NAMES AND PLACES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 48, 24 May 1940, Page 2

NAMES AND PLACES

King in Flight King Haakon VII. of Norway, whose whereabouts in the north of his invaded country are not disclosed, is far from Royal palaces and the warmer south. Although he will be 69 on August 3, he is still a most active man, vigorous enough to withstand the snow of the north, where he is forced to hide. King Haakon is the second son of Frederick VIII. of Denmark, and was known as Prince Charles of Denmark until 1905, when he accepted the Crown of Norway, after that country broke from Sweden and became a separate kingdom. He was crowned in the ancient church at Trondheim in June, 1906. Crown Prince Olav, who was forced to flee with his father, was born in 1903. It was another Haakon, the fourth of that name, who subdued Iceland in 1262 and made it a part of the Norwegian State. Minister's Souvenirs A perfect model of the trans-Tasman fiying-boat, Aotearoa, now stands in the room of the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, in Parliament Buildings. It was presented to him on the occasion of the official opening of the service on April 30, at Auckland. The model stands on a black pedestal, and is complete in every detail. This is not the only souvenir of important occasions possessed by Mr. Jones. He is the proud possessor of a photograph of H.M.S. Achilles, taken just before she sailed to make history in the Battle of the Plate. Gardens at Trentham Gardeners are busy at Trentham Camp, laying out. beds and borders which should be a riot of colour in the spring and summer. It is all part of the beautifying scheme of the Camp Commandant, Lieut.-Colonel McHugh, M.C. New lawns are now a carpet of delicate green; here and there round the headquarters block bricked borders have been planted with Iceland poppies, irises, wallflowers, and bulbs. What was formerly a wilderness of tufted, uncut grass, is now a mathematical design, with a promise of beauty to come. But this is only the beginning of the scheme. Eventually shrubs and roses will border the toad leading to the camp, and various vacant plots will become orderly gardens. Naval Efficiency Two important appointments for the greater efficiency of the Royal Navy have been made recently. The first was the appointment of Vice-Admiral Tom Phillips, C.B., to the naval staff as a vice chief, and the second that of RearAdmiral H. R. Moore, C.B., C.V.O., D.S.O., as Lord Commissioner of the

Admiralty, the office previously held by Admiral Phillips. Both these officers are known for their organising and executive ability. Admiral Phillips was Director of Plans at the Admiralty from 1935 to 1938. Before that he was chief of staff and Flag Captain to the Commander-in-Chief of the West Indies Station. He has also served on various committees concerning naval, military, and air force questions, Admiral Moore has also held

many important staff appointments at the Admiralty. Since last year he has commanded the 3rd Cruiser Squadron. Letter to the Front An English wife conceived a novel idea for writing to her Tommy husband who was away fighting at the front. One day he received a carefullypacked parcel which contained a gramophone record. He played it over, and this is what he heard-*" Well, Joe, this is an unusual way of writing to you. I hope you and the boys are all right. Show Hitler what you are made of." There followed the voice of his small son-* Hello, Dad, I hope you are all tight. Good-night." Women in Uniform The first contingent of women of the _ Auxiliary Territorial Service has left

England and is now serving behind the lines in France. These women perform their duties in all the camps in Britain as well as with the forces overseas. They take the place of cooks in the big military camps; they act as waitresses in officers’ and sergeants’ messes; they issue rifles and uniforms in quartermasters’ stores at the training centres; drive army vehicles and keep them in order, for many of the women are qualified cardrivers. One of the most important tasks, however, is the use of Auxiliary Territorial Service women as_ shorthand

— typists, thus relieving large numbers of men who would otherwise be prevented from becoming combatant members of the forces. History of Liege Liége, which was still holding out against the Germans at the time of writing, is one of the key towns in the Belgian defence line. It is situated on both banks of the River Meuse, on low hills, and is surrounded by a ring of forts, protecting the old citadel. In 1914 the forts of that time crumbled under the shells of the German heavy howitzers, but since 1918 a new and stronger system of defences has been erected. Liége is situated in the centre of the Belgian coal-mining areas, and is one of the largest manufacturing towns of the country, producing great quantities of firearms, iron, steel, zinc, glass, motor-cars and

electrical equipment. Despite this, however, it is a most beautiful town, containing many famous old buildings and churches, two of which date from the 10th century. Marlborough captured Liége during his campaign in 1702; the French took it in 1691 and 1792; the Germans in 1914. Once more enemy guns are hammering at its forts. The famous Limberg cheese is produced in the country districts about Liége, and great numbers of carrier pigeons are reared there every year and distributed as messenger birds, Unofficial History The story of how a young officer served for a fortnight in the ranks at Trentham before he was "discovered," belongs to the unofficial history of the camp. He had never been in uniform, and joined up as a specialist, with the rank of second lieutenant. On receipt of orders to report he went to Trentham in civilian clothes, filled in his papers as a matter of course, and received his equipment as a soldier of the line. Then, for the next fortnight, he sprang to it in company with the other men of the unit to which he was attached. And there he was discovered and transferred to his correct place in the military sphere. That officer doesn’t regret his fortnight in the ranks. It has given him a deal of knowledge which is useful to his better understanding of the point of view of his men, and he knows what it is to hear the voice of a sergeant maior.