KING GEORGE IN FLANDERS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 118, 20 January 1915, Page 7

KING GEORGE IN FLANDERS.

tTNANNOUNOED CEOSSING TO THE CONTINENT. ROYAL SYMPATHY FOR THE. WOUNDED. LONDON, Dec, 8i This ia a war of well-kept secrets, and the fact that King George had crossed to France to be with hia soldiers at the front was not made piil'lis property until a day and a naif after ho had left, when we were told: ''His Majesty is at a place ia the North of Franca." The King travelled on Sunday, accompanied by Lord Stamforiham and Major Wigram. Leaving Buckingham Palace during the afternoon the Royal party wont to the coftßt, where a warship was in waitisg to take them across the Channel. Except to a few high officials who were in the secret, the King's arrival was quite unexpected. He was met by the Prince of Wales, who is now attached to Sir John French's staff, and motor-cars conveyed them to a destination unknown so far as this country is concerned. It is probable that the place was the headquarters of the Anglo-Indian Forces. Monday was chiefly spent in visiting the hospitals. In a round of the men's wards His Majesty spoke to many of the wounded, and expressed his sympathy with them. In the officers' ward the King spoke to each patient in turn, and one officer related an incident which greatly interested His Majesty. He said that while he was reading a newspaper in the trenches a bullet went through the page. When he examined the paper he found that the bullet had traversed the name of a great friend of his—a member of His Majesty's suite, "Is my friend with you today, your Majesty?" he enquired. The friend was present- and was summoned to the bedside. The wounded officer explained that, directly after the paper was hit, he sat down to write a letter to his friend, relating the incident, and he eut out the piece of paper to send him. It was while he was thus occupied that he was himself hit b a bullet. The King also visited another hospital reserved for wounded British officers and again spoke to all the patients individually. In one of the wards the King addressed in German a wounded i German officer, and requested that the German wounded should be supplied with literature., He was informed that this, wag being done. In another ward the Prince of Wales spoke to a private of his own regiment (the Grenadier Guards). This man is reputed to be the talest private in the British Army. He is 6ft Gin in height and a special bed had to be provided for him. " WITH THE INDIANS. •' Later in the day, when the King vLs- ;. ited the Indian Hospital, he surprised i the wounded men by his knowledge of ; the deeds of their regiments and the dates and places of the actions involved. The tradition of His Majesty's • sympathetic interest in these particular Vegiments will long survive among the Sepoys of the Indian Army. A person-■ al talk with the King was the greatest 'honour that could happen in the lives iof these loyal men, one of whom, rising from■.his bed, called out, "God Save the King''—an unrehearsed event, and probably the only English the man knew. A Sepoy in the 34th Sikh Pioneers found that the King knew all about his regiment, together with the 6tb Jet? and the 9th Bbopal Infantry, taking u certain trench at the point of the bayonet on the night of 23rd November. , An officer, Jemadar Denbir Thapa, 218th Gurkhas, related to the King haw his regiment, cleared the enemy's trenches after suffering heavy losses on 11th November. One young Sepoy confessed that he had not been in action; an artillery horse had trodden on his foot. Another man was paralysed on the right side of the face from a bullet behind his ear. A cure in this case is expected. Yet another man had his leg amputated that morning. While be bore his pain without flinching yet his eyes filled with tears that he eould not answer the King, His Majesty in Bpected everything in the hospital and left impressed by the extraordinary hardihood and patienee with which the Indians bear their wound*, HISTORIC MEETING WITH KING ALEEm' His Majesty remained in France and Belgium for one week, and his visit from every point of view was a great success. The tour was an arduous one, and, acording *0 the Court CiTCular: "His Majesty was able to see pra?Hcally all the troops, except those ami.- , ally in the tranches.. The King ntiuti , the headquarters of the Army Corps I and th« different departments of the General Headquarters. His Majesty also visited many of the base hospitals receiving hospitals, and field koppV tals." Within five miles from the firing lih«, and well within the sound of the guns, King George, on Saturday, conferred the Order of the Garter upon King Ah bert. ' ....- - Accompanied by Lord SUmfordkam, Major dive Wigram, Colonel Sir Per, tab Singh, and the Maharajah of Bik< amir, the King was received by the J King of the Belgians and several dls? i tingnhbed British »»d Belgian staff offi* ; cers, including Frince Alexander o$ ! Teek, together with M. de BroqueviHe. Prime Minister of Belgium. King Albert had previously motored to tk#

frontier to greet King George on his arrival from France on. Belgian soil. The staffs of the two monarehs were then presented. 'An' eye-witness of this historic inony in the little Flemish Town, writes in the>-Daily Telegraph: • '•' Mean while.the. Belgian troops were draWn up in their respective companies, and at a given signal conieneed a march past the two monarch*, with their flags flying and thoir bands playing patriotic Belgian nira. King George took the.salute, with King Albert standing at his side. There was a look of intense prido in the eyes of the Belgian Sovereign. He was looking paler than when I ?aw him a month rv so ago, but otherwise was very well, de-spite the experiences in the trenches, which.he has shared with his adorrtf men. "The admiration between them is mutual, They adore him, and he adores them. Tou never saw such an amazing paternity between a King and common soldiers. It is quite customary for him to hand them his cigarettes, and take a light from them in return, while he chats for a few seconds. At this Teview King Albert wore the plain jacket and cap of a cavalry officer, without overcoat, with a single medal. King George was wearing a short military khaki overcoat with a black fur collar. The Prince of Wiles and other officers were in the usual khaki,.', ? . ■ •>, THE ORDER OF THE GARTEE. After the review, the Eoyal parties entered the place of investiture, whers King George invested King Albert with the Bibbon of the Garter, placing the rich blue sash over the uniform which the Belgian King has constantly worn throughout the war, and handed him the Insignia of the Order, with its symbol of St. George slaying the dragon. The ceremony lasted only fifteen minutes. Wearing the distinguished ribbon. King Albert with King George then motored away to lunch with Queen Elizabetth, while *he troops wer.t back to the firing line.