Evening star., 1939-07-09

now has an authorized total of 100000,
and to conscript 100000 young men in
the nations first peacetime adoption of
compulsory military service
Ironsides new job. revived from 1914,
would disappear if war came, Ironside
then would be commander in chief of
Britain's field army.
Simultaneous with Ironside's appoint
ment, Gen. Sir Walter Krke. adjutant
general, was named inspector general of
home forces, The two appointments
the war Office prosaically announced
were designed to forward the military
preparedness of the army
Center Is in Middle East.
Strategic center of the British army no
longer is in the home country. The
center has shifted to the Middle East.
The approximately 10000 troops Britain
now has in Palestine are the basis of
her Middle East reserve, recognized as
a separate force that would call on In
dian army contingents for emergency
reinforcementS.
this vast area, is responsible for the war
preparedness of Britain's scattered over
sea forces.
The most difficult military feat is to
gauge the proper size for an expedi-
tionary force" Ironside once said Its
numbers are always too small"
During last Septembers European
crisis IronSide was rushed out to Cairo
Egypt, to fill the swiftly created post of
commander in chief of Brtain's forces
In the Middle East. He toured Britains
Mediterranean garrisons and came home
to report
International tension eased, the British
war office allowed the new Mediterra-
mean post to lapse and Ironside went to
Gibraltar to take over the governorship
Tor which he had been named before
the crisis.
Son of a Scottish surgeon n-majo jor, of
Ironside, Aberdeenshire, Ironside en-
tered the Royal Artillery when he
was 10.
He quickly got his first taste of war.
Ihe year his Joined the army his artil-
lery brigade was drafted for service in
the South African War Honors came
quickly to the young lieutenant. Be-
tween the start of the war in 1899 and
lts END in 1902 he won the Queens
Medal with three clasps, the Kings
MEDAL and two clasps and numerous
mentions in dispatches
one legend says Ironside in hand-to-
hand combat once squeezed a Boer to
death in his arms.
Always keen student of Languages,
Ironsldes South African campaigning
gave him detailed knowledge of South
African Dutch.
Disguised as Boer he attached him
self to the German forces fighting the
Hereros natives in Southwest Africa
shortly before the World War. The Ger
mans, convinced by his word-perfect
knowledge of Dutch that he was a Boer,
put him in command of native conveys.
If they'd known he was British he al
most certainly would have been shot.
lronside made extensive notes of Ger
man methods of colonial warfare. He
seWed the notebooks into the lining of
his tunic and brought them back to
Britain.
Holding captains rank when the
World War started, Ironside was the
first uniformed British officer to land
in France. He went to Boulogne at
the beginning of August, 1914, to organize
rail transportation for the first units of
the original British expeditionary force.
Promotion came quickly He held stan
Jobs in various ranks until 1918, when
he was appointed brigadier general COM
manding the British Goth Infantry
Brigade, Throughout the World War
and for 10 years afterward he was
Britain's youngest general.
For his World War service Ironside