CRUEL TO TROOPS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25241, 2 June 1943, Page 3

CRUEL TO TROOPS

’ COLONEL SUSPENDED ASTONISHING EXERCISES LONDON, Apl. 27. The strange story of a Lieutenantcolonel Gates, who issued an instruction to officers of his training battalion that when they met a squad of men anywhere they must spring to attention and shout “Hi-de-hi!” and that the men must spring to attention and promptly reply “ Ho-de-ho! ” astonished members in the House of Commons, says Percy Cater, parliamentary correspondent of the Daily Mail. The unit, which was said to have been stationed at Matlock, became known to local people, it was declared, as “The Flanagan and Allen Battalion.” Mr H. G. McGhee, Labour M.P. for Penistone, whose recital of what he alleged took place under the colonel’s sway became more remarkable as it went along, told M.P.’s about the “Hi-de-hi!” -custom. “I do not know what reason there was for it,” he said, “but the kiddies used to shout ‘ Hi-de-hi! ’ and the soldiers did not know whether they had to spring to attention or not.” He said that if, when it was officially done, thd soldiers did not spring to attention smartly enough and reply “ Ho-de-ho!,” they got stiff C.B: Mr McGhee added: “I cannot find anything in the British Army Regulations which entitles a man to treat men jn this way.” He alleged that Colonel Gates ill-treated his men, and had his officers and warrant officers ignore Army Council instructions and break King's Regulations, which were framed to protect the soldier from cruel treatment. Pack-drill, he said, was given for the slightest offences. Mr Arthur Henderson, Joint Undersecretary to the War Uffice, told the House that in the light of reports it was decided that this officer was unfit to command men. The War Office eventually endorsed his suspension as commanding officer, and he was appointed to the staff in the same rank. When Mr Aneurin Bevan (Labour, Ebbw Vale) demanded: “Has the War Office laid down as a principle that the staff is to be recruited from officers who are unfit to command units? ” Mr Henderson replied: “ No, but this officer has rendered good service in the past. I am.sure he will render good service in the future, and I hope he will have learned his lesson.”