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JThe Boom of the Guns.I .
J The Boom of the Guns. I STORIES OF BRAVERY. SLOWLY BEATING BACK THE ENEMY. TOMMY IN THE TRENCHES. Tent Pegging! -I- 1 P.S. Botting, of the Merthyr ronoe, wno its I with the 5th Lancers, writing to P.S. Hunter, gays: "Talk about running off for the first and second prizes in the tent-pegging competi- tion at Penydarren-it is not in it with the charges out here. In this case it is human pegs without wire. It has been pitiful to see the poor homeless Belgians tramping along •the roads absolutely ruined. I am sure the people of Merthyr will do all they can for them. Mo Disgrace. Private Clifford Lewis, of the B Company of the 1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, in B letter to his mother, Mrs. Lewis (widow of the late Detective Inspector Lewis), of Waterloo-street, Swansea, says: I am & prisoner of war, and there is no disgrace in it. We fought to the very last, and had used all our ammunition. Our rifles got full of sand -and earth, and so became useless. So all we could do was to sit still and wait for death, but we got cut off, surprised, and captured into the bargain. Please do not send me any cigarettes, as we are not allowed to smoke. Neath Boys. Corporal W. Cooke, of the F Company, 6th Battalion Welsh Regiment, serving in France, writing on behalf of a number of Neath boys in France to the new Mayor of Neath, says We, the undersigned, have just been informed of your election as mayor. We are boys of the town now serving with his Majesty's Territorial Forces, and we wish you to accept our hearty congratulations. We form the Neath Company of the 6th Welsh Regiment, under the command of Captain Browning, and we are all awfully sorry that we shall not be able to attend your Church parade owing to the war, but we certainly hope to parade for you in the near future. Wishing you a prosperous and successful year of office, we remain, yours truly.—Corporal W. Cooke, Corporal Wag- staff, Corporal T. Plant, Lanoe-corporal Pas- coe, Corporal J. William,Lanoo-corporal S. J. Williams, Lance-corporal W. J. Rees, and Private Broome." Jack Tar's Adventures. Mr. W. W. Davies, son of the late Mr. D. Davies, of Waunbricks, St. Clears, who is in the Marines, and now on board his Maj- esty's ship Prosperine, states in a letter home that his vessel was engaged in strenuous work at defending Ostend, and also mine-sweeping in the North Sea. "We took five ships of different nationali- ties as prisoners of war," he writes, "and were in action in the North Sea in September, get- ting through it all safely. We have had many narrow escapes in this ship. We are now a few thousand miles from you, at a place where there are close upon 1,000 German pris- oners, also ships. A few weeks ago we were at Cadiz, where there were nine German -shipe, skulking, afraid to come out to fight us. Believe me, when we do get a clianee of a tussle with them we will sink the whole Ger- man fleet. We brought a few prize ships in- to Gibraltar. We have already earned the medal since the Heligoland battle." The writer records a stroke of good luck which befell him. He had been ordered to join the ill-fated Cressy before that vessel sailed, but, happening to be late falling in he missed his ship. Lucky man! How Captain Haggard Died. I Amongst the speakers at the Swansea re- cruiting meeting on Sunday, was Lance- Corpl. Fuller, of the Welsh Regiment, who lias been mentioned in dispatches, and is now home recovering from a wound. Fuller was presented by Commandant Maggs, of the Swansea United Service Brigade, with its sil- ver medal for bravery. Lance-Corpl. Fuller told his audience that he soldiered under Captain Haggard 12 years ago in Africa, and at his death he had the same old fighting spirit in him. He went on to describe the circumstances attending the gallant captain's death, saying after the regiment had taken a ridge at the point of the bayonet, Captain Haggard, Fuller, and two others went to take a maxim gun in a wood about 60 yards distant. They failed. The man on Oapt. Haggard's right was killed, the man on his left was wounded, and Capt. Haggard had a shot in his stomach that came out at his Hack, and then another through the muscle of iiis arm. I rushed for him (continued Fuller), and it was on the spur of the moment or, no doubt, it would have taken a bit more cour- age to do it, and I got to him. He wanted me to leave him. I got him on my back And carried him down by three maxims 00.