[Page 89]
[On Church of England Australian Fund for Soldiers Overseas letterhead]
done, on the 19th of July 1916. And then after the chaos show, – that horrible nightmare for those who have lived through it, – how his cheery greetings to the men, all of whom he knew by name, as he walked out into Noman's Land, to dress their wounds, give them food & water, and carry the badly wounded in; such wonderful work endured for so long, in spite of the enervating fatigue of the continual shelling, and the fatigue only to be expected after quite a few sleepless nights.
How, when the scattered remnants of the battalion were afterwards gathered together again, he used his powerful eloquence to dispel the depth of despondency into which they had sunk; to urge them to do greater deeds all the greater afterwards.
Then Major Croshaw was promoted & took command, How often then, did Father K– temper come between soften the keenness of that magnificent officer's discipline and encourage the men who were then only too ready to resent it's enforcement.
Since the Fromelles stunt, this has