ABOUT THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3141, 20 July 1917, Page 7

ABOUT THE WAR

INTERESTING LITTLE TALKS

FROM ALL SERVICES

Tho Conceit Chamber was well filled last evening when a series of interesting littln talks on llio war was given by of- I fleers quite competent to tell of "Hie real thing." Tho entertainment 'was given in aid of- the lied Cross funds, which should benefit substantially, for not only was the attendance fjooii, but a. munlier of young ladies displayed a capital business ability in disposing of flowers and sweets to generously-disposed patrons. Among thoso present were the Countess of Liverpool and a party liom Government Rouse, the Mayor and -Mi'--Luke, and a representative gathering •>' officers. • The hall was tastefully decorated with flags and foliage. 'J 1 he chair was occupied by, Major Sloeman (c-igan-iser of tho entertainment), who sate) that officers on tho platform represented six battle fronts and all tlio services. Ho said that it was curious to nolo that tlio programme commenced with the Navy and ended with the air sen-ice. Without the former the Ariny could not exist, and .without tho latter it would i» klintl. Sidelights from the Sea. Captain Hall-'flicmpson, Pi.N, related incidents in a recent, cruise lio was concerned in. After the Sydney liad chased tlie Linden, they were detailed lo escort French transports which they had picked up it Singapore. After that they cruised about the Bed Sea, the Canal, and tho Mediterranean. At that time, the Turks did not wL-.li to lie at war with England, and he was instructed not to destroy towns, as thoy (tlio English) might wish to occupy them Inter on; but whenever they found a man digging a hole they indulged in a little target practice. Occasionally they landed little parties, and on one occasion they were caught by a detachment of Turkish troops, but in the episode they managed to bag seventytwo men with one shot, so fhey did not do so badly. On another occasion they found a. German flag flying from a Consulate in a. seaport. They gave duo warning that if that "despicable emblem of barbarism" was not lowered in half-an-hour something would happen. At tho end of half-an-hour tho Hag was still flying, so something .did happen. It was ieportcd that tho German Consul left his house suddenly by a window, but he 'could not bo sure of that, as nothing of tho house was left to tell tho talc. Tho speaker/.was amusing in relating- the training of "Jack" l'or camel strvico ashore. They. were also 'mixed up with tho defense of Aden, whero they tost a gcod- many men on account li.cstly of tho climate. In tho hinterland of. Aden, if a man oneo sat down ho.nover got up again.' Tho temperature of trio sandthere was about 250 degrees. Tho Persian Gulf was interesting, though ho did not wish to seo it again. Tlioro German influence was aotivo. The German agents were extraordinarily efficient— they had learned tho language, had bccorno Mohamma'dans, had taken Mohammedan wives; they posed as prophets, and, what was most important, Lhe.y had money. On ono occasion tho speaker was'deputed to sottlo a. dispute between two Arab tribes, so ho flow lip tho coast, and found llioni, facing ono another m trenciics. Thoy had two old guns, but though they had plenty of powder, they were short of round shot, so they " made an arrangement I hut they would exchange a shot. at a. curtain time. So nt 8 o'clock • a round shot camo bounding over the sand. Tho others were on tho look-out 'for Iho shot. and as soon as it was cool they it ny, put if: into their own gun, and fired it back again. Captain Rail-Thompson referred to tho splendid organisation on tho Tigris during llio second advance on Bagdad, and as an instance of what thai meant, ho had learned that 0000 tons of provisions worn landed there tho day after. Bagdad was occupied, (Applause.) ' ; The Landing at Gallipoli. Colonel .I.' O. Hughes spoke of tho historic./landing of tho New Zealand Forccs at Gallipoli. Initially, bo asked tho people of New Zealand not to talk, about; the senior officers who wont away with the Main Body and wcro still away. Ho told tlio incident, of his own landing. It was II o'clock on tlio night, of April 25 that a. destroyer rami) alongsido _ tho steamer ho was oil; and news was given that the men were about to re-embark. He received 'permission to go aslioro with tho boats, and walked along tho beach until ho met Generals Bird wood and. Bridges, lie did not know exactly what |to do, but went up to them t'lid told them he had brought fourteen boats to lake- tho men oil'; Ho was fold to wait. Later bo fo'uiid tho generals in conference with an admiral, and a little later ho was given to understand that they had decided to "stick it out..'" Ho was, in