THE PASSING SHOW.

Auckland Star, 2 September 1933, Page 8

THE PASSING SHOW.

(By THE MAN ABOUT TOWN.)

Among the phantasmagoric collection of under-garments in Europe —the blue, black, brown, green and piebald wear indicative of service in a Cause—the LES CERISES. Polish Cherry Shirts are no more. The cabled obituary of these Cherry garments reminds an old shirt that the Cherry Pants are also no more—in fact the Eleventli Hussars of the British Army have been either abolished or "mechanised." The Cberrypickers, Cherubitns ("Cherubim" was spelt with another vowel in the old regiment), wore cherry-coloured pants with the usual double cavalry stripe down the The cerise continuations were, in fact, something of an honour, or at least a bit of history. The corps was a light dragoon regiment once—fjught in those numerous little spats in France years and years ago, riding to work in white pants. Naughty troopers off the chain made depredations on the cherry orchards —returned to duty with their wh'te gear all dabbled with cherry juice —hence the bright idea. Modernly the trooper of the Eleventh Hussars addicted to canteens (almost a lost art now) disliked his cherry pants because beer stains showed up on them. The lads used to pipeclay the stains, let it dry well in, and then brush the pipeclay and the stain out together. The redcoats of the line knew all about beer stains and pipeclay, too. You'd hardly believe it, but there are even quartermaster-sergeants in the Army nowadays who are teetotallers. Did you see the photograph in Monday's "Star" of King Zog of Albania? His Hussar uniform, from busby to jackboots, was all white. Perhaps he doesn't like cherries.