THE KING AS A CADET

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 218, 9 June 1919, Page 6

THE KING AS A CADET

;;■:.• "•• SBAEECOLLECTIONS,,;.iDhe naval, training of King George V" and.;his brother, Prince Edward, was, a correspondent of the "Otago Ijaily).Tiines," tho' subject of an interesting; .address delivered. at the Empire veterans' luncheon at Auckland by Cap. tain-.;H. Goodwyn'-Archer,., one of the lieutenants in charge of teams of cadets pni.cadot ship H.M.S. Britannia at tho time. At tho respective iages.of thirteen and fourteen years, the two princes' joined the ship in 1878, and, according -to CfUstftm, were nicknamed "Sprat" and "Spud," by which appellations they were toiown afterwards. "The. Princes were dissimilar in • appearance and manners," said Captain Archer, "Prince 'Edward Wing..taller than hie brother, slender in build, and' Grecian in features, and his address was that of a courtier. Princo George was more bulky in staturw..gjfte^' j -with high spirits, and had ft quick, shorts reply., to questions--tho typical singularity of 'tho prevailing naval officer." -Tho-Princes (who wore under the charge of the Eev./W. Dalton had fc&paTate cabin bedrooms'; but in other resDecta they fared exactly as other cadets, taking their meals.'in "the messroom* Discipline was strictly maintained en the ship, and both Princes underwent punishments for breaches of regulations. One rule was that ifacadet pleaded not guilty, to.a charge his word of honour !wa=! accepted unquestionably, but should after events prove his assertion false, he ftas sent to Coventry by the Test .of the 'cadets ::or'tho remainder of the term. "WitE ; 'M"ar(l'to this, rule," said tbe speaker,'"it is my recollection that when Prince George was broughj; before-me for misdemeanour his answers' were invariably rattled out: 'Oh, yes,-sir, I did it, with'a-happy smile of self-satisfaction in having achieved tho deed." - " No'fijhtinsr was allowed on tho shij), cadets -who differed being sent ashore, to Bottle-thoir differences. "Fighting on a-darge scale, however,'sometimes broke out," proceeded . Captain Archer. 'One morning I noticed a medium-sized cadet running towards me. I caught, him by tho collar, and inquired what was the excitement, noticing at: the- same- timo that the cadot was Prince George. Ho gasped out: 'Oh, .please, sir, let me go; itVm'y'term fighting'fourth term, at tho samo moment wriggling .away_ itom my hold-like an eei. With two jumps lie was down tho ladder and out of sight. I -followed' on just in time to see him plu»nng 'at tho face of ft "'fourth-term boy a head taller than himself. A few seconds afterwards he was m the captivity of a senior captain cadet of tne fourth term named Christian, now a vice-admiral on tho active list, who bawled out: 'Go into that corner Pnnce George; you're too small to light. ifptn Princes." added" the veteran speaker, in tho earlier stages of their term, frequently appeared with their optics in mororniig, but they gave back as good as was given.* _" . .