February 27, 2007
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Angles of Mons
One of the most dramatic of war stories, "a Song of Roland", concerns the angels at Mons in Belgium. This occurred during the first engagements of world war I between August 26th and 28th 1914. The French and British were retreating toward Paris, over powered by the German guns. It was a sad and bloody retreat. The stories began to dribble in--that the men had seen angels on the field.
The French had seen the archangel Saint Michael (or was it Saint Joan?) bareheaded, clad in golden armor, on a white horse, brandishing a sword. To the British it was Saint George, springing out of a yellow mist. "a tall man with yellow hair in golden armor, on a white horse, holding his sword up, and his mouth open, crying VICTORY!" And it was not just one or two men who saw this.
The nurse in one hospital reported that she and her fellow nurses heard the tale again and again from the wounded, with the men from both nationalities asking repeatedly for medals or pictures of either Saint Michael or Saint George. What the nurses found most curious was the air of exaltation or serene joy that accompanied these dying men.
One patient said that at a critical period in the retreat from Mons he saw "an angel with outstretched wings, like a luminous cloud," between the advancing Germans and themselves, and at that moment the onslaught of the Germans slackened.
Another reported "a strange light, which seemed to be quite distinctly outlined and was not a reflection of the moon...The light became brighter and I could see quite distinctly three shapes, one in the center having what looked like outspread wings, the other two were not so large, but were quite plainly distinct from the center one.
They appeared to have a long, loose-hanging garment of a golden tint, and they were above the German line facing us. A year later stories appeared from the German side: that at a certain moment the men 'were "absolutely powerless to proceed ... their horses turned sharply around and fled ... and nothing could stop -them."
In 1964,my mother, was named Maine's mother of the year and was invited to attend a meeting in New York City with all the other mothers from the various states. This story was given to her at this meeting. According to my mother, she didn't know why she received it as there was no discussion about it that she remembered taking place. Mother knew that I was very much interested in this story and asked if I would like to have it.
The first story has been taken from "Sophy Burnham's A book of angels" The New York Times bestseller. I will close with the story that I received from my mother.
Have you heard the true story of The White Cavalry at Bethune in April,1918? It can be summarized in the words of a Prussian officer who gave his version as follows: "We were advancing at the head of our troops, all of whom were in excellent spirits, singing as they swung along, thinking that the British were now defeated and all that remained was to go forward without much opposition and capture Paris, where we would have a fine time--plenty of drinks and all else we desired.
"By my side was Lieutenant Fritz, and he suddenly seized hold of my arm, saying: 'look! Herr Kapitan, there is a large body of mounted men approaching Bethune from the other side. See the smoke from the burning houses is blowing away, and I can discern their uniforms. Why, they are all clad in white, and are mounted on white horses. Who can they be?," "I don't know, I replied, “they may be British Colonial mounted troops” “I know of no British Colonial mounted troops with white uniforms and white chargers,” he said, “but anyway they will be blown to pieces now that our heavy artillery are opening fire on them.
"We halted instinctively and stood watching those white uniform-clad cavalry advancing quietly through the smoke, their fingers clearly outlined in the shining sun. We saw the shells breaking into death-dealing fragments, and bursting amidst their ranks with shattering crashes which shook the ground, and this was soon followed by intensive machine-gun fire which raked them to and fro until it would seem impossible for anyone to survive."But the white cavalry came quietly forward at a slow trot and NOT A MAN NOR A HORSE FELL!"
"Restless as the incoming tide they advanced, and in front of them rode their leader--a fine figure of a man--by his side was a great sword, not a cavalry sword, but similar to that used by the Crusaders; and his hands lay quietly holding the reins of his great white charger as it bore him proudly forward. Then a terror seized me, and I found myself fleeing from that awe-inspiring body of white cavalry, frightened, terrified, all around me were masses of men, formerly an army, now rabble broken and afraid; all fleeing from them also, but more especially from that wonderful leader on his great white charger .
"The German Army is defeated. I don't say you will not have any more fighting, for this you are bound to experience; but I do say that we have lost the war, and that is due to the white cavalry." IT WAS GOD WHO WON THE FIRST WORLD WAR. In answer to National prayer in Great Britain and the United States He sent his Heavenly Hosts and those were the White Cavalry seen by the Germans. The first story, I believe, had to do with one of the first battles of World War I a very important battle which marked a turning point in the war, because it ended Germany's chances for a quick victory. The last story has to do with the closing days of World war1 .
