FROM THE GAZA FRONT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 43, 14 November 1917, Page 7

FROM THE GAZA FRONT

SOME PERSONALITIES

GENERAL ALLENBY AND "FIXED BAYONETS BILL"

A Now Zealand non-commissioned officer who has recently arrived back from tho Gaza front in Palestine- lias much of general interest to say about that historical country. He found tho climate of Palestine delightful, and as a man of advanced middle ago said the effect on him was to make him feel flfteon years younger. Instead of feeling stiff in the joints the first thing in the morning and at night he became as limber as a youth, and was always ready for his -work and a bit over. Speaking of General, Allenby, the retained man said: "Ho is a man, eery inch of him! He shook up tho administration as only a big mail could. He never spares himself any work, and ho lins no timo for the shirker, the shuffler, or tho 'pretty, pretty' officer. Ho likos the man that docs his -work well and looks for more—that's tho mnn that gots on well under General Allonby. The first thing ho did when ho visited Ct:ro was to ask what all the officers wore doing there—there wore nearly a thousand oflicers and men on the Australian Headquarters Staff, leading tho rosy life in the fashionable suburbs- (f Cairo. General Allenby rooted them all out and sent most of them on to the front, reestablishing headquarters at Khan Yanish, far away from the delights of 'the wickedest city on earth.' "Then he found out that no men were allowed to be served at either the Continental or Shepherd's Hotels in Cairo. He settled that by at once stopping all Cairo leave and making the 'filiation that men who Tiad been six months on the front should 'be allowed 48 hours leave from Moascar. So if they were lucky they got 40 hours in' Cairo, and during that time they could visit the two hotels mentioned nt their plensnre. These actions made General Allenby immensely popular with the whole of Hie Arniy-of which tie New Zonlanders are only a handful-and lots rf the men would fnce anything for him.' '.'Another extremoly popular oincer, said- our. informant, "is 'Fixed-Bayonets Bill' in other words, Brigadier-General Meldrum, formerly a Hunterville lawyer. His name describes bim, and ha icnows his nioknamo as well as we do. He. is a fighter through and through, and a man through and through. All the. officers are given nicknames there, and it's surprising the liberty of language that is allowed there as compared with other fronts. There's no lack of discipline when there's work to be done but tho men are allowed more tongue latitude there than ■ anywhere else.. I don't know why it is—perhaps it's the.heat. "There was Major Alec Wilkie, as good a soldier as you would meet anywhere, and he was always called *de Wilkes.' Why I can't tell you, any more than I know whv Lord Eoberts was called 'Bobs.' Theso nicknames simply happen and they stick. One night the major was prowling about the lines in his pyjamas when', he was arrested as a spy. The major stutters a bit, and in Ms wrath his affliction became accentuated as ho protested that he was no spy, but a New Zealand officer. At last he spotted, a New Zealander, and', still held fast by the 'Tommy,' said 'L-1-l-ook here. Who am IP' 'Whv,,you're ole Do Wilkes!' said the trooper. There you aTel' said the major. ■' . . . I said you -were making a blithering ass of yourself! What' about — ? "Oh, he's O.C. of the Cigarette Butts!" What's that? -.- "H«'s an.officer, who's given a fatigno party to clear up the camp—pick up tho butts. The term is well known among the boys." ...-._. "Our chief—Major-General Chaytor— in a fine, type of fighting general, who knows his.job and knows his men. He has the reputation of being an absolutely just man. No man need fear airing any legitimate grievance before the general, as he can be sure of a fair ruin anil no favour. ." "I'll tell you a man who has mado goodrr-not.a professional soldier,'.'either— that's R.Q.M.S. Charlie Phillips, who was shop manager for Veitch and Allen. He has turned out real trumps, and knows his job from A to Z.- Another Wellington chap who has done well in Sergeant Jim Stellin. He is a verr able man and.a jjood fighting soldier. He pot chouppd a bit. last yeafr; but is all right again." ■•■•-.. Our informant said that, the long delay: which' has occurred in it (lacking Gaza wag' owing to the fact that our metal, was not heavy enough to smash the enemy's guns. "They only had 18poumder3" up till a month or so ago, which were no good against 6-ihch guns. One-dot of-gun's went down in the Transylvania, -and that caused further unanticipated delay; Attempts had been made, to capture Beersheba by attacking from the south and west—broken, Tocky, arid country—but it was found to be impossible either .with .horse or ':amel troops, so an advance-was made northwards' until the railway between Ga?a and Beersheba was captured and destroyed, which greatly assisted the operation." .-•<