holding (Juinn's Post, associated with tiio late Colonel. Malone, iu ln's opinion tho finest, man that ever went out of New: Zealand. (Applause.) Ho also paid a. -tribute to tho - late Brigadier-General Brown (formerly captain of tho Dennistoil "Rifles), to "Padre" Major Grant, Father M'Menamen, Father Do re, the giliant stretcher-bearers—all of. them wero wondefful. If a. man was hit. t'uring a. concert in tho trendies ho never sang out—it. would .si?oil llio concert. Colonel Hughes spoke feelingly about tho night march in August, which ended in tho taking of Rhododendron Hill. After losing his way In tHo night ho functioned in llio -morning at, tho Tn.blo Top with Moore, of IDuncdin, who ordered his men to talto tlio trenches ahead, when a long, lean man lopped out' of the trench—if; was Meldrum. of Palmorston North—and said—"Get lo out of this; I took this trench an hour ago!" Brotherhood ofi Man. Major Waito spoko interestingly of his Gallipoli experiences. No one, ho said, could havo been on. t.hfl Peninsula during the first week or two without..realising what; tho brotherhood of man men,!! t. In. Egypt you could, not; insult an Australian moro than by calling him a New Zcalander, but; after a day or two ashore, a real brotherhood of man was established. AVhen a. man camo down to tho beach for anything they ~were never asked who they wore—all Was Ipr tbo common use. Major Waito's abounding souso of "ex)Rii dry" humour made his stories sonic of tlio best of the evening. Leaving Gallipoli. Major C. K. Andrew 6pok« of tlio evacuation of G'allipoli. Tho first indication of evacuation was early in Dccembor, when tho extraordinary order was received to keep silent for '18 l'oiirs. There was to be no firing unless I hey wero attacked, all work was stopped, and. evoryouo took shelter from tho eyes of airmen. But the Turks did nothing, and ho did not know what they thought. During the second'week in December tho evacuation was spoken of. Preparations wore made, and in good weather at night thoy got tho first 110,000 men away. Tile second night's operations were also successful, and they took n. chance on tho third night and got oil' a vast quantity of provisions and guns. Finally it was arranged that a rcargunrd should be, left behind to hold the line on the last night, which guard was not 10. move from llio trenches until 2.15 a.m. .It was simply wonderful the number of men who wished to ha •included in tlio'rearguard, which., it' attacked, was to fight to the last man. At J. 45 a.m. Major Andrew received tlio message: "Carry out your orders!" According lo orders they moved off, according to their numbers, until enly eighteen men worn left. Each of tboso men had a, wristlet watch, and tho watchcs had been synchronised (the men wore too far from each other to signal), and at. 2.15 a.m. ( oxactly t.liey t[iiiotly took the'track down' to the beach, and passed through the heavy barb-wire portcullis iVhicli had been erecteVl across the- gully to cut off auv lata attack). 'J hey got through all right. Up in an Aeroplane. Lieutenant E. T. Shand, of tho Royal Flying Corps, opened with a dramatic incident;, ft was wlion tho airmen wcro strafing Scnoussi a young aviator, who was making his first, reconnaissance, was obliged to make a forced landing in the desert, whero he and his mechanist became absolutely lost. The aviator shot himself iu order that, tlio mechanist (a married man) could have tho little water that was left. Unfortunately the mcch-

anist died before ho could be' found. Lieut. Sliand,, showed a walking-stick made from wood from the propeller of tho wrecked machine. The speaker spoke of the wonderful advance in aircraft, in speed, climbing power, and weight-carry-ing particularly. Ho said that tho aeror plnno could now climb 20,000 feet, but above that one was apt lo bleed at the nose and oyos. Ho lmd only been up 15,000, but; ev/n at that height his heart hadi beaten veiy fast. In relating the sensation of flying, Liout. Shand said that a curious thing about flying'wjs that when ono was near the earth ono felt unsafe, but when ono was high up one felt safe. And when an aviator left tho earth lie might feel quite liotj but above (WOO feci; ho began lo feel the cold, and who" a lilllo higher felt as though ho wero "silling on the top of Alt. Cook iu silk pyjamas in a howling gale." Then t.horo were what tlin man in ; tho sired: called "air pockets." Thoy wero "lesser densities."'and when hue'struck such conditions, tho machino dropped nt once—'"it:■ felt, like beintr in a lift with tho lift-mnn gone mad." • Between the "talks" tlio '.Misses Henry played a number' of trios delightfully. On' tlio motion of the .Mayor a. hearty ,vol» of thanks was accorded to all who took part iu tho entertainment.