Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Salient: An organ of student opinion at Victoria University, Wellington. Vol. 23, No. 3. Monday, April 11, 1960

No Crippled Wings For A Kiwi at Sandhurst

page 7

No Crippled Wings For A Kiwi at Sandhurst

Each and every year the New Zealand Government sends two young men to Sandhurst for an officer training course. They do it in the belief that the young men will come back military experts. But they, not surprising really, are wrong. The same young men come back versed in the brand of vice known only to young and educated English gentlemen. "Salient" knows, "Salient" interviewed one such Sandhurst product. Young of face, but ...

Young Officers of Sandhurst.

Young Officers of Sandhurst.

Discipline

The first task, it appears, of army personnel at Sandhurst is to destroy, utterly and completely, any high ideals that cadets might hold about army life. This is done in the traditional way . . . Discipline. Cadets have little chance of seeing Old England during the first six weeks, in fact a rooky cadet is lucky to get a peep outside of Sandhurst at all. Time tells, and time passes and at last the cadet is reduced to introvertly examining his reasons for joining the army. If none of these reasons are convincing, then the army has won and it is felt safe to grant the cadet leave. Three glorious days. Time aplenty for desertion. Time at a quiet country pub, well away from it all. Then back in a justifiably alcoholic haze to a second term at Sandhurst.

Changes For The Better

There are some changes in the second term. Changes for the better. The cadet is allowed to wear civvies when off duty. Only trouble he's never off duty. Nevertheless the thought is always appreciated.

The term and the year passes. The cadet gradually becomes practised at consuming more and more liquor for less and less visible effect. All good training for the second year with its emphasis on sharpening the attributes that make a Sandhurst product more than soldier. It's a post graduate course that could be entitled. "How to be a Young English gentleman."

The young officer that "Salient" interviewed, called "Abo" because he can't stand Australians, crossing tweedy legs recollected with an impeccable Oxford accent how he had become a gentleman . . .

"Mon Dieu"

"We took an army yacht to France. Appealing place the Continent. We arrived in Paris with 14/- amongst six chaps. Just enough for beer and bread. Had to gate crash the Moulin Rouge. Managed to land right at the feet of the strip-teaser. 'Mon Dieu' we breathed. 'Mon Dieu' roared the manager, 'this cannot be tolerated.' We were thrown out just after Salome had removed the fifth veil. Good show while it lasted. The professional women soon found us, and they were beautiful like everything in Paris that evening. But so expensive. Not that we ...

Intolerant Husbands

"Went to Germany too. Land of misty castles, flaxen haired fraus, and their blond, intolerant husbands. So unreasonable. Spent most of the time in the Officers bar. Whisky only 5/7 a bottle! Cigarettes 1/- for 20. Chased after a dream of fraulein. Actually the C.O's wife. Cool reception. Scared of husband. Me too.

"Actually spent most spare time in the quiet old English taverns. They take the place of coffee bars. Cider was most popular. All right if hard up, gave one same sort of ideas.

Garden Of Eden

"Hyde Park. Haven for the intelligent man out for relaxation, for the crank with obsessions, and for me. Came down some steps one night, saw a girl. Looked a little lonely. Well, you know, paternal instinct and all that. Spoke to her. Astounding response, even for a Sandhurst gentleman. Spent the day together . . . and more. Poor kid, just liked having someone around. Just happened to be jolly good looking.

"Pity one has so little opportunity to be a gentleman here."