RECRUIT GOES TO CAMP

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20888, 21 August 1939, Page 3

RECRUIT GOES TO CAMP

TERRITORIAL TRAINING CONDITIONS SURPRISINGLY GOOD BENEFIT FROM EXPERIENCE "No recruit will he considered efficient,” we were told, "until he has attended a recruit camp.” So we, the latest joined members of His Majesty’s Territorial Forces, decided that to camp we w-ould a marching go, whether our bosses were willing or no. As a matter of fact our bosses proved perfectly willing, even encouraging. With Danzig dancing on the political horizon and a Japanesy feel-ins in the air, they seemed positively to welcome our intention to take a week’s holiday in the open air to the accompaniment of martial exercises. to, consigning our urgent occasions to the care of our rather envious colleagues, we packed our kit-bags and set off. We were all starting off on the same foot, all recruits, and as such licensed to make all the mistakes in the military calendar—once. “Jerry,” a hardened old soldier of three and thirty, with seven years’ training behind him, had joined up as a recruit in a different unit, just because he thought he ought to, and as a recruit was determined to pull the leg of any sergeant in sight. We had joined for all sorts of reasons, but very few, I think, only or chiefly because of the “attractive conditions” offered by the Government. Members of the best-paid and one of the best-fed territorial forces in the world, most of us would still have been there had we been offered the Englishman’s Is 2d instead of the New Zealander's 12s. Though we might not have been there had the menu been anything like the Italian's vegetables and pasta. The New Zealander is not a man who, in Kipling’s immortal words, owes his stomach anything. First Sight of Camp The joupney up was long, but not tedious. “Lofty” had brought his violin, and, with its accompaniment, many voices of varying quality were raised in cheerful song. At the station we fell in, in approximately military formation, and marched off to what for many of us was a first view of the camp. The night was dark but the messroom looked cheerful, and on arrival we were fed magnificently on saveloys and potatoes, washed down with jorums of hot tea, and securely wedged with bread and butter. We quivered a little at the sight of tents, in midwinter, but cheered up when we found inside them the unheard of luxury of stretcher beds, once reserved exclusively for officers and gentlemen. The issue of no fewer than six blankets confirmed our belief that we were the spoilt darlings of the army. Even our straw 7 palliasses were ready filled for us. Bed-making was a varied proceeding, and sleep difficult to woo as a number of the soldiery, having had an insufficiently tiring day, spent most of the night in varied song. Most of us spent a somewhat wakeful night in unaccustomed conditions, and some few, having piled all their blankets on top of them, were unaccountably chilly. The art of a camp bed lies in putting rather more underneath you than on top. It was not long before most of us learnt that the envelope bed is the answer to the problem. Breakfast was hot and substantial —good oatmeal porridge, meat and the übiquitous and filling potato. Only the quartermaster knows how many tons of potatoes we consumed in our six days’ camp. Improvement in Health Thereafter we paraded for church. But we did not take the straight and narrow path to it. We took a very roundabout one, at a good brisk pace, and entered the chapel warm and cheerful. The service was short and to the point and the sermon a model of what such sermons ought to be, stimulating and very practical. We were talked to, not talked at. After service, another little walk, quite a little walk, and some physical jerks. Quite a few of them. We were kept at it by a staff sergeant of amazing physique and incredible determination. We could not keep it up, we were not going to keep it up. but we did keep it up, till we were nearly dead, but very, very warm. Then back to camp, and dinner, hot on account of the weather, with our circulations in a better state than they had been for months. Next day they separated us into squads, by territories and units. The Mounted Rifles, for some reason the infantry fail quite to appreciate, come first, on parade. There is a story about their being the senior unit. This, of course, makes the footskggers watch their behaviour very carefull v and critically. And when they stumble over their own fetlocks on parade, as sometimes happens, a small among the ranks of Tuscany. iEvery unit was given its instructor, a sergeant or sergeant-major ot the permanent staff. Not quite Hie traditional idea of the army n.e.0., these men. Spending their lives constantly dealing with Hie young and ignorant they have something of the air of slighllv disillusioned hut on the whole rather kindly schoolmasters. one instructor. after a particularly bright effort on the part of his squad, offered to raffle them among the other sergeants. but could find no takers. Such interludes, more common than the mere civilian might suppose, do much to relieve the tedium of porting arms, presenting arms and forming squad on various flanks Plenty of Variety Every day had its variety. We were never allowed to get stale, thon-h each day saw us a little smarter and a little steadier. Our own instructor. possessed of a dry sarcastic wit. never barked at us. but somehow we found ourselves doing what he wanted just, as hard as we could. He would suggest “a little brasso as a good idea.” and quite a little brasso would be used that night. lie would suggest, in the politest way in the world, that we should turn out to parade, when it suited us. of course, and even "Jerry" the old soldier, managed to make the effort. We had returned to our tents by Wednesday, and with boxinig, wrestthcl final march pas/and the small matter of the giving out of certificates and pay. Then the last Faturrtav. YYe had to rise at the unearthly hour of 5.4 5, with a little assistance from our N.C.O.’s, and with

bayonet practice, firing practice and rifle exercises all packed away in our heads for future use, we handed in our blankets and departed for the train. On Monday we were back al work. "You do look well,” they said. “Never seen you looking so fit. my lad.” And we felt it. Every muscle working just so, circulation great, digestion wonderful. It was a t-rand holiday. “Adjutant, what is the next course I can take. I feel my country needs me again very soon. Say in about October.”