TOMMY ATKINS OF OLD

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 12 May 1928, Page 11

TOMMY ATKINS OF OLD

QOLDI EEING in the “good old days” contrasted strangely with presentday service conditions, says the “News of the World,” if one'may .judge by the revelations being published by the iSoc. iety of Army .Historical Research, which is delving into ancient documents and.' records preserved at the War Office.

Even the “Iron Duke” was shocked U discover that certain commanding officers were in the habit of sending petty 'offenders for seven days to the “Black Hole,” where they were de prived of all light, fresh air, and sanitary amenities, and in a general order, issued from the Horse Guards, he says, “These practices are reprehensible and are strictly forbidden. ” Deserters received no mercy, and, after being flogged, they were compelled to work in chains on road-mending, Before they could be received back into the ranks* they were paraded l before their regiment, and the colours waved over their heads to show that they had ‘'purgOri their offence. If, however, thev deserted again, they received a double dose of the “cat” and were banished to the Corps of Infantry stationed on the West Coast of Africa, which must have been equivalent to sentence to- death.

Slackers and wasters ivho brought discredit on their units by their lack of smartness were dealt with by their comrades, with the approval of the officers, instead of being tried by court martial. This led to abuse, and a eavalryman at. Sheffield was so severely injured, that he afterwards brought, an action against his officers' for permitthicr this wild injustice, and recovered £50?) damages at York Assizes. Nor

PENALTIES FOR OFFENCES

did the punishment of the officers end there, for the old Duke of Wellington took occasion to reprimand the officers personally, and in terms which leave no doubt as to his feelings in the matter.

Extravagance and needless expense in the officers’ mess seem to have caused uneasiness among the authorities more than a century ago, and an order was issued to colonels that the standard of living must be kept “within the compass of an ensign’s pay.” Haw completely thi& order was ignored became evident some twenty years ago, •when a scries of ragging scandals showed that a poor man could not hope to remain in a smart- regiment owing to the pace set-l>y his wealthier comrades. It was not. until Lord Roberts took the matter in hand seriously that the abuse was removed. The devotion of the Guards at Waterloo is so well known that it is a painful surprise to learn that, “a corporal of the Guards stationed in Hougoumont, having left his regiment passed through the 95th on his way to the rear. He was not- wounded, and assigned no reason for leaving his corps, but said the enemy had caputred the chateau and all was lost. The 95th realised that his report was false, and gave him a good “booting.” The term “booting” frequently ‘occurs in ancient records of summary punishment, and it took various forms of castigation. Sometimes offenders were compelled to swallow salt and water and other nauseating fluids, besides being obliged to wear their jackets inside out. Those methods were particularly prevalent in Highland regiments. the Black Watch being specifically mentioned in that connection.