SOLDIERS WAIT

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21223, 20 September 1940, Page 7

SOLDIERS WAIT

EAGER FOR BATTLE “GROUCH” AGAINST ENEMY ACCOUNT TO BE SQUARED (From the Official War Correspondent attached to the New Zealand Forces in Great Britain). ALDERSHOT, August 26 People in New Zealand who thought this a “funny war” last spring and summer might say the same thing about the second echelon’s participation in the English section of it this summer. Here, although we are part of a vast and well-trained army, ready to move to war stations at a few hours’ notice—or to fight where we are at practically no notice —war’s impact upon the United Kingdom has so far affected us only passively. In the meantime others are bearing the brunt—civilians, women and children, the incomparable Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy, the sturdy Merchant Navy. Our lot, being ready, is to keep ready, to be ceaselessly watchful, and to wait. Storm Will Break The position makes for a certain restiveness, which no doubt is part of the enemy’s intention. He has not succeeded—he will never succeed—in making the British public “jittery.” The harder they are hit the more stubborn will they become. Nor, however long he delays, will he make the slightest impression upon military morale. But his hesitancy does induce “fed-up-ness,” which will break in a raging storm about his head if and when he comes. In the event of his not coming, the messing about to which he has put everybody will be remembered and visited upon him when military warfare is carried to his country. Men who were among the foremost to volunteer—and would be so again tomorrow if time were turned back—are developing a new grudge against Hitler. I gave up a good job to come into the Army,” said one of them this morning, “and I didn’t come here to sit endlessly in camp.” He put it rather more picturesquely than that, gathering power and colour as he went. Not that he blamed any of our military or political authorities. He had no criticism, nor any camp-stool strategy to pit against that of the Hugh Command. But clearly he had a rod in pickle for the Fuehrer, and the more he thought of what he had given up the richer the pickle became. “Good, Healthy Grouse” The New Zealand soldier—the British soldier in general—is not a good hater. When he shoots down a raider that has been attacking his home he offers the pilot a cigarette. But give him a personal grouse and watch it grow! At the moment he is developing a good healthy grouse that will not be squared until he comes to grips with “Jerry”; and the longer he has to wait the more annoyed he is going to get. These are days of hard personal economy in camp. No man may go on his seven days’ leave unless he has £3 10s to his credit, and the average private soldier’s paybook is hard put to pass the test. Some are able to borrow from their fellows. More try to do so. Most have fallen back upon the home front. Every soldier overseas is to be allowed to receive £2O a year from New Zealand, all transactions to go through the Army Pay Office. When 48 hours’ leave was granted, early in our stgy here, most of the men went to London. To guard against the possibility of a few of them running short of money while there, an anxiliary pay office was opened near New Zealand House. Or rather, it developed into an auxiliary pay office. It was opened in the first place to meet the expected odd case, but very soon those with spendthrift tastes heard about it, and a rush set in. At that time, credits having accumulated during the voyage, most paybooks were well in credit, and men going on leave had been advised to leave something undrawn to await their return. The object of the rush was to draw those nesteggs in London. Some men made the pay office there their first port of call, although others did not turn to it until they were really short. It was felt, however, that a privilege had been abused; hence the decision not to open the London office a second time, and the consequent requirement this time that a man must have money before he will be granted leave.