VALOR OF THE FEARFUL

Evening Star, Issue 19143, 9 January 1926, Page 21

VALOR OF THE FEARFUL

im LASOELLES’S GONFESSIOII THE TRUTH ABOUT HEROES [By Captain Bruce BaijßXSFATher.] Yiscount Lascelleß, unveiling a war memorial ,has confessed that there was an occasion at the front when ho became frightened. How many heroes arc there who have kept secret their own fear in the hour of danger? Captain Bairnsfather, whoso plav about ‘ Old Bill ’ is now at the New Oxford Theatre, London, here (from the ‘ Sunday Chronicle ’) makes public his own feelings on the subject. The highest form of bravery is the capacity to overcome the greatest fear, and therefore fear should not only be a part of one’s make-up, but bo freely admitted, provided one can overcome it. Fear is also relative to degrees of intelligence. It is harder lor thc imaginativo man to be bravo than the dull man. During my wanderings in the war I felt fear in myself, and watched it in others; I also felt how much one owes in the mastering of it to the courage and example of others. I know the exact spot and time when the greatest fear assailed me, and i know that the ability which suddenly came to me to master it was duo to the example of several other men whom I knew. I unhesitatingly admit that I felt fear in all its stark, chilly horror on several occasions, and i also admit that many times any courage that I possessed was not due in heroic bravery, but to shame in not equalling the courage of those about me. OYER THE TOP. I am guilty of having walked about at a certain unwholesome part of the front on a winter's bullet-ridden night wishing that 1 could be shot just sufficiently to get mo out of the war. Many a time have f had a silent internal war with myself on the subject of fear, and had I been in an army (hat entertained fear 1 very much doubt whether I could have numbered myself amongst the courageous. This I do know: that I should only extend pity for a man whose, fear wins over his courage. At 4 a.m., when about to go “ over the top ” in an attack, 1 can pardo" anyone for wanting to mount the bee’s bicycle and hustle back Horne.

But battle fear is a different thing from drca.fi. When we all rushed into that explosive horror known as the second battle of Ypres 1 found tear rather like a. plunge into icy water. Once in the fear wore oif. One’s blood was up, and I can dearly remember rushing across No Man’s Land in the midst of every kind of explosion with my fear curiously missing. Half an hour bclore, whilst hovering on the brink of the, attack, I felt as it ] had swallowed an electric fan running at full speed. I was inwardly trembling with fear. THE HEROIC SUB. There was a certain second lieutenant in ray regiment, a man of delicate refinement and education. Ho was not a “soldier,” and never wanted io bo one, but ho was in that war to light. Whatever fear he had—and his type would inevitably lead to a goodly supply—ho never showed it for an instant. From a life of luxury and safety he dived without flinching into the incredible horrors and dangers of that war. His courage and determination were of the kind that are England’s highest and best. It would have been impossible for him to have been anything but brave. The poor devil was killed in a hopeless attack at Ypres. I hope ho had much fear, for thou his saintly courage was oven greater. To his example I owe much that prevented me allowing my fears to got the upper ha nd. “OLD BILL’S” TYP.E. So much for my fears. But now lot me turn to the fears and courage, of my old pal Bill and his mates, the British n.c.0., and all the vast army of courageous souls who won that war. Fears they all, had in varying degree, but courage and fortitude to an amazing extent, joking before and at death in a way that no other army was capable of; and T saw all the armies, their morose humor and determination, their ' simple minds, their humorous good nature, had language, and docile courage. The ancient Greeks and Romans have got nothing on them. Fears they had all right, all of different kinds, but with a courage that beat that fear by miles. Ladies and gentleman, it was a wonderful hand of men that made the Cenotaph. They make one ashamed to bo alive.