Sgt. Brown

On getting back to the billets there was a sergeant awaiting for us who introduced himself like so; "I am Sergeant Brown. Youse men are my squad I hope youse do as well as my last lot. I have always had the best squad in the barracks, and l am sure when you leave me I will have had the best squad once again if not it will certainly not be my fault".

It became known later that he had the nick name of Chinky in the peace time army. I never found out why. What we did discover after the horrors of our initial training was that his bark was worse than his bite. He had to endure the moans and groans of every one after coming back from route marches, most with blistered feet the result of the heavily studded boots. His so called cure for this was to sprinkle talcum powder in your socks or wear two pair, but the only real cure was to persevere until the feet hardened up!

It was no easy task for the sergeant to lick us into shape considering the mixed company he had, (and may I say it was not easy for us either), but he did an excellent job for in our lot there were two school teachers, civil servants, assorted tradesmen, and a Shakespearian actor. This poor chap actually wept on his return from the regimental barber for all his long curly hair had been sheared off leaving him almost scalped. He could have cut that barbers throat.

Believe me Sgt. Brown really put us through it, at times we were so glad to get back to our billets to rest our weary bodies. The poor Sgt WAS called every thing under the sun except a human being, yet when we were leaving him we had a whip round, and presented him with a cigarette case. He was delighted and genuinely moved at the gesture. I must say we were a really good squad, and certainly much healthier and fitter than when we were called up.