CADET REVIEW.

Timaru Herald, Volume C, Issue 15334, 30 April 1914, Page 3

CADET REVIEW.

THIS 'AFTERNOON

ON CAROLINE BAY

BY GENERAL lAN HAMILTON

General Sir lan Hamilton, InspectorGeneral of Overseas Forces for the British'"War Department, arrives .from the south by special train about 2.4-3 this afternoon, on his way to the camp at Kowai, and the General halts here to inspect the South Canterbury Cadets, 'who will be mustered for the purpose on Caroline Bay. There will also fall in for inspection the Rri'ihvay and Post Office Corns and Defence Rifle C'lub, while .the "Honorary Territorials and tiie cx-Contiuf.entcrsi will assemble to do honour to General Hamilton. The; Regimental Band will be present for the occasion. Tho Cadets from the country will come to town by early trains, and a <i<;od lunch will lie served to them, in two la rue parties, to one in the .Drill Hall, to the other in Shaw Savill Company's Store, Mr Biv.ld lieinjj; the caterer, and the Honorary Territorial As-ociation the bests. His "Wor.vhip the Mayor and Councillors will welcome General Hamilton and .staff on arrival ol' the special train from Oamaru. and cars will be provided to convey the party to tho Bay. • where -seine evolutions will bt> cone throup'li. An intoiv-siing item oi : -.lie afternoon will bo the presentation, o : ' the Ladir.s' Cuts and -Medals to the Cadets. After the. insnt'ct'on .and presentation General Hamilton and staff leave for Christc.hnrch by the second express. Very complete arrn n.foments have been made for the uroceedinirs on the Bay.- reserved spaces required will be marked -off. and the public are expected to recofi'nise the necessity for this, and to assist in u;ettiiig the programme curried through in au orderly fashion. Meinbor." of • the Association are reriucsted to meet at the secretary's clfiec. Arcade, at ] .30 to take part in the inspection..

