VETERANS MEET

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 November 1939, Page 6

VETERANS MEET

GREAT WAR ENEMIES. It was a happy gesture for FieldMarshal Lord Birdwood to be recently chosen to welcome the Turkish Military Mission. When he revisited Gallipoli in 1936 he received a surprise visit from the Turkish commander-in-chief. who had been chief of staff to General Liman von Sanders in the Great War. The two veterans compared notes with an ever-growing respect for the qualities of each other and their respective nations. In fact both Lord Birdwood and Sir Roger Keyes, who also went on the Gallipoli pilgrimage, were impressed and touched by the warm friendship of the Turks. Of all the innumerable stories of Birdwood and his Anzacs, the best is the one about the Australian. It was on Gallipoli and the weather was vile. Like a good commander Sir William moved among his troops who were being kept hard at work despite the rain. Coming across an Australian soldier the General hoped he was getting on all right. “If I may say so, sir,” replied the soldier, “I’m getting fed up with all this trench digging.” The General nodded. “Well,” he said, “I know it’s pretty tough, but it’s got to be done, and I’m hanged if I am going to do it all myself." This indicates more clearly than a column of writing why the Australians who are not given to hero worship, still toast their old commander as one apart from all others.