LIEUT-COLONEL. H.A. JONES.

Dozerdust, Volume 1, Issue 9, 7 August 1943, Page 1

LIEUT-COLONEL. H.A. JONES.

AN IMPRESSION

When Captain Boyd? said to me one cold morning in Waiouru, "I want you to meet tho Col eno I'',' I was very close on panic and had not time to make, an excuse to avoid the meeting* I had not previously met a high ranking officer, and I visualised myself standing very ill at ease, stammering badly, and making a fool of myself as I generally do when meeting important people "Some people find interviews easy, trey immediately find themselves at home with the person they ar o interviewing;. I find myself feeling very conspicuous, usually tongue tied and invariably saying the wrong thing. On one occasion, when interviewing a person of some importance who casually asked me my ago, I replied that I did not know. From this you will gather that I had good reason for my fit of nerves.

My first impression of Colonel Jones greatly surprised me, for I found myself facing a man who was not a chip from the conventional block, but one who gave tho impression of nboyishness”, which is one of the rarest qualities one meets in amen in this age when the emphasis is placed upon the artificial at the expense of the natural, and conviction of belief gives way to tawdry imitation. Ono moots men who have that voneor cf sophistication which moans little more than a pose; mon who havo

that r old woman ? quality that makes you fool they never rise above wast i n g your time; mon who are so full of their am importance that no frame would fit the picture they make of themselves, and men who arc the embodiment of efficiency which has little of human aympathy about it..<>.• In none of those do we find much that inspires orcven encourages; in none do we meet that freshness which ogie finds in the man who has retained that Rboyishness” which makes you fbaL you know whore you stand with him.

Perhaps it is be causa he has retained that elusive something which most of us lose as we move into maturity. the ability to believe in ideals that make life a continuous conquest that bridges the gap between the cynicism of middle age and the enthusiasm of youth. So common is this difference between the two, that we often fail to appreciate how valuable the quality of ’’boyishness” is. Ho who possesses it, you find, will infect you with his spirit of enthusiasm which ho carries into everything he undertakes# Everyone may not get the ‘‘idea”, but those who d o will work like hell tomaloe it go. It extends to making you feel there are lots of things you take too

lightly and lots you do not take lightly enough. You are made to feel that your suggestions and co-operation are vital to the success of tho work undertaken; you take for granted that you have his backing where you have justification, but try to put “one over” and it will be just too-bad for you*

That was my first impression of Colonel Jones, and one that subsequent mootings confirmedj One of my secret ambitions was to bo walking along tho road with him and suddenly come upon an empty jam tin.. I still feel that were -I to have kicked tho tin, he too would havo joined in the fun o Editor« ***. ... * .... .. <4r & -4- w J, vL vt. .t. .......

The Kiwi Concert Party gave a very bright •oncert v in this camp on Wednesday night. It was their first visit since the building of a movable stage by Works Service Constn Coy, and, as the producer said (and -the production showed) it made possible a non-stop entertainment of a high calibre.

Some of tho sketches made the audience uncomfortable, but some of the remarks (particularly to female impersonators) must have made the players more uncomfortable,, ■

Lieut Tromain thanked the party; who-'t&n went for supper Wo hope they enjoyed it as much as wo enjoyed their show.

Thank you, Kiwis.