PRINCE OF WALES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20254, 14 May 1929, Page 10

PRINCE OF WALES.

DEATH MISSED BY SECONDS.

STORY OF THE GREAT WAR.

"A few seconds earlier, and he would have been killed." This is written of the Prince of Wales, by Mr. E. T. Woodhall, who, in his Secret Service days, was often called upon to guard the heir to the Throne. It happened during the war, when the Prince was attached to the General Staff. His car was blown to fragments only a few seconds after he had left it.

Tolling the full story in his book "Detective and Secret Service Days," Mr. Woodhall describes how he, on a motorcycle, had vainly chased the Prince's car as it raced toward the front lino. Ho says:—"l carried on until I got well into the danger zone, and the jGerman artillery were putting over some very heavy stuff. At that moment a terrible roar and crash indicated the explosion of a shell on a derelict farm about 40yds to my front, and I hurried on. "Suddenly I came upon the Prince standing near to a wall, looking shaky and distinctly pale. And small wonder. It appears that he had left his car in what appeared to bo a place of comparative shelter—that is to say, he had left it protected by a thick wall that had been left standing. Ho had gon* out a little way and on his return was horrified to find that both the wall and the car had beeu blown to atoms."

On another occasion, when the author and some "Tommies" entered a farmyard to fill water bottles, they saw a group of officers near a car, all "unshaven and haggard, with eyes sunken for want of sleep," One was the late Field-Marshal Sir Douglas. Haig, then First Army Commander.

"What do you want, boys?" he asked, 111 lowered tones.

Saluting, I replied, "Only water, sir." "Yes," ho answered. "There's a pump round there.. Take what you want, but for tlio love of Heaven, got it quietly! Make no noise. Your Commander-in-Chief has been asleep for five minutes—the first had for nearly four days." " As I passed on my way to the pump," concludes Mr. Woodhall, " I saw Sir John French lying back in tho corner of his car—asleep."