ba NEWSLETTER 2/2020 ISSN 2207-0400 SEPTEMBER 2020 train to enter. This historic event seems to have gone COVID-19 (and FLU-19) unrecorded, but historic it certainly was. {It is of course the last refuge of scandalous editing to pad a Ironically, the sequel to all these interstate quarantine newsletter with articles repeated from the past, however the precautions was that, within days of our return to Duntroon, current COVID-19 crisis reminded us of an article we many of us went down with the dreaded ‘Spanish Flu’, some published in Newsletter 1/2018 reflecting on the effect on the so seriously that they were saved from death only by the care RMC, one hundred years earlier, of the influenza epidemic in of the Medical Officer and the devotion of the nurses at the 1919 which we take great licence to retrospectively dub RMC Hospital. ‘FLU-19’. So we repeat the article below, with some Clearly, the bugs of the flu variety know no interstate additional comment from the Letters to the Editor in boundaries, but at least they caused an historic ‘first’ for the Newsletter 2/2018. Eds} Corps! A First for Duntroon in 1919 {Although not treated as an historic event, it did not go V.E. Ewart unrecorded. The Queanbeyan Age of 28 March 1919 buried the item in a column of other snippets. "This morning a A little known incident in 1919 was not only a first for special train brought the cadets back for the College. They Duntroon but also for Canberra. It happened this way. were taken on by train to Canberra, where they were met by Few people living today will have experienced the world the Duntroon Band.” Ed.} wide pneumonic influenza epidemic known in 1918-19 as {During this very difficult period there were three who were ‘Spanish Flu’. The bug was a very virulent one causing severe appointed in turn as ‘Officer in Medical Charge’. Majors illness and many deaths. In an effort to protect their peoples J.M. Alcorn and E.B. Vance were AIF officers who each from the disease and the governments of New South Wales remained for about four weeks to be followed by the long- and Victoria quarantined their borders. This included, among term posting of Major H. Stoker, in whose memory the Stoker other things, the closing down of interstate passenger rail Cup was presented to the RMC in 1926. Ed.} traffic. The measure was in force during the long summer leave of the CSC in 1918-19. At the time, as a staff cadet, I ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ recall receiving telegrams at intervals from the RMC Air Commodore Ewart graduated from the RMC in 1921 and extending my leave. Finally, however, one came ordering me transferred to the RAAF in 1923. His final appointment before to report to Victoria Barracks, Melbourne at a certain hour retiring from that Service in 1952 was as Commandant, RAAF Staff and date towards the end of February. Upon reporting I found College, Point Cook. Probably he is the oldest surviving ex-member that all staff cadets from Victoria, South Australia, Western of the RAAF. He has previously contributed to the Newsletter. Australia and Tasmania were also reporting there. From ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Victoria Barracks military motor lorries conveyed us to a pier Letters to the Editor (Newsletter 2/1988) at Port Melbourne. Here we embarked on S.S. Minah, an From Major L. A. Fell (1918) Army work boat, which ferried us to the quarantine station at Portsea. For about two weeks we were lodged in the station May I correct a couple of minor historical errors that appeared hutments before returning on S.S. Minah to Port Melbourne in your April 1988 Newsletter? The first was by my old where, on the pier, a special train awaited us. Having classmate Ulex Ewart and was titled, A First for Duntroon in entrained we were ordered to keep all windows closed as the 1919. … I think Ulex is wrong when he says that our train steamed through Flinders Street and Spencer Street cloistered journey did not save us from infection from the stations. From then on windows could be opened but not pneumonic influenza virus. I cannot recall any cases actually when passing through stations on the way to Albury. On at Duntroon. drawing into the long platform at Albury we found that it had [It seems that both of these class mates are partially correct. been completely cleared of people. Opposite our Victorian Major Stoker, the Officer in Medical Charge, reported that train the New South Wales one was drawn up and we were some 30 Staff Cadets were attacked by the