- longing to my regiment, and then some maxim men helped me with him to the hospital. When I was bandaging, him all liis cry was Stick it, Welsh!" He never oomplained of his wound. We held this ridge for 33 diy. alcl then the French re- lieved us. The General congratulated us. The Welsh Regiment had any amount of congratulation, and on several occasions when the Germans made night attacks we were Very sucoossful. t Corpl. Fuller proceeded to say that when he read that Swansea wanted 1.100 men he said "Getting them was only a. matter of form." He had asked some why they did not join, and they said their mothers did not wish them to do so. But if the mothers went out and saw the sta toe of France and Bel- gium, or if the Germans came here, they would regret having stopped their sons from j jqjning. f British Officers "Real Trumps." I I A private in the Welsh Regiment, writing home to friends at Newport says: "I have often been asked what I think of our officers. No words of mine would ever convey any idea of what they are like. They are real trumps. They are our leaders, and we look to them to lead, and they do it. No shirk- ing with them. Come on, lads, stick it.' 'We won't be long pushing them out of that position.' These are a few of their remarks. You have all read, no doubt, of the dying words of Captain Haggard. It was shouted often. And so was, 'Stick it, 3rd Brigade.' And they 'stuck it.' At the Aisne we lost a whole bunch of good men, but if I am any judge of what I saw with my own eyes the Germans lost five or six men for every one of ours. They were laying there in hundreds." I Hiding in Coal-box" Hole. Pte. F. Ayliffe, of the Goucester Regiment, whose home is at 38, George-street, Peny- graig, tells an exciting story of his escape. Writing on Nov. 9th, he. says: "It is wonder- ful how I am alive. We have been in the thick of it. We have only 250 left in the fighting line out of about 1,600. I will tell you how I saved myself in the last engage- ment. We advanced upon the German tijpnehes, and I could see everybody around me being shot, so I and four more got into a hole made by a 'coal-box.' This was about 7 o'clock in the morning. The two that were on top of me were shot dead. I just rose my head to see if they were coming to- wards us, and I had two bullets through my cap. Well, we had to stop in the hole till it got dark, then we crawled along for fifty yards and made a dash for our own trenches. I loseverything that I had." I Smiling, Soldiers. I Dr. H. L. Hoops, of Cardiff, has received a letter from his son, Corporal D. Hooks, who is in a Highland regiment at the front, in the course of which the writer states: For five consecutive days last week I had no sleep, and was at the point of exhaustion. Our division lfa& been temporarily withdrawn from the firing line for a short rest, and it was much needed. The experience I have had of the trenches has been terrible, but the men put up with it smilingly. We moved away from a certain town during the night, while the Germans were shelling, and huge projec- tiles were bursting over us now and again. One shell in particular burst over the heads of the men on the side of the street opposite to me, followed by a sound of falling debris, and it was rather comical—though that perhaps was scarcely the feeling amongst us-to see the men dodging across with glass falling around. Of a party who marched from —— at the same time as I, three have been killed and seven or eight wounded. I wish I could give you the thoughts that go through my head when I am under shell fire, but that would be impossible." In the Tnick of It. I Corpl. J. Reardon, of the 1st Grenadier Guards, writing to his mother at Newport from Hospital at Lincoln, says: "I have had a warm time, and have been nearly killed dozens of times, but have managed to scrape through till now. I have been at Ypres, where all this heavy fighting has been gomg on. I have also been to Ghent, and was there just before Antwerp fell-went to relieve it, but we were too late, and nearly got cut up for our trouble. Anyhow, we are cut up now. We went out with 1,000 men, and I think we can muster 200 now-in fact, I am doubtful whether we have 200. Shells have been falling like rain at Ypres. Our divi- sion lost very heavily, but the Germans have lost six to one. Some of the Germans are all right. The night that our battalion got out up the Germans shouted, 'Guards, fetch your wounded.' We did so, and they did not fire a shot at us. I think they were a crack