THE KING AT ALDERSHOT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144131, 28 June 1913, Page 8

THE KING AT ALDERSHOT.

HORSEMANSHIP DISPLAYS. ALDERSHOT, May 9. The King’s 'Whitsuntide visit to the Aldershot Command began this afternoon and during the next four days his Majesty will move constantly among his troops at this famous training centre, interesting himself in the many phases of a soldier’s education. The progressive system of instruction which culminates and is tested at the September manoeuvres is now in full operation, and there is ample selection of activities that will come under the King’s close attention. At half-past 3 the King, wearing undress uniform, began his tour of the great garrison, riding his favourite charger. Princess Mary accompanied him on horseback, the Queen and Princess Victoria following in a motor-car. Tho Queen wore a cerise hat with a large black plume and a cerise bow fastening a grey boa, while the young Princess, whose hair was done up with a largo black bow, was dressed in a riding habit with white linen collar, and wore a howler hat. General Sir John French, Sir Douglas Haig, and a number of officers accompanied the Royal party. Tho first move was made in the direction of the Brigade jumps in the Long Valiev, whore a display was witnessed of free jumping by young horses training ior service with tho sth Dragoon Guards. The object of the training is to teach horses at an early stage to jump various obstacles readily. The animals responded to all that was required of them, and their graceful and natural display delighted the spectators. The King, followed by a dragoon carrying a miniature Royal Standard, then turned his horse’s head towards the Beaumont Barracks, where the sth Dragoon, Guards are quartered, and where an admirably attractive programme had been devised by Lieuten-ant-Colonel Ansell, the commanding officer. From a special platform their Majesties saw as daring a display of horsemanship as cAn well be conceived. Twenty-two troopers in succession took a single iron bar on the top of a steep grass bank some 12ft. high, the horses rushing down tho bank on the completion of the jump. A scries of entertaining feats by recruits of under five months’ training followed. Riding without reins or stirrups and with folded arms, they negotiated 15 jumps of different kinds arranged in a square. Tho obstacles consisted of a bush fence, a stone wall, a Wire fence, an open ditch, a bank 3Jft. high, a double bank with an 18in. ditch between, iron railings, a bush fence and ditch, two fences 4ft. apart, a hole in the ground, and a 35 ft. declivity. Throughout this performance by youngsters v/hq average 56 lessons, there was only one who came unshipped, and one horse fell into the ditch between the donb'e bank, but was hauled but uninjured. After a smart show by recruits riding without reins or saddles, the company found much amusement in the mounted trumpet practice, in which tho sergeant trumpeter of the regiment and each squadron trumpeter rodo round tho Jumps sounding various field calls. The object of this training, it need hardly he explained, is to render tho men capable of performing their duties in tho field when galloping at a fast pace over rough ground. 'Pile band boys next acquitted themselves equally well at the leaps. Tho programme was brought to a conclusion by the machine-gun section of two guns packed on the horses, doing everything that the others had done and then coming into action and firing a round. AERIAL DISPLAY AT PARNBOROUGH. During the day the skies had been overset and ominous, but the rain held off, and cc Die afternoon ware on the conditions became brighter. It war only in accordance with'general expectations when, towards 5 o’clock, bin Majesty and tho other Royal visitors rode to tho Headquarters of the Royal Flying Corps at "Farnhorongh. The Army airship Beta was already in the air, but a temporary captive, and her sister ship Gamma sailed proudly from her shed as the King arrived on the ground. Tho two .'vessels at once begun an exhibition flight, making wide sweeps over tho country in ever-increas-ing circles, turning inwards simultaneously, crossing above each other, rising and’dipping lightly or rapidly at the will of their navigators. On tho return of tho Beta her occupants took a photograph of tho Royal, group from the car and dropped tho negative to earth by parachute. It was instantly secured by a soldier, who carried it to a portable dark-room which had been erected near i by, where it was developed, and before tho aerial exhibition was over the finished photograph was presented to hia Majesty. Close upon 4 o’clock the aeroplanes took the air, 17 in number, one Bleriot monoplane and the rest biplanes, including the Henry Farman, 1 Maurice Farman, Breguet, and the “8.E.” Army type. They followed one another in rapid ascents, and at one moment ten wore careering overhead simultaneously. The machines manoeuvred together like a swarm of gigantic gnats dancing in a sunbeam. They swept away to the south in a cloud, returning ini incredibly rapid time. Their pilots ventured on hazardous dives. ' As with tho feats of the sth Dragoon Guards, the King was obviously delighted with the skill and daring of the Army- airmen.