THE KING SEES "HEAVIES" IN FULL BLAST.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14124, 17 October 1916, Page 8

THE KING SEES "HEAVIES" IN FULL BLAST.

IN AN "0-PIP" POST NEAR YPRES DURING ARTILLERY BATTLE.: J WITH THE SOUTH AFRICANS, * ROYAL COUPLE GREETED WITH THE ZULU WARCRY. .. .-. - 4 . --._ ....- •'■•.-•<(-■: •■. „. :■ (By Philip Gibbs. — Received by Mail.) August 15. On Friday, August 11, the King visited the district held by another Army, where he was received and entertined ( at luncheon by tlie ' Ai*riiy Cbmmand^r and his staff, after meeting the Gen- 1. eral Officers Commanding Army Gbrpsi and the : Generalj!.OJ^cer cpnirnanding one of the Scottish dTvi^bns^jm^-tl^e.Soutli , Africans. . _ ' There was no formal inspection' of * these troops, but large numbers of them wei _ assembled iri the old French villages through • -which'j the; " Kin- passed,, and the South Africans .were 'afawn'.up! .' separately. There W-fc_'*Vano^*fier great? scene of enthusiasm:. 'when the King arrived, and after a tremendous outburst of cheering the South Africans broke into the Zulu warcry, which was a wild and. barbaric noise?- heard' for the first time across these fields of grantee, into which the British Efepire-' has setit so many of her son^- and so mai^y . dif->- - types bf race and blood that it is the meeting place of all the King's fighting men from, all his Dominions. His Majesty was stirred by the tremendous demonstration of loyalty Which swept about him m wave after wave of, cheering. He knew that he stood m the presence of men--— the men of a Scottish division and the South ; Africans— who haVe taken an heroic share m the battle of Picardy, fighting- Very isplendidly;. m the fierce battles of Longueval and m that "Devil's Wood," of which the South Africans especially know all s fK&? worst, as they fought their way through its broken glades and struggled under terrific fire over its fallen - tree-trunl_i and held on with a noble "stoicism when the enemy's guns filled it with the flame and smoke of high iexplosives. THE KING'S THANKS. The King spoke Of 7thebe*-^ .-thiiiggt to, * some of the officers arid'lries£ 4n'd t tn_nk- : ed them for all they had done and suffered. The splendid , appearance of thesetroops — the tall and sturdy Scots of .the Homeland, th^'^oong---^'ian'to'qf i t^e''dbi.-h African Scdttish, ahd;all thtf^eii of thtv South African contingent-r-impressed .the. King as he-^tesfed'xnein' orf ft& reads; where "sc_itt&Eed?gi l bhps' of^theni,' gathi ered : round^fceir^billets pr. "gossiping . with, French yifla|p» *fijlk„'. ( caught sight, !su_denly of th© Royal Standard on' th_ leading motor-car, and. a moment as though hardly believing thei_ eyefe^ aiW then pulled b'ff their' honrtets arid ;cheered.i After luncheon the King went into some billets wher_-*the maehine-jguii _eei>' tion of a Lancashire regiment had just settled dowmv'uftet': .arriviiig v \ ba6k frbiri, the firing lines* - V It was "4 atypical French' fajrriiyard through which. the, King passed into the barns, with their crookeil old beams and plaster walls and litter f of £lr^w where the men were .quartered; and .'.