THE LAST LAP

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 3338, 6 September 1917, Page 4

THE LAST LAP

BRITAIN'S INFANTRY

THE BEST IN THE WORLD

(From the London Morning Post.)

- Napoleon once said that the British infantry was the best in the world. It is true to-day. What is the quality that makes them such incomparable soldiers I do not know. They are fearless, resolute, eager in attack, and determined in defence. They are discipined to a wonderful degree, yet with a perfect understanding between officer and men. When things are going well the soldier will "grouse" ancl grumble and give the appearance of" being in a state of incipient mutniy. Give him a nasty wet day, a German "strafe," and'a generally depressing atmosphere, and he begins to sing and laugh and show the dualities of Mark Tapley. He must have perfect confidence in his leaders, and he adores his natural protectors, the airmen and the gunners. Some people who have studied him will tell you that a good many of his qualities must be due to lack of imagination. That may be so. On the other hand, he must have imagination to invent some of the nicknames he has given his geenrals. From the first day of the war he established a man-for-man superiority over the German. He felt himself the better man. and lived up to this conviction, in spite of the machine superiority which the .Roche possessed at the beginning of the war. He does not deny to his enemy hgth courage and endurance, but he is none the less convinced that he can beat him when he likes. THE INFANTRY QUALITIES.

He is careless and insouciant. R> is careless of Iji.s own life, and will often risk it most unnecessarily, as, for example, when ho searches for souvenirs under a heavy shell fire. Not lone; ago we took a batch of prisoners, and as there was a fairly hot German barrage behind us they were put for safety in one of our trenches. A British o cci- who was standing by them overheard and understood wliat. they were saying. One of them tried to encourage the others by saying that there would soon be a counter-attack which would result in their rescue. "Never," emphaticall- returned one of the prisoners. "We'll never beat these fellows. Look there!"—and he pointer! to some of our men calmly searching for souvenirs under the German barrage; "did you ever see a Germ an t soldier above ground, if he could help it, when shelling was on Those fellows don't mind anything, and they have no nerves. We can never beat them." But not only ie our infantryman a snlendid fighter. He is the most chivalrous man alive. A poor frightstrickened Roche of 18 years remafned hidden in dug-outs For four or five days after a big assault. He was found shivering and shaking and starin rt by the'salvage men, who gave him what food and water they had and then took him to the rear. Passinc npnr a b.nttprv, the Kimners took charge of him, sent him down in a dug-out, and stuffed him with bread and meat and tea and jam till the poor fellow looked as though he would die of the stirfeit. And then-thev put in a claim to keep him as a "mascot." but regulations forbade and he had to be sent to the rear, well out of shell fire. HIS WAYS.

The great quality which stands out is the marvellous buojancy of the man. He will go through the most awful hell for a week and come out of it with a smile. After a wash and a brush up in billets he will be kicking a football about or exchanging confidences in his curious French with the natives. He will mow, reap, or plough for the French .peasant, look after the cow, or wash the baby, if he is allowed. He is the most perfect gentleman and no boaster. He will cheer xip his neople at home with stories of adventure which he has never had. but when he really has gone through a big assault as often as not he will dismiss it all Avith a curt "I went over.-the. top last Thursday." But those who love him—and who does not ?—find him at his best as h linguist. Even here his ingenuity comes to his aid. Who but. he could have translated "Your cow has broken loose" by the short but quite easily comprehended phrase, "Madam, lait promenade?" Two men were billeted in a farmhouse where there was a good deal of poultry. Naturally they wanted to have a chicken for their dinner, but their vocabulary was limited, and the French word for 'chicken' wasn't in it. After deep consideration one of them had an inspiration. Taking an egg he said to the £ood woman of the house "Oofs, mamma." It was thoroughly understood, and they dined well. One could <j,o on for ever on this subject, but I cannot miss this. A soldier had successfully wooed a French girl, and asked the chaplain to perform, the marriage ceremony. "But," said the chaplain, "the girl is a Roman Catholic." "Oh, that's all right, sir," said the man, whose French ran only to "Bon jour" and "Napoo," "I've converted her."

