The Queen's Visit to Aldershott.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2932, 9 July 1878, Page 2

The Queen's Visit to Aldershott.

EEVIEW OF TEOOPS. (fbom a military cobbespondent of the times.)

The Review before Her Majesty at Aldersholt on Monday,' though confined to the empty pageant of a march-past, possessed more than usual interest, from the fact that the troops present were no mere skeleton regiments, such'as usually parade before the Queen, but heavy battalions up to war strength,- equipped as they would take the field. It would indeed be hard to find fault either with the appearance of the men, their steadiness under arms, or the workmanlike turn-out of the Regimental Transport equipment, and yet to a critical eye there "Was much to be desired before the Aldershott Division could be deemed fit to take its part in actire campagning. Far as we hare pushed our military reforms in the past tew years, they need still wider scope. To a great extent up to the present time theorists have carried the day, and there is a marked want of practical utility about the many so-called improvements, noticeable in the equipment of all branches of the Service. - There is,.too, on the part of many a want of attention to those minor details of drill and discipline which in bygone days were such a marked feature in the British Army. Small sins of omission, which offend the eye of the martinet, laches which would not pass unchecked on a regimental parade, all-tended to detract from the general success of the Review, and go far to prove that the late attempts to promote drill in loose formation have imbued officers with loose ideas. Staff officers omitting to salute regimental colors as they ride past them is contrary to military etiquette, is offensive to the feelings of the colour party, and is the theme of warm sarcasm in the barrack - room. Another point which marred the effects of the march-past was the carelessness of mounted officers of infantry, who in the majority of cases made no attempts to keep their dressing. The saluting of infantry officers was decidedly bad, some moving the sword round and lowering the point as in the old days of the slow march, others cutting the blade through the air with the rapidity of lightning. Staff officers likewise saluted much as it pleased them, and in the final advance in review order pressed so close oh the General commanding that it was impossible from the front to distinguish him from the brilliant, cortdge which surrounded him. The two batteries of Koyal Horse Artillery which headed the column fully maintained the reputation of the corps, and looked fit to go anywhere or do anything. It would be hard to find their equals in any army. Their turn-out wag excellent, and the dressing of the guns as they went by Her Majesty simply perfect. Immediately^following the Horse Artillery came the the Cavalry Brigade in column of squadrons, the leading regiment, the Eoyal Dragoons, being conspicuous as much for its superiority in numbers as for its steadiness on parade. The 16th Lancers, which followed them, were very weak, and, possibly owing to their recent arrival at the camp, or what not, were by. .no means as steady as they were wont to be under a late Colonel; the 18th Hussars were weak also, the squadrons in both these regiments being below the strength of a troop on war footing. In rear of the Cavalry came five batteries of Field Artillery , these were all armed with the muzzle loading 16-pounder rifled gun, and if they are a sample of what the Jktoyal Eegiment of Artillery is, there is little doubt that it is equal - if no superior —-o any in the world. These batteries were succeeded by the Pontoon and Engineer Trains. They not only looked serviceable, but marched past in a manner that their brethren in the Artillery could not surpass; the "Telegraph troops," photographic waggons, and pontoons impressing the spectator with the idea, not only of the cost but of the science of war. . t ■ : It was scarcely a happy idea patting the 31st and 49th Begimentsinto the Ist Infantry Brigade. They are not in the Ist Army Corps, and have not as yet been furnished with regimental, transport;

