Wynn, and
refers to the death of the General's son, Lieutenant G.O. Wynn, killed
in action at Landrecies. The letter goes on to tell of the affection in
which the young officer was held by his men, and this story of courage
and unselfishness in the field is the simple but faithful tribute of a
devoted soldier.
The war has brought out in a hundred ways the admirable qualities of all
ranks in the British Expeditionary Force; but the relations of officers
and men have never been revealed to us before with such friendly candor
and mutual appreciation. Over and over again in these letters from the
front the soldiers are found extolling the bravery and self-sacrifice
of their officers. "No praise is too great for them," "our officers
always pull us through," "they know their business to the finger-tips,"
"as cool as cucumbers under fire," "magnificent examples," "absolutely
fearless in the tightest corners"--these are some of the phrases in
which the men speak proudly of those in command.
One officer in the 1st Hampshire Regiment read _Marmion_ aloud in the
trenches, under a fierce maxim fire, to keep up the spirits of his men;
and they "play cards and sing popular songs to cheer us up," adds
another genial soldier. Not that the men suffer much from depression. On
the contrary, the commanders agree that their spirits have been
splendid.
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