CAPTAIN LOVES THE AIR

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19808, 9 December 1938, Page 16

CAPTAIN LOVES THE AIR

HAIG’S STANDARD BEARER

NOW GUIDE AT CASTLE In Colchester Castle, show place of “The Oldest Town in England," the attendant wears brass buttons, a row of medal ribbrns and a Royal Flying Corps tie. says a London Daily Express reporter. Captain William Herbert Rowe, wearer of that tie, spends his working day talking about England to visitors who loiter with guide bocks and cameras in the largest Norman keep in the country.

He will show you the remains ol a great Roman temple in honour of the Emperor Claudius and he will quote Tacitus.

Quite interesting .of course. But not as interesting as Captain Rowe himself.

Army Career

Few people who offer tips to Captain Rowe know that he was personal standard bearer to Earl Haig when lie commanded the First Army. Commissioned in the field, he was second to the Royal Flying Corps, lie became a pilot. And lie longs to fly again. But cannot afford to on his attendant’s wage. lie earns less than £3 a week now —and lie used to have more than £4OO a year, with bright lights in the mess and all that. "I was on parade before King George for the review and the march past at the Delhi Durbar. This skull and cross bones—the badge is the llth Lancers, my old regimcnt--I showed to Queen Mary when she came to Colchester this year.” Captain Rowe took a silvery badge out of a leather pouch for me to see. “It is as clean as the day I first, had it. Where I go this badge goes.” Treasured Standard One oilier thing Captain Rowe has that he treasures. It is the standard he used to carry for Earl Haig. He was a sergeant then. % asked for that standard and they let me have it. I took it. to a British Legion 'do' the other day. That was the first time it had been on a lance since I took it down after the last ride of Sir Douglas Haig as commander of the First Army."

Captain Rowe leaned across a case of Roman mirrors and thought a bit. “We don't want any more trouble. But if there was any. 1 would go it they would have me.” A chunk of mortar fell from the Norman walls and a startled woman asked him, “Does it often do things like that?”

Captain Rowe looked stern. “Most unusual, most, unusual,” he said. Carrying on the old tradition, Captain Rowe expects discipline even from Norman mortar.