-it, is m 'such a place, * dimly .' -'figfitedV' with-' out any kind of furniture except the men's bunks, and obviously rat-haunted, that most of pur troop's fiiiid7 lodgings when they;;*?oni^' back irom"' the : trerichfis, happy for.a spell bt-rest r in/;these( bid' farms behind the lines, to which; -they ; give such nicknames as "The Ritss or "Tumble- do Wm-Dick Hostel," to their humor. "PRIVATE '07 SLY. " 7 Some of the men were lying about when the King came among^hehi unexpectedly, and one man, like Christopher Sly, the tinker, was snoring loudly* 'as he lay stretched oh£ pri.a'^eelbarrbifv.;* The noise^ of • footsteps cbrriing across the cobblestones himrattd'he* stretched hi^j.hi'rris"- andisafe :u*cl blinkingi ; and then saw, with utter disbelief va, tttß truth of what hi^V'ey^'irevealed^thf) King and;.the Prince oi Wales, and .a, glitter of *"b^ass" hi£s" ah_ ThW'exjif^sSibriVori' his""* facie , boVHi^ cal as anything I have seen. But the King was wise m going to these places without warning, for *he saw the everyday life of his troops behind the lines without any special preparation or tidying away. It was without announcement— indeed it was not shown on the ", day's pro-gramme—-that the King made a-detour on his journey and motored into the town of — — -. It is not a town where a king might be expected' to go to study its life and architecture. Its life is subpect to visitations of death which come out' of the blue sky like thunderbolts, and its architecture has been badly knocked about here and there by the enemy's gunners,7 Who do very dirty work when they send longrange shells into :a* place v. which they know quite well is inhabited by women and children ' and irinocerit French citizens.-- - . y~-y -''-yryy'yy. '. It is just murder of ihe'l_uiest kind. As it happened they had been shelling the town recently before the King's visit, and had ; done further damage, and the afternoori when thii. King came a few people were standing about staring sadly at the -ruins of buildings which have stood ,te<"mgjt. many, centuries. Th*, few people -were,.', were 'buite .' astounded when the" Royal ,j^_!-'.'li_ltOT'-' : _i :!r '-'t_^i_' midst, and ' when: ; ihe '. __ing and the Prince of Wal«» 'stood there looking at the ruin, r There was a military T^oliceman—"Robert. M.P." — on duty, as orie finds him fin , othfer 'lownfe' .%s_ ruihe'd' than this, directing traffic, calmly and with quiet"~Jtothori;c^ sky above Mm' is-ve^^riistoftj^nd 'the place m which .'Jgi stands "U rbgistered by hostile guns?" . .• ty i, The Ki_^S_poke" ' : to 'liimV ' Wi_- the '*M.P." r d^«ijbed how the '• shells had fallen. Th_c_.^was one shell ora_eri_i_» the roadwayr"and the King went v actt*s, to' it with the Prince bf Wales, star??!; into its dept_7and estimating i^s^duimeter. Some of ua standing ,-^iere" were nervous because the .Ring jirigecred long. At any ? '- sebbrid aribiher /shell might have come, a^^anioihV shell, crater as big a_ this 'r^gtehiye opened the earth at his feet; ' Tpu rievejr' cfin tell. But the King was bxtre_ier|r interested, and stayed several piinutes -m this danger spot.' ' ' > '■'■' KING' 3 CAR HELfi'TJP. ;; ' : '- '„ I think he must haye been interested^ m the Jour^^^fq||owed 'aftW we, left to visit a castialty '* clear uig ' siatipn. some distance away. {IThe1 The . roada were full of th_itra% bf ;war_',and tlie-King^ car had to halt many "iimbs. m «the s\^rl; of it. Field "jjuns and hpwitzeir^ with' all their llhiber " ~wung pasi him/itHb gunners with'~ their steel hats' strapped, well down, jolting on the carriages, while the drivers urged on their horses witV a half an inch :to spare. -between; the axles of the gun wheels and. the panels of the King's car. v ;, t 7 ' ■..7.7^. 7'y.Then came a.- regiment, of Manchester' men on the' march, powdered "with white' dust from head to foot, with s^eat dripping down the bronzed .faces, .with then: steel, hats ofr the 'hick '^f theit^heads, with rifles arid packs weighing _hfeavily on this hot day m a blaze of *suhV.;Thfeir bodies pressed close to the King's car. He could hear the breathing of .tjnie men and the tramp, tramp 1 , of all' t_£ir feet beat up the dust around him. Thby turned their heads at the sight-' bf "the Royal Standardi stared into the car, an_

