"YOU REMEMBER GEZIREH?"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 174, 25 July 1942, Page 8

"YOU REMEMBER GEZIREH?"

(By FRANK BRUNO) E was gratified to learn, in the

public prints of recent date, that the twin brothers of crown and anchor and the soul-destroying drug of two-up are now frowned upon by the New Zealand soldier. Darts he prefers, and ludo, and a quiet game of cards for matches. The matches are refunded at the end of the game. A student, active and passive, of the highly conservative history of manslaughter (military), present godly liver is conscious of this as one of the phenomena which from time to time disrupt the harmony of all well conducted wars.

In the bad days of '39 and aftei - - wards in the Land of Egypt, the House of Bondage, we bad boys of the first echelons—alas—gambled. The crown and anchor boards, and the two-up dice were loud in the Naafis on pay nights; and the hoarse cries of "'oo'll 'ave the major an' the heart? What about the little Dinky Di? Any more before she goes?" harmonised with "back a tail" or "twenty akkers he heads 'em!"

Bluey and I took a board out one day to Gezireh racecourse. You remember Gezireh, old Digs of last time? There was a vast crowd, and the wealthy "wogs" were plunging heavily upon doped and hobbled horses and having fun and games. Well, down went our board, and Bluey "geed" loudly. Bluey and I had been in the same boxing troupe around Tasmania in my errant youth, and "speil" came naturally to Bluey. The "wogs" rolled up. They rolled up everywhere, in milling bunches, for there were, on that day, about 80 crown and anchor boards infesting the sport of kings. The clamour rose to the startled skies. "Wogs" shrieked with glee or rage, calling upon Allah the Compassionate, the Merciful, to bring the major (or the hook) safely home. The races ran to an empty stand: for the fans were crowding around the boards, and "shower 'em down, gence" was the satanic invitation. A few stray swings began to start, for the crafty "wogs" were edging their skirts on to the board and abstracting the akkers with their toes. And after the first dozen or so had picked themselves up instead of the desired akkers Gezireh racecourse began to look like Olympu. Pass. Whacko! And again whacko! The m.p.'s started in, and a company •>f the Scots Guards. A bad show, jitizens, indeed.

Blue and little Jimmy, Mad Mac .did Stuttering Scottie, Auld Jock— old comrades, do you chuckle in Valhalla? And do Lefty and Shorty nnd Beer Blister pass away the hours of their captivity with the old game? And Pullthrough, who was taken in Crete with a battle flag? His crown and anchor board hangs with the captured colours in -ome war museum in Germany now.