LIFE GUARDS

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20906, 11 September 1939, Page 13

LIFE GUARDS

THEIR EARLY HISTORY TALK BY LORD GALWAY Something of the history of his old regiment. His Majesty's Life Guards, was related to Ills Excellency the Governor-General, Lord Galway, who was the guest-of-hon Our at the luncheon of the Wellington Returned Soldiers* Association recently. The flrst and primary duty of the Life Guards, His Excellency explained, was that of guarding the King; their whole history was based on that—personal service to the person of the King. One had to go quite a long way back into history, said His Excellency, for the flrst signs of the formation of the Life Guards. Over 400 years ago, in 1533, when there were no police, it was found there was a plot on foot to murder the King, who at that time was Henry VIII. The King appointed two officers of the household to organise his protection and they were called the Gold Stick and the Silver Stick. The emblem of office of the senior officers was a black ebony stick gold-mounted and the junior officers a silver-mounted stick. Guard Reorganised These officers still existed. Courtiers were formed into a body to protect the King and as such they carried on for nearly 130 years, until they were formed into the Life Guards and recognised as such by King Charles 11. in 1660, when the monarchy was restored after the Cromwellian times and the guard reorganised. They were organised into regular troops with regular officers and a commanding officer, and that marked the beginning of what afterwards became the regiment. Subsequently they became three regiments, the Ist and 2nd, and the Royal Horse Guards. His Excellency described the picturesque uniforms of the three regiments —the scarlet tunics and blue collars and cuffs of the Life Guards, and the blue tunics with scarlet collars and cuffs of the Royal Horse Guards. They wore cuiracces and their headdress consisted of a steel helmet and plume. They always rode black horses. Apart from their service to the King’s person, the Life Guards had taken part in various campaigns. They had had the honour of accompanying George 11,, who was the last King of England to take part in a battle. They had seen active service in various other campaigns, including the Great War. Dealing with the ceremonial duties of the Life Guards, His Excellency said the best known was the sovereign escort which turned out when the King went in State such as on the occasion of the opening of Parliament. Unfortunately, November in England was not a good month to open Parliament because of the unfavourable weather which often prevailed. However, If it did happen to be a fine day the State opening of Parliament was a magnificent ceremony. The Life Guards went in four troops of 24 each. Great pride was taken in the turn-out. High Compliment Once, His Excellency related, he had a great compliment paid to him in connection with a turn-out by the Duke of Connaught, the King's greatuncle, who had the greatest eye for a turn-out of any member of the Royal Family. The Duke of Connaught was an absolute tiger for picking even one thing wrong. On this occasion, after the parade, the Duke of Connaught sent for him and told him it was the finest turn-out of a mounted regi-

ment he had ever seen. That, said His Excellency, was probably the highest compliment the regiment ever ha-d been paid. Although most regiments had become mechanised, the Life Guards still remained with horse to carry out State duties, the main duty being to escort the King. Still, during camp or the training period, everybody was kept thoroughly up to date with all the latest training methods and everything was done to make the Life Guards as efficient as possible, so that if the call came they would be able to respond to it in the way they had in the past. German Customs officers have a daily “ bag ” of between forty and fifty people trying to smuggle things out of Germany. Herbert Michaelis, a Hamburg Jew, convicted by the People's Court on a charge of high treason, was beheaded in ji Berlin prison.