THE VICTOR OF MESSINES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3118, 23 June 1917, Page 10

THE VICTOR OF MESSINES

» SITi HERBERT PLUtIIER'S CAREER. General Sir Herbert C. O. Plumer, K.C.8., Commander of the British Second Army, to which was given the task of taking Messincs and Wytsehaete, is one of the quietest-looking of men, and no one seeing .him in mufti would suspect that he is the rough and tumble fighter ho has proved himself. In high command h.o has shown himself more than capable of holding his own with the best of the leaders of the great German tighting machine. Sir Herbert Plumer, who is GO years of age, joinivl the York and Lancaster Regiment nearly I'l years ago. In 18!)S, then a major, he was sent on special service to South Africa, where lie raised a nionnted corps, and went through the Matebele campaign, scoring his brevet of lieutenant-colonel. He was on special service in South Africa when the Boer war broke out, ami, with local troops, worried the enemy from the direction of Rhodesia, finally coming down to assist in the relief of Mafeking, to meet the column which came up from the south under the present LieutenantGeneral Sir Bvron Jfal.on. The South African war of 1899-1902 broimht him a brevet; colonelcy, the C.8.. A.D.C. to (he King, and promotion to major-ceneral for distinguisehd service in the field. After, the South African war he had a brigade at Aldershot, and eventually obtained the northern command. He was sent to Franco in command of the Fifth Army Corps, at whose head he remained from .Tanua'ry to May. 1915, when lie got nn'army command. Sir Herbert Plumer took a leading part .in the battle of Netwe Cliapellc, and it was not his fault, that we suffered a bad check owing to' defective staff work which could not control the'imnetuositv of the New Army. Since then he has had charge of nffnirs from Armentieres to (he north of Yprc.s. His opponent is a formidable commander, Duke Albrecht of Wurtemberg. whose father will bo the next King of AVurtcmbure. Dnke Albrecht inherits military ability, for his grandfather wis the Archduke Albrecht of who smashed the Ttnlians at Austozzn. in 18fi(i, nnd the Archduke wns the ran of the famous Archduke Karl, who defeated Napoleon at Axpern in 181!!), (hp only general who defeated Napoleon in per.-on.