HAIG'S MOBILE HEADQUARTERS

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 200, 23 August 1919, Page 17

HAIG'S MOBILE HEADQUARTERS

Not much was hoard during the war of 'the train which was Sir Dougrlas Haig s jmobile headquarters during active operations. The silence which was ne«*Isarv for so long may pardonably be brok*n wow. AVhc.se the idea, first was is not definitely known, but those coni α-xned in the sudden moves of G.H.Q. : before the ira:n f.WtHB was adopted ■ bleeped him. ! Documents and map-.- and all the impediments of the r-taff had formerly to ;be packed on lorries, and with the be-t i will in the world, backed by the best or-iganis&t-ion. it was impossible to have . vbinss unpacked and straightened out <into~w.oTking order at the new he-id-I quarters: before some irate G.S.I >. cam-e thundering for documents that could ! not- immediately W found (aays the Man(hester •■Guardian" i. The train ' changed all that. It was a compact combination of a first-class hotel and »n up-Ki-date ofrk-e. It was fitted through out. witb telephones and silk-shadi'tl ele«rk- lights that t-aet a. dfecrcct and nomfortaule radiance in the tliicklj carr-et-ed compartments. lli-rc won ranged the office- and bedrooms of tlit principal officers of the general -stall. ! Clean, white jciint and polished brass smokeroom-s with d<*ep saddle-bag armcliaire, cos>' dining rooms, batliromns :il these were on the- wcjiulerfiil train; and when a change of position wan ilt-i-iil^l on all that was necessary was to set the locomotive going. There »a.< u> ! netd to difiturb a sini/le map or paper • and much was >a\c-,| iv gooj liuinoui- vii.l Irniooth workin;'.