LIFE IN THE A.C. FORCE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2694, 7 November 1881, Page 3

LIFE IN THE A.C. FORCE.

The following extracts from a letter written by a recent recruit of the A.C. Force at the “ front ” to a friend at the Thames are interesting :-r-

“ This is soldiering in earnest. We rise between half-past five and six in the morning, parade at 6.30 until 7.30 breakfast from 8 till 9, parade again about 9,15 till 10.30, breathing time until 11.15, when we fall in again, and drill until 12 or half-past, dinner from 12 to 2, drill again at 2, short spell from 3 till half-past, when we drill again until half-past 4, after the last drill we can take the run of the town till 10 o’clock, at which time we have all to be in bed. The roll is called by the orderly sergeant, and any constable not in bed at that time will get into trouble, unless on leave, and no man is allowed to leave the barracks until after the last parade. We are inspected nearly every morning (at early parade) by Inspector Coleman, and Lord help the man who is not dressed to his satisfaction ; if there is the least particle of dust on his rifle,

he is told to he sure to have it cleaned by next parade. If by chance there happened to be a hair on his jumper, dust on his boots, or a wrinkle in his cap, he has to step to the rear and adjust his dress. One has to be continually wiping his rifle to keep it from getting rusty ; mine has been cleaned regularly five times a day, and the others equally as often. “In the sleeping rooms things are as strictly looked after as on parade. All beds are to be in line, and equal distance apart ;,no plain clothes are to be kept in the room at all. All the big coats are to be folded alike, strapped up, and placed on a shelf ; mattrasses to be rolled up and placed on the beds, which*fold up ; blankets to be folded according to order, and if everything is not in order by half-past eight we all know of it. When the Inspector enters the.-room the first one who sees him calls ‘ attention,’ when all stand by their beds, and if things are not as they ought to be, he has to unpack and pack up again. There is one consolation, we are blessed with good officers ; the sergeants have the patience of Job, and are well liked by the men.

“ The men are supplied with all clothing, even to boots, collars, and tie from the depot, at a very reasonable rate too ; you can get a first-class pair of watertight boots for 15s, the whole kit (he has to get legginp, overcoat, dishes, knife and fork, brushes and blacking, whether he likes it or not) costs about £4. The cost of each man’s kit is deducted from his pay gradually, and according to the scale of deduction it will take three months to square.