SAILOR PRINCES

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 131, 5 June 1919, Page 8

SAILOR PRINCES

KING GEORGE AND HIS BROTHER

AN INTERESTING STORY.

(BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL TO THE POST.}

AUCKLAND, This Day.

; The Naval training of. King George and his brother, Prince Edward, was tho subject oE an interesting address delivered at the Empire Veterans' luncheon by Captain 11. Goodwyn Archer, one of the lieutenants in charge of the cadets on the cadetship H.M.S. Britannia at the time. At. the respective ages of 13 and1 14 years, the two princes joined the ship in 1873, and, according to custom, were nicknamed "Sprat" and "Spud," by which appellations they were known afterwards. "The Princes were dissimilar in appearance and manners," said Captain Archer, "Prince Edward .being taller than his brother, slender in build, and Grecian in features, and his address was that of a courtier. Prince George was more bulky in stature, 'gifted with high spirits, and had a quick, short reply io a question—the typical singularity of the prevailing naval officer." The princes, who were 'under charge of the Rev. W. Dalton, had separate cabin bedrooms, but in other- respects they fared exactly as other cadets, taking their meals in the messroom. tliscipline was strictly maintained on the ship, and both Princes underwent'punishments for breaches of the regulations. One- rule was that if a cadet pleaded not guilty to a charge his word of honour was accepted unquestionably, but should after events prov y e his assertion false he was sent to Coventry by the rest of the cadets for the the remainder of the term. .

"In regard to this rale," said the speaker, "it is in my recollection that when Prince George was brought before mo for misdemeanour his answers were invariably rattled out 'Oh, yes, Sir, I did it,' with a happy smile of self-satis-faction in having achieved' the deed." . Fighting was not allowed on the ship, cadets who differed being sent ashore to settle thqir differences. "Fighting on a large 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 time that the cadet was Prince George. He. gasped : 'Oh, please, Sir, let, me go. It's my turn—fighting, a fourth term,' at the same moment wriggling away from my hold like an eel. In two jumps he was down the ladder, and .out of sight. I followed on, just in time to see,him plugging at the face of a fourth term boy a. head taller than himself. A few seconds afterwards he was in captivity of the senior 'captain cadet of the fourth term, named Christian, now vice-admiral on the active list, who bawled out, 'go into that corner, Prince George.' You're too small to fight us yet.'" "Both Princes," added the veteran speaker, "in earlier stages .of their terms , frequently appeared with their optics in mourning, but they gave back as much as was given."