1 would like to put our "dismal Jimmies" at home by tho side of a battalion coming out of or going into the line. These fresh English faces, their clear, humorous eye, and their iinvariable look of splendid confidence is enough to make you want to stand at the side of the road and cheer them till you are hoarse. Go among them and hear them talk. You wouldn't find depression there. "Seven times over the top and still going strong," said one of them to me with an air of pride. If they are asked about the Boche they smile good-humouredly and with just a touch of scorn. The idea of the German whining now that he is "getting some of his own back" seems to account for the scorn, any of the brave fellows were in the trendies in the hard old days at the beginning of the war. when the enemy sent over forty shells for every one of ours. They didn't whine then, and they don't admire the Boche for whining noAV. A GRTJAI LLTC.

Coming along a dusty French road in a motor-car I was delighted to give a Canadian officer a lift. He had been in most of the "shows," had started as a private, and was now a captain. Hβ was of the right mettle, full of courage and determination to drive the JJoche back to his lair. I complimented him on the gallantry which he and his countrymen had shown durng the war. "Sir," he said to me,.much to my surprise, "why will you always treat us ac children? "VVe'have done well. I don't deny it, but everybody has done well. Your Tommy is the finest fighter on God's earth. Isn't he going to get any of the credit? I'm sick to death of the -praise that is plastered all over us. We have done our duty to the best of our ability, but we don't deserve one word more of nraise than your fine fighting-men." This sentiment, on inquiry, I found to be common to all the colonial forces. One distinguished Australian officer said that he had come to hate the word "Anzac." "Wβ came into the war of our own accord to beat tho German. We don't want to be treated as though we should give up the fight unless we were mentioned every day. We are good, stout fighters, as the Roche knows well, but we take off our hots to the gallant old regiments of +ho Home Country. Believe me. an infantry battalion is simply a miniature of the race." DISCIPLINE AND KEWAHDS. The discipline of our armies in Fiance is stnVt pnrl stern, as it has

to be in face of such an enemy as they have to fight. But it is tempered by a wonderful camaraderie betv.een officer and man. The casual observer would see nothing except the outward and visible signs of discipline and order. But the moment one | mixes with a battalion or a battery it is not difficult to see that the relations between the men and tneir officers are cordial and prompted by mutual self-respect. I daresay a_ quarter of the younger officers serving in France were privates in the early days of the war. Indeed, there are several battalion commanders who were non-commissioned officers three shore years ago. The consequence is that, without any relaxation of discipline, there is a "give and take" between men and officers which is delightful to see. A boy officer with an ample dinner awaiting liini at his billet will risk a court-martial by storming at a "brass-hat" because his men hfuen't got hot water. In one division 1 know of the staff who gave up their leave in order to allow some men who had not been home for a long time to have an opportunity of seeing their kith and kin. There is, however, one grumble among the fighting units at the front which is almost universal. "While they readily admit the magnificent work done * bhind the line, they do ask almost unanimously for a purely fighting decoration to be given tor only good work done under fire. Ihe Military Cross in some respects did satisfy "this grievance, but it has been given' to men at the bases. It must not be imagined for a moment that the man in "the trenches does not iullv appreciate that without the man behind he could do very little. Hut it is not unnatural that when he earns reward under fire the decoration auaided to him should plainly indicate to the outside world that it was won in the fighting line.. And when the solemn moments arrive when the men are waiting in tense and poignant expectation, though there may be many a joke, there' is also a great seriousness. I love the picture painted to me of the lare Maurice reel, chaplain to a battalion of a great Welsh regiment. As they stood in the trench waiting for tho' attack that fearless man sent mes-sages along the line, giving them the great courage of purpose. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," said he, and down the line went the message, ''J he Padre says, 'God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.' " And again, "The Padre says, 'Christ said "It is I, be not afiaicl."'" And the last message, "The Padre says, 'Jesus said, I am with you always,' " and then over the top to death or glory. And among the dead that clay was the gallant Padre. 0.