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Wolverton, the railway centre of the Great London and North Western Railway Company, a town of some 9,000 inhabitants, situated in a none too picturesque part, has seen the finale of the divisional training of the 4th Division this week. The artisans of the town have truly risen to the occasion and have accorded the British soldiers a welcome on their sojourn here, who stand second to none in the country. From the beginning of the arrival of the advance party of the 7th Field Company of the Royal Engineers on August 3rd, to the arrival of the 4th Division under General Snow, welcome has been predominant in every direction. Each club, society, religious body and townspeople generally have vied with one another in trying to make Tommy’s stay at Wolverton a happy one and one that Wolverton will never be ashamed of. This has been an accomplished fact and Tommy has not been slow to recognise it. The very fact of no Military Police patrolling the streets at night, no warning orders from headquarters, stand out bold to those who are conversant with military life and proves the metal and the character of the British Army of the present day. With some 13,00 troops quartered in the vicinity it speaks well for the discipline and behaviour of the various units of the 4th Division. There has not been one single case for court martial. Minor offences will occur in the best of organisations but outside that it is pleasing to note the Division leaves Wolverton for the manoeuvres with the highest of characters that a town could bestow on then. It is quite certain that if it should be the luck of Wolverton to again have the opportunity of being selected as the training for brigade and divisional training, the army authorities can rely upon the same hearty welcome and cooperation being extended to them as in 1913 |