When war broke out in 1914, it wasn't just the everyday man that volunteered to fight. In fact about 5,000 men left the safety and comfort of their parishes in the local towns and villages in order to help the war effort. When the Chaplains arrived in France they were told the role would be to conduct short services in the French towns for allied servicemen. They were also expected to ensure each man had a decent burial to keep up morale. However, nothing would prepare them for the vast amount of burials they would be doing.
Initially they weren't allowed anywhere near the front line, however a number of Chaplains felt it was their duty to be at the front with the men to help and support them. At the same time General Haig was also devising a plan that would see the Chaplains be stationed on the front line.
The Chaplains on the front line were there for more than just religious services and burials. They helped keep calm the injured and the dying, with many of them spending the last few moments with a dying solider so that they weren't on their own. They were also usually one of the last people to spend time with a soldier about to be shot for desertion. These Chaplains understood that these soldiers were being hugely affected by the war and many later recalled how you could see the madness in a soldier.
Although in general, Chaplain's disagreed with the war, they understood that the bloodshed was going to continue until their was a winner and so many of them got stuck in, helping the soldiers to dig the trenches and tunnels. They also helped to get morale up by leading singing and sharing jokes to pass the time.
Troops held the Chaplains in high regard, after all they had the option to return to safety and leave the front line behind but they chose not to. It was an dangerous work for the Chaplains as it was for the soldiers on the front. They were still seen as targets by the enemy and could still be shot or shelled as well as catch one of the many diseases that was spreading around the trenches.
Chaplains saw the brutality of war from all sides. For them, any loss of life was a sin in their eyes no matter whether friend or foe. This was the case with Woodbine Willy. Born Geoffrey Anketell Studdert Kennedy, he was given his name by the soldiers because he was always known for handing out cigarettes. He was hugely respected amongst the soldiers and even set up a trench vicarage to be near the men. However he was also controversial because he would help a soldier no matter what their nationality and some regarded this as helping the enemy. This was not the case, he simply thought it was his duty to help mankind, for which he later received the Military Cross for recovering wounded men from No Mans Land, both allied and enemy.
By the end of the war, 168 Chaplains had lost their lives. For those that survived, they had seen suffering in a completely new way and many set about trying to help returning soldiers get back on track with their lives. So whilst I am not a hugely religious person, I do have an unlimited amount of respect for those brave man, of all ages I might add, that faced danger in order to make our soldiers feel loved and safe.
