DRUMS COME BACK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21743, 7 March 1934, Page 6

DRUMS COME BACK

PRIDE OF THE GORDONS RETURNED FROM GERMANY ■ I • COMPLIMENT TO HIGHLANDERS [from oub ows correspondent! LONDON. Feb. 3 General Sir lan Hamilton has visited Berlin, where he received from President vo:p: Hindenburg the drums of the 2nd Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders, Sir lan is Colonel of the regiment. "When the battalion landed at Ostend in the autumn of 1914 they went by Staff toward Antwerp with the pijtes alone and dropped their drums in the police station. They never returned to Ostend. The Germans entered it and when the Armistice came they retired, taking the drums with Oifsm.

Describing how the transference was arranged, Sir lan, before he went to Berlin, said: " Though I am Colonel of the regiment I never heard anything o1 : this. T suddenly got a letter a foitnighx ago from a retired colonel travelling in Germany. He said he had Keen with great grief the drums of the Gcrdonsi in the War Museum. wound; up the letter by saying, 'Of course, it is too late to do anything notv.' I thought otherwise. I wrote a letter which reached the highest quarters, and at once I was invited to go across t-o collect the drums. •" I do most earnestly hope," said Sir lan Hamilton, " that no fuss will be made about it, either in this country or in Germany. It is purely a private, sentimental matter concerning my old rejjiment, and is to be viewed a» a friendly'gesture on the part of the German officials responsible." Osremony at German War Office And iso it came about that President von Hindenburg and General Sir lan Hamilton, both in their eighties, exchangee! the war memories of more than half a century in the President's Palace in the Wilhelmstrasse. The Minister of Defence, General von Blomberg, presented the drums to General, Hamilton and LieutenantColonel McClintock, the officer commanding the Second Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders, at a ceremony at th s "Ministry for Defence. Among those present were the new Commander-in-Chief ol the German Army, General von Fiitsch,/ and the Military Attache at the British Embassy, Colonel A. I. Ttorne. * Stanciing in front of the drums, writes tjie correspondent of the Morning PoiJt, General von Blomberg declared his pleasure in being able to fulfil General Hamilton's wish and return the drums of the Second Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders to the rightful owners. The drums, he explained, had been found by chance by German BOldiers, and were not the spoils of victory.. By this act of restoration, (said General von Blomtierg, the German Aimy honoured not only a gallant soldinr in General Hamilton, but also a gallant regiment that had carried its colours in many parts of the world and had fought by the side of Brassis,n soldiers at Waterloo. "Ton Tiave come to a Germany that haß found -itseli: again after long and dark years of unhappiness, discord and shiine," the General, concluded. May you realise here that the German people have no other wish but to take their place among the nations in honourable peace and as a free and equal people. Chat With. Von Hindenburg Sir lan Hamilton asked General von Blomberg to autograph one of the seven drums—six side drums and one big dram—which were afterwards taken to the British Military Attaches office in the Tiergartenstrasse. He intended to offtii one of the drums, which was originally presented to the battalion by Major H A. Bethune. to the Scottish War „ Museum. , Afterwards Sir lan. Hamilton called to thank the President for the return of the battalion's drums, and on leaving the Wilhelmstrasse he described the interview to the correspondent ot the Daily Telegraph. He said: I was ' asked to tell him which event m my long military career had most elated and moved me. Then he interposed: 'I do not want you to say anything about the last war, when we fought one another.' . " 'You are the first man m the world who has ever asked me that, I answered. It took me some moments to think of a reply. Then I told the President that I thought the event m which I took most pride as a soldier was tiui battle of Elandslaagte in South Africa, /when we won after a very desperate struggle with the Boers. Ihe name i 3 one or those on the big drum which I am taking back to England. Prosident's Wonderful Memory '"President Hindenburg has a wonderful memory. He recalled all the details of /.the engagement. The Germans have always made a special study of Elandslaagte, which they regard as the laist of the old tactical battles. As I rose to go President Hindenburg said to me: 'I want you to give a message from a . very old soldier to your younger soldiers. Tell them how glad I am to be ally to give them back their drums.' " jimmediately after the war efforts were made by Mrs. Stansfeld, widow of tha adjutant of the battalion, who was killed at Loos, to recover the drums. Admiral Sir Roger Keyes also assisted, but as the drums had been taken by the Germans nothing more was done until Ijsir lan Hamilton's successful effort.