing the regiment are drawn chiefly from the mainland and insular districts of the county of Inverness. A very considerable number of them are thus Gaelic-speaking, and I was pleased to meet several, with whom I am personally acquainted, from the island of my adoption. One felt a kind of a family bond uniting the members of this regiment, and the most cordial relations exist between officers and men. The kindly interest taken by Colonel MacDonald and Major Hilleary, Adjutant, in the men, are bound to produce these happy results. At the hands of both these officers I experienced the utmost kindness; indeed, nothing could surpass Major Hilleary’s thoughtful consideration. By arrangement with him I conducted Gaelic services every Monday evening. These promised to be largely attended; but the epidemic of measles, that wrought havoc at Bedford, broke out here also and spread with remarkable rapidity. In a short time the Mandeville Hall and one of the Public Schools, that were temporarily fitted up for Hospitals, were filled to overflowing. Happily, the death-rate was low. There were, in all, four deaths when I left, the saddest of which was that of Ronald Matheson, Earlish, Skye, who, physically, was one of the most powerful in the Regiment, and to whose widowed mother we extend our most genuine sympathy in her distressing bereavement. As an instance of the kindly sentiments entertained towards the Church’s Deputy, I may state that I was once telegraphed for to London by Colonel MacDonald to go to visit the men, who were laid aside with measles, and twice by Major Hilleary to officiate at the funeral of those who died. In my unavoidable absence, Mr. James M’Leod, Student, officiated on one occasion with much acceptance to officers and men. Many of the men hail from Skye and North Uist, and a promising feature is that they make a constant practice of having family worship together. I was here kindly received by Mr. and Mrs. Carter, under whose roof I felt quite at home.
From Kimbolton I once went to Buckden, which is about seven-and-a-half miles further east. Here there is a contingent of the Lovat Scouts. I would have arranged to visit it more frequently but for the fact that the time at my disposal was short and that the most of the Gaelic-speaking Highlanders there were removed to Kimbolton, only a remnant having been left who could appreciate Gaelic services. I, however, came across a few from Kinlochbernie who preferred Gaelic; one from Scorraig; and one from Aultbea; but as the majority of those who had shown an interest in our work came from Easter Ross and the East of Sutherland, and who knew little or no Gaelic, it was considered more appropriate to conduct the service in English. Mr. Bowtell, merchant, kindly made arrangements for our service being held in the Wesleyan Chapel. The managers had previously arranged to have a meeting of their own there that evening, but they kindly agreed to have it elsewhere for the purpose of meeting our convenience. The service, at which a considerable sprinkling of civilians was present, was largely attended by the troops. They seemed deeply interested and impressed, and I could only hold out to them the hope that my successor would visit them ere long. As the existing service of trains did not admit of my returning to London that evening, I had the privilege of enjoying the kind hospitality of a Miss Cope for the night. I deemed her no superficial Christian. Her intellectual grasp of truth was singularly entertaining, and her experience of the power of it seemed to bear proportion. I shall always recall with pleasure the privilege of having met her. Unlike Bedford and Kimbolton, the troops at Buckden were free of serious trouble. Huntingdon, which is a few miles further east, was for a time the scene of the training operations of another division of the Lovat Scouts, of whom several are personally known to me. They had, however, been removed to Skegness, on the Lincolnshire coast, and their distance from the sphere of our activities in Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire precluded the possibility of my visiting them.
The only place that remains for me to report on is Chatham, a naval seaport on the Thames, in the county of Kent. This was the only naval station it was my privilege to visit. The former deputies have had pleasant experiences in connection with their visits to Portsmouth, but ere I had entered upon the work of the Mission, all the Gaelic-speaking naval men there had left. The services at Portsmouth were, therefore, suspended; and in the continued absence of the men, they were not resumed in my time. Regular weekly services were held in the school of the Naval Barracks at Chatham. The attendance was good throughout, although the presence of men in the Barracks was like the flowing and receding tide. Some went and others came. They found themselves more in contact with the grim realities of war than even the troops at concentration camps. Whenever they left port an invisible engine of destruction might, for all they knew, hurl them speedily into eternity. Some who were associated with us at our services, had gone, never to return. The peculiar solemnity of the situation visibly left its mark upon the worshippers. They listened with much seriousness and earnestness, and in the spirit of those having the impression that they heard the word of God proclaimed for the last time. This feeling appeared to me to be generally more in evidence at Chatham than anywhere else. Without a doubt, the Lord’s people were among them, whose presence contributed to the degree of spiritual fervour and warmth that obviously marked the services. I met with a practice here that I nowhere else met with. A prayer meeting was held by the men every evening from eight to nine o’clock. It also was largely attended; and who knows to what extent the destiny of the present terrible war may depend upon the wrestlings of these sailors at the throne of grace, most of whom had come from distant parts of Lewis? Their environment largely presented an apparent attitude of heedlessness to the moral government of the Most High, and their good practice appeared like an oasis in the desert. To the credit, however, of the officers in charge, it must be said that they looked with commendable favour upon the action of these devoted sailors. They approved of such arrangements for their meetings as effectually placed them beyond the reach of interruption from outside sources; and humble as their position is in the British navy, they may be an asset to their country, the priceless value of which is known only to Him who is the King of nations.
In concluding this report, I consider that the idea of instituting a Mission to the Forces, while under training in England, was well conceived. It gave expression, in a practical form, to the sympathy of the Church with the young men of all denominations who, down to the remotest corners of our Highlands and Islands, voluntarily left their homes and occupations to act their part for King and country in a struggle that, in respect of its dimensions, has no parallel in the history of the world. It also gave the Church’s deputies an opportunity to deal closely with them about matters of primary and supreme importance at a time when the ultimate issue lies between life and death—at a time when all the circumstances are fitted to dispose their attention to the consideration of spiritual and eternal realities. Among them are men of the highest intelligence, dominated with a high sense of duty, and influenced with the noblest ideals. Among them, I have no doubt, are pleaders at the Throne of Grace, Bible readers, and Bible lovers. Those who are otherwise disposed can have ample opportunities to give exercise to their energies in directions that are more in consonance with their aspirations. A disposition to belittle the divine authority of the law, that respects the sanctity of the Sabbath, cannot conduce to prosperity. The attempt to draw a veil by theatrical entertainments over realities, that cannot be avoided, betrays a sickly state of mind, and the temper, that still prevails in many quarters to minimise the untold evils of intemperance, reveals the fact that we are lagging behind Russia and France. A writer to the London Times remarked that, unless we conquer ourselves, we need not expect to conquer our enemies. But we plead with all and sundry to forsake these evils; and as for our fellow-countrymen who have gone, or are still going, to the front, to fight their country’s battles, we pray that the Lord may, in His mercy, prepare for death those whom He has appointed to the sword, and that those whom He has designed to survive the terrible struggle, may return to be a power for good, morally and spiritually, in their respective districts.—Yours, etc.,
ALEX. MACRAE.