WITH THE "BLUE BOYS"

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 191, 8 May 1920, Page 8

WITH THE "BLUE BOYS"

PRINCE VISITS TRENTHAM

AN AMUSING INCIDENT

The Princo of Wales visited yesterday afternoon tho wounded soldiers still undergoing treatment in Trentham Camp, It is perhaps not so generally hnoivn as it ought to bo, but there are some 300 men still in the institution, with a numerous medical and nursing staff. Tho Prince arrival a Utile lato, having "been delayed at Petone, but it was still light, and those of tho soldiers who aro able to walk about were waiting to receive him at the entrance to the hospital enclosure, near to the Wairarapa, Ward. The men recognised in the Princo a friend and comrade, and there was cordial friendliness in their reception of him. The Prince was received at the camp by tha commandant, Major-General Sir Edward Chaytor. When he arrived, he walked up the path, to find that ot a post of vantage some of tho "Blue Boys who are photographers had set cameras in position. The Trine© and Admiral Halsey stood for a moment in position to bo photo,graphed, a very kindly thought on. his part. Inside the ward he was cheered when he entered, and at once Hio returned men were filed past him, He gave every one of them a handshake, a kindly look, and never was a mainied mau allowed to pass without some tender inquiry, ,nnd an expressed wish by Iho Prince for his recovery or Ids future, His manner with the men was extremely kindly, and they showed their appreciation of it by giving him a round of the heartiest cheers as ho left the room. He met the nurses, masseuses, and V.A.D.'s in the same way, then proceeded to go through the waros to have a few words with'every one of the men more seriously hurt, who still are' in bed. Some of the poor follows hav.o been in bod there for upwards of ft year.

An instance of the comradeship with which tho men regard him s was shown in the very first ward that His Royal Highness visited. Tho first eoldier he spoke to is a lad who has 'heen in bed for a year, suffering from a wounded hip. The Prince asked him how he was, and got the reply that ho was "All right, thank you, sir." The Prince asked something further which gave tho. man an opening to say: "There is one thing I should lite b ask, sir." The Prince at once inquired what it might be, and the man replied: "Well, sir, I -am' allowed one bottle of stout a day. I should like to have another bottle." The Prince and Admiral Hnlsey were literally convulsed with laughter. They laughed without restraint at this unexpected sally, and tho medical officer and the nurse in attendance laughed also. The Prince turned to the medical officer, and said jokingly: "I suppose that will be all rieht, colonel," and the officer replied, "Yes sir." It appears that this lad had joked with" his comrades in the ward Mid the staff about. his intention to ask the Prince for this boon, and the doctor and nurse had in ioko dared him to do it. Ho fulfilled his threat, much to the amusement of tho Prince and everybody in tho ward. His Royal Highness" went' all round tho beds in'that ward before ; the smile had left lus face, and it was quite a merry business all' the way round- After he had left, the "boys" talked freely about their distinguished vieitor, "and they approved."

Another incident of general interest about this visit was that tho Prince was driven from tho station to tho. camp, and then back from the camp to., tho station again by a lady driver, Miss ,G. Ewen. Miss T-lwen is we'll known to all tho "Blue Boys," for sho has driven many of them thousands of miles since there has been'a hospital at Trenlham. Tho Prince rode also in the ear she always drives, known at the hospital as "The Blue Boys' Car." This is the first occasion in New Zealand that the Prince of Wales has ridden in a car driven by a lady,

Very soon after his arrival the Prince put the soldiers at their ease. Tho ■occurrence was a trifle in itself, but the boys had something of the idea that a Prince was not like other men. and were a iittlo hit shy. The hospital staff had laid a mat on the floor on which the Prince should stand when he was shaking hands with the soldiers, but !io stood back off the mat and allowed the soldiers to walk past on it. One man kicked up the end of it a. little, and the soldiers as they stepped oyer it made an attempt to straighten it but with their feet without attracting the Prince's notice of the mishap. But the Prince at once stopped, and said: "Take it away altogether," which was, of course, the sensible thing to do, and in a second a

man had gathered up the mat and thrown it aside. Thereafter the lads smiled franKy at their visitor, and were very much at their ease. 110 in turn was charmingly easy and friendly in his attitude towards them.

Th;y cheered him again when ho lefl the camp for the station. Tho trip into town was without incident, the journey boinjj made by train.