A.I.F, CARNIVAL.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 346, 29 January 1937, Page 2

A.I.F, CARNIVAL.

Veterans At Sydney Competition. "Old soldiers never die, They only fade away. ~< .” The truth, if truth there is, in the old song, has been confirmed again in an A.I.F. swimming carnival promoted at Coogee Aquarium (Sydney) recently. The events, for" instance, had a typical "old soldier” flavour about their titles—" Brass Hats” handicap, C.O.'s handicap (one could place varying interpretations on the noun), “Cooks Fatigue” potato race; “Peggies” and “Winkiris” handicap; “Route March" handicap and "Housewife” (“Hussif” to you) race. And then there'was the handicapping for the relay race—the big event 10 men aside, 50 yards each. You see the “peggies” and the “wingies” (collectively, the Limbless Soldiers' Association) had suggested the carnival, and they had materially helped in its organising. So there had to he some handicap balancjing to account for missing parts. Agreed.—Two seconds Start for a missing limb or limbs. And so the Limbless Soldiers’ team—three members Irad no legs, and the other seven had only one apiece—had a 20 seconds start. God bless their guts! They came second—to Bondi. The winners averaged 43 years and 32 l-sscc. The individual palm went to “Fritz” Lough, who won the 50 yards and 200 yards championships, the first in 28 3-ssec and the second in 2.34. But “Fritz,” a stripling of 40 years, had once been an open surf champion.

Sid. Riddington did not quite reproduce his 1912 State champion form to win the diving championship. But waist-lino, tike body-line, (has ITs effect. Jock McLaren, of the Limbless Soldiers' Club, took the honours of the carnival, despite the fact (hat he is minus two legs. He started four t'mes in 50 yards races, and twice in 100 yards events. “Old Soldiers.” Sam Lindsay, with 47 years behind him, cleaned up the big event —the Captain Gilbert Nobbs’ A.I.F. Cup. A heat, semi-final and final did not stop Sam. from clocking 31 2-ssec for the last-mentioned swim. Four perky "youngsters” lined up for the Old Soldiers’ Handicap. Three of ’em, who were lads in the fifties, had no sense or respect for age. They showed no consideration for M. Gordon, a Digger of 62 summers' . . . and, judging by his grey thatch, an even greater number of winters. Most of the Diggers 'had juvenile supporters, who barracked for a. bhap called “Dad." Not a few of thh competitors used terms, fashionable in 1914-18, but rather . . . er , . . pungent to pen-martial (bars. A ‘grflet night., Cec. Healey was probably smiling happily—from the Valhalla of great swimmers. “Ladies and gentlemen, 0 announced Director Ben Johnson, “we will be here next year—one year older, and, definitely, one year slower.’’