regiment. Anyhow, they were jolly decent. But some of them are a dirty crew. One morning at dawn they dressed up in khaki and shouted, 'We are Staffs." They planked some lead into us, but they got tons of it back.' Ignorant Germans. I An officer in a Lancer regiment writes home: "My German is very useful, of course, and I am generally put in charge of the pris- oners, so hear lots of things, and their ignor- ance on the war is amazing. They are just fed on lies. Their officers tell them they are winning, that Paris is taken; but the same officers drive the men to fight at the revol- ver's point. I bagged my first German at 30 yards range at Blanche. He was a Uhlan, and, all unconscious of our proximity, walked out of a wood. He never knew anything, as my bullet hit him full in the throat and broke his neck. We only bagged four of them; the others kept to the wood. At a later date I knocked one over at 1,200 yards with my sixth shot. He was a scout and showed up on a hill, as I thought, 1,000 yards away; so I sighted my rifle to that distance, with no result. But I saw my sights to 1,200 and tried. He moved, but my next took him between the shoulders and brought him down. We took our turn in the trenches—an unforgettable time it was, as most of the at- tacking was done at night, and a weird sight we had. Bursting shell, sickly moon, a haze of enemy, the smart rattle of our Maxims and rifles, the cries of the wounded—all hell let loose; our fellows grim but cheerful, the en- emy courting sudden death and finding it as we mowed them down in heaps. Not a yard could the modern Huns make. Their crack corps had no terrors, for our men." Gang of Iron Miners. I Captain Raymond Greene, 9th Lancers, M.P. for North Hackney, writing to one of his constituents under date November 5th, says: If my friends of North Hackney could see me they certainly would not recognise their representative. We get covered with mud, our clothes coated with clay, and we look like a gang of iron miners. The men are really heroes, and stick to it without grumbling. We had four men and one of our oiffcers blown to pieces within ten yards of where I was standing in the trenches two days ago. I was covered with falling earth and pieces of hu- man flesh. The scenes on these occasions are terrible, but to an extent we become accus- tomed to horror. Thousand Times Worse Than 1870. An offioer in the French Ambulance Corps writes to a friend in London: "Those who witnessed the war of 1870 say this one is a thousand times more terrible. We are used to the cannon, and it is no more to me now than the motor-'buses of Charing Cross-road. On an average the death rate is about 2 per. cent among the infantry regiments, and they are expose d more than any, both to wounds and illness. About 40 men in a regiment of 2,000 have died since the war started. A great number are put hors de combat by fat- igue and illness. The German losses are greater than ours. The wounds are mostly slight and oui-e quickly. I have seen men return to their regiment after a few days though they had been wounded several times. In the beginning many were wounded through losing their presence of mind and exposing themselves instead of hiding. Now things are better, and the men stay in the trenches and only peep out to direct the line of fire. As for our artillery it is very pow- erful. I Shaving During Artillery Duel. Writing to friends in Pembrokeshire, Ser- geant C. L. Tuesley, of the Royal Fusiliers, says:—"Last night we were repelling an at- tack by the Germans on a long part of our line. We have been in the trenches since the 20th of September. We keep moving to dif- ferent parts of the line where we are most -needed, but unless actually marching, always in the trenches. The other day I was cutting men's hair in the trenches, with shrapnel and Jack Johnsons' flying all around. There was so much noise that I couldn't hear myself speak, and then I had a shave in the middle of a terrific artillery duel. I remember say- ing to the men on my right and left, Don't forget' -I was shaving myself at the time. The same night I was in the very thick of it. The Germans came up under cover and dug themselves in about 80 yards from us. We gave them a splendid reception, but they did not leave be fore they shot dead the man on my right and wounded the officer and man on my left, while I—well, here I am. In the morning we found a number dead and wounded. Here the enemy is only 500 yards away, and. considerable sniping takes place."
