" TOMMY'S " GUARDIAN.
[TO THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR."]
Sla,—You have so generously lent your valuable space to the Volunteer movement and the drink question that I venture, as a " Tommy " of the City of London National Guards, to give your readers a few personal notes of my experiences at the Euston and Victoria Stations of the work which is being carried out from, say, 5 p.m. to midnight every day in the week. Briefly explained, this work consists in meeting the troop trains of some two to three thousand men arriving daily on leave of six or eight days after being, say, from eight to twelve months abroad, and arriving, according to the tides, at hours of, say, 2 p.m. up to 2 a.m. The Guards working at Victoria keep an open gangway, first to let the officers pass out quietly, and then to convoy lots of men down the subterranean passage-ways and on to the platforms of the Metropolitan Railway at Victoria, one lot being taken on to Paddington, Euston, St. Pancras, and King's Cross Railway Stations, and the other to Waterloo, Charing Cross, and Liverpool Street Stations. If the troop train arrives after the Tube and " Met." trains have ceased running, then they are convoyed in motor-'buses to the other stations, mostly to Euston, where they are met by other waiting Guards and taken to the Y.M.C.A. huts for food, wash, and beds, and are fully instructed as to the times and platforms for their departing trains in the early hours of the morning. If the troop trains arrive, say, any hour before midnight, then on the arrival of " Tommy " at Euston he is met by another lot of Guards, who at once tell him alt he wants to know about times of departure and starting platforms and direct him to the free buffet or Y.M.C.A. but for refreshments add rest. All this work is done most expeditiously, so that there is very little opportunity of " Tommy " being caught up by the " pubs " or the harpies who infest the neighbourhoods of the stations. Guards also stand ready, pencil in hand, to write out telegrams for the men, who are not accustomed to sending brief " wires," and frequently if left to their own devices will expend far more on a " wire " than is at all necessary. Thus one man I helped," on being interrogated as to the address, &c., said : " Yes, to wife."- " No, I want name."—" Yes, Emma."—" No, surname."—" Oh yes, Macfarlane." Then followed the address, giving probably county as well as town; then message: "My dearest wife Emma I am coming home by the eleven thirty ever your loving husband George," which, boiled down, resolved itself into : " Arrive Central Glasgow eight a.m. to-morrow morning love George." Probably the most useful part of the station work consists in looking after " Tommy " when " loaded "— keeping him out of the hands of the military police, for whom he has a fatal fascination and pet aversion. The military police are most considerate, and will let even the worst case go past barriers, &c., if he is convoyed into his seat by his friends the Guards. His language is frequently painful and free, and its vocabulary limited to the most objectionable words for women to hear. Tickets are lost, or only found in the last moment just before the train is leaving mixed up with letters from home and other treasures, all of which have to be carefully sorted out. The Guards all say that this station work is most fascinating, except perhaps when it goes on in the early hours of the morning between two and three waiting for transport motor-'buses ! Finally, there is the work of keeping men when waiting out of the " pubs." If the military authorities would only close up all " pub " situated close to stations, there would be hardly any trouble, as men are generally afraid to go far from the station and thus risk losing trains. Another very useful branch of work of " Tommy's " Guard is connected with service at the hospitals, and is literally trench warfare against venereal disease.
—I am, Sir, &e., ONE OF " OURS." [No one who uses any of the great termini can have failed to notico and admire the work of the Natidnal Guard. The shepherding of tho returned " Tommies " is as sympathetic as it is efficient. —En. Spectator.]
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