FAREWELL TO RHINELAND

Taranaki Daily News, 5 February 1930, Page 3

FAREWELL TO RHINELAND

GERMANY SALUTES UNION JACK.

“TO CHERISH FOR ALL TIME.”

Wiesbaden, Dec. 12. The watch on the Rhine is finished, so far as England Is concerned. The last British soldier has gone back home to the music of “Auld Lang Sync,” and the German people in Wiesbaden are sayinw to-night that they never want tn meet better fellows than the men of our. post-war army. . - ■ '< It has been a wonderful day here, one to remember always with ■. immense pride,' because of the amazing send-off which was given by Germany, to th© last of the British Army of Occupation. Hundreds of Germans stood this afternoon bare-headed outside the old British General Headquarters while the band of the 2nd Royal Fusiliers, played “God Save tl'ig King.” Thousands of people lined the 'streets-, to sea-’the march paist of -the. last company, of .the Fusiliers, and every mail •'in • that ■_German crowd who -had been a soldier took off (his hat as'the colours bf lhe regiment went by. Can there- be better’compliments than these to Great Britain and to our ariny ! -- The ceremony of the pfficial, lowering of the Union Jack at general head- /, < quarters' was in every way a P® rfe ® fc niece of military organisation. .All the wide space of road and gardens in front of the headquarters was kept clear-by British military police and German civil police, mounted, and on -foot. - Behind . this guardian line were thousands of , Germans, almost the town’s entire ..population it seemed, packed' in placps fifteen deep, climbing on trries -to find a better view, but all strangely touched, sincere, appreciative. • . - Two flags flew at general' headquarterfl, one oh the roof and the other at the masthead bythe entrance. This latter flag; tattered arid weather-sta,ined, has been the-only British flag ever since the first soldier.marched into the Rhine. - .area.'- A cbinpany. ‘Of: /the. 2nd Royal , Fusiliers/ with bayonets, fixed,’.marched behind their - band to .take, position before the flagstaff with .the' colours of. their battalion carried - by ■ two subalterne. ■'■ '/-■ An order/to the band, and the drums . . sounded a warning roll.- The mutter of drums gave place to the National Anthem, while the .company came .to. the .royal salute. Slowly as the band played, the two flags were brought down, while every one in that great concourse of ..people. stood silent and. rigid, impressed with the. symbolism of the fluttering bunting creeping from its masthead. Sir William LTliwaitCs took one flag,, from the regimental 'sergeant-major of-.the 2nd Royal Fusiliers. / “Colonel Howlett', ’ called Sir William Thwaites,: and the colonel of the . 2nd Royal Fusiliers, who lost an arm in the war and won .the D.S.O. with bar and M.C.; (stepped - for-, ward to-the salute. Sir ,William said to him: “In commemoration of the fact that the' Royal Fusiliers was one of the first units of the British Army to reach the Rhine on December 13, 1918, and now, on.their second tour of duty, are the last unit to leave the Rhine on . December 12, 1929, exactly eleven years of ‘ occupation, I'give this flag . into your keepinto cherish and safeguard for all' time.” . ’ ’ ’ " ‘ ' •'

'■ So the ■ formality ; of ■ the evacuation was' complete. Sharp orders followed, and with the band playing ‘.‘Auld Lang Syne,” and with'some of. the German people trying to sing this song, .the troops marched off to the railway, station. ' /