l GARW GLEANINGS. §
l GARW GLEANINGS. § j (By LLOFFWR ARALL) g I 8m== Our old Gleaner" has nobly decided to join the colours—to glean on the battlefield when his time comes. 0 0 We have to congratulate Messrs. W. L. Rees, B.Sc., Higher Elementary School; Luther Stephens and W. Stone, of Blaengarw Schools, on joining the colours. « They will not need to purchase any cigar- ettes this week, as they were well provided for by their scholars. < The Glamorgan Education Committee by guaranteeing their full pay, give every en- couragement to young teachers to enlist. < < Three persons were baptized at Noddfa Chapel on Sunday night by the Rev. W. Saunders, C.C. < We congratulate the Ocean workmen on collecting £23 towards the Belgian Refugees Fund. The Sunday pictures question is coming to the front again, and is creating some commo- tion in the valley. < Luther created a reformation some cen- turies ago, and it is expected that there will be another reformation at Rhyl after our Luther has surveyed the scene. < At the Belgian Concert Committee meeting on Monday night, the Rev. W. Saunders, C.C., was appointed chairman; Mr. Morgan Hughes, treasurer, and Mr. D. J. Rees, sec- retary. A local committee has been formed to or- ganise funds for supplementing relief to de- pendents of our soldier heroes. • « • Mr. A. Day was appointed chairman, and Miss C. Gunter secretary. <* < We are pleased to learn that Mr. J. Llew- ellyn, junr., son of Mr. John Llewellyn, mechanic, is recovering from his severe ill- ness. A prominent schoolmaster of the Garw Valley has been appointed recruiting officer for Mid-Glamorgan, and his opinion is that the Glamorgan coalfield would be an area of special attention in the event of an invasion by Germany.
PONTYCYMMBR. I
PONTYCYMMBR. HALF-YEAR LY MEETINGS. — At the Trinity C.M. Church, the Rev. Hughes. B.A., Carmarthen, preached on Sunday and Monday, November 15th and 16th. ZION.—The monthly entertainment in connection with Zion Y.P.S. was held on Wednesday, Nov. 11th, when solos were ren- dered by Miss S. Bowen, Mr. E. W. Davies, and Master Filvet Bowen: recitations bv Misses E. Clarke, G. Hills, E. Davies, E. Ed- wards and 0. K. Edwards; and a reading by Mr. T. Joyce. The entertainment was pre- sided over by the pastor, Rev. W. Reynolds, while Mrs. Reynolds was the accompanist. A vote of thanks to all those who had taken nai-t in the meeting was moved by Mr. T. Turner, and seconded by Mr. E. Morris.
OGMORE AND GARW URBAN DISTRICT…
OGMORE AND GARW URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL. -W SCHOOL MEDICAL INSPECTORSHIP. I TELEPHONE OFFICE REMOVED. The principal question at the meeting of the Ogmore and Garw Urban District Council on Friday was that of the appointment of the medical officer of health to the position of school inspector in consequence of Dr. Llew- ellyn receiving an appointment with the Royal Army Medical Corps during the war. The Rev. T. B. Phillips presided, and there were also present: Rev. D. D. Evans, Alder- man W. Llewellyn, Messrs. T. C. Jones, W. J. Morgan, Job Baker, R. L. Richards, T. M. Jones, W. Pennant, J. Canniff, D. J. Thomas, and T. Williams. A letter was read from the Education Com- mittee of the Glamorgan County Council inti- mating that there was a vacancy among the school medical inspectors and they desired, be- fore filling up the vacancy, to ask the Council whether they would be disposed favourably to consider the suggestion of the County Medical Officer that the inspection of the scfiool child- ren in the Council's district should be under- taken by the Council's own medical offioer of health. He would be paid for his servioes by the County Council.' The Clerk said he had also received a letter from the school medical officer, in which he described the work. He said there were 40 school weeks in the year, and the work would take from 8 to 10 hours per week. The cleri- cal work would be done at Cardiff. Dr. Peebles could arrange the work to meet his own convenience, and he would have to visit the schools in any case as medical officer. He was at liberty to undertake other publio health work, and in view of the special cir- cumstances existing, the writer strongly re- oommended the Council to appoint Dr. Peebles as medical officer. His appointment would be in accordance with the recommenda- tions of the Board of Education, and from public health point of view his