GENERAL IRONSIDE

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 254, 3 November 1939, Page 3

GENERAL IRONSIDE

A GREAT LINGUIST MAN OF ACTION SECRET SERVICE WORK “DOINGS IN AMERICA Seeing the name of General Sir Edmund ‘.lronside prominently displayed in the press has brought hack to memory incidents connected with him which .may prove of general interest, writes Lieutenant-Colonel H. F. Trow in the Johannesburg Star. When J knew him lie was a stalt captain for intelligence, stationed at Roberts Heights* Pretoria. When 1 say stationed, I mean that his headquarters were there; for Jie was always making mysterious • disappearances. and returning, very sunburnt, but with nothing.to say about his travels.

Even in those days he was distinguished for his knowledge of languages. of which he knew six and was busy learning, a seventh. He told me that when at school ho had shown no particular aptitude for acquiring a knowledge of foreign language's. He considered the English mehod! of teaching languages all wrong; slogging away at grammar and syntax’ .made the young scholar lose all interest in lii.s subject. His method was first to learn as large a vocabulary as possible, and then live with a family who spoke no English, but only the language he wished to learn. The grammar came to him later with very little difficulty. ‘‘Big Afrikaner Officer”. As soon as he arrived in South Africa lie adopted this method to learn Afrikaans, and how well he succeeded the following story will prove. I was asked’ by tiic British Comjuander-in-Chiof to assist his compensation officer on field manoeuvres in the Brankliorst Spruit district. We had to visit farms in the area and decide on the amount of compensation to be paid out for damage clone by the troops. We put up for the night in the bushveld. a a. farm owned by a man I knew. The farmer asked me who the very big Afrikaner officer was who had visited the farm with Lord Methuen. 1 replied that the latter had no South African officer on his stall’.

“I must he mistaken,” the fanner said, and proceeded to give ail accurate description of Ironside. IV hen I told him that the officer was an Englishman. he would not believe it ; for, he said, “He speaks Afrikaans just like a Beer.”

ironside was that rare mixture of man of action and keen student. Y\ believer one went into his quarters, lie was either learning a language or studying the campaigns of the great masters of war. At the same time hr was a great .sportsman, and a genial companion at a social gathering—a big. powerful man. about- (3ft. -fin. in height, with a fine upon face and cheery manner. Hit a Long Ball. Ironside was by far the host goiter at Roberts Heights. He was on the scratch mark, and off the tee one of tin- longest hitters I have ever seen. With all this lie never let- games or social engagements interfere with his work or studies. In a day when a number of British officers were out to have a good time, he took his profession very seriously. He has acquired Ids present high position purely by hard work and merit.

lie was very reserved about his secret service work in South-west Africa. [ learned more about his activities later on. when 1 had work to do in South-west Africa and! on the Union border.

It was from information supplied l>v him that the British military maps were drawn up for South-west Africa. Xninaqitaland, and the- Richters veld and Kalahari Deserts. For a long time he trekked about the borders of South-west Africa on an ox waggon, driving the span himself and with only a native as leader. Unreliable Guides. When the Bondelswart rebellion broke out. I was sent to Steinkop with a column of mounted' police to prevent the Union Hottentots joining their brothers across the Orange River. The Hast ard leader in the Riehtersvcld Desert. “Rvk” Jasper Cloetc. was giving trouble. V message was sent to him that the police column was going to trek through the Riehtersveld, but that ho (Continued on Page 1.)