THE SERGEANT ON OFFICERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9791, 15 October 1917, Page 10

THE SERGEANT ON OFFICERS

"Officers” e aid the sergeant to the corporal, "is yooman, same as soldiers. 1 don't ’old witn people that don't 'old. with officers. What I say is, officers all rignt so long as they don’t go an' interfere with, tfio Army. The minute they start doin’ that, of course, it s ail umpvdoodleum with every think. Bom, of 'tan, niter we've taught 'em, knows a bit about it, an' they ’ave the sense to leave it. all to us. x'aay ooincs a»iu b ' of a mo fin in’ an’ they inspect the platoon, an' if a chap 'as a 'airy chin or dirty, buttons or. 'asn'c cleaned ’is nhe. they says, ‘Take ’is name an' number, sergeant!' as cool as any think an' tncu thev 'ops off an’ leaves .us to teach tho chaps 'ow to do their job. "Now, that’s the kind of officer I like, an’ that’s the kind that gets on in tnc Army. They know when to ieave thugs alone, an’ they know that the N.C.O.'s is the backbone of the British Army, an’ so they keeps off the backbone, so to speak. Sea? "Mind ..you.”- .he continued, I« known officers what know as much as N.C.O.'s—real! ©lever ohapß they was, ctoo. I ‘ad a few of ’em through me ’ands at Chelsea, an’ X don't m_iia suyin some of 'ecu's done mo credit, tve don't fstand’ no 'umbug at Chelsea, you itenow. X’vei 'ud a squad oi offiftiu, from majors down to one-stars, .an' talked to 'em like I talk to th- w> n ■ out in the square there. We don t take no novice ol notnina under tue ..uie . a lieutenant-colonel at Chelsea, an’ not top much notice of 'im. BLUSHED LIKE A GIRL. "Well, I’vo seen a officer, after I’ve 'ad a few weeks at ’im, turn roun’ an’ drill a comp’ny very near as well as 1 could do it myself, an' when I’vo con, plimented 'im on ’is. ability—l always say a nice thing now an’ then to 'earten 'em up a bit—Vs blushed, corp'ral, blushed like a girl! Some people would ’ardly believe that a company commander could blush, but I tell you I aeon ’em do it—’ardened captains, some of ’em—just because I’ve said a kind word of praise to ’em! “Supposin’ you was a sergeant,” be proceeded, “an’ a subaltern come up an’ started messin' about with your platoon, wot'd you do?” “I’d let 'im, an’ then, .when Vd got ’em properly tied up, Vd mebbe give over!” the corporal replied, with great satisfaction in his tone. “Well, that 'ud be a silly thing to do," said the sergeant. “Absolutely silly! You’d bu lettin’ the chap down before the men, an’ that 'ud never do at all; an’ Vd feel rotten, an’ mobbe think you’d done it a-purpose. I always bear in mind that a young officer only interferes with a platoon because 'e wants to ao 'is job as well as ’e can; an’ 1 don’t like to let ’im down, so if I sees Vs goin’ to make a mess of things, 1 gen’rally passes tho word along the ranks that the first man what makes a mistake, even if the officer orders 'im to make it, T 1 be for comp’ny office the next mornin’ for ’avin’ a dirty rifle or somethink, see, an’ that gingers ’em up a bit, an' they do the drill as smartly as if 1 was in charge meself. An’ what's the result? “Why." he said triumphantly, 'the officer goes away as pleased as if he’d won the battle of Messines. an’ thinks Vs about ready to take 'Aig’s place. An’ what d’you think V thinks of the sergeant when that 'appens? Why, 'e thinks the sergeant’s a damn smart chap, don’t you bally well know, an’ if ’e ’appears to 'ave a spare quid one day an’ don't know what to do with it. Vs as likely as not to give it to the sergeant, jin’ say, 'Ere, sergeant, buy yourself a packet of Woodbines with this!’ An’, then everybody’s ’appy.”—“Express."