appointment was bound to be a distinct advantage to the District Council. Dr. Peebles was an excel- lent offioer. Mr. Canniff said ho thought the whole mat- ter should be considered by a committee who would report to the Council. Further, he suggested the recommendation should be adopted. Mr. Pennant questioned whether the latter course would be an advisable procedure. Would it not be better for the recommenda- tion to be considered by the committee as well. Mr. Canniff said he would be ready to agree to that suggestion. The Chairman thought it would be better for the committee to consider the whole ques- tion, and then send it to the Council. Mr. Jones suggested a small committee should first consider the matter, and they could also consult with Dr. Peebles. He (the speaker) would not like them to come to any decision without knowing Dr. Peeble's views on the question. This was agreed to, and the following com- mittee was appointed to go fully into the mat- ter:—Rev. T. B. Phillips, Dr. Parry, Alder- man Llewellyn, and Messrs. Canniff, Mor- gan and T. C. Jones. AS THEY WERE. Arising out of the Council's complaint that the Gas and Water Companies did not leave the roads and footpaths in which they had been making repairs in the same %tate as they found them, a letter was received from the Ogmore Gas Company stating that they were not the chief offenders. They very rarely dis- turbed the roads and footpaths which had been taken over by the Council. Their work was generally carried out before the road was completed. In the future, however, they would see that the ground was relaid to meet the Council's requirements. The Garw Water Company wrote that the Council's request would receive attention; while the Garw Gas Company wrote that they considered a great error had been made, and they did not hold themselves responsible for the damage. Their manager, however, would consult the surveyor on the matter. Mr. Canniff, referring to the last case, said they had been hanging about for months without coming to any decision, and he sug- gested the work should be done at once, and the Company should be charged for it. On the suggestion of Mr. Pennant, it was agreed that unless the work was put in hand within 14 days the Council would proceed to do it. RAILWAY SIDING. I A letter was received from the Port Talbot Railway Company stating that in consequence of the war they were unable to proceed with the proposed siding at Bettws Llangeinor Station. The Chairman said the Great Western Rail- way Company were going to put in a siding there. I SUNDAY CINEMA SHOWS. I A letter was read from Mr. C. Gunter, of Pontycymmer, in reference to a committee which had been formed there to deal with dis- tress in that locality during the war, and the local Cinema had promised to give sacred Sun- day shows, the proceeds of which would go to- wards the fund if the Council would grant per- mission. It was moved that the Council withhold its assent. The Rev. D. D. Evans moved that the re- quest be granted. It seemed to him the people were trying to raise money to help necessitious cases, and he did not see why they should withhold consent. There was no seconder to the amendment, and the motion was agreed to. RE-ELECTED. f Mr. T. M. Janes was re-elected the Coun- cil's representative on the South Wales Uni- I versity College. BELGIAN REFUGEES. 1 A letter was read from the Local Govern- ment Board with reference to the suggestion which had been made that occupation might II be found for Belgian Refugees where they would not compete with natives. The Local Government Board asked for particulars re- garding what occupation had been found, the extent of such employment, and for how many in that district. The Clerk said there were none. r A further letter was read from the Local Government Board with reference to the re- fugees coming under the Aliens Restriction Act, 1914, in which they asked that no refu- gees should be allowed in prohibited areas un- less by permission of the Chief Constable. The Clerk said the whole of Glamorganshire was in the prohibited area. TELEGRAPH OFFICE REMOVED. The Postmaster General wrote that in con- sequence of the loss entailed by having a tele- graph office at Brynmenin, it had been decided to remove it to Bryncethin, which was more central. It was stated in the letter that on an average there were only five telegrama a week at Brynmenin.
