“DIGGER” BRAND.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 644, 23 December 1932, Page 5

“DIGGER” BRAND.

Popular Australian General Retires. “JAMMED ON THE RAILS." CSpecial to the “ Star.") MELBOURNE, December 16. Responding to a tumultuous welcome at a luncheon tendered him in the United Services’ Institute in Melbourne by 100 officers of the staff corps and representatives of the Navy and Air Force, Brigadier-General (“Digger”) Brand, the most popular living leader of the A.1.F., who has just retired from the office of Quartermaster-General in Australia, declared that if he had to select a life’s career again he would choose that of a regular soldier. “ No other profession,” he said, “ affords such opportunities for developing latent administrative or organising taient or acquiring an insight into human nature.” It was to be hoped, he said, that conditions would improve so that there would not be such an inclination for the best men to leave the service of the Navy', Army and Air Force and go into commerce. Australia must have a fully trained complement of staff officers. “ My retirement from active soldiering means a slackening of the bonds that bound us together in a common cause,” said Brigadier-General Brand. “ and I would be a queer individual if I did not feel the wrench. To-day, however, I refuse to be downhearted. Why should I be? After forty -four years’ service for the Crown, thirty-two of which have been spent in the Army', 7 have entered a life of ease and reflection, with my head well up. I believe I have given faithful and honest service, and I can look back and say that I never knowingly did any man an injustice. (Cheers.) “ I have made friendships which will end with the gave. I have had a good run except in the last half furlong, j when I got jammed on the rails by a j horse called Economy' out of Depres- j sion.” (Laughter.) i