ARMY MANOEUVRES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 28 January 1939, Page 5

ARMY MANOEUVRES

LOOKING AHEAD I fi.v Air Mail—Owu Uorresumideiin LONDON. 29th December The War Office is already thinking in terms of the Army’s next autumn manoeuvres. This m t be regarded, in these c' ys of inter- 'lonal tension and backchat, as slightly optimistic. But the object of these 19 i 9 autumn manoeuvres is not so reassuring perhaps. There is to bo a general mobilisation, and our regulars, with at least some of what remain of our Territorial infantry and artillery, are to be tested on a rapid transit scheme. e aim can t.e only to ascertan with what speed, in the event of a hostile landing in this country, we could bring our mobile defence forces, which Ices not include A. A. units, into action at the danger spot. Something of the sort, on a small scale, was tried last Autumn, when the Coldstream Guards made a quick move from Aldershot to the North, using air as well as road and sea transport. Viscount Gort, our V. C. Chief of Imperial General Staff, is ’ cponsible for this big-scale military tr«*k idea. QUICKER OFF THE MARK Possibly Viscount Gort remembers what happened on the Western Front during the very early weeks of the war. At that time there were only British Regulars in France, but one of these, a Brigade Major who now commands a well-known county regiment, told me later what were his candid impressions. He is an extremely patriotic John Bull, and has all the British officer’s amour propre where our Army is concerned, but he complained bitterly that our movements were incredibly slower than

those of the French Army. He said that, in the early days, whether it was a case of advancing or retreating, the French were up and gone before our people had half packed up their baggage. To some extent this may have been due to the fact that the French were operating over their own territory, amongst familiar conditions, whereas we were strangers in an almost

strange land. Later on we paid attention to quick mobility, and every infantry battalion was expected to be. ready gt any time to move at one hour’s notice.