IHANTYMOBL TROOPER'S I LETTER.…
I HANTYMOBL TROOPER'S LETTER. I RIGHT IN THE THICK OF IT. I "COULD NOT HEAR OR SEE." Trooper C. Baker, of the 20th Hussars, who was formerly employed at the Ocean Colliery, has written an interesting letter cj ills father who lives in Commercial-street, Nantymoel. He says:—"It was a little diversion we had the other day. I may tell you I am a des- patch rider and was out with a staff offioer at dawn reviewing the position. Some of our brigade were driving about 200 Germans from a village with the aid of a few maxims guard- ing the approaches on a range of low hills, about three-quarters of a mile from the vil- lage. Our crowd were taking pot shots at the windows or anything that looked suspi- cious, when, lo and behold! about 40 Germans appeared, bent double and single file, in front of a bank right in the open. Our maxims soon got to work, and the few that were left standing were charged with fixed bayonets by some of our cavalry—all the cavalry carry bayonets now, because they have to take their turn in the trenches. Well, this officer and I went up to the village to see what damage was done and I was holding his horse while he looked round, when a shell (German) burst right alongside of me aDd killed his horse on the spot. The shells were bursting all round—' Jack Johnsons and shrapnel. One 'Jack Johnson' dropped in a mill I was standing under, and knocked it clean in half. I happened to be under the half that was left standing, but I couldn't hear or open my eyes for a long time after owing to the noise and dust of the explosion. The German are hot stuff on churches. At one village they put a shell right through a church just as the congregation were coming out on Sunday morning, killing one old man. The hole that it made in the wall was big enough for a pair horse van to go through. The organ was next the wall, and that was all in little bits strewn all over the floor. Neariy every church about here has been fired of the steeple or tower knocked off. They have a knack, too, of firing odd farmhouses near our lines, just as it gets dusk, so as to have a better chance to drop their shells dur- ing the night where they want to. I have been writing this at odd moments since Nov- i, ember 4th. We axe resting for a couple of days—then we shall be in the thick of it again, I suppose. We have plenty of tobacco (thanks to the papers) and plenty of food. Also we have had plenty of under- clothing and gloves, etc.
I ALL OVER A TELEGRAM. I I…
ALL OVER A TELEGRAM. I I ———————— FOOLISH QUARREL AT NANTYMOEL. I Elizabeth Hopkins, Llewellyn St., Nanty- moel, summoned William Williams, collier, Ogmore Terrace, Nantymoel, for assault. Complainant said defendant came to her house, and as soon as she opened the door defendant struck her in the mouth. He fol- lowed her into the kitchen and caught her by the throat. Witness' brother came down and defendant then hit him. Her husband was on active service and she wanted pro- tection. Mr. D. Llewellyn (for defendant): Did you go down to his house a day or two before and tell him that there was a telegram for him?— Yes. Did you ask him if you should fetch it and he told you not toP-He told me to do so. You went down and got it and gave it to somebody else?—I gave it to a woman to give to him as she was passing the house. Did you strike defendant P -I hit him with the handJe of the hatched after he struck me. Complainant's brother said he saw defend- ant holding his sister by the throat and punching her. Mrs. Lily Edwards said she went into the house and saw defendant beating complainant shamefully. Mrs. Davies, another neighbour, corrobor- ated. Defendant said complainant first struck him. The Chairman: We are satisfied that you committed the assault, although there may have been some provocation. You will be bed 9 1.
NANTYMOEL COMPETITIYE I MEETING.
