Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-01
Chapter vi
War Days
BY w. 7. MARSDON.


written exclusively for The Star and the
North American Newspaper Alliance
(Copyright. 1929. b. the North American
Newspaper Alliance
On a hot September day in 1914 a
number of young men in civvies stood
facing a second lieutenant in the Gren-
adler Guards at Marley Camp, Essex.
The young officer was putting the
men through their first PAGES in army
drill The men didn't shape very we'll.
They were slow in movement and their
formations were inclined to be ragged.
The officer said something TO an old
army sergeant standing by.
We'll, sir, it's like this" said the
sergeant These men are not young
ladies. You talk to them as II they
we're. You'll forgive me, sir, but they
would do better with bit OF plain
speaking
The subaltern looked at the sergeant
and at his men. And then. from that
blue-eyed, fair-haired, rather fragile
looking officer the recruits got as PLAIN
speaking as any recruits have ever us
tened to. 1t startled some of them out
of their lives. But they began to shape
better and to regard with respectful
attention the young officer drilling
them.
Officer Was Prince.
That officer was the Prince of Wales
in the Grenadiers.
A month later the Prince was iii the
camp gym sparring with a corporal,
lightweight champion in his regiment
Just as the Prince received a terrihc
left On his jaw captain entered.
Here is news" he cried. We go 10
France at the end of the week. 1hen
looking at the Prince. he said:
But YOU won't go yet. sir. ! DOUBT
If they will let you go at all.
The Prince rushed off to his COM
manding officer asked and received Two
DAYS leave, and the next day he calieo
at the war office and presented himself
to Lord Kitchener.
why can't I go to France, sir?' he
asked, adding: IF I am killed ! have
brothers, so it wouldn't matter much.
Your getting killed might not matter
much" was the reply. but the enemy
might capture you. I won't run that
risk, you see
Goes to France.
This was in October; by November
the Prince had managed to wangle
things. and he went TO France attached
to the general staff.
To his horror, they gave him an
ecuerry charged with the duty of look
ing after the safety of the heir to the
throne. The equerry was an old army
"dugout," a Maj Barry, a 10th Hus-
sars man. and he took the job because
he had been asked TO by the King. He
would much rather have gone into the
trenches.
The ma jor did his best, but the Prince
was not easy to look after. One morn
ing the Prince disappeared. The
equerry heard he had gone In car to
deliver a message to an artillery major
in charge of guns on a hill 10 miles
away.
The Prince left the car by the road
side. and started to walk up the hill
just when the Germans had taken 1t
into their heads to drop a few shells
about it. Two shells passed over the
hill, and one dropped by the Princes
car and blew it to pieces.
Quits as Princes Caretaker.
Mai. Barry an hour or so later ar
rived at the hill and met the Prince
coming down, pipe in his mouth and
looking rather dlsmally at the wreck
of his car.
The next day Maj. Barry chucked
his job of looking after the Prince. He
went to see Lord then Sir john
French.
THAT boy will certainly get killed"
he said, land I don't want his death
blamed on me. You had better give me
a job at the front"
What can we do?" asked Lord
French. I'VE mustn't let him be killed,
you know"
Yes, do know" was the reply, "and
that Is why I'm chucking this job"
1t was a big grievance with the
Prince to find that when he got to
France he was not to join the Grena-
diers in the front line as regimental
officer. He went over as staff officer,
but he did that only to get to France
He had felt certain that when he got
there he would be allowed to join his
regiment.
It disguised him to find that he was
to be retained as staff officer. only
occasionally allowed to do risky Job