The Henson Journals

[550]

Tuesday, June 20th, 1916.

687th day

The morning post brought me two very interesting letters from 'the Front'. One from my godson, Gilbert, who is 'in a valley which has earned for itself the unenviable name of "the Valley of Death"'; the other, from Aleck Beechey who 'is patrolling the Suez Canal'. The last contains this rather discouraging account of the soldier's religion:–

"You asked me about the religious feelings of the men. At Gallipoli, if we had a chance, we usually had a fairly well attended evening service on Sundays, but I usually found that the most plucky and best fighters were conspicuous by their absence. I met a good many R.C., and we had a few in the Regiment: and their Religion seemed to have a greater hold on them than ours. They very seldom missed early Mass on Sundays. I think the average English soldier is a fatalist, when your number is up, you have to go sort of style."

I managed to write both to Ernest and to Gilbert. It were [sic] ungenerous to keep such letters as theirs unanswered. I attended Evensong, and walked with Logick [sic]. Then I went to the Post Office, and obtained a petrol–reporting form, & filled it in as best I could without guidance. Then I copied out more of the Reformation entries from my transcript of the S. Margaret's, Westminster, records. They certainly give a vivid picture of the religious changes which accumulated with dazzling rapidity during the years 1540–1560. That period of 20 years has but two rivals in our history viz. 1060–1080 and 1640–1660. Later Mr Fry, a Shakespearian reciter, who is to perform in aid of the little hospital tomorrow, arrived to be our guest at the Deanery.

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