NANTYMOEL COMPETITIYE MEETING. AT SOAR. A successful competitive meeting wa? held at Soar Welsh Congregational Church, Prioetown, Nantymoel, on Saturday, under? the auspices of the Young People's Guild. The chairman was the Rev. D. J. Williams (Soar). Miss Annie Watkins, A.L.C.M., ful- filled the duties of acoompanist, and the ad- judicators for the evening were:—Music, Mr. Davies Brown, M.A., Ogmore Vale; litera- ture, Mr. Samuel, B.Sc., Nantymoel; prize bags, Miss Phillips, Co-operative Stores. Awards:— Gills' solo (under 14): Miss Maggie Wil- liams, Nantymoel. Boys' solo (under 14): Master D. A. Wil- liams, Nantymoel. Recitation (under 14): Miss Priscilla Phil- lips, Pricetown. Tenor solo: Mr. D. Davies, Nantymoel. Bass BOlo: Mr. D. J. Harris, Nantymoel. Soprano solo: Miss R. Walters, Nantymoel. For the best love-letter: Miss Phillips, Co- operative Stores. Reading: Mrs. Rhys Williams, Pricetown. Prize bags: Divided between Miss M. Thomas and Mks B. Thomas, both of Price- town. Octette: Three parties competed. \Winners, Mr. Joseph James and friends. The secretarial duties were carried out by Mr. Rhys Williams, Prictown.
I BLAENGARW.
I BLAENGARW. BETHANIA M.I.S.—The above society held a meeting on Thursday evening of last week at Bethania Vestry. There was a fairly good attendance. The Rev. Wm. Thomas presided. A recitation was given by Mr. John Francis, and solos by Miss Cather- ine Bateman and Mr. David Meredith. Also a stirring and edifying paper was read by Mr. David Evans, Herbert-street, on "Wars from the Christian standpoint." Enthusias- tic speeches were made on the subject by Mr John Bowen, Mr. David Hughes, Mr. Philip Davies, and Mr. Wm. John. An enjoyable evening was spent. Mr. Morgan Howells and Mrs. John Griffiths were the accompan- ists.
Advertising
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I.THE PASSING OF " BOBS."
I. THE PASSING OF BOBS." GijEAT SOLDIER DIES WITHIN SOUND OF THE GUNS. Deeply regret to tell you Lord Roberts died at 8 this evening.—French," was the brief notice issued by the Press Bureau telling the world that the great soldier had passed to the Great Beyond. The Chief," as he was affectionately called in the Army, was paying a short visit to France to welcome the Indian Troops. He contracted a chill, pneumonia set in, and he passed away on Saturday amid the sound of the guns and in the presence of the soldiers he loved so well. The following message was sent to Countess Roberts by Field-Marshal Sir John French:— In the name of his Majesty's Army serving in France, wish to be allowed to convey to you and your family our heartfelt sympathy. Your grief is shared by us who mourn the loss of a much-loved chief, as he was called. It seems a fitter endin of the life of so great & soldier that he should have passed away in the midst of the troops he loved so well and with- in the sound of the guns." I BIOGRAPHY. The late Earl Roberts, P.C., E.G., K.P., G.C.B., O.M., G.S.S.I., G.C.I.E., V.C., was born at Cawnpore on September 30th, 1832, his mother being the second wife of General Abraham Roberts, himself a soldier who had won honour and distinction in the dangerous arena of Indian frontier warfare. Frederick Sleigh Roberts was sent to England, where he received his education, first at a small private school, then for a short time at Eton, and later at Sandhurst and Addisoombe. He re- mained in England till he became a soldier in the service of the East India Company, sailing for India in February, 1852. Arrived in India, he suffered severely from home sick- ness, till he was at last permitted to join his father, who was then in command of the Peshawur division, and face to face with the unruly border tribes. The outbreak of the Indian Mutiny found Roberts at Peshawur, and within a few weeks he had taken the field for the first time. After a brief spell of service under Neville Chamberlain, Roberts found himself under the orders of John Nicholson, that extraordin- ary man, whose capacity for high command was shortly to be-unmistakeably proved. When Delhi fell the work was only half done. Lucknow had to be relieved, Cawn- pore had to be re-occupied, and the numerous forces of mutineers still in the field had to be brought to bay, punished, and destroyed. This could not be done without a great deal of desperate fighting, in most of which young Roberts took a prominent part, being so for- tunate on one occasion as to win the Victoria Cross by an act of gallantry which marked him out as a soldier as daring as he was in- telligent. It