were
falling fast, and the larger hut soon became untenable, but the Y.M.C.A.
man was running his show in the open under a tree, and was as busy as
ever. The ubiquitous 'Ford' did its bit, and its load would sometimes
consist of the Divisional Secretary himself, one or two other workers or
Belgian refugees, a big caterer's boiler, a tea-urn, together with cases
of biscuits and cigarettes. Thus equipped, it would proceed to some
advanced dressing-station. Sometimes there would only be a sergeant and
orderlies in charge, heroically doing their best to help the wounded,
and the mere presence of a man like one of our secretaries gave them
confidence, whilst the steaming hot drinks he soon had ready gave new
courage to the wounded men who thronged the C.C.S. A great work of the
'Gunga Din' type was done on the Nieppe-Bailleul road during the
retreat. What an amazing scene it must have been; an endless stream of
refugees and wounded; units lost; batteries firing; men who had been for
days without food, moving about like ghosts and digging themselves in at
the side of the road. The Huns were only about eight hundred yards
further along the road, and our soldiers fired as they walked. For three
nights none of our workers even thought of going to bed; they stood by
with cars ready to help where and how they were most needed, and gave
help to soldiers and refugees alike. At dressing and casualty clearing
stations they gave emergency help. At Remy, for instance, one of our men
was told off to undress the wounded and rig them out in new pyjamas,
whilst another made himself useful in cleaning the floors. Hot drinks
were given out freely in all these centres just behind the line.

Following the British victory at Messines on June 7, 1917, a Leeds
minister serving on the staff of the Y.M.C.A. wrote home describing the
work for the walking wounded as he had seen it:--

'It was about three o'clock in the morning when
the signal to advance was given, and the boys went
over the parapet. About two hours later the
wounded began to arrive at our hospital in
ambulance vans. It had been previously arranged
that only as far as possible walking cases--men
slightly wounded--should be dealt with at our
station, and the expeditious and efficient way in
which their wounds were attended to reflected
great credit on the medical staff. As soon as they