came on with a look of astonishment. "The King! .... Hliirty, if it ain't the King!" . . . . "No, ai_ yon- sure?" . .'.- "Certain !.....! saw him as close as you. He put his hand up to salute and I knew him m a flash." .... "Must have been to " .... "Well, I'm tyessed ! That's real sporting of him." So the men's voices came past the King's car, and- 1 caught such words as those, while mounted officers turned m their - saddles and stared back. ECHO OF LOOS. Tlie King's next visit was to a casualty clearing station, famous nearly a year ago, when, on four days after the» battle of Loos, 7000 wounded men passed through, ' attended with noble devotion by ,<jhe- "medical officer and his staff, who Worlced without sleep and without much food' for all "that time. There were only a few wounded men th6r_ oh' Friday, and to them the King chatted for a while, listening to the stories of their fighting. During the (Jay. the King passed the field where on his ; last visit his horse fell down and ■injured him. yy AN HISTORIC RENDEZVOUS. I, „.-{, „'.-)* :, . iSaturday, August 12. ' -The' foreriSon of Saturday, August I_, was sp&nt 'by the King m visiting- vari--oua-fdepartments' of the Army organisation... m France. Accompanied by Sir {Douglas Haig, and for part of the morning' also by the Prince of Wales, he visited successive chiefs of depart- . -merits in' their offices, showing not only a keen interest, but also a wide technical knowledge of military affairs and of details of recent operations. Besides the several Army departments he also made a visit to the French Mission. ■From there the King, still accompanied by the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Douglas Hafg, motored to the chateau, where, it had been arranged that he should' lunch. Alighting outside the chateau gates, his Majesty inspected the guard of honor of the Artists' Rifles. The path from the gates to- the door of the' house was lined by a guard of the 17th Lancers, Sir Douglas Hadg's old regiment, withy their lanceS m recovery, surely the most picturesque of all military salutes. The wide gravel pathway was overshadowed on one side by fine old trees. •On the other side was a smooth expanse 8f ; la wVJ-fWith, close to the gate, a sumptuous lied* of scarlet begonias m a blaze of blossom. Beyond was the red brick front of the chateau. The~c!istinguished party stood chatting ;fpr ;a mpinent' just inside 1 the gates and jthen, moved up; the-.a^ive, ! the __ing and th.' vPTesideht -^of the French Republic ibgeiherj 7 theivUGeneral : Joffre and Sir Douglas Haig, then General .Foch, . the Prince .of Wales and, ,the .members of •the *tw(f -staffs^ -some^ in'*kh__f,7some m delicate FrMch • bltie, and air wearing more or les. briiliant staff caps, the ..st_id,'<dark "blue .uniform^' of President Poincare, auspicious m its plainness, : making an effective touch of sober Color* : 7 ■■■;■ . . "'' J_st*a_ they _uoved away, a little girl of -eight years Of : age, dressed m a dainty - pirik frock, came up and presented ' great bouquets^ bf ' roses, first to the ; King •, and then to President Poincare. . A little confused, apparently, she 7 offered the second bouquet first to General Joffre, who smilingly waved h6_ toward" the President. . Tlie King accepted , his boukuet. and thanked the little giver cordially m French. The President stopped and kissed her on the forehead, and then presented