100 Kiwi Stories from WWl: Sallies brought comfort to hurt

An Army chaplain tends British graves at Gallipoli.

39 Salvation Army's role

In August 1915, an Anzac shot through the eyes recognised one comforting voice as he lay close to death in a Cairo hospital. The voice was that of the Salvation Army chaplain.

It was Alfred Greene on that occasion tending the wounded. Honoured by King George V in January 1916 with the Military Cross, Greene had been serving soldiers from as soon as the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was first deployed.

The Salvation Army's role was to comfort wounded soldiers and operate convalescence hostels.

The blinded soldier's touching outreach to his chaplain was described by Greene in a letter to Salvation Army HQ from Cairo, from where the NZEF co-ordinated its Gallipoli campaign.

"The men are most grateful for any little kindness shown."

Wherever went the chaps, so did the chaplain.

Dublin Fusiliers chaplain Father William Finn was shot five times as soon as he touched foot on Gallipoli.

"He was seen crawling about the beach, holding up his injured right arm, giving absolution to those close to death," the Mayo Peace Park records. "While he was blessing one of the men a shrapnel bomb burst above him and his head was shattered."

The Salvation Army was founded here after William Booth sent two officers to New Zealand in 1883.

Captain George Pollard and Lieutenant Edward Wright brought 200 and three Australian Salvationists.

It wasn't long before 21 cities had a Salvation Army presence and 'flying brigades' serviced the districts.

Adjutant Alfred Greene was the first Salvation Army chaplain to serve with troops on active duty overseas when war broke out in 1914.

After being awarded the Military Cross in 1916, Green became Chaplain-Captain.

That year an unexpected horror touched the Salvation Army chaplains. On September 24, 1917, New Zealand troops were travelling on a train bound for Sling Camp, Salisbury Plain in the UK.

The train slowed to stop at Bere Ferrers station, Plymouth. The Kiwis, desperately hungry and thirsty because of the long trip, hopped out of the carriage, in to the path of an oncoming train.

Ten were killed, including John Stanley Jackson. His father was working for the NZEF at the time. His role? Chaplain at the Featherston army camp.

The victims were buried in Eggbuckland and their funeral attended by 60 officers and chaplains from Anglican, Catholic and Presbyterian services.