“Tim” Harington.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 November 1922, Page 1

“Tim” Harington.

, |Jv one who has served under bun). . Once when we were holding a verj unpleasant part of the British front line near the Alenin mail 1 "< *> *'»- tnuislied, during a heavy bombardment of the duck-board tracks that led tm the trenches across the slit 11-li* ■ , see two staff officers walking through the danger zone as though ih-v were strolling along Piccadilly. In the dun 1 i■ r ht- it was not possible at hist to know who the visitors were, hut as they came nearer it was easy to reeo'diise the genial features ol Alajnr(Jer.eral Sir Charles—otherwise “Tim llariiigtim. K.C.IL, thin 4 Lief of Stall' to the British .Second Army, and (}))(> of his junior officers. 1 o-(lay . hr Charles llaringtoii, the youngest, l.ieut(tenoral in the British Atony—ho is of) years of age—finds himself, as Com-niander-in-Chief ot the Allied I'oii'es at Constantinople, facing a very difficult situation, but those who served under him know that he will handle it with distinction to himself and honour to the Empire.

One of the best axioms taught in our military schools is. “Do your job and don’t.talk.” and assuredly Sir Charles llaringtoii, himself an old company commander at Sandhurst, lias lived up to it. The outbreak of war found Ifni, at 42, a junior major in his ragimem, the Livorpools, employed in a humble position at the War Office. But after less than two years in France he was Chief of Staff to Ficld-Alarshall Lord Plumer and a Alajor-Gonernl into the bargain. Witli these names—Plumer and Harrington—will be associated in history the attack at. Massines, in 1917, perhnps the most brilliantly conceived anil best executed day’s work in all the British fighting on the Western front. Even to the Army the Staff. Officer is not well known, but no one could serve long in the Army in those days without realising that, behind the vast organisation there was some fine brain ever watching and ever improving the lot of the soldier. “Tim” Haringtou’s methods were thorough and efficient, and he impressed them on bis staff. Where possible lie went to see for bin's If: when pressure of work ifctaiiK'd him at Army H.Q. on the lovely bill of Cassel be sent liis officers to the front line with instructions not to ■'ll on the staffs but to talk to the trench officers. .Each was given some definite mission, anil woe betide the man. who returned in (ho evening with half a tale. The Chief of Staff received all reports in person, and bad no patience with slackers. By the same untiring energy and patience be helped to restore order from chaos when be followed bis ebi f. Lord Plumer. from -Cassel to Ttalv in 1917. and it was with r"gro ( ' tlmi be left the fighting line in the foßoiwng year to fill the important! post iff the Imperial Staff. Though bis rise to fame bad peine mainly through brill'niP organisation and work- on the staff, he was always eager to obtain an independent conin'a ml, and after two years in London h- realised bis ambition when ho was appointed Commander of the British" Armv in the Black Sea. Last year he--sueceeded to the post of CoTmupnder-