was during a battle with the mutineers fought at Rhudaganj on January 2nd, 1858, that Roberts, while pursuing the flying rebels, saw two Sepoys making off with a standard. Giving chase, he quickly cut down the standard-bearer, but narrowly escaped death at the hands of his comrade, who, placing the muzzle of his musket within a few inches of Roberts' body, pulled the trig- ger. The piece failed to explode, and the 6epoy, fearing his comrade's fate, turned and fled. In the following May Roberts em- barked for home to enjoy a well-earned period I' of leave. In 1859 Roberts returned to India, having I in the meantime married, and was at once employed in the Quartermaster-General's De- I partment. In this office he remained till 1861, when he was sent into the country of I the Bunerwals to report on the position of a small British force who found themselves threatened by a large and tumultuous gather- ing of mountaineers, and unable to carry out the punitive policy to which the frontier Gov- ernment found themselves committed. The little campaign was brought to an end with- out any serious fighting. In 1871 he was again on service as senior Staff officer in a punitive campaign against the Lushals. Here again he did meritorious service, and was re- warded by being appointed Deputy Quarter- master-General and subsequently Quarter- master-General, one of the highest military appointments within the gift of the Indian I Government. But the great opportunity of his life was II about to be offered to him. In 1878 matters had come to a crisis in our relations with the I Amir of Afghanistan, and war having become recognised as inevitable, Lord Roberts was selected for the command of the Kurum Val- I ley Field Force, of a strength of about 6,000 1 officers and men, with seventeen guns. After í the murder of Sir Louis Cavagnari, the Bri- tish representative at the Afghan Court, Rob- erts marched rapidly on Kabul, which he occu- pied, after some heavy fighting, early in Oct- ober, 1879. While arranging for a retire- ment from Kabul Roberts was informed of the total defeat of General Burrows at Maiwand by an Afghan force, which had then laid siege to Kandahar. That was in July, 1890. Roberts at once organised a force of some 10,000 men, and set off for Kandahar on Aug. 9th. On the morning of the 31st he entered that town. He attacked the Afghans, and completely routed them. For this he was cre- ated a baronet and appointed commander-in- chief of the Madras Army. His work in the Boer War is within recent recollection, but it may be re-called that he was appointed commander-in-chief in South Africa after the defeat of General Buller at Colenso on December 15th, 1899. During the course of 1900 he defeated the Boers several time,5, forced Cronje and 4,000 men to surren- der at Paardeberg on February 27th, relieved Kimberley on February 15th, and Mafeking on May 17th and 18th, and annexed the two South African Republics. On his return to England in 1901 Roberts, who had been ap- pointed commander-in-chief of the British Army, was created Lord Roberts of Kimber- ley, Pretoria and Waterford, and Parliament voted him a sum of £ 100,000. He retired from the office of commander-in-chief in Feb- ruary, 1904. He has since devoted himself to urging upon the nation the necessity for universal military training. IN THE HOUSE. L Mr. Asquith, in the House of Commons on Monday, referred to the death of the illustri- ous soldier, and handed in notice that on Tuesday he would submit the following mo- tion That this House will at an early date resolve itself into a Committee to consider a humble address to his Majesty praying that his Majesty will give directions that a monument be erected at the public charge to the memory of the late Field Marshal Earl with an inscription express- ing the admiration of this House for his illustrious military career and its gratitude for his devoted service to the State."
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I DANGEROUS PREMISES. TENANTS ORDERED TO LEAVE. At Bridgend Police Court on Saturday, Jesse Hardwick, collier, Victoria St., Ponty- cymmer, was summoned for having disre- gaj-ded a closing order. J. D. Owen, inspector of nuisances for the Ogmore and Garw Council, stated that a closing order was made in respect of the house occupied. Defendant had not complied with the notice. The premises were dangerous and part was falling.. The medical officer had recommended that the house should be vacated at onoe. Defendant was ordered to quit in 10 days.