her with a* wi-i-it watch, to her immense and unconcealed delight. "It wis a truly charming picture, with the historic party m the glitter of uniforms, the stately trees and the 'great splash, of color of the begonias against the' -emerald lawn; the long line of Lancers, immovable as statues, with their tall lances as regular as the uprights m some wonderfully graceful fence;- the warm tint of the house beyorid1 — arid the centre of interest a- little girl m a pink frock m. ecstasies over her new toy.. . .,. ■ * > '"^WKile waiting fo_ lunch the King, the President,- and' Generals Joffre and Haig pored over a large map together, "w 'stfiking gfoiip: The meal itself was' of {he -most, friendly arid intimate character..' ■ * 'The King had' a long motor drive to the place where lie was to' spend the night, only stopping on the way to visit a large casualty clearing station, where he spent some time chatting with the Wounded and with members of the Staff. '■ VISIT TO BELGIAN ROYAL FAMILY. '. Sunday, August 13. r'lt. was; m an old town of French Flanders, hardly changed since the days when Marlborough and his troops fought through the neighboring ■ country and made their headquarters here, that the King stayed during the week-end. Maiiy of the houses, richly carved m the style of the Renascence, or with timbered walls and high gables, belong .to the 16th and 17t}i centuries. . . On Sundayfmorning, too, his Majesty went to a military -service attended by tjie- General -Commanding the Army and m_hy' officers arid men, and afterwards" drove ., towards the frontier - for a visit to .the ESflj^and Qui&n of the Belgians. Oh;' "the "way. he passed detachments: of Wejlsh anci' English troops, and, stopping his car, he walked into the road and spoke w^thsome of the "officers and men. '_ ' '" " "•■ -'7 '■' It was a pretty scene at that little sanctuary, where, spice the fall bf Antwerp, m the darkest days of the war, the King of the Belgians has made his headquarters. > QUEEN DECORATED; 7 The King and Queen bf the Belgians had their children with them — the young .Duke of Brabant, who goes to Eton with our own Prince Henry, his second son, dressed as a boy scout, and the girl princess, who was like a iittle sealady with her shock of curly hair and short frock which showed her sunbronzed: legs. The two Kings met affectionately, and there was a fine smile of welcome m the eyes of that ( tall, grave young riian whpm nearly two years ago now I used to isee ariibng those- soldiers of his who Held back'-Mie enemy on the Yser m & last heroic stand, and among masses of poor bleeding men who, came back from Dixmude arid Pervyse; ■ .... Upon' the breast of the Queen of the .Belgians pur King pinned the Order of the Royal Red Cross as a tribute to her d_yotion on behalf of the wounded, and afterwards her derated a number of Belgian officers arid men. BELGIAN TROOPS REVIEWED. '_ After lunchePri' there was a great re.view.b|,..B6lgnintropps on the sea coast, "tod. they looked very fine and sturdy mjßn m t their khaki uniforms and steel casque?. 7 , '-. ' Cm^lie way back to the v house where he had spent the previous night the King inspected some details of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Naval ,Air Service, whom he congratulated for their fine work, conferring decorations upon- some of the officers and men. He talked for some time with a group bf V naval air-pilots and listened with lively interest to some of their adventures oyer tlie enemy's lines .and iports, impressed by the spirit of these keen; bronzed men who fly like seabirds m all winds and weather.

