Tuesday
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH
By Walt Disney
DONALD DUCK
FLOWERS
BY GO
THE BOY
WERE
SHE IS
ME A SWEATER
I BETTER GET HER A BOUQUET!.
| Ciện 1981, Walt Diary Productiona·
2-19
GRIN AND BEAR IT
By Lichty
COM UNITED STATES
The
2-24
"We could try an Invasion there on April 16th, the open- ing day of the baseball season in America—then it wouldn't get much notice in the papers."
Crossword Puzzle
ACROSS
1-Pistola (sund)
B-Ball that kita með
8-Identiens
12—Mine entrance
iJ-Metal-bearing rock
14-Buppos
15-Bchool term
17-MITATy smalstant
11-8pm (Prunch)
31-Conducted
32—JALP WATE
13-an coin
15-Printer's MELIUTA
24-Urchin
20-Alati Jamur
30-Paid athleta (slang)
J-Printers mensura 12-00)
33-featurthy
16-748 of toner
17--Pertaining to mountains
38-Warmer 13-Xxlated
45—Navy Salise
forth
Bequests
12
123
BY LARS MORRIS
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZELS
41-Compass point
Lair
GROS
--aving dente os
Motrig mensure (pl.) American tennis player 6-Before
7-Edible tortoise,
Potion of golfer Ott up 30-Bculptora
Il-Bheep 18-Man's nickname
1)--Gea bird ORE 2-Western Indian
examples
25-Gambling game 27-Negative 70-Aqualia bird
J-Bweet acent 32-Carrie wil ons 33-Prejudiced
35-Vertical (nautica)) 36-Persian ruter 37-Pather
J-Bus) with wax 30-Ireland
40--Bak# fax 43-Harried
DOWN
1-Destroy
-Bhart Doem
2
5
16
B
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10
1744
28
3.7
24 135
72
20
$3
36
30
43
126
27
30-
$39
Count the "TELEGRAPHS"
everywhere
140
Phantom Kang Tratsmei
WALT DiSHEL
In this, the Third Article in Our New Series:
OUR GREAT NEW ARMY
H. V. MORTON describes his
66 Young oung
I
AM able to say that the
War Office is giving, care- ful thought to the grievances of the Young Soldiers Bat- talions. What these griev ances are I shall explain in the course of this article