Last Night a Bible Saved My Life

During World War One many soldiers claimed that their pocket Bibles had literally saved their lives.  This was due to flying bullets and shrapnel piercing their uniform but getting intercepted before it reached their chests by the Bible.  The Bible was usually held in a breast pocket.  I have so far found eight such reports in newspapers of the time.  The most striking one I have found relates to J.V. Salisbury, whose papers I studied in the Special Collections Department at the University of Leeds.

Private J.V. Salisbury served in the Hawke Battalion of the Royal Naval Division as part of the Medical Unit.

He landed at Helles, Gallipoli on 6^th September 1915 and was evacuated on 7^th January 1916.

The incident which led to his Bible being shot through with shrapnel is described in his diary thus:

Dec 11 1915

Sick Bay duties.  Sick Bay and enlarged Portion of Trench covered with Tarpaulin,  Turkish shell dropped in Sick Bay.  Doc attending to some sick had his Stethoscope cut in two, all in Bay wounded  I was bandaging a chap with wounded wrist.  The shell exploded beside us.  We were blown down, faces blackened with the explosion.  I had just turned the chap to get a better light on his wrist, this proved the Salvation for us both.  He was slightly wounded.  I got a piece of shell half through the Bible in my Pocket.  Which was much better than tearing through my guts at such short range.

I found the best antidote to shock was to carry on with my job & finally we got the Doc & other chaps off to Hospital.  I was ordered to rest awhile.  Next day, on having a sponge down, I fisked from my legs with a Penknife a few tiny shell splinters, not worth reporting.

Notes written later by Salisbury

 Why a Bible in one’s Pocket.  Well, along with other Christian chaps, we got group of chaps together for Bible reading, Prayers & Hymn singing.  I was C of E.  Some of the others were Methodist or other Christian denominations.  When opportunity offered we had H.C. with Padres of our respective churches.  But often we were closer to the man.  Padres were expected to be good – a Christian in the Ranks was in very close and critical observation, especially when under fire.  Was he a coward?  Did he grab the best in food, or most comfortable billet.  Did he swear?  Did he booze?  His behaviour was watched at every turn.

Gallipoli – a romantic but dangerous experience.  The Greek Isles, with the association of St John, Paul, Samothracia, Salonica, Patmos all mentioned in the N. Test: were interesting to a Bible student.

 

This is a picture I took of Salisbury's Bible, with the piece of shrapnel piercing right through to the Book of Isaiah!

 

Salisbury wrote the following poem in January 1916, en route home from Gallipoli:-

Thy clay is soaked with British blood;
‘Twas freely given, that crimson flood,
For freedom’s cause and brotherhood

Gallipoli

Thy deep ravines the graves enfold
Of them who would the right uphold;
Their valiant fight shall e’er be told:

            Gallipoli

They stormed thy cliffs and ventured far
From anzac cove and Sedd-el-Bahr,
By sea and land on thee made war:

            Gallipoli

Shall we forget their noble deeds,
These sons for whom the Empire bleeds?
Thy corpse strewn shore their memory reads:

            Gallipoli

They bravely strove and suffered loss,
Their deeds apparent failure gloss--
Thine is the Crescent, theirs the Cross:

            Gallipoli

Nor have they suffered this in Vain,
Tho’ Victory’s prize they did not gain:
Their great example shall remain

            Gallipoli

J.V. Salisbury
R.N.D.

Salisbury later retired to New Zealand and donated his papers to the archives in the mid 1970s.