their rants too, have recently been filled up with men of the Militia Reserve who did not impart an element of steadiness into these two distinguished old corps. The consequence was that the smartness and steady bearing of the 52nd Light Infantry— darum et venerabile nomen —was all the more noticeable, marching by upwards of a thousand bayonets in the beauideal of a light infantry corps, well worthy its old reputation. Wo looked in vain for any sign of raw lads or unsteady lieserve men in the stalwart companies of Sir John Moore's favorite corps. The 2d Brigade was composed of the 29th, 41st, and 86th Regiments, the centre battalion being especially marked for its steady marching. The County Downs were very short of officers; two to a double company of close on 200 men is scarcely sufficient even for peace requirements. The 3d Infantry Brigade comprised the 2d Battalion 4th (King's Own), the 26th Cameronians, and the 3d Battalion 60th Rifles, the leading battalion being "the only infantry corps on the ground with the new helmet. Whether the head-dress had anything to do with their reception it would be hard to say; but their appearance was the signal for a round of applause, which the regiment certainly deserved. The rear of the column was brought up by the Army Hospital Corps, perhaps the most useful body of men on the ground. Their inarching was most creditable, and theirappearance neat and smart. The Infantry returned past the Queen Jyfbrigades in line of quarter column, and Yuen took up position for the final advance in review order, while the Cavalry and Artillery trotted past. There is little doubt that, taken as a whole, a finer body of men has never stood on the Aldershott Parade since the days immediately after the Crimean War. The admixture of Reserve men has had the effect of adding a leaven of old soldiers to skeleton battalions', and as "these .men have readily fallen into their old ways and taken a pride in showing they have not forgotten their soldiering, the result is most satisfactory. One point, however^ connected with this subject deserves passing notice, and that is that -very little pains has been taken to send men back to their old regiments. For instance, there are many old 52nd [Reserve men now draughted into the 26th (Jameronians and many Cameronians.into the 52nd. These two corps are now lying side by side at Aldershoft. It surely would not have been a difficult thing in such a case to have sent men* to their old corps, and thus kept'up that esprii de corps, the germs of which were doubtless sown years ago. In small matters like this our mi "tary administration fails, and it is small ma'-ters like this that the soldier feels acutely. . ' The turn-out'-of the Regimental Transport might have been batter. _ Some battalions — but these were in the minority—appeared on parade with the full complement of baggage-waggons and ammunition-carts ; others with five waggons and one cart; others with no ammu-nition-carts at all; in fact, the order seemed left very much to the discretion of the commanding officer. There may have been reasons for the want of uniformity, but if battalions cannot turn out fully equipped at a Queen's Parade at Aldershott with 48 hours' warning, it is absurd to suppose that the Ist Army Corps is ready to embark for foreign service at a moment's notice. There is no doubt that the issue of regimental transport to infantry battalions is a step in the right direction, and adds much to the mobility of the army, but we are not prepared to admit that the system now adopted is by any means perfect. The baggage-waggons are cumbersome and too heavy. On the good macadamized English roads with stout, horses this is not so much felt, but in uncivilised countries, where there are no made roads but where the carts would sink axle-deep in mud, the transport-waggon would, we fear, be' found an incumhrance. Again; serving in Turkey, it would be found possible to fill up casualties only with small, underbred horses, which would be quite unfit for the task of dragging these huge conveyances. The ammunition-carts labor under the same disadvantage. They are of much the same stamp as those which the Russians condemnrd during the past campaign as being utterly unsuitable for the exigencies of hard warfare. It is useless to argue that where a gun can go there can an ammunition waggon follow. It should be'accepted as an axiom that regimental reserve ammunition should be so carried that it can accompany skirmishers over the roughest country, even as the Indian mountain batteries can work with infantry skirmishers. To" insure this end, there is but one plan feasible, and that is to use pack carriages, as was the case in the Hazara Expedition in Abyssinia and in the recent Jowaki Expedition. „'_-. /There are many other points in the equipment of the troops which deserve passing notice. The new bayonet, though an improvement on the old, inasmuch as it is longer, is far from being the best weapon the soldier can possess. It is valuable for only one object, and that is for stabbing an enemy. The sword bayonet, though certainly more unwieldly when fixed,, can be put to a dozen usesputting brushwood, cutting up and skinning sheep and cattle, cutting turf for bivouac fires, and many, others; in addition to all these it is longer, and conseq ;ntly in a hand to hand fight of more" value than 'the present three cornered fluted weapon; We cannot understand why,-when a change was to be made,, the best and most useful weapon was net selected.

Turning from the Infantry to the Cavalry, we shall be glad to see the present glittering head-dress of the Royal Dragoons done away with before they go on active service, and we would wish that some improvement might be made in the sword-belt for all mounted branches. That worn by the Central India Horse seems to have won universal admiration, and certainly is worth a trial, for nothing can be more unsightly or more inconvenient than the one now in use. Taking the review as a whole, Her Majesty has good reason to be proud of the handful of men saw at Aldershott oh Monday. They are fair representative types of the troops we could send abroad. In physique, drill, equipment, and discipline they cannot be surpassed by any army in Europe. England need hare no fear of intrusting her honour in the hands of the Army now ready for active service, fdr no army has yet left our shores which could in eny way compare with the men whom Sir Thomas Steele led past Her Majesty on Monday.