From the National Archives
Document of the Month - November
Military prisoners have the same
spiritual needs as other servicemen and women.
In Graudenz prisoner of war camp,
during the First World War, the British officers formed a
United Presbyterian and English Free Church, appointed a
minister and kept a minute book in the same fashion as they
would have done 'at home'.
In this minute book the work of the
church in the camp and details of deaths are diligently
recorded by an officer acting as session clerk. The item
reproduced here is the last page of the minute book, when
the minister is being thanked by the congregation for his
hard work during their 'otherwise unpleasant stay in
Germany'.
The officer seated with the pipe in
the accompanying photograph is that minister, 2
nd Lieutenant W. Thomson Alexander.
Despite not being an army chaplain, 2
nd Lieutenant Alexander stepped in to perform
the duties of minister and, as the document makes clear, he
'refused an offer of repatriation in the status of
Chaplain, preferring to brave the discomforts of a prisoner
of war, rather than give up the work he had commenced'.
When this page was written news of the
armistice has clearly reached the officers and they are
awaiting repatriation to their peacetime parishes.
Ironically the town of Graudenz, where the
camp and improvised church had been set up, was also
awaiting repatriation. It had been seized by Prussia in
1772 during the 'first partition of Poland' and, as part of
the articles of German surrender in 1918, was to be
returned to Polish control.
Transript of document:
Graudenz, wpr
Germany,
17
th November 1918
We, the undersigned members of
Session of the United Presbyterian and English Free
Churches, Graudenz, Germany, herewith beg to place on
record our heartfelt appreciation of 2
nd Lieut. W. Thomson Alexander, Durham Light
Infantry, who has acted in the capacity of Chaplain to the
Presbyterian and English Free Churchmen, during our stay
here, as British Officers, Prisoners of War.
Though a combatant member of His
Majesty's Forces, Mr Alexander, in the absence of a
Presbyterian Chaplain, and in circumstances of a most
unpleasant nature, carried on the work of God at Rastatt,
and later on, at Graudenz.
Not only so, but he refused an offer of
repatriation in the status of a Chaplain, preferring to
brave the discomforts of a prisoner of war, rather than
give up the work he had commenced.
His task was by no means an easy one, but by
dint of hard work, by his unfailing abundance of tact, and
through his practical experience of the soldiers' life in
all its phases, he made himself beloved of all, and
gathered round him a congregation, of which we have all
great reason to be proud.
Now when we are about to depart to
our various homes, we wish to thank Mr. Alexander for all
he has been to us, and all he has done for us, during what
has been otherwise a very unpleasant stay in Germany.
Our best wishes for his future life go with
him, and we pray that Almighty God will prosper him
further, in the pursuit of his calling.
J. Hobbs, 2
nd Lieut., The Royal Scots
Clerk to Session.
C Davison Capt.
The Yorkshire Regt.
A. Renshaw MacKay 2/lt.
The Lincolnshire
Regt.
Maurice L. Harper
Capt.
The London Regt.
C. Hines 2lt
The Lancashire
Fusiliers
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