League Secretary's Notes.
THE YPRES TIMES
LET EACH ONE OF US ENDEAVOUR TO DEFINITELY ESTABLISH FOR OURSELVES IN
1933 A SPECIAL INDIVIDUAL MEMORIAL TO OUR LATE PRESIDENT, FIELD-MARSHAL
VISCOUNT PLUMER, BY PUTTING OUR BEST INTO THE WORK OF INCREASING THE MEMBER
SHIP OF THE YPRES LEAGUE, AND SO FULFIL ONE OF LORD PLUMER'S EARNEST DESIRES.
Captain G. E. de Trafford wishes to express
his very grateful thanks to the Ypres League
members who have so generously responded to
his personal appeal for new members and offers
his sincere good wishes to the remainder, hoping
that their noble endeavours to recruit a new
member will meet with deserved success early in
the New Year.
TO OUR NEW MEMBERS.
The past quarter has been exceedingly happy
for the League in that over 300 new members
have enrolled, which is more as compared with
any other consecutive three months in recent
years. It is difficult.for us to find an adequate
expression of thanks to all who have been
instrumental in the recruiting.
Headquarters feel proud to see the League
flourishing in times when rapid progress is least
expected, so we take this opportunity to welcome
most heartily such a splendid muster of new
members who have come to strengthen our
ranks, and they in their turn are already showing
practical interest in joining up quite a number
of their friends.
As evidence of this activity we have recently
had the pleasure to welcome, as a Life Member,
an Indian, in the person of Quartermaster Karam
Illahi Havildar of the 13th Mountain Battery
at present serving on the North-West Frontier.
Quartermaster Havildar served throughout
1915 in the Ypres Salient with the 5th
Mountain Battery, and expresses great pleasure
to join an Association commemorating the fight
ing in the Immortal Salient and looks forward
to receiving the beautiful scroll certificate. A
letter of welcome is being addressed to this new
member in Urdu. This recruitment is credited
to our enthusiastic Life Member, Captain L.
Partington, of the 5th Mountain Battery, at
Waziristan.
The reason why so many ex-warriors are
willing to join the Ypres League in distressing
times is surely because the highest form of
comradeship prevailed during the war, and its
memory is a comfort to those who understand,
and realize, that the League's motive is to keep
that wonderful spirit of fellowship alive and to
perpetuate the heroic deeds and sacrifices of
their pals.
The Ypres Times helps in great magnitude
to keep a constant reunion particularly among
our members scattered in distant lands. Indeed,
the journal has been described as the only real
link in printed form with the greater past that
remains." We, therefore, make a special
request to our new members possessing literary
ability to help us to fill the pages of future
editions. Contributions such as battle articles,
personal reminiscences or humorous episodes are
exceedingly welcomed by the Editor and
received with much gratitude.
We wish our new members a happy New Year
and trust that your endeavours for the welfare
of the League will be two-fold. Firstly, to do
your best to get recruits for which enrolment
forms will be gladly sent by your request.
Secondly, to submit some article of interest for
publication in our popular little journal, The
Ypres Times.
We shall look forward to whatever kind
support you are able to give.
TO OUR BRANCH SECRETARIES,
AND CORRESPONDING MEMBERS.
We have pleasure in sending our best wishes
to you all for the New Year, with the hope for
better times to come. The past year can be
classed as one of the most difficult years on
record. Nevertheless, the League, in spite of a
long period of depression, continues to display
its best fighting qualifies, so much so, that we are
in the happy position to report that 1932, con
trary to expectations, has excelled previous
years in the number of new members recruited,
and much gratitude is due to those staunch
members who have so ably and devotedly helped
in this ever-important work.
The Travel Bureau, one of our most pro
gressive activities, has, during the past year,
been reduced by 30 per cent., entirely due to the
low rate of exchange, and the last moment
unavoidable cancellation of the unveiling
ceremonies of the Arras and Thiepval Memorials
at Whitsuntide naturally proved a considerable
financial loss to the League in having to
re-organize the same large party of pilgrims for
the unveilings in August, for which the services
of four conductors were required, namely Mr.
Gordon Steel, Mr. S. H. K. Geiler, Captain H. D.
Peabody and Mr. O. Mears, to whom grateful
thanks are due to the efficient way in which they
executed their duties.
The tours of 1932 are tabulated as follows
Mar. 25-28 Purley Branch party to Ypres.
26-29 Easter Pilgrimage to Ypres.
May 14-17 Whitsuntide Pilgrimage to
Ypres.
14-17 Whitsuntide Pilgrimage to
Arras.
