TEN COMMANDMENTS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 66, Issue 5600, 2 April 1943, Page 2

TEN COMMANDMENTS

THE SOLDIERS’ BIBLE

(From the N.Z.E.F. Times, Cairo)

1. Thou shaft not scrounge, either shalt thou swing the lead, lest thy resting place be the trough of which horses and ghari ponies quench their thirst. 2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Company Sergeant Major or Platoon Sergeant in vain or thou shalt have thy name inscribed on a 252 and shall go on a course of jankers.

3. Honour thy Quarter-bloke all the days of thy service that thy credits may be numbered even as the sands of Egypt. 4. Thou shalt not fill thyself up to overflowing with beer or by Royal Warrant thou shalt lose much of thy picer (pay) and the Provost Sergeant shall number thee among his staff, for it is written: He that drinketh shall pull the roller. 5. Six days shalt thou labour and on the seventh do twice as much.

6. If it come to pass that thy zeal and the sweat of thy brow cause mention of thee in Regimental Orders as being elevated to the dizzy heights of unpaid Lance-Corporal, lo thou shalt present thy humble body at the dwelling place of the “Big Noises,” which is known as the Corporal’s Mess, and shall crave that they aeejept liquid refreshments of thee at thine own expense. 7. Thou shalt not take unto thyself a comrade’s kit, neither shalt thou borrow when the owner is not present, or thy sins may be visited on thee by that quickness of the hand that blackeneth the eye. 8. Thou shalt not fritter away thy worldly goods by playing Banker, Pontoon and Nap lest the avenging voice of the Provost Sergeant be heard: Render unto me bur name and leave the money where it layeth. 9. Thou shalt not kill. If the dhobi grieveth thee, thou shalt not smite him hip or thigh, neither shall you sling him one over. Thou shall go unto the headman and crave audience of him and set forth thy grievance with much wailing and gnashing of teeth. He will open his mouth and the words of wisdom shall flow forth, and next time it shall be twice as bad. 10. And when it shall come to pass that thou art Time Expired thou shalt embark upon the waters and journey thereon until thou reaehest the Land of the Long White Cloud. There thou shalt take unto thyself strange garments and be known as a civvy. In the Long White Cloud thou shalt study the Dole and the drawing thereof. Lo for many moons thou shalt take it easy and rest form all thy labours. KIWI.