A VICE-REGAL VISITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 3806, 22 February 1927, Page 82

A VICE-REGAL VISITOR.

general sir g. t. m. BRIDGES. A DISTINGUISHED WAR RECORD. AUCKLAND, February 14. 1 Governor of South Australia, Sir G 1. M. Bridges, arrived by the Niagara today, to spend a month in the Dominion as tne guest of tho Governor-General (Sir Charles I'ergusson). He expects to do some angling and deep-sea fishing during his stay Major-general Sir "Tom” Bridges as he !s popularly known, had a distinguished and picturesque military career Prior to his appointment as Governor of bouth Austraha in 1922. His name is a household word among those who served in what might to-day be termed the old army and is synonymous with all that is daring and heroic in the life of a soldier. His earliest association with an overseas Dominion was when he commanded tho Sth and 6th West Australian Mounted Infantry in the Boe>r a i r ’ W 5 was P resent at the relief of Ladysmijh and of Mafeking. During the bomaliland operations in 1902-1904 he was severely wounded and earned tho D.S.O. iie was also wounded three times during the European War. He lost a leg in 1916 and was seven times mentioned in despatches. After the retreat from Le Catcau he was given the command of the 4tli Hussars and was sent by Sir John French to report on the siege of Antwerp. During , P ush toward Calais he earned a biilliant leputation for resource and personal bravery. He was attached to the British military mission to the Belgian army th i re - Sult of his earlie st pleadf * d ? e . ] S ,ans "ere finally induced tJ open the sluices of the Yser and flood I coll J | Gy as a measure of defence. file best known of his military exploits XVwKU Cn - co .T memot 'atea by Sir Henry New bolt in his poem “The Toy Band.” ' from occu [ red _ durin g the retreat aL: Q at^? u > when General Bridges was a Major in the Dragoon Guards. A party o some 250 stragglers exhausted after their superhuman efforts, were lying helpless on the road between St. Quentin and Cffolt -? n the P art of their office!» cou ld p r e va]] upon the worn ou( . men to save themselves. General Bridges was sent out to investigate. He bought a dru,n a village shop and prevailed upon a man to play a whistle, and this ‘” l P!’ ovls ed band playing stirring military music and popular airs of the day, so put heart into the men that they made a supreme eftort and staggered to’safety. la -Xcwbo.t s poem, which records this incident, occur the lines— As long as there’s an Englishman to ask a tale of me; * , v A -n long as I can tell lhe tale aright; Well not forget the penny whistles — wheedle-deedle-dee. And the big dragoon a-beating down the night.

M hen no longer able as a result of his wounds to take an active part on the field of battle, General Bridges became military member of tne Earl of Balfour's mission £ tef M StateS '- V’ 1917 - and ?O!n r ? nl } sh War , m,sslon to America in IJjd. l ater he was the head of the military mi Constantinople and Smyrna in land^ 0 ’ 1 " S ’ S 113 “’ St V ’ sit to Ncw Zea ’