epidemic but only ordered to join it. on their return to duty after the midwinter break. Major The train journey to Goulburn was uneventful but here, to Stoker noted that the weak point in the College quarantine our astonishment, the train was switched to the track for arrangements was the fact that some of the College Canberra. Until then only an occasional freight train had used employees lived in Queanbeyan. One of them contracted the track into Canberra, so it was with some wonder that we pneumonic influenza and died of it. Ed.] steamed into the Nation's capital, as yet just a sheep pasture and without a railway station, to become the first passenger 1 into one of the plate warmers to select an upturned Mess Life – 1979–82 plate. … The right number in this lucky dip is a clean plate. Allan A. Murray (1982) … Then the cadets go to the food, often During my time at Duntroon, the Corps of Staff Cadets’ Mess encountering their symbolic bovine counterpart who played a large part in the life of every cadet. The centrality of has subsequently been killed and grilled. After placing the Mess was evident from 6.45 am, when breakfast normally a piece of meat on their plate, cadets then confront the commenced, through to 10.00 pm, when the evening Check stalwarts of the Army catering system – cabbages and Parade concluded. carrots – where would the Army be without them?” I first experienced the Mess on the evening of 17 January After filing past several metres of bain-maries another 90- 1979. It was hot, busy and noisy. I soon learned that the Mess degree turn was taken through a doorway which opened to the was for more than just meals. It was a place of routine and central seating area where cadets entered the world of routine ritual and, initially at least, it was not very welcoming to IV and ritual. The Mess was full of lacquered timber tables that Class. seated eight. There was the central seating area and two Dress for the Mess was quite formal. During the week, wings, one on either side wrapping around the kitchen / work dress was worn for breakfast and lunch. In the evening, serving area. There were two privileged sections in the central in the summer, White Mess Jacket was worn—complete with seating area—the I Class Alcove, a dozen tables exclusively cummerbund and bow tie—often called the ‘penguin suit’. In for I Class cadets directly above the Trophy Room, and a table the winter, Patrol Blues was worn without the web belt. On for those cadets on duty as part of the Corps’ Orderly system, weekends, jacket and tie was required, unless in uniform. close to the kitchen. Denim jeans were a no-no, so corduroy was a popular A doorway led from each of the seating area wings into alternative. an ante-room. One was exclusively for I Class, the other exclusively for II Class. There was a full-size pool table in the I Class ante-room. Driving the routine in the Mess was the meal timings. Breakfast was from 6.45 to 7.30 am on weekdays and a little later on weekends. Morning tea, or ‘mornos’, was at 10.00 am on weekdays only and lunch was from 11.45 am to 12.30 pm on weekdays. It was a bit shorter on Saturday, squeezed in between military training and sport, and went a bit longer on Sunday. Dinner was short, 6.15 to 6.45 pm every night. One of the joys of the Mess was that steak was available for three meals a day! Sunday was a quieter day in the Mess with fewer cadets attending due to leave, sporting commitments, or just wanting to eat out. Another routine evident in the Mess was the Corps’ Orderly system. These cadets were always in uniform—the Battalion Orderly Officer, Orderly Sergeant and the Company Orderlies, or ‘Coy Ords’—and were provided as follows: The Battalion Orderly Officer was a I Class cadet rostered 1982. The entrance to the Corps of Staff Cadets’ Mess via for a week. He was identified by wearing a Sam Browne belt the steps to the Trophy Room. Source: ©The Family Murray and sword, which was removed before entering the Mess. Trust The Battalion Orderly Sergeant was a II Class cadet rostered for a week. He was identified by wearing a red sash. In 1981, I penned an item for my Company magazine, The There were six ‘Coy Ords’, a III Class cadet from each Bastions’ Bugle, entitled ‘The Dark Satanic Mess’. The company rostered for a week. They were denoted by the following extract describes the layout and flow of the Mess carrying of a short leather cane, which were hung with their after entering the downstairs Trophy Room and hanging hats before entering the Mess.