RAOC Gazette - page 93
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1977 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1977 |
| Late date | 1977 |
| Transcription |
Corps! QEIje Journal of tte Eopal &rm£ ©ttmance Corpsf an& &tmi» ©rbnance feerbicesf, an* tfie (Official ©rsan of tfie &a<PC Satfonatton guguiSt 1977 Uotttmt 5 9 , J5o. 3 LIEUTENANT GENERAL SIR TRAVERS CLARKE Ufa €bitax's jBotitesi Editor; COLONEL E. RIDGEWAY, OBE (Retd,), Treasurer: LIEUTENANT COLONEL H. A. MILLER, (Retd.). SUBSCRIPTION RATES—HOME AND ABROAD 30p p e r copy, or £3.60 per annum, post free. Orders for monthly sales should reach this ojfftce by 9th day of the month, accompanied by remittance for previous month. Cheques and Postal Orders should be made payable to " Treasurer RAOC Gazette," and should be crossed. CONTENTS. The contents of THE GAZETTE are strictly copyright and! all rights expressly reserved. The views expressed herein do not necessarily eocpress the views of the Editor or the Corps 3 therefore no responsibility will be accepted. EDITORIAL OFFICE: RAOC SECRETARIAT, DEEPCTJT, CAMBEHLEY, SURREY. (Telephone: Brookwood 4511, Ext. 516.) (from THE GAZETTE—August 1920) LIEUTENANT GENERAL SIR TRAVERS CLARKE, now Quartermaster General of the Forces, and, during 1918, Quarter- master General in France, was one of the ' discoveries' on the fc British side in the Great War. This big young man,' as our American Allies called him, was only forty six when, at the end of 1917, he was called to take up the vast responsibilities of QMG France. It was in * the winter of our discontent.* Russia had fallen out of the struggle. Italy had taken a hard knock. The Germans were confident that no American help of any great value could be transported and equipped in time to affect the fate of the great blow which they were preparing. At the same time the effects of the long exhausting war and the submarine piracy of the foe were beginning to tell on the material resources of the Allies. Even the British purse was giving out, and—more dangerous still—shipping transport was giving out and also stocks of vital raw materials. Cbttorial WE tend to accept history-^names become household words and somehow, we seldom question their derivation. When writing about Travers Clarke athletics last month it struck me that most of us quite automatically associate the name Travers Clarke with Corps sport—mainly, athletics though not forgetting golf and perhaps some of us, though not of late, even with strawberries and cream! To be quite honest, I was aware of the historical back- ground but certainly not of the detail and research took me to THE GAZETTE of August 1920 and the following interesting article which I reproduce in the hope that it might redress the position and help to keep these very valuable associations auve. The General's generous gifts to Corps sport came most opportunely when the Corps was rallying its sporting resources just after the First World War. A SERIOUS POSITION THE position that confronted the Allies in France then was an almost desperate one. That it was met, its dangers overcome, and a dramatically sudden victory won, was due, as Marshal Foch generously declared, chiefly to the wonderful endurance in reverse, and clan in advance, of the British Army; and the British Army depended for its success very largely on the calm, sagacious strength and resourcefulness of the General who controlled its great system of supply and transport. The war had become of such a nature that the strategical issues were mainly those of supply and transport. The question of maintain- ing a certain line was almost wholly a question of maintaining the supply of food, clothing and munitions to that line. Sir Travers Clarke ' took over f at a time when the German power was at its highest, and our power almost seemed to show signs of exhaustion. Proving himself diplomat as well as soldier, he surmounted all difficulties: established a business- like organisation that was a marvel of economy as well as of efficiency; and somehow or other met every demand that came during the Great Retreat, during the preparations for the counter-stroke, and during the Great Drive that brought the war to a close. His work has not yet been appreciated at its full value in this country: cannot be until there is a full dis- closure of the facts of the war. But, when the scientific history of the campaign is studied by a future generation, there will be a great part of it devoted to an appreciation of the vital part 1 which ' Q had in the victory of 1918. « INDEX TO OTHER Notices Presentation of Civic Honours The 1977 Garden Party St Christodoula's March The BAOR Corps Weekend People in the News The Blackdown Theatre Club Sports Report Station News Home Station News Abroad Association News Postings and Promotions THE COVER PAGES 66 and 67 68 and 100 69 69 70 and 71 72 and 73 74 ., 75 and 80 76 to 80 89 to 100 100 Back Cover AN IDEAL LEADER SIR TRAVERS CLARKE was born in 1871 and his regimental service was with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He served in Burmah, on the Indian Frontier, the Tirah Campaign, and the South African war, before the Great War. His first important post was QMG to the Salonika Expeditionary Force. From that he moved on to GHQ France, and at the end of 1917 was appointed QMG France. After the Armistice and when the PHOTOGRAPH THE inspection during the presentation of Civic Honours to Central Ordnance Depot Bicester. 65 \ |
| Book number | R0246 |