Padres in No Man's Land, First Edition: Canadian Chaplains and the Great War (Volume 2) (McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion)

This is the story of the brave and deeply committed army chaplains who brought faith and courage to Canada's troops during one of history's most ruthless wars. Tracing the growth of the Canadian Chaplain Service from its chaotic and controversy-ridden early days to its maturation and an efficient field force, the author highlights both the role of the Service on the battlefield and the personal experiences of the chaplains. Refuting the widely held view that chaplains serving overseas were cloistered from front-line realities, Crerar describes the padres' experiences in camps, hospitals and on the battlefield. He examines how they maintained their faith in the face of death and destruction, and explores the bonds forged between chaplains and troops. The book concludes in the post-war era with the decline of the chaplains' hopes for spiritual renewal upon their return to Canada - their dreams dashed not by the war, but by the subsequent peace.