. ........I, ■,■__ .in _....i -f i ;r. ;_ ■.>!'■ i...i.......u..i'. .y^ "yyy -■-■■*■■ ■y~ yyy--s&s ' „-_■;.• ■:■ 7 y - .^M(iriday,_i|Ugustl4. j -rAfter' a; shani attkek ontrtfenchea^ at ;^n Australian divisional' school--r-carried bjiit with extraordinary dash: -and. realism by men who know the '>Tealc thihg-^rand "\ a great : ovation from New^ Zealanders as-* sembled on the edge 7 : of ; .the.^ harvest fields where all the-w)ieafcsheaves were .bathed m golden lights -the /King saw* | not , sham fighting,, hut thef- 'actual busi- \ ness of *war with a- hea~y- bombardment lof the enemy's lines.*' '•.:'■-•'. ■*. '■'' ' \ j It was . from' an observation pjost, lenown. to gunners as an o'Pip ? m ihe iYpres' salient, h. In a. Wide 1 half-circle . around the King stretched the great j battle-gi-ound, whioh since-' October .of I the -first yeat. of war , has been famous for most terrible, mos*fc hlobdy,-7and'**npst heroic fighting. ■-■' ■■. -.. ■ .- ;- -; .7. • There; is not a village here upon which the King looked, not a field, or aTWpbd, or a hill, or a line of trees which has not gained undying renown* because here the fine flower of our English youth has fallen like autumn, leaves, and .heYe, 'by their refusal to be beaten, their endurance against overwhelmijxg odds of guns . and men,, nad poison-gaaj J and liquid fire, the lines were held, and ;the. enemy J «could never;ibreak through,; m. spite of all his i'urious'vassaults. ' ; ; ..'■•- Very 'clear and white -and . ghostlike, m the King's gaze stood the dead city of Ypres, with its broken towers! arid piled ruins. Zillebeke lake lay like a silvef ! mirror m the fields.i there was the line of Hooge, and' southwards St. Eloi, Avhere there |s rieveri peace and never silence of peace, but always sorifething bursting with, a tnenace.. ofi -death ;- to somebody. , . ■, . : . IN ARTILLERY DUG-OUT. Close by was the Messines; Ridge, with the ruined church. upon its crest, dipping down to Wyghtschaete, Which all British soldiers know as Whitesheet. ' There was a ,Vbig shoot" iri; progress on . the, Wyghtschaete trenches, and before watching its- general effect, the King :watched the work7pf some of our ■'heavies" — 9.2's and brinch giins— and went down m the- dug-out of one' of the batteries. On one of the great shells which feed these- monsters some gunner had written thej jwordsr "Nunc dimittis," and a wag by the- King' 8 side Raid, _ 'Now let us depart m, pieces^" / After spending some] time (With the battery, --the King Went' to the. observa- -.. tion post and watched the bombardment ■ of , the ; enemy's trenches. Qver ; a short line it was terrific m intensity. Trehph . mprtfi<rs fsir forward! flurig their high explosives out with 'a rapidity tha- made : them burst m one contihuing roar , along the line, The field gunje. were firing m salvoes from hidden bositions dotted, over a wide stretch of pelds. J;,j s The heavies were -sehding out, the.iri great shells so that the air was filled with, the enormous blasti. of them. Our shrapnel was bursting vi one unbroken cloud over the German trenches, and through the white, smoke /the flashes glittered like confetti falling from some high dome into a misty hall, all glints ing and sparkling, as prettily -aa'i any games' of death can be. .-. :" ' : y y ' The, King was intensely interested. When the time to. leave had come ; and *'■ gone the Prince of Wales' spolce to the staff officers and said that'.- _t would Nbe a pity to go for some time, longer as the King was so absorbed m the soene before .him. ; - To the Prince himself it: was familiar, as I know, for I saw him here ; nearly 18. months ago when there was just such a bombardment'; of the same line of trenches. •■-...''. ..'■•;-. CHEERS FROM CANADIANS, , But at last ' the King withdrew ; ;from ' the grim fascination of this- close' vieW of war and , went back again along roads , crowded with * Canadian tropp^, ana through a Canadian camp, yhei-e the men rushed forward to him, cheering ; tumultuously, and then through a ruitß ed village into which the. erieiriy still 1 flings enormous shells to., break the ruins still riiore, to smash a f.ew ; more . houses, and to kill some more of those : old. women whcveling till death apmes to their poor, perilous horiies.. „ ' The "ordered tumult of war, the splert dours 'of our men, those guns of burs which never cease their fire,.; the devastation of the battlefields, thie graves of the heroic ' dead, . the patience of the Wounded brought down from .battle, and the" devotion of almost every sohl out here to the duty that has been given him, though it leads to death, are the memories which the King, takes with • him. -,-.■ : ' " v -. ■'*-'' y. .7-:; .-''■' i Above all, the spirit of the men, 1 which was. like a, shining light about hiih as he passed. : ' ; ' .