MATCHLESS ROYAL HORSE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 239, 18 March 1915, Page 6

MATCHLESS ROYAL HORSE.

.-'-DDUF.S"'. FY Sl!' .11WX FRENCH TO "!" !':-TTK:.:Y. COXTIXroT-;-: FIGHTING FOR TKN T/AYS. Tn the following speech to the ( 'l" Bait: rv of fhe Boval Horse Artillery, Field-Marsha! Sir John French pays a tribute to the goed work done by thi; Boval Begiment during the earlier wi e'- s of th" war. Speaking' on Pecember 2, Sir John French said: ( 'T do not have manv opportunities of seeing and speakin<r to troops, but I have taken this, my first opportunity, of seeing vou. .T believe you were expecting His Majesty to-day, lint, be is engaged in another part, of the field of operations, and lie will visit you to-morrow. No branch of the service has done better work in fh ; s campaign than the Boyal Horse Art.illerv. ltvis impossible to pick out one occasion 11101' c (ban a-iofher during this eampnioji in which 'l' Battery ha-; spciallv distinguished itself, because (tc battery lit alwavs done brilliant, work. Youv p'eneral tells u:e that you were in action cc 'nuouslv for 10 days, and -during the last two davs of that period the Cavalry Corps, with its small numbers. performed a feat which has never been approached bv cavalrv in the past. It stands unrivalled in the annals of history. For -!S hours vou held in the determined attacks of two German Corps. This war has been essentially what is known as a 'soldiers' war.' By that T mean a war in which our successes are solely due t.i the magnificent courage, ability, and endurance of the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of regiments, batteries and battalions. During the whole of this time you have magnificently upheld the highest traditions of the' Boyal Horse Artillery. T thank you all and T want each man to understand that I thank him personally for what he has done. T have made great demands 011 your endurance in the past., and T hope I -shall not have to make such great demands in the future, but if it should be necessary I know that T can r. !y on that same steadfastness which has carried you through up to now. T congratulate T Battery, and T congratulate you personally Major Kay."