FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171  
172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   194   195   196   >>   >|  
tanding and gazing down. Suddenly a voice echoed from the depths: "Will you come down, sir?"--this remark to the King. His Majesty laughed, but did not avail himself of the invitation. All the party joined in the laughter, and all those who have seen that picture on the screen of His Majesty's visit to his troops, will recall the incident to which I refer. Many of the London papers in their articles, referring to the film, wondered what the joke was that the King so thoroughly enjoyed outside a German dug-out. The party passed on, but some difficulty was experienced when they tried to get out of the trench again. The King was pulled out by the Prince of Wales, and another officer, but some members of the party experienced a difficulty which provided quite an amusing episode. At times I had to stop and change spools. Then the party got well ahead, and on several occasions His Majesty, with his usual thoughtfulness and courtesy, hung back and debated on various things in the trenches, in order to allow me time to catch them up again. His Majesty passed over old mine craters, and stood with his deer-stalking glasses, resting against a tree which had been withered during the fighting, watching the bombardment of Pozieres. He made sympathetic enquiries by the side of a lonely grave surmounted by a rough wooden cross, on which the name and number of this hero were roughly inscribed. A shrapnel helmet, with a hole clean through the top, evidently caused by a piece of high-explosive shell, rested upon the mound. The King stooped and picked up a piece of shell and put it in his pocket. It was now time for His Majesty's departure. Gathered near his car was a crowd of Tommies, ready to give their King a rousing cheer as he drove away. I filmed the scene, and as the car vanished over the brow of the hill, three more were called for the Prince of Wales. Hurriedly picking up my kit I chased away after them. On the way masses of Anzacs lined both sides of the road, and the cheers which greeted His Majesty must have been heard miles away. The scene made a most impressive picture for me. At that moment a battalion of Anzacs just out of the trenches at Pozieres were passing. The sight was very wonderful, and the King saw with his own eyes some of his brave Colonials returning from their triumph, covered with clay, looking dog-tired but happy. His Majesty was now going to view some ruins near the front, but unfortuna
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171  
172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   194   195   196   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Majesty

 

difficulty

 

experienced

 

Prince

 

Anzacs

 

Pozieres

 

trenches

 
passed
 

picture

 

rested


stooped

 

triumph

 

covered

 

departure

 

Gathered

 

returning

 
pocket
 

explosive

 

picked

 

roughly


inscribed

 

unfortuna

 

number

 

wooden

 

shrapnel

 

evidently

 
caused
 

Colonials

 

helmet

 

chased


moment

 

surmounted

 

battalion

 

picking

 

masses

 

cheers

 

greeted

 

impressive

 
Hurriedly
 

called


rousing
 
Tommies
 

filmed

 
passing
 

wonderful

 
vanished
 

papers

 

London

 

articles

 

referring