The times., 1899-12-17

IT, Origin in the Patriotism Of
the Late Sir George Findiay.
The Importance to military commanders
In the field of having the control of an eff
cient railway corps able to move with an
army, in order to construct or repair rail-
ways in advancing. and 60 dismantle and
break them down when necessary to cover
a retreat-for railways are never destroyed
except in the latter contingency be
overrated. For instance. when the Germans
invested Paris, they largely awaited them
selves of the railways round the city and
took possession Of the extensive locomotive
werks of the Northern Company in order
to repair the rolling stock and plant re-
quired. But their own special railway
corps, overwhelmed with work on their
lines OF communication, was not available
for this additional task consequently, they
were compelled to seek out and impress
into their service many of the French ar
tisans and skilled mechanics employed in
the shops, honorably paying these men for
their forced labor.
For facilitating and accelerating mobili-
zatiOH and concentration on frontiers Hike
those of France, Germany, and other Cont
mental countries, ii has been long realized
that railways are invaluable. OF little more
/ than academic interest, however. would be
an account of the special military railway
( systems Organized for the purpose, since
I the requirements of those nations are so
! entirely different from our own. In short.
/ it is not here necessary to discuss the
! ,f on, a
factor of national defence, beyond remark
| ing that the basis of the whole scheme rests
in the recognition Of the fact that as the
! system, per Sc il is acknowledged to be
the best in the world and is being worked
/ always at high pressure therefore its own
! civil fuuctionariSs are the proper persons
/ to be retained TO control it.
! There can be little doubt that this plan
/ is greatly preferable to those of France.
/ Germany, Austria, ETC. where the actual
/ technical working of the railways is taken
! out of the hands of experienced officials and
placed in those Of military officers, whose
/ only practical knowledge has been gained
+ by occasional exercise and periods of train
ing Some years ago. however. Col H. NJ.
HoZier read a paper before the members of
the Royal United Service Institute, in which
he enlarged upon the idea that in addition
20 a well though out railway mobilization
scheme for home defence the peculiar re
quirements of the British army demanded
provisions by which a special railway
corps, or only the nucleus of one, might be
forthcoming from the great railway works
of the country, TO accompany it on eXpedi-
ditions or in operations abroad
For. as the lecturer pointed out, there
could be no possible doubt that it would
be of the greatest assistance TO those con
Quoting such operations, particularly in a
| civilized country well equipped with raj
roads. to have at their disposal not on )
trained engineer officers. but specially en-
listed artifcers. engine drivers. fremen
and skilled workmen OF all the various
crafts concerned with the construction. re-
pairing aad working of railroads.
The despatch OF an army corps to SOutI
Africa is q case in point. and, happily, the
troops are to be accompanied by just suCi
a semi military and unique departmental
corps, if the term may be applied to the
men now mObilizing at Chatham, from two
il not more. Of the principal railway
works.
How did the creation of the material To-
this eminently practical force come about
The scheme owes its origin to the patriot
ism and foresight of the late Sir Geo-g
Fndlay, the general manager of the Lon
don and Northwestern Railway Company
who conceived the idea of forming a tech
ncal volunteer corps solely from the mel
employed at the famous Crewe works; ant
early in 1877 an effective force of over sii
hundred men was here embodied under tn
title OF the Second Cheshire (Rai-way) En-
gineer Volunteers. The corps is com
posed almost entirely of men who In thei
everyday avoCations are smiths, filters. en-
glne drivers. signalmen, etc.-in short. ac
quainted with every phase of railway work
and who undergo in addition to the Ordi
nary infantry drill, a course of instruction
in military engineering
But Sir George Findlay's patriotic en-
deavor did not stop here. Realizing tha
the corps. from having been incorporate
upon the ordinary volunteer principle, wa
liable only to be called out for active ser
vice in the event of invasion, ne next ap
preached the War Office with scheme b
which a certain portion of it might b
rendered available for service abroad. Hi
idea, which wes at once heartily aCqui
esced in by the authorities and soon cam
} to pass is as follows: certain quota O
the men comprising each of the six com
panies are enlisted as a matter of fOrI
2 in the Royal Engineers for one day an
are then placed in the First-Cla Arm
Reserve for six years, during which perio
5 they are liable for service if called upor
] and receive the ordinary pay of thei
r rank Among the men themselves tn
proposal was well received. and froI
= starting with 75 reservists of this Lniqu
E. type the number has since swollen TO quit
= 15O
4 In June, 1888, the Crewe Engineer Vol
e unteers were reviewed by II. r. H. tn
Q Duke of Cambridge who compliments
. them very highly upon their efficiency an
= spoke Of their probable value 10 tn
. country in the event OF war, at the sam
( time expressing the hope that the exampl
e so Wen set at Crewe would be followed
q other great railway centres. This has bee
lha cas. fnr Tho GraaL N-aatnrn CnrlLlar-