GRIM ARMY CODE

Evening Star, Issue 23370, 13 September 1939, Page 7

GRIM ARMY CODE

DUELLING AND HARD DRINKING PART OF TRAINING ROUTINE In pre-war Germany life was made difficult for army officers by the code of honour. This code—a complicated written law—practically ruled their lives from the day they first donned their uniforms. Take the business of duelling, for instance. If an officer was insulted, says Mr G. R. Halkett in his reminiscences ‘ The Dear Monster,’ he only had the choice between following the law, which meant not fighting a duel and being expelled from the army, or, following the army’s code of honour, which meant fighting and being condemned to a year’s imprisonment in a fortress.

If the man who insulted you belonged to the “ lower classes,” you could, of course, draw your sword and run him through. If you happened to be in mufti you might settle the affair without a murder—but you were seldom out of uniform. There was also an alternative for the officer who would not fight a duel: he could kill himself —and his honour was redeemed. The code of honour for privates was simpler:— ‘‘lf a civilian offends you, finish your beer quietly and walk out. If he aims a blow at you, draw your bayonet or sword. You are not exactly compelled to kill him, but never mind if you do. You get punished only if he gets the better of you. No German soldier off duty ever walked about without his weapon.” On the day the conscripts were re* [eased after their three years’ service, says Mr Halkett, the streets were apt to be rather dangerous. It was an old custom of theirs to make walking sticks out of steel cleaning rods, “ and to make the round of all the pubs in town, always with their eyes skinned for the chance of a good fight. They did not mean any harm; it was just traditional to celebrate the new freedom by singing the old ReserveLieder, cursing the n.c.o.s. and beating up any and every civilian who dared to say anything against or in favour of the army. But you did better to' keep well out of their way.”

Then there was for the officers a sort of ordeal by drunkenness. Mr Halketb can speak about it from experience, foe in spite of his name he is a German and was in the Royal Prussian Cadet Corps, where boys were trained to become officers. In the regimental mess during dinner, he says, senior officers used to send an orderly round with a message that “ Captain X desires to drink with you, sir ” : “ Then you stood up, raising your glass and draining it. You had to drain it, and the captain took a sip. There were about a dozen older officers showing their interest in you at every meal. After supper we usuajly had lectures on military subjects in the mess, and afterwards the real drinking started and seldom ended before three or four in the morning. Our duty began at five or six.” During the four months be was with’ his first battalion. Mr Halkett save that he was sober for at the most four days.