SHIFTING AN ARMY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2333, 15 December 1914, Page 6

SHIFTING AN ARMY

A GIGANTIC OPERATION. . A British officer who took part in tho work of arranging for the transfer, of tho British Forces from France to Belgium has written an interesting account' of that important operation in a letter, dated October 28 :— "It is a long time since I wrote, but things have been moving of late, and I have been fearfully busy. I could not either write before to tell you what was going.on, as it was, of. course, impolitic and a waste of labour, as the Censor would nover have'passed it. However, all the world knows now .that the whole British Army were a fortnight ago moved from the centre near and around Soissons to the Left Wing, and are. now operating on the northern, flank. This meant moving .three Army Corps and an Indian Division by rail, and-Lam glad to say I wa6, with another .follow, told off to regulate the traffic of this large mass, and to work with the Fronch authorities. Now an Army Corps is not moved in a day, and it requires something like eighty trains to move one corps, so you-may see the tremendous 'amount of work that devolved on us/ Wo had to make all the arrangements for sending tho trains to Che'best detraining stations. It meant working all day'long and every other night, that is, thirty-six houre on and twelve off. Everything went off without a hitch," I am glad to say, thanks to the. capabilities of my . colleague, rather than to anything I did. Anyhow, the'authorities were very pleased. "I am sitting here with a few minutes off, after a shave and a wash, fori havo been on all night at the'station. How cold it .was'l . We can hear the guns booming in one continuous roar. The Germans are making a great effort 'to get through to Calais, but •. I don't think their ambitions will bo.realised. They;are a ■•most wonderful' nation, I must admit—the .way,they..'conie on— attack after attack and losing enormous numbers of men. Their, officers always stay behind and shoot those that won't go on or that ■come back. What an army they would have been' properly taught and properly led. The German generals seem to have an absolute disregard for their lives, and. simply hurl'them at our fellows, ,who, thank God, can shoot, but it is dreadful.7'A large number of prisoners have gone down through here, and they are, many of them, young lads, so it •looks very much as if they are .drawing on their last resources. Of course we l-have suffered very heavily, .and many of my pals are gone, but.-that is inevitable. "One wonders-how long this, is going to last.: The various.opinions on the Subject'are funny::,' Some, say until the end .of the year, others until,the end of ••next year,'"and so .on. --I cannot help thinking that when' the German nation comes 'to know .the .true state, of affairs it'will be 'the beginnin'g'-of: the end. All •the I 'prisoners'firmly -believe they are twenty miles from .Paris, instead of 120, ■ and' also'believe- that Paris and Bou-logne-are'in their hands,-and that England is on. the point of being invaded. They are just a simple lot'of ignorant louts, full of. courage ,and!-as brave as lions: .Never, .hear a' Gentian soldier (riot officer) run "down, for hefe a marvel, but he has run up against a better man than himself in Thomas Atkins. '• ■ • . ■ - "Since,! have been here eighteen bombs'have, arrived at the station, but none hit the mark. . One day I saw an air duel between a German aeroplane arid one of ours, and we could distinctly hear .our man shooting at the German. I believe he eventually brought him down. I must now snatch an hour's sleep, so good-bye."