Newsletter 1/1995 April 1995 Fourth Class 1934 E.G. Williams I have been moved to write of the events (some of them) in After dinner, where we were again assailed by multifarious my own era at the RMC, 1934-1937. I do this noting that questions, had proved the ~~ng-oleand had answered none of my classmates has put pen to paper - or else I have midday questions, I was told to learn the Jabbenvock and missed them. By a series of vignettes I will try to show some repeat it at breakfast. I don't know where I got hold of a copy of the humour and tears that were my lot in my first year as a of this Lewis Carroll horror, but I did and was prepared, at staff cadet at the RMC. 'lights out', to recite it and so to sleep. After being collected from Central Station, Sydney, with Or so I thought, but it was not to be, for shortly after 'lights my luggage, including a cabin trunk and articles of clothing out' the wind blew - the wind being three Third Class cadets which had been specified by a Captain B.W. Puiver (1916), I in my block who gripped hold of the end of the bed, pulled arrived at the steps of Duntroon Wing, Victoria Barracks. and lifted it to the vertical. I then got up and pulled the bed There I was accosted by two soldierly figures, in khaki drill into some semblance of order, but that wind was blowing jackets, trousers, boots, puttees and slouch hats who marched strongly. After the third up-tipping, I was nestling down (not walked) in a true military style, arms swinging to the against the wall and was ordered to make my bed. This was shoulders, head erect, shoulders back. They introduced too much for the Second Class sergeant.., in the next room, who themselves as Staff Cadets H.E. Gilbert and N.B. Cowper told them vely smartly to go hence - or words to that effect! from New Zealand and told me that they had been in camp at This really commenced my first year, during which the Trentham in New Zealand for about a month'. RSM, WOI A.T. (Dusty) Mortimer [1931-401, taught us the They took me and my baggage in hand, first to a room on rudiments of individual, platoon and company drill with the the upper story, then to the Company Commander, Corps of aid of ropes long enough to approximate a platoon marching Staff Cadets, Captain Pulver, where I was sworn in, and then line abreast. Rifle driii in~itidzdthe firing of the Feu de joie to the 'Q' Store where I received large quantities of clothing, which was in preparation for the celebration at Centennial arms and equipment. Then it was back to my room where Park of the Royal Jubilee of King George V. He also they showed me how to store all that I had just been issued, instructed us in the proper manner to give three cheers, using RMC regulations to determine how wide folded shirts, surprising the class when he took his cap off to reveal a bald singlets and underpants should be in the wardrobe and how to patch; no matter, he was a good man and, like all the pinch the edge of the counterpane on my bed. Australian Instructional Corps, a good instructor. After this we went down to the Cadets' Ante Room and We had plenty of ceremonial work that year. In addition to into lunch in the Mess. I found out very speedily at lunch the Corps of Staff Cadets ceremonials in front of the Duntroon how I would be addressed for the first year, bastard. I didn't Wing Block, with the staff lined up alongside the tennis really take umbrage at that as I knew I wasn't, but then courts, there was the mounted guard for the visit of HRH, The seniors at the table began asking all sorts of questions, What Duke of Gloucester. This was to be the 'Bumpy Trot' as is Young &Jackson's? What happens ar Stawell? What is thc practised by the Horse Guards. It meant more than that; it Jabberwock? Acknowledging that as a Queenslander I didn' meant buffing all steelwork, polishing the saddles and pipe- know, I was told to find out by dinnertime. The meal itsel claying the stitches. In the event, the Police Greys, who were was quite pleasant but the seniors intimated that they should in the procession, moved at a hard gallop, so we had to follow. never have to ask for anything - we Fourth Class boys were One interesting event came out of our preparation for the to notice it and pass it without further ado. We did notice that Duke of Gloucester's visit. We had lances and sabres on there was a plethora of cheese (Bung-ole) and we were charge which had led to much sham fighting between lances introduced to the queer game of 'Proving the Bung-ole', and sabres but, horror of horrors, my sabre broke. As we had where one cupped the cheese in the Cheese Dish, flipped it to do, I put myself on a charge and in due course fronted up to and tried to stab it with the cheese knife. There were, I think, Captain Pulver. I told him that I was sitting on my table three classes of proved cheese - Bung-ole, 0 Bung-ole and practising a point when I overbalanced and broke the sabre. Horrific Bung-ole. Yes, ye5 StaflCadet Williams, said Captain Pulver, You will I disremember if we paraded for lunch or dinner - I think pay for the sword. Three days CB. March out! that was the next day, but after lunch we were permitted to go to our rooms to put them in inspection order - clothes folded, Another little anecdote that showed we were subject to Old puttees rolled, boots shined, bed made with pinched edges, Boys as well as our seniors. The OB said, Bastard, can you rifle cleaned (bolt bright clean and lightly oiled). This took run? I replied, Not very fast. He said, Give me your knife (sword) aid you give me the shout, Ready, Set Go and you all afternoon - not that I was slow - but it was all so new and different. know what will happen ifyou don't beat me to the end of the verancluh. I beat him. In our riding training in the mknage, I was quite at home at the walk but, on the order T r r rot, I somehow got on the wrong leg and fell off. At that, our assistant instructor cavalry, WOII A.E. (Bert) Easter [1926-421, made the 1. The other New Zealand members of that Fourth Class automatic comment, Who told you to dismount Staff Cadet were E.W.S. Williams and L.W. Thornton. Ed. Williams? I got on and this time stayed on. I'm afraid I've missed one portion of my first year life and But came the night when we were told that there was a that was the camp at Menangle, for it was there that I had a special test. In fact it was our initiation, which took a long bad eruption of boils in my crutch and it was then that I met while, so I was glad I was so fit. It causes one to wonder, with the most unfeeling doctor of all time. Why? Every morning both lads and lasses at the 'Clink' now, how much some of he used to pull the heads off the blasted boils, squeeze them the details and words will have had to be altered. and put boiling water foments on them. After a week of this Next was the cavalry trek through the Burragorang Valley torture I was sent to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where before it was flooded. The packed saddle which could easily they repeated the treatment, except that they didn't pull the support one asleep with sabre, rifle bucket etc. etc. made me heads off the boils, they didn't squeeze them and the foments think how good were the Walers that carried our men in the (to my mind) were only warm. Sinai in the War of 1914-1 8. For my sins, our section leader There was another episode worth recording. It started on (Second Class) made me cook. Before we left I had packed the Hockey Field where I collided with a Second Class staff extra bully beef and such. At one stop, about two days out, cadet - M.F. Brogan (Yes, the future Sir Mervyn, CGS) and we were quartered near a barn on a farm and a nice big black he was knocked out! I was kneeling with my hockey stick on pussy cat had been much in evidence. When I was getting the ground thinking, The poor old fellow is dead, but as he dinner ready he disappeared and the section looked with started to come to, I collapsed and on waking up found that I suspicion on the succulent(?) stew I had prepared. There was in Concord Hospital. While there, I borrowed 21- (two were some left overs but I had not used the pussy cat. shillings) from one of the diggers and had a flutter. Well, that However, having been terminated as cook, next day I was day the 2UE form guide picked the programme and I wound back in the grooming, watering and feeding with my own up with fifty pounds [Current value is $2,5761.