“MAGNIFICENT”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 7 April 1945, Page 6

“MAGNIFICENT”

THE ORDINARY BRITISH SOLDIER COURAGE* IN ADVERSITY London, March 16. Speaking in the Commons in the Army Estimates’ Debate on the 13th March, on the “remarkable transformation ’ of the British Army from the defensive to an offensive arm, a task “which first and last involved the creation or conversion of no less than 2000 units”, War Secretary Grigg declared this transformation “due above all to the qualities and resolution of the soldiers themselves . . . we have a magnificent Army and, I am sure, Commanders in Italy. North West Europe and Burma agree* that this is primarily due to the inherent character of the ordinary British soldier and to the added courage and unselfishness he acquires when faced by a supreme task.” Churchill stated, 18th January, “we are maintaining in the field and in the garrisons upward of 100 divisions . . . apart from our vast Navy and Air Forces.” The following, among recent statements concerning units of this vast British Army, serve to illustrate the magnificent spirit of the “ordinary British soldier.” NORTH WEST EUROPE Montgomery on British Empire Troops engaged in clearing the MaasRhine country: “all ranks are imbued with that infectious optimism and offensive eagerness which come from physical well-being and from the firm belief in our just and righteous cause,

and that the completion of the task is well in hand. It is a great inspiration to see such fine soldiers ready and anxious for battle after our nation has been at war over five years.” German paratroopers, panzers and grenadiers in the Reichswald were probably the best German troops available; their resistance persisted “until finally broken by the noteworthy oldfashioned assault with the bayonet by the Scottish, Welsh and English infantry” (“Times”). The result was the capture of over 20,000 of these crack German troops and the putting of a similar number out of action.

(General Crerar’s First Canadian Armv at that time consisted of about 66 per cent. United Kingdom troops, of which units named, include: Seaforth Highlanders, Royal Scots Fusiliers, Somerset Light Infantry, the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, Worcestershire, Hampshire and Manchester Regiments: also units of the Brigade of Guards and the 51st (Highland) Division). Typical of earlier British fighting in North West Europe is the story of the 59th West Riding Division (“the fighting forty-ninth”) which played a major part in taking the fortress of Havre, crossed Belgium to liberate Turnhout, drove the stiffly resisting enemy into Holland, capturing Roosendaal, continued north driving the Germans over the Maas; switched to the Benlo sector where they cleared the west bank of the Maas; and later, in November, 1944, they were given the important task of holding the vital “island” salient of Nijmegen which was for months the only bridgehead over the Rhine and the “pivot” for the later drive into Germany. ITALY In the Commons debate, on the Ist March, 1945, Captain Sidney pointed out that the British Empire Forces there have “been in almost constant contact with the enemy for a very long time.” Grigg: “Our Forces in Italy are even now containing enemy formations whose strength numerically, we reckon, is over one-third of the German Forces in Europe, other than those engaged against the Russians.” Major Studholme, one of the M.P.’s who recently visited troops in Italy, quoted as an example of British “guts and endurance” the case of one British Battalion “and it is not unique” still in the line after suffering in casualties in one year, 75 officers and over 1300 other ranks: nearly 30 per cent, of the Battalion have been wounded twice, some three times. “Such demands”, explained Studholme, “had to be made on troops in the front line owing to the withdrawal of American and French divisions to make the landing in South France and, by necessity, for sending troops to Greece.” (Previously British and American Divisions been withdrawn to strengthen forces for the" Normandy landing, among them the famous British Seventh Armoured Division which had been in the van of the advance through North Africa and in some of the fiercest battles in Italy.) BURMA Grigg: “In Burma, ascendancy has be«n established over the biggest Japanese Army which has so far been in action.” Typical is the South East Asia Command account, 13th March, of the capture of Mong Mit (North North East of Mandalay), by troops of the Thirty Sixth British Division: “strikr ing through dense jungle British infantry hacked their way forward through country the Japanese thought impassable. Indian Engineers followed, turning the path into a jeep track, and bulldozers, manned by Indians and Americans, made the path into a motorable lane. Men of the Royal Sussex Regiment led for a considerable way, advancing'two or three miles per day, a remarkable feat when they had to cut their way through jungle. Another column advancing up the main track came against natural defensive positions virtually impregnable, had not the Japanese been deceived by the jungle swoop led by Sussex”. Also the following, 13th March, “among the first British troops to cross the Irrawaddy, North of Mandalay, were an officer and eight men of the Welsh Regiment which in fighting an advance to the river marched over 300 miles in seven weeks. The crossing was made in two dug-out canoes where the river was a thousand yards wide. When nearly • half-way across enemy defences opened up. Immediately our mortars and machineguns replied and a smoke-screen was laid to conceal the canoes.” Twenty minutes later the patrol jumped ashore unnoticed by the enemy and conducted valuable reconnaissance. THE HUMAN SIDE Together with such instances of the fighting spirit of the British soldier come stories illustrating his essential humanity. The “Manchester Guardian,” 13th March: “there was the case of 100 R.A.S.C. men billeted in an old French Chateau where five children were living, not only pale and emaciated, but filthy and covered with sores through the lack of soap. An officer one day found braziers burning in two stalls ;n the stables. In one a private was washing the children’s Clothespin the other a second private was washing the children in a big tub of hot water, then drying them and handing them over to a sergeant 'who was dressing their sores from his first aid case. The same, officer oii r another occasion found 100 French children around the cookhouse enjoying a meal of hot soup. The ser-geant-cook explained that all the men had voted giving their soup ration to the children. The officer said '.that this must not happen again as men who have to fight must- feed. The ‘Guardian’ also quotes a • letter from Italy: “We haye a sweet ration but you cannot stop the lads from giving them to the children. They fight like demons for' the village: but hours later they are doing'thihgs for the women and playing with the children.” CONCLUSION Above illustrates the character of the British citizen sojdier, whom thorough training and grim experience has turned into a .fighting-man with efficiency unsurpassed in the * world: but who nevertheless retains the essential instincts of humanity.