aken from A Very Present Help, p54, by Lt Gen Sir William Dobbie GCMG, KCB, DSO.
Not only does God answer the prayers of individuals; the same is true in the case of nations. As one looks back on the events of the great war, one can hardly fail to be struck with one thing. In the four years from August 1914 to July 1918, British arms had from time to time been within an ace of disaster, and yet disaster had not quite overwhelmed us. At other times in the same period, we had been within an ace of sweeping success, and yet complete success had not been achieved. It seemed as though God were withholding success from us during this period, although He kept us from disaster. On the Western land front, generally speaking, the weather had been unfavourable to our operations, while it favoured those of the enemy. These phenomena coincided in time with a complete absence of national prayer to God. Although many individuals and organisations urged the people to seek God in prayer, the Government issued no call for prayer.
It was not until early July 1918, that a decision was taken by the Government to issue such a call. The date chosen was 4 August – the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the war. Immediately that decision was taken, a remarkable change came over the situation. On 18 July, Marshal Foch gained a signal victory over the Germans between the Aisne and the Marne and caused them to effect a hasty and costly withdrawal. On 8 August, four days after the day appointed to seek God’s help, began the Battle of Amiens – the first of a series of brilliant victories in the British sector, which in a hundred days brought about the complete downfall of the German Army, and brought to an end the power of the German nation to continue the war. In these hundred days God’s help was manifest in many ways. The weather which hitherto had mostly been unfavourable to us, now was just what we needed.
It was decided that our first attack should take place in front of Amiens. It was obviously necessary to keep the enemy in ignorance of this decision, and elaborate precautions were taken to make him think that the attack would be launched elsewhere. To launch an offensive of the scale intended involved the collection of a vast force of all arms. Eventually, for the two final days before the opening of the assault, the number of units was so great that concealment was impossible, and any hostile aircraft coming over would be bound to see them. If that had happened, there was only one inference that the Germans could have drawn, and surprise would have been impossible. But during those two critical days, the weather was such that flying was almost impossible. In any event, no German aircraft came over; the surprise was complete, and our attack was overwhelmingly successful.
*Photo credit: Image: IWM (CO 3007) – Catalogue Number CO 3007 – CANADIAN FIRST WORLD WAR OFFICIAL EXCHANGE COLLECTION