“MOTHER OF BLIGHTY.”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18825, 31 March 1923, Page 10

“MOTHER OF BLIGHTY.”

A WAR-TIME IDOL. MISS BUTLER TOURING NEW ZEALAND. “DIGGERS” ON LK AY F, IN PARIS. THE STORY OK THEIR ‘CORNER.” A visitor to .Ni'J’ Zealand. who is by no mean- a stranger lit New Zealanders. ttrrived here by the Mccraki yesterday morning. and lias already renewed many; acquaintances with Iter old friends. Iho visitor is Miss Lily Butler. ( .15.1‘... whose excel lout war work hits earned for her 'ho titlo of “Mother ot Blighty,” which is wcllknowii to hundreds of New Zealand soldiers who have shared the an<l hospitality of her “corner e.'f Blicbty ‘ which she established in Paris shortly after the eoininenceinenl of the war. Miss Butler is also popularly known as “1 he Dinkutn Old Sticker'’ because she remained in France from August 2, 1914, to August 26, 1919. During that, time, it will he remembered, Paris was frequently bombed and shelled, ami three times it. was threatened by a German advance. “When the first bomb fell in Parts, I ran for till I was worth," said Miss Butler in the course of ait interview with a Daily Times representative yo-terday. “Afterwards 1 reprimanded myself very severely, and determined never to run away again, I wars just as frightened many a time after that, and it was only the British ‘stuffing’ that was in me that kepi mo from taking to flight,'' Immediately after the Battle of the Marne, a hospital was opened in Paris, and Miss Butler was the second British nurse to.-'volunteer for ,-erviro. 'I he first was Countess Valent.a. “You will notice.” said Aliss Butler, “that we were bcvli Irish, ami both loyal Irtsji.’ Miss Butler is a descendant of the Duke of Ormonde. and proudly claiips that her family “has always been as loyal io the King as the sundial is to the sum' It, was when Lord Kitchener closed the hospital in Paris because of the danger of the Germans, breaking through tlraj Aliss Butler founded “a corner of Blighty.” There, was not a ; ingle eluh in Paris for soldiers on leave, ami. said Miss Butler, it was no wonder that they fell into the hands of sharpers and got into trouble. “A West Australian soldier, leaning .against a lamp post and looking a picture of miaarv was the cause cf my decision that I must ' open a" home for soldiers.’’ _ Miss Butler continued. “I had lived in France for years, ami therefore had a perfect knowledge of French, which was often the means of my helping the bovs. 1 had been presented with the medal cf the French Society for Encouraging Works of Humanity for saving children which had been abandoned during the floods in 1910, and for lecturing to raise funds in aid ot the inhabitants of the slums who had suffered as the result of the floods. 1 was the only person who was not French born to win that modal, ami it gave mo a good deal of influence with the French Government. The French Government 'kindly handed over to trio a magnificent palace built; in the time of Louis XIV for his sou, the Duke of Bendomc. This palace was built by the same architect a,s the one who built tlis_ Palace of Versailles, in which the. Peace Treaty was signed. It was bought by Germans about 40 years before; the war, and turned into the largest dressmaking firm in Paris. When the war broke out it was confiscated as German property by the french Government and handed over to me free of rent and taxes for the duration of the war. It was there I opened my ‘corner of Blighty’ for our boys, under the patronage of his Excellency the British Ambassador, Lord Bartio of 'I hone. I was therefore directly under the King’s own patronage, and was the only person, after the armistice, who was allowed to nut up. like the British Embassy, an electrically illuminated sign of the Royal Anns.” The “corner cf Blighty” was run on different lilies to those of any other club—everything was given away free of charge during the war. With the aid cf 65 workers the “Mother of Blighty” raised in one year £II.OOO to keep the place going. After that she was sometimes alluded to as “The Queen of Beggars.” Her workers were, she said, seme of the finest ladies in tbo Empire, and all were British. The only language spoken in “the corner” was English, and everything was made as like home as possible. “One. of my head cooks,” remarked Miss Butler, “was the Hon. Mrs Lawrence Brodtriok, a great friend of Lady Foster’s. She possesses n testimonial, signed hr me, that she is sober, honest, and hardworking ! The daughter of the Earl of Midleton was another cook, and the Duchess of Basaano and others all considered it an honour to fill the positions of housemaids. waitresses, etc. Miss Massey, the (laughter of the Prime Minister of New Zealand, served tea to the soldiers at one of the refreshment rooms. Here all the soldiers from every part of the Empire were welcomed, given free meals, linen, cigarettes, and motor excursions, and were entertained at the operas and t bet tree. The New Zealanders absolutely flocked into (his place, which the boys loved for its homelike influence.’’ While ir* France Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward held a, New Zealand evening at “the corner,” and Mr Massey, in (lie name of New Zealand, (hanked the “Mother of Blighty” for the care slm had extended to the dominions soldiers. General Sir Andrew Russell and General Sir Alexander Godley belli visited the “corner of Blighty” and sent, letters of appreciation to Miss Butler, who was awarded the C.B.E. in recognition of her fine work. After her five years’ war work Miss Butler came out by troopship to Australia at the invitation of General Sir John Monash, and with the full approval of the then Prime Minister. Mr W. M. Hughes, and the then Minister of Defence. Senator Pearce. For three years she has toured Australia, right through the six Stales and up into the Northern Territory, riding camels and pack horses, camping on the desert plain.” and living in the camps of the blacks. One of the objects of her visit to Australia was to collect material for a book and lectures, and she has now come to Now Zealand to tour it over for further material. She is also anxious (o meet those soldiers she knew in France, and will he- in constant touch with the Returned Soldiers’ Association. While iu Australia she met’ thousands of Australian ex-soldiers whom she mothered in France, and everywhere she went, she received a wonderftd welcome. In New Zealand Miss Butler will lecture about the . great .. .deeds of New Zealand soldiers, ami about old London, old Edinburgh, and tho old.cathedral cities at Home. She is loud in her. praise of New Zealand hospitality. “As soon as 1 arrived tit Bluff.” she said, “I was welcomed by representatives of the Returned Soldiers’ Association under whoso auspices I am working, and I had the great joy there of meeting Mr Ashley, one of the ‘Diggers’ who was at. the ‘Corner of Blighty,’ and was present al the last hall (riven there. I had a civic recontion as soon as T landed in New Zealand. and Mr Massey has already sent mo a message of welcome. Gn arriving at; Dunedin this morning I had a visit from Mr S. P. Cameron, one of five brothers who went with the Now Zealand forces to Fi ance, and whose brother. Lieutenant Keith Cameron, was for a while aide-de-camp at the ‘Corner of Blightv.’ Mr Cameron is io he the first to show me some of the beauties of Dunedin. Then I met my old friends. Mr and Airs Frank Peck, whom I have known for mimv years. Although I am called ‘Mother of Blighty,’ and the hoys are (raining their children to call mo ‘Granny.’ I refuse to say how many years T have known Mr and Mrs Peck! The president (the Rev. Hector, Maclean) and the secretary (Mr A. C. Laing) of the Dunedin Returned .Soldiers’ Association, visited me soon after, and to-morrow, at 9 o’clock, they will take me to their club rooms, where they have arranged for me to meet a few ladies. Already I have found thal I love vour countrv as much as I love its boys.” .Miss Butler’s popularity with oxNew Zealand soldiers has already been manifested iu nititiv ways, and during the short time in whirl) our representative was in her company she was visited hy souks of her old friends whom she met in France, and also received a telegram of welcome from one e\-“Digger” who expressed his regret that he was onl of town at present. One of the visitors, Mr G. T’roelor. introduced another “grandchild.” and invited the “Mother of Blighty ‘ to spend some of her busy lime at his home. Miss Butler readily accepted, and it is finite obvious that she is to have her lime well occupied in visiting old frienfb wherever she goes. Sneaking of the conduct of New Zealand soldiers, Miss Butler said that they had been the best-behaved of all tho-e who came under her care. She had publicly said this everywhere, includin'? Australia, where some ex-soldiers in an audience remarked, m their characteristic language. “To right.” ‘‘Never once.” she added, ‘did she find a New Zealander the worse for drink, and not one was over guilty of introducing undesirable company into ‘the corner. I now want to find out if you "’’eked the men whom yen sent to France, or if you are all as well behaved.”

Miss Bnlier will leave by (be Mopraki to-day for Wo'lincton, where sbo will meet the dominion secretary of the R.fs.A.. who is arranging her tour. She hopes to bo back in Dunedin shortly to illustrate, hv pictures and stories, some of the doinprs of our soldiers in Frame. She has spent only one month of the last eiprht and a-hnlf years at her homes