A PARSONS' AMBULANCE CORPS. LTo me Bones or rut SPEMT03.")
Srs,—The Bishop of London desires me to say that, as you have taken such a keen interest in the proposal to form " Parsons' Ambulance Corps," he thinks that you may like to publish
the enclosed correspontlence.—I am, Sir, Ac., It. 0. AVERILL. Fulham Palace, S.W. 6.
The following correspondence has passed between the Bishop of London and the War Office regarding his offer to try to raise a "Parsons' Ambulance Corps " for front-line service. The Bishop acquiesces in the decisiou that front the military standpoint the project is not possible. He much hopes that any of the clergy who can be spared from the work in their different parishes will join, as suggested, the R.A.M.C., as some have already done; but einem, be n-rote to Sir IV. Robertson on September 1 he has noticed the public statement of the Chaplain-General that his waiting lint of chaplains is growing depleted. This most be kept up first at any east, and offers of service should be first made to him (the Cho pin i n-G en e rat —
" Fulham Palace, S.11'., September 1, 1917.
Dna Ste WILLIs1,—I do not know whether you have time to read the Spectator, but if so, you will hare seen a correspondence which has been going on in which I hare taken part with regard to a proposed Parsons' Ambulance Corps' for front-line service. Many of the younger clergy and other ministers have been for a loos time and are now anxious to share the hardships and dangers of those who have been brought up with them at school and college, and yet have bowed loyally to the decision of the Bishops that the clergy should confine themselves to their religious duties. It can be considered, however, nothing but a religious duty to go out into the danger zone to sore life, and if I have any encouragement front you, I am prepared this month to endeavour to organize a corps, which might easily run into large number. if I take in parsons of all denominations. Before taking any step at all I want to know from you (1) whether such a corps would be a real help ? To be effective it should have a unity of its own. 12) Whether it would be possible to send the men when trained in their duties into the firing-line ? (3) Whether a certain number of R.A.M.C. officers now at home could be told off to train them ? (4) Whether they could have private's pay and separation allowance as many of them would be poor men and Would hare to pay some older parson to take their duty for them? (5) What would be the limit of age which you would think advisable ? Although I am in my sixtieth year, I should ask to be allowed to go out with them and see thCM set to work, but I can imagine that 41 would he n good limit for the ordinary member of the corps. Knowing you no well I know you will at any rate entertain my suggestion sympathetic- ally, even if you think it impracticable. It could do nothing but good to the troops to see such men in private's uniform shoring their life and dangers and privations, and I feel that it would do great good to the clergy in bringing them into such close touch with their fellow men. But the main question is—would it help in this fourth year even appreciably to 'win the war' ? On this everything most turn and you are the only man who can give the anewer.—Yours very sincerely, (Signed) A. F. Lennox."
After a kind reply from Sir William Robertson saying that the matter was not wholly in his hands but must be referred to the Secretary of State, then out of England, and the Adjutant-General, the following answer was received from the Adjutant-tenet-MI " War Office, October 6, 1917.
DEAR LORD Battoe,—Sir William Robertson has passed me your letters of the 1st September, with enclosure, and the 5th October, which I have discussed carefully with Sir Alfred Keogh. As I dare soy you know, during the early years of the war, a large number of what may be called ' caste' units were rained, and very great difficulty was experienced in maintaining them, owing to the absence of reserves of the same class, and also to the disinclination of the personnel and of those persons who patriotically interested themselves in raising the units, to either have the men drafted into other unite, or to hare a different class of men drafted into the units themselves. After Compulsory Service was introduced, every endeavour was made to render the personnel of the Army as fluid as possible, and in this I think we have succeeded, with the result that we are able to maintain our Forces in the Field, which we should rot otherwise have been able to do. Sir Alfred Keogh agrees with me that a special ambulance such as you suggest, cot:fined entirely to clergymen, would be most difficult to work and
maintain, and our experience shows that it is very doubtful whether, if established, it would last. What we should be prepared to do would be to take clergymen into the R.A.M.C. on the under- standing that we would keep them together in sections as far ns possible, with no obligation, implied or expressed, to keep up class units. This, I am afraid, is as far as we can go—Thanking you for your suggestion, and hoping that possibly my proposal may not be valueless to you mind to those who patriotically approached you on the subject, I nm, yours sincerely,
(Signed) C. F. 3fACREADT." "Fulham Palace, October 11, 1917. DEAR ADJUTANT-DENER11. —I quite understand that from the military standpoint it is 'impossible for the formation of such a corps as I suggested. In a covering letter that I shall send to the Press I shall add that I much hope that as many of the clergy who can be spared will join the R.A.M.C. May I in closing just make it quite plain to you that an far from wishing tlint the clergy ' he kept in sections,' if they join the R.A.M.C., I hoped that they would mix, as much as possible, in their work with all other branches of the Army and I feel confident that this woold be their
Previous page
