An
THE YPRES TIMES
101
By General Sir Charles H. Harington, G.B.E., K.C.B., Etc.
S I walked in Lord Plumer's funeral procession, carrying the insignia of his great
career, and passed through that vast crowd, I could but think that we were all
paying a last tribute to one who had played a great innings for his side and never
for himself, with always a straight bat and always a modest mind.
I was privileged to be with Lady Plumer and her daughters in that final ceremony.
I had been with her a great deal latterly both before and after his death. She has been
so wonderfulour hearts go out to her and her family. She has been so brave through
it all. She is a very sad but justly proud woman.
As Lord Plumer's Chief of Staff, I got to know him in a way given to few. I had
never known him before the war. He took me as his Chief of Staff in June, 1916, and
from that time I was privileged to serve under his direction and to share his innermost
thoughts.
His name will always be associated with Messines, an operation planned by him
to give relief to the troops holding the Ypres Salient, which succeeded in every detail
and at a cost in casualties of one-fifth of what we feared. There was not one detail of
that operation which he did not supervise and see with his own eyes. It pains me to
see in the Press sometimes that his Staff did this and that. His Staff, of which I was the
head, did what we were told. We of the Second Army Staff know well what we owe to
our Army Commander, and we are under no delusion whatever. I remember so well
being asked on the morning after Messines to what I ascribed our success, and I replied,
Three T'sTrust, Training and Thoroughness i.e., trust of all in the Army Com
mander and in God, the value of Traininghe had spared no effortand Thoroughness
which was characteristic of the Army Commander in all his doings.
When the troops of the Second Army were committed to battle, the Army Com
mander was kneeling by his bedside praying for them, and that is the secret of why the
Nation loved himalways thinking of those under him. How well I remember taking
him various orders for approvalHis first criticism was always, What will the
regimental officers and men think of that order Every day the same. Conference
at 8.30 a.m. to know what each of us had done the day before100 miles each day
round the army, learning junior Commanders' difficultiesa cheery and inspiring
message to everyonean evening Conference when he got back.
I could tell you many stories of his amazing personality. In April, 1918, we were
very hard pressed. It was touch and go whether we lost Ypres, and the fighting was
very severe. I had to tell him one night that our Second Army was in three pieces,
and that the enemy had penetrated through. His reply was Well, it would have
been worse had it been in four pieces such was his stout old heart.
His personality permeated all ranks of that Second Army, which was often over
half a million in strengththirty-three divisions at times. I can say no more. A great
soldier and a great statesman has been taken from us. History will record his great
life, but history can never record what he was to me and what I owe to him. Not only
do I recall his unfailing goodness to me during the war, but later, when I was in command
of the Allied Forces in Turkey and things were difficult, the old Chief came to Con
stantinople from Malta just to give a helping hand to his old Staff Officer. One does
not forget an act of that kind. r
He has left us a great ideal. Let us all try to live up to it. A great leader, ,a great
friend, a great sportsman and a great churchman. Never a Sunday in the War did he
miss his service or his communion. I am indeed proud to have served in that great
partnership' with him. That partnership is severed, but only for a time.