GENERAL HA Ml I,l'.V\. A DISTINGUISHED CARElilj. SERVICE IX MANY WANS. Eow officers in .the B: itish Army pail be said to have led so a.-tive .and strenuous a life. as General Sir Tan Hamilton, though some may rival him in Ills popularity (says the .Melbourne '"Argus"). Vigour. buoyancy, and indomitable courage have been th:- keynotes ot ]n's character. The mere list o| bis war .••ernecs i.s sutliciont record ol' the activity that brought him at the age el' 18 to the post of Chief of Staff fo Lord Kitcluner, and j-jnb.- t?q1 10111ly to be the virtuai commander of the closing phases of the South African campaign in the Western Transvaal. His experiences. in- fact, have been .-o extensive 'a* to place indeed iew as bis equals in military knowiedgv. , General lan Standish Montciih Hamilton is the eldest .■•on of Colonel Christum AI. Hamilton. He was barn at Cor! u. in, 1853. His (.•ducition began at Cheum, and as continued sub-:.'-quently at Wellington (V,liege. On April 21st. 1872. ho became a. .-.ub-licn-tenant in th:? 12ih I'V.ot.- In the yen: following his enlistment he traus•J erred to tbc 92nd "Regiment. His regimental service lie ?n\v with the Gordon Highlanders. and it v:is with that distinguished unit that he fir-1 .-aw active service in the Afghan War in 187>). During this campaign he took part in the action at Gh'arasiali and the subve- j fluent jin;.si!it. and the final-occupation | o-J Ivabtil. H.is-gn!l:uir.r.y in that action j gained tor him double mention in .despatches and a medal with two clasps, j For the two years following lie was instructor of musketry to the Gordon Highlanders. But Lieutenant Hamilton was soon to take the field ago in. for ho went to Smith Atj/jca to the war which broke out in l«Rl. At the battle cf I\ FaJli ba Hill he was sevc; p ! y wounded. but not before he had gained an- j other mention in despatches." His next : appointment, following promotion. was a?; A.D.C. to the Conunandanfc in Vet. .Madras. Then, when the Soudan War began, he went to the front with Ihe Ist Battalion Gordon Highlanders, and acted a.s cants in of the. guard to Alaior-General Earle. who commanded the river column. He was lire-ent in ihe action of Tvirbekau. and once again Was mentioned in de : latches. In reward lie obtained a medal wiLh two elas) ;. the ; Khedive bl'onV.e star and U'. n . brevet rank of mnjor. In 1880 ?»ln;or Hamilton was once more in India, and te-ok part in the Burmese canma'gn. where be further distinguish,eel himself, and gained the brevet ol lieutenant-colonel. For the next lew years b.e.'wa.-: stationed, in India, holding various nests, including that of military .s ieretarv to the Com-mander-in-Chief, .His energy and ability brought -him again to the fore in operations at CbitiVd. In 18SJ5 he gained further distinctions and the honour of C.B. He Mas now Colonel Hamilton, and for three years was J/.Q.Ar.G., India. The knowledge he gained in the many frontier skirmishes during this period, taken together with the experiences gamed in previous campaigns, was to be cf inestimable service to the Emni-e. It was a matter lor some comment amongst his lellow-otficer.s at this time that Col. Lan Hamilton had been described as one of the most, "unlucky'' men in the Army. The-:e who have J-*d!owed his career'so iar might feel disposed rather to doubt th'.-;" statement.. Hut the,' tact was that his many battles there was scarcely one in which he had not received so.me wound or other. During one of the minor actions, however, on the Indian frontier, he practically lost the use of his left arm through the premature bursting ol: a shell. On another occasion a flying splinter from a -'hell hit him full in the face, and it was only by the merest-chance that he did not lose his eyesight. He has had so many escapes from serious injury a< to entitled him to be called "lucky" rather than "unlucky."' Early in 7896 . Colonel Hamilton went one half pay. but a lite of idleness did not .suit his disposition, and a month later he took up the important post of commandant of the school of lmisketry at Hythe, only relinquishing go to the South African war in "'as now that the full scone of Ins ability was to be displayed. His hrst post in the war was tliat'of assistant ad 1 utaut-genera.l. Natal. He was piomoted to the rank ol : major-general, ■'.nd m October of the same year he became chief of the staff, Natal. From inat time onward, with the exception ot a short period at the War Office, io took am aetivp part in the various operations, commencing at Natal He was present at Elaandslaagte, Eeinfcm.om. Lorn hard i Kon and in other operations in and around fj'.ulysmith. under Sir Georp White. To detail all his services here would mean the writing ol a hiscnry o! the South African war", oi Su lan Hamilton wa.s employed af one 1 '".lie or another at all quarters. One or two incidents, however, may be mentioned. Ihe general took part in the defence of Xadysmitli. including the action at Waggon Mill . 0 f 6th January.. 1900 It was after this engagement that lie was promoted to the. rank ot lieutenant-general', and was placed in command of the mounted ml antry division which went into the Orange .River 1-rce State and fought the engagements of Thoba Mountain. Vet River and Zand River. Later he took a, prominent part in the operations in the 'I ransvaal. and his war wae taken up in fighting- round Johannesburg, Pretoria and east and west*of ,i icioria, and included the important act-ions cf iia; i Zdgkas

In May of 1001 ]io returned to Euglandj and became military .sc-rotary to Lord Koberts at tho AY ar Oft'icro, but returned to duty in tho field'in November, when, lie took iu> the post o>f chief of tlio staff to Lord Kitchener, and was placed in supreme command of tho four divisions operating in Western Transvaal, which column brought about the last- "drive." During these last operations his Jong list of "mentions" was further added to. For distinguished service ho had been promoted to lieut.-general, and had received the Queen's nroctal, with six clasps-:, and the King's medal with two Hasps, and was advanced to K.C.Br. Oi Irs return to England he took up the work of military secretary,, and later filled tlio position of Quarter-ma.vtei-Gonerai. which l>e held until the reorganisation of. 1004. lit that year lie was selected to proceed to Manchuria to represent the Indian Army with the Japanese forces in the field. Ho rmna,uteri in the East until IL'O.j. and won. golden opinions on all. sides. His return found tho "pest <\" General GH'icer Commander in Chief. Southern Command, waiting lor him. He afterwards became AdjutantGcnera!, and in 191.0 was appointed Insupeetor-Gencral of the Oversea Forces: Sir lan Hamilton has written several books, including "Icarus." "A .Jaunt in a Junk." 'Fighting of the Future.' 1 "A. Ballad of Hadji/' and li s now world-famous "Staff' Officer's Svrup Bock/' which is a work cinb:;dying personal observations of th" >i.ni-. !.. between East and A\ est in Manchuria. This is regarded as probably the finest account'of that struggle yet written.