Interview

‘It was enriching’

Colonels Martha and Michael Pressland tell Lyn Woods about supporting British military forces in the 1980s

Martha and Michael as territorial leaders in Germany Chief Sec Colonel John Hounsell visits one of the barracks Martha and Michael in retirement

HOW DID YOUR APPOINTMENT AS LEADERS OF THE RED SHIELD DIVISION IN GERMANY COME ABOUT?

Michael We had returned from New Zealand and were appointed to the national Candidates Department, me as national candidates secretary with Martha assisting. The British Commissioner at the time, Francy Cachelin, had decided that the ‘clubs’ that were working under the British Salvation Army throughout the military areas in Germany should become ‘more spiritually orientated’.

He sent for me and said: ‘I’m going to appoint you to look after the Red Shield work in Germany. I’m going to make it a division, so you’ll be the divisional commanders.’

It was a roving commission because we covered a vast area. Wherever the UK forces were in Germany, from the south right up to a place called Rheindahlen, where the training grounds for the tank regiments were. We were there from 1985 to 1989, a period when the IRA were carrying out attacks on British institutions in Germany and targeting cars and lorries.

HOW DID YOU SUPPORT MILITARY AND SALVATIONIST PERSONNEL?

Michael British military base buildings that were on German soil were used as clubs by the Army and run by Salvation Army officers. We had about 20 clubs that we supported, not only in Germany but in Cyprus and the UK too. I used to come to the UK regularly and meet up with the other members of the Council of Volunteer Welfare Work, which was responsible for all the non-military personnel who were serving the military in one way or another. Quite a lot of people who were both Salvationists and services personnel kept links with us; we supported them as well.

WHAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR ROLES?

Michael Encouraging Salvation Army officers to keep the spiritual emphasis at the forefront of their work with the military personnel and with the wives and children on the bases. Martha For me it was the privilege of being able to sit at the coffee tables and chat with the military wives, particularly when their husbands were away serving in other countries.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MINISTRY AND EXPERIENCES?

Michael Challenging and enriching. When we were called up, we had no preconceptions whatsoever. I had spent time serving in the Royal Navy but knew little about the British military.

WHERE DID GOD LEAD YOU IN YOUR MINISTRY IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED?

Michael We returned to the West London Division as the divisional commander and divisional home league secretary and spent five years there. From there I was appointed to IHQ as the under secretary for Europe and Martha to the administrative commissioner’s department as secretary to the administration secretary. Our last appointment took us back to Germany as territorial leaders. Martha was president of the National Women’s Organisation and I was territorial commander. We retired from Germany in January 1998.

DO YOU HAVE ANY MEMORIES THAT STAND OUT?

Michael There are all sorts of strange and funny memories. The best thing was to see the way that our own Salvation Army club leaders mingled and interacted with the people who came to them. We were rated as military officers and as such attended many of their functions. Of course, we always wore our full Salvation Army uniforms. We attended military summer shows with Red Shield marquees and got involved there. We assisted in escorting a lady from the UK to identify her father’s military grave in a German cemetery. Martha Attending the garrison church every Sunday morning was very important. On one occasion, I was privileged to be invited to preach the word of God, as women rarely had that opportunity. Michael The appointment was so mixed and varied and yet so fulfilling. We’d do it all again!

LYN WOODS

Editorial Assistant Salvationist

Ambassadors of

George Tanton explores how British Salvationists offered fellowship to German prisoners of war during the Second World War

‘THE Salvationist is first and foremost … an ambassador of goodwill,’ wrote All the World

editor Brigadier Reginald Woods in 1945 on the subject of The Salvation Army’s post-war relief work. ‘Without goodwill, nothing useful can be accomplished among peoples who have suffered so deeply from racial and ideological antagonisms.’

At the end of the Second World War, it was estimated that there were 400,000 German prisoners of war (PoWs) in Britain who were awaiting repatriation. Abiding by The Salvation Army’s commitment to political neutrality, British Salvationists from the beginning of the conflict had extended a hand of peace and friendship to captured German soldiers. By 1947, hundreds of German PoWs had been included in many communities across Britain thanks to the spirit of goodwill shown by Salvationists.

‘The Salvation Army all over the country, have taken upon themselves the job of brightening the lives of these prisoners of war,’ the Dover Express reported on 14 March that year. The Gloucestershire Echo reported on 21 April 1947 that Cheltenham Citadel had hosted a classical music performance by the PoW camp orchestra from Leckhampton Court for 500 people. Afterwards, ‘over 150 PoWs were entertained to tea’, the report added, explaining that the corps had been regularly reaching out to camps in the area. ‘The Citadel band has been on three occasions to PoW camps in the district, and on the last occasion took with them the Young People’s Percussion Band.’

Salvation Army corps also used sport to show goodwill to German prisoners of war. The Lynn News and Advertiser in June 1947 reported that a youth football team from Downham Market Corps had played a return match against the Shouldham German PoW camp second XI and had drawn 2-2.

Evangelism was also key to The Salvation Army extending the hand of friendship to prisoners of war. The Daily Mirror ran a short column on 1 July 1947 titled ‘PoWs join ranks of Salvation Army’. It was reported that at Canterbury Temple 11 had been enrolled as soldiers. Three of these men had even declared that their conversion was the result of an open-air meeting.

Major Ingham, the corps officer at Canterbury Temple at the time, spoke to the newspaper and explained that the PoWs were ‘very sincere’ in their enrolment. He said: ‘I meet them privately once a week and talk to them through an interpreter.’ The report concluded: ‘At meetings of the Temple one young prisoner, known to other members of the congregation