THE SOUDAN CAMPAIGN.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10267, 9 February 1899, Page 3

THE SOUDAN CAMPAIGN.

Colo.vel Marti.v, C.B.s, Stories of < Plick. Colonel Rowland Hill Martin, C.8., who : commanded the 21st Lancers, in the Soudan, was present at a Conservative dinner at Eastbourne recently, as the guest of Admiral Field, the member of Parliament for the borough. Admiral Field responded on behalf of the navy to the toast of "Her Majesty's forces," remarking that what Admiral Noel had done in Crete was only an illustration of what naval men would do if they put them up to do their work. The Concert of Europe had sat for years and had done nothing, \ J but directly a British admiral was turned j loose he did the whole thing in a fortnight, j (Laughter and applause.) He was sure that I Colonel Martin would be one of the first to admit that the gallant Keppel with his gunboats did splenaid service to the expedition in its advance on Omdunnan. The two ser- j vices had always worked together, and he ! always liked this toast to be honoured as one. (Hear, hear.) The army could not ! go to the scene of operations until the navy I took them there, and when they were there they always gave a good account of themselves, and then they brought them back again. (Laughter.) One sen-ice was the complement of the other. There was no rivalry. Army men were poor things at sea, but sailors were not altogether such poor things on laD'l. (Laughter). Colonel Martin, after remarking that the proposer of the toast said nothing about the modesty of the sister service—(laughter) j —said I think there is no doubt whatever, whether among officers, non-commissioned officers, or the .rank and file, that the arrnv certainly does its level best, and does its duty in whatever position it is found. (Hear, ! hear.) But there is one thing I would like i to say, and that is with regard to the rank i and file. I think it is a great Hty. considering the splendid men there . & e* in the army, that their position at home is not sometimes quite what it should be. (Applause.) When a soldier, whether a noncommissioned officer or a member of the ; l-ank and file; is at home, I think some- i times he is not shown that respect that he I should receive. (Hear, hear.) In my own mind—though I am a little bit keen in my ideas about the British soldier—l think he is as fine a human being as exists. (Applause.) he may be the scapegrace of the family when he joins the army, I can ! say, speaking as I do with thirty years' ex- I perience, that there is no finer character j than the British soldier, take him all j through. I have no reason to support the men of my own regiment any more than those elsewhere, and I feel for my men the greatest'affection and the most intense admiration. The men go on service, unlike the officers, knowing that probably they won't gain a great deal by it, and not knowing wxiat may be the end of it. Honours and distinction you may say; Very few of the honours and distinctions go to the rank and file commensurate with tnos-e that go to the officers. At the same time we lind the men working on, plodding on. enduring tremendous hardships, going through great, suffering, or taking part in long and wearisome marches. As Englishmen, of course, everyone going into action likes it, and generally when fighting the soldier is, and ought to be, at home. He thoroughly enjoys it. (Laughter.) But another kind of courage is shown when not in action: when he gets bad food, bad water, or none at all, or when he is ill, but still goes on working without grumbling, and without showing any sign of discontent. Thenj again, one wants to study the soldier after action. I remember a case, .to illustrate my meaning, which occurred quite lately. The day before I left Cairo I saw a man with his right arm ptf and hisleft arm nearly off, quite nelpless. I said to him: "Ah! it's bad luck," and he bravely replied: "Not bad luck, sir:' it's well worth it.' , (Laughter and cheers.) In fact, the man seemed perfectly delighted and happy. It is when we are fighting that a man's spirit is shown. But there is another side to the question, and that is that the British soldier "5s not only a fighting nnimal, but a first-class fellow. This man I have just spoken of happened to be a townsman of mine, and as I was going home I told him I would go and see his mother, and tell her how he was. He at once answered: "I hope you'll be careful what you say, because 1 got.» chum to I was all rignt, but had not got time to write myself at present." (Laughter and cheers.) I laughingly told him I had never come across such a type of Ananias ; but that shows you there is some feeling and real pluck among the British soldier. (Applause.) Another type of • gallantry was a poor fellow who, after one or two marches was knocked up by the sun. The squadron officer asked him what was the matter, but lie replied that he was all right. The officer, however, communicated with the'doctor, who told him that the man was sick, and the doctor, who was a keen fellow, promised to. attend to the man. But the soldier heard of his intentions, and kept out of the way, though the next day he was on parade and finished the march. Through an unlooked-for difficulty the regiment was taken ten miles out of its way, but when it arrived at its destination the soldier fed and watered his horse, and than fell down, never to speak again. That, I think, is an instance of tremendous pluck and a determination not to give in. (Applause.)