The Henson Journals

[384]

Wednesday, September 13th, 1916.

772nd day

The post brought me a pencil–written letter from Reggie Still, who is now in the fighting zone. May Heaven shield him! Also a short note from Ernest stating that he had been transferred to the 1st Garrison Battalion, Suffolk Regt, and was stationed at Milton Barracks, Gravesend. He fears that there will be no chance now of his coming to see us before being sent abroad, probably to Egypt or India. A letter from Dr McGibbon, the Minister of Glasgow Cathedral, informs me that I am expected to preach twice on Sunday. Accordingly, I spent the morning in furbishing up two discourses which must serve my turn. In the afternoon we all – Ella, Kitty, Ralph, & myself – went to Tynemouth, and were entertained by General Kelly, and his wife. He showed us the defences. The Vicar of Tynemouth showed the ruins of the abbey (or priory?) church. These include a little chapel in which Holy Communion is from time to time administered to the troops. I was interested in a young officer – Lieut: Owen – who accompanied us. He had been severely wounded in the Battle of the Somme, and was now, though barely recovered, burning to return to the fray. The arrangement of the machine guns in the trenches was explained to me. They do not fire directly at the enemy's forces as they approach, for that would disclose their position, & probably involve their being silenced by the enemy's artillery: but they fire laterally, destroying the advancing forces from the side at short range. General Kelly assured me that, so far as he had been able to ascertain, there was no trace of friction between the troops who had volunteered for service, and those who were now being brought into the Army by the operation of the Military Service Act.

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