SHIELDS IN WAR.—A SUGGESTION.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—I was very glad to see the letter signed " A. M. A." on
this subject in the Spectator of December 30th. I feel con. vinced that the adoption of the suggestion by our military authorities would not only save the lives of many of our splendid fellows, but enable them to get to close quarters with the Boers. Curiously enough, I made the same sugges- tion to Lord Roberts just before he left England. I was writing to him on December 22nd on another matter, and ventured to add the following P.S., this copy of which is taken from my letter-book :—
" I know you must be worried with suggestions, but I take the chance of a random shot. I believe our military authorities have got specimens of the light, bullet-proof material which a German namel Dowe, I think, wanted them to adopt some years ago. Although, of course, probably not suited for body wear, it seems to me that where it is absolutely necessary to send our mon against entrenched Boers, if the front ranks attacking could be provided with loopholed shields of this material, they would have a much better chance of getting home with the bayonet,—as after each rush they could rest and fire from the cover of their shields. Dowe allowed himself to be fired at at 25 yards with a Ma rtini rifle and service charge and bullet, and was uninjured. I fancy the material included thin blades of steel which cut the bullet up,— many blades close together. So an officer told me."
Mr. Winston Churchill is credited with saying that one Boer is equal to three of our men,—doubtless he means one Boer behind some protection, and three Englishmen trying to pass
through some hundred yards of a stream of bullets to get at him. But give our men some protection as they advance, and the estimate of the comparative value of the antagonists will be quickly reversed ; in fact, the Boer will not stop to try conclusions at close quarters. Many years ago I suggested to our War Office that Maxim and other similar field guns should be provided with a hinged shield to open out on each side of the gun when in action, to protect the men serving it. I was told it was infra dig. to use shields. But our military authorities use armoured trains, and surely it is much more infra dig. to find over fifty thousand British troops held at bay or invested by an army of Boer farmers. Smokeless powder and repeating rifles carrying thousands of yards have not yet taught us all the lessons we shall learn from them.— I am, Sir, &c., R. B. MARSTON. Surrey Lodge, 150 Denmark Hill, S.E.
P.S.—Talking a year or two ago with my friend Major E. S. May, R.A., now helping in the defence of Ladysmith, I said I wondered that his letters and lectures and books on the subject of field artillery had not produced more effect, and asked him who was to blame for neglect of the warnings of Army experts. " Who is to blame ?" be replied, "why nobody or everybody; nothing but a very sharp lesson in actual war will force the country to give the money needed to do justice to the Army.—For the Fleet ?—Yes !" It was at the time of the great Jubilee Naval Review, and I well remember his wishing that a little of the national enthusiasm for the Navy might be spared for the Army. We ought to remember this, those of us who are crying for scapegoats when it is John Bull himself who is to blame.
Previous page
