1914-1918.
“I SAW them, but people are so very incredulous that I do not like talking much about it.”... This remark was made to me some fifteen years ago by an officer who had been in the retreat from Mons. It was in answer to a question I had asked him about the famous Angels of Mons who were reported to have helped our troops. When I assured him that I had carefully examined the evidence and was fully convinced of the Angels’ appearance, he told me his experiences. He had told the story once to a cavalry officer when they were returning in a hospital ship, and he, in return, had told him the experience he had had. He and his men were in a tight corner with their backs to the wall, intending to fight to the last man the confidently advancing Germans. These, to their amazement, suddenly halted, turned and fled. Immediately the officer sent after them to take prisoners.
On being questioned as to the reason for their sudden flight they said it was quite useless to proceed against the tremendous reinforcements the British were sending. In this case, it is to be noticed, the British saw nothing; but the Germans did, and so did their horses. It can also be confidently asserted that it was no imagination on the part of the enemy. At the close of the War a similar thing happened, and was witnessed by Capt. Haywood, formerly Staff Captain, 1St Corps Intelligence, 1St Army (British).
Here is the story: ― Capt. Haywood was responsible for the Intelligence in a certain sector and had made his headquarters in Bethune, as it was in a very good strategical position and had remained almost untouched by enemy shell fire; the reason for this being that the German H.Q. Staff had earmarked it for themselves, so as to have comfortable beds and houses as soon as they had captured the British trenches. Capt. Haywood had then under his command about twenty-five men and a sergeant. It was evident the enemy was about to intensify his offensive shortly, with a greater concentration of men and heavy guns augmented by troops from the Russian front. On our side, especially between March and June, our troops had been greatly reduced in numbers by heavy casualties in the prolonged fighting during those months, and our reserves were practically exhausted. About this time the enemy began to shell Bethune, but suddenly on the occasion in question the firing unexpectedly lifted and began to burst on a slight rise beyond its outskirts. This open ground was absolutely bare of trees, houses, or human beings, yet the enemy gun fire broke on it with increasing fury and was augmented by heavy bursts of massed machine guns, which raked it backwards and forwards with a hail of lead. The British stood looking in astonishment.
“What in the world is Fritz peppering that naked ground for?” remarked the Sergeant. But soon he and his men were waving their tin hats and shouting out, “Fritz is retiring! Fritz is retiring!”
“Indeed he was,” writes Capt. Haywood. “Outlined on the slight rise by La Bassee village, and as far as we could see, was a dense line of German troops who a short time before had commanded a forward movement to victory in mass formation. This line suddenly halted and, as we watched, we saw it break. Before our astonished eyes that well-drilled and seemingly victorious army broke up into groups of frightened men who were fleeing from us, throng down their arms, rifles, coats, and anything that might impede their flight.” He at once ordered his men after them to take prisoners. It was not long before the Sergeant arrived with two German officers prisoners, and the men followed with batches of twenty or so of the enemy at a time. The senior officer made a statement to this effect.
His lieutenant drew his attention to a Brigade of White Cavalry coming up through the smoke drifting across some bare ground behind Bethune. Then they noticed their guns changed their target from Bethune to that open ground. “We saw the shells,” he said, “bursting among the horses and riders, all of whom came along at a steady pace in parade ground formation, each man and horse in his exact place. Shortly afterward our machine guns opened a heavy fire raking the advanced cavalry with a dense hail of lead. But they came quietly forward, though the shells were bursting among them with intensified fury, but not a single man or horse fell. Steadily they advanced, clear and white in the shining sunlight. Then a great fear fell on me and I turned to flee! Yes, I, an officer of the Prussian Guard, fled panic-stricken, and around me were hundreds of terrified men who were whimpering like children throwing away arms and accoutrements in order not to have their movements impeded... all running. Their intense desire was to get away from that remorselessly advancing, supernatural White Cavalry....”
Capt. Haywood has not the least doubt that this was a Divine Interposition on our behalf, in answer to prayer. He points out that at the time of the retreat from Mons the nation was largely on its knees, and when the Germans fled from the White Cavalry, not only England but the U.S.A. also had been called to prayer. There can be no doubt about the reality of these special interventions of our God for out Armies. Here is a verse from the Bible which is very precious to the writer just now: “Oh that my people would hearken unto me, that Israel would walk in my ways! I should soon subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries.”— Psalm 81:13-1413Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! 14I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. (Psalm 81:13‑14).
If you look up verse 16 you will see that we should not even need to be rationed. Our very moderate rationing will do us more good than harm, but God could have saved us from even that.
In verse 13 we get the conditions on which God will soon subdue our enemies. As we, as individuals, fulfill these conditions so much nearer will our country be to doing it also. Our first step must be to take the Lord Jesus Christ definitely as our own Saviour, and surrender ourselves to Him as our Master to be His slaves. He is a good Master, He will put in our hearts a love for God’s ways and enable us to walk in them. Apart from Him “We turn everyone to his own way,” as we are told in Isaiah 53:66All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6). We all do walk in our own ways, but He can make us new, our aims, objects, our pleasures and everything.
We shall then find in our own lives that the angels are “all ministering spirits sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:1414Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? (Hebrews 1:14) (R.V).
A. C. ROGERS.
[I was talking recently to a man whose uncle was at Mons and had spoken of God’s aid to our troops. He said that, in the thick of the fighting, he and others were conscious of “a white vision “moving in and out between them and the enemy; and that many a time he looked Death in the face, but the point was turned aside. He did not often speak of this because his hearers were so often skeptical; but he said that all the men who fought with him were conscious of the same experience. — ED.]