While this volume was passing through the press, Mr. Ralph Shirley,
the Editor of "The Occult Review" called my attention to an article
that is appearing in the August issue of his magazine, and was kind
enough to let me see the advance proof sheets.
The article is called "The Angelic Leaders" It is written by Miss
Phyllis Campbell. I have read it with great care.
Miss Campbell says that she was in France when the war broke out. She
became a nurse, and while she was nursing the wounded she was informed
that an English soldier wanted a "holy picture." She went to the man
and found him to be a Lancashire Fusilier. He said that he was a
Wesleyan Methodist, and asked "for a picture or medal (he didn't care
which) of St. George... because he had seen him on a white horse,
leading the British at Vitry-le-François, when the Allies turned"
This statement was corroborated by a wounded R.F.A. man who was
present. He saw a tall man with yellow hair, in golden armour, on a
white horse, holding his sword up, and his mouth open as if he was
saying, "Come on, boys! I'll put the kybosh on the devils" This figure
was bareheaded--as appeared later from the testimony of other
soldiers--and the R.F.A. man and the Fusilier knew that he was St.
George, because he was exactly like the figure of St. George on the
sovereigns. "Hadn't they seen him with his sword on every 'quid'
they'd ever had?"
From further evidence it seemed that while the English had seen the
apparition of St. George coming out of a "yellow mist" or "cloud of
light," to the French had been vouchsafed visions of St. Michael the
Archangel and Joan of Arc. Miss Campbell says:--
"Everybody has seen them who has fought through from Mons to Ypres;
they all agree on them individually, and have no doubt at all as to
the final issue of their interference"
Such are the main points of the article as it concerns the great
legend of "The Angels of Mons." I cannot say that the author has
shaken my incredulity--firstly, because the evidence is second-hand.
Miss Campbell is perhaps acquainted with "Pickwick" and I would remind
her of that famous (and golden) ruling of Stareleigh, J.: to the
effect that you mustn't tell us what the soldier said; it's not
evidence. Miss Campbell has offended against this rule, and she has
not only told us what the soldier said, but she has omitted to give us
the soldier's name and address.
If Miss Campbell proffered herself as a witness at the Old Bailey and
said, "John Doe is undoubtedly guilty. A soldier I met told me that he
had seen the prisoner put his hand into an old gentleman's pocket and
take out a purse"--well, she would find that the stout spirit of Mr.
Justice Stareleigh still survives in our judges.
The soldier must be produced. Before that is done we are not
technically aware that he exists at all.
Then there are one or two points in the article itself which puzzle
me. The Fusilier and the R.F.A. man had seen "St, George leading the
British at Vitry-le-François, when the Allies turned." Thus the time
of the apparition and the place of the apparition were firmly fixed in
the two soldiers' minds.