General Sir George White, V.C.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 188, 13 August 1901, Page 3

General Sir George White, V.C.

General S'? George Stewart Whi f e, ?:Ke brilliant soldier in < ; oaii‘ia id of ike isii forces in N.ifsl, i l *, like manr other famous soldiers. anTTislimrw. Lr«* was horn in 183-5, and entered the Army '■ u J 853. Ho furred in the Indiah .!uiiny, in (Tie Afghan War, in Kgyjit, *ud elsewhere. The story of how ho V. on the Victoria Cross is worth telling vtl yome length. It was in Afghanistan, 'in the hard fought battle of Charasial), twenty years ago. Major George Stewnrt White, ss he "then was, had been detached with half 'his own regiment, the t)2ud ’Gordon Highlanders, a company of ‘native -Pioneers, half a battery, and - two squadrons of i’unjaab cavalry to.cloar a Ingh'ridge of the’enemy. Theridge wt& crowned with the Ameer's khaki 'hmforrued regulars and a crowd otiwhiie* robed swordsmen, the fanatio'GhaEU. A ftor shelling the enemy for a while, "White told the’Gordons that ho counted •;m them to carry the hill with the b iyonot. Up they went, two companies dn front, two more in support, *nd the '' Gav'elto ” tells what followed, in reVord ng White n claim to the Cio<S. " Ad-aiicing with two ebmpahies of hife regiment,” it says, “ and climbing from one steep ledge to another, he cameupoh h body of the enemy strongly posted, tand outnumbering his force by eighteen to one. His men being much exhausted, and immediate aefion being neces-sary, .Major White took a rifl*, and going oh 'by himself, shot dead the leader of tl» enemy.'' Vi hen White fired, the Afghan was 'rushing upon Him sword in hand, try! 'g ‘to bring his men on to the charge. It They had come on, mere weight df numbers might have hurled the handful ■of Highlanders down the hill. But tire fall of the fanatic chief produced someth mr l>Ve a panic among his peorlo, and •,1k- Highlanders, cheering wildly for the heroic leader, rushed on with levelled bavoncts. All wss over in a few ■ munenrs. Tire ridge was woa, and the ■deadly rifles of the victors were busy • oiooimg newn the fl )\g foe. It was ’.,im - f the i><ost dramatic incidents ih re-cut warfare.

hi.r George was with Huberts in the d’an.'Ous march to Hand .liar, and at the ievi'.lfc of Kandatiaj he led the final k-h-.rgein the fare off a terrible fire'. . Fur : i« galhi'ntry on this occasion h% n nild iiuve been awarded the V.C. had tie i'Oi aheady posse Bed it. Sir George While ia a tall, soldierly looking matt, with ft handsome face and a charming manner that has won him hosts of friends. He has had always in hia favour a - cmart ably .strong constitution, sad i' hid), to use the popidar -phrase, ,f as hard as nails.”

A fa, tit a year ago, when another distinguished genera 1 ! Was. temporarily ’■invalided through a bad f-11, a friend 6f hotb’Eemerked to White that he donbted hi the injured officer would ever flgaia bo •nil to im unt a horse, for he had broken is leg in six places. “ Why should ho i,‘ot. get quite well? ’ said White, cheerily. “He has only broken his leg in sits places. I once broke mine in seven, and 1 don’t think ?am any the worse fox it,” , Sir George White is a clover general, as well as a “ first-class figli’ing main’' During ihb .present campaign his taek has been beset by many difficulties sudh : as only military experts can fully appreciate. But enough is known to p ove that bo has been more ,than h match in tactics for the enemy, although the latter are believed to have had thd (assistance of skilled Gorman strategis’k. It baa been pointed out that if Sir George bad not had t re chance’s of which ha so gallantly availed himself in the Afghan campaign, be would have.had (6 rcure this year as a major, under thb age limit. But this • Afghan campaign . brought him hia Colonel’s commission and a new lease ,of service, and saved 4 good soldier to the Empire.

Colonel Badeh : Powell, whose compact little army of 666 men arte having some tough Work with the Boers at Mafeking*, has had considerable experience in South African warfare. He went through the •wo Matabele campaigns, and, although' !«e had many hairbreadth ’scapes, he f .ime out without a scratch. He has ; a l-.pppy knack of locating roads and patfc. wax s missed by any but » native scout, llejias written several books on sport iiid big-gaiUe shooting

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