HOME ON LEAVE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 51, 11 May 1942, Page 5

HOME ON LEAVE

MEN FROM ARMY CAMPS LAY MEN GET PRIVILEGES One of the popular topics talked of by men newly arrived in Army camps—especiallj' if they are married men—is Avcek-cnd leave. After a day or two in uniform the ucav soldier is keen to knoAV Avhen he will be able to go home on leave. His folks at home are still keener to knoAV this. Leave is a privilege—and not a right—so the officers explain to the new arrivals in camp. Nobody has any right to leave in the sense that the civilian Avorker has a right to take Saturday afternoon and Sunda t y off. In actual practice Aveek-end leave is ft'iven to most soldiers in New Zealand at least once a month, and nights off at more frequent intervals. ( The system of allotting leave Agarics, from camp to camp, and naturally a great deal of discretion is left to the officer commanding the unit. The officers like to see the men get as much leaA'e as possible, because they themselves also are looking forward to time off, and this Avould not be possible Avitli a camp full of men. So a percentage of the unit goes on. lcaA 7 e one Aveekrcnd, and other men go on the following week-ends until everyone has had a turn, and then the first men are Avaiting for their second leaA 7 e. The men AA'ho spend their Aveek-ends in camp liave no difficulty in filling in time that is theirs on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. There is plenty of company, a A*ariety of recreations, and of course a bit of Avashing of socks, vmdenvear and towels for those Avho Avant to do so. The Papakura camp, being a model camp, has ample Avash tubs, coppers and clothes lines, and iioav that its population contains a high proportion of men Avith family responsibilities it can be assumed that there are plenty of soldiers Avell trained: at home' in the art of AA'ashing clothes. Cheap Rail Fares Men from the Bay of Plentj* at Papakura camp of late lwe enjoyed the privilege of getting long Aveekend Avhieh has enabled them to traA r el down on the Saturday train and return on the Monday train. HoAvever there is a priA T ilcge od to them because their homes are so far away from the camp. Men from Auckland and the Waikato ha\-e to be back in camp at midnight oil Sunday. The Army takes care to emphasise that such an extension of the Aveek-end to include Mendav is a priA'ilege and: not a

right. Good soldiers understand this and therefore do nothing which- may cause such privileges to be withdrawn. Some few not so good: overstay their leave and make acquaintance of guards with fixed bayonets and losses of pay—but there is no need to enlarge on such painful topics. Men in uniform do not travel free on the railways, but they can travel at reduced rates. Thus: men coming home to Whakatane from Papakura for the week-end pay lis return for their train fare—a cheap IS-'hour ride on the rails! The return fare from Papakura to Auckland is one shilling. • Leave in the City A popular form of leave for men from the country at Papakura camp is Friday night leave. The leave train reaches Auckland about (> p.m. and leaves the city after 11 p.m., enabling them to spend the evening with friends or sample the various entertainments which the city provides. Then enjoying Friday night leave stay in the camp on Saturn days and Sundays. Soldiers without friends or relatives to welcome them in Auckland are well provided for by various' patriotic institutions. The Carrie Hostel provides beds for men in uniform for a shilling, and is crowded every week-end. This is probably patronised more by youthful and single soldiers, because married men will no doubt be desirous of returning to their homes.,for the weekend when leave is due to the 111. Popular Pay Day The Army pays its Home Defence. soMiers every fortnight. Prospective rccruits who read this can start practising the art of saluting their unit officers—a necessary action when they receive the hard earned 2/0 or 2/- a day paid out in notes. Purchases of tobacco etc. and other solaces for leisure hours make quite a hole in the 30/- or £1 a Aveek geneva' ly coming to the man in the ranks. Probably the married soldiers get

just about as much pocket money in the Army as their better halves alloAved them in eiA'ilian life—or else they may be Avorse off. However, there can be no doubt that pay parades are much more popular line ups than the parades for numerous ether less lucrative Army purposes.

Every soldier has his financial position in the Army set out in his pay book. No entry is made in the pay book which gives any indication as to the unit to which the soldier belongs—the reason for this is obvious. However there are spaces for the soldier's name, number, rank, date of calling up, age at enlistment, whether married or single, and next-of-kin. Housework in the Army Besides teaching its soldiers how to handle Aveapons of warfare the Army gives them ample opportunities to practice housework of a sort. The soldier folds up his bedding in the morning in the standard Army way, lays out some of his gear according to plan, and hides the rest out of sight in his kit bag. This is probably a contrast to his previous bebaA'iour in civilian life when he may have scrambled out of bed and left the times a day. Cam]) oificers do not look with favour on the popular practice of throwing down cigarette butts and matches when there are rubbish tins at frequent intervals. Hence the holding of "Emu Parade's" Avhen the unit in a long line emulates the emu by picking up this litter and transferring it to the proper places. That the Army makes its recruits do the houseAvork of the camps will no doubt be pleasant news to wiA'es of prospective soldiers. They can look forward to the time Avhen Johnny comes marching home again fully qualified—if lie is not already —in the art of Avashing clothes, washing dishes, scrubbing floors am 1 tidying up to female hands. Officers spend more of their time than soldiers approA'e of in uttering dire threats as to stoppages of leave and extra drill that may result if huts and tents are not left in the standard Army degree of neatness Avhile the oci-upants are on duly. I.n turn every soldier lias the job of serA'ing out the food to his messmates. of Avashing the mess dishes and scrubbing tables and floors. Every soldier Avashes his own eating utensils three laying the table. This may be a solution of the domestic serA'ant problem—if it still exists. Who says then that good will not result from this sail Avar? What an asset to have a nation of demobilised soldiers all able to do the houseAvork Avhi'.e their better halves* are enjoying that leisure which in pre-Avar days Avas too often the prerogative of the mere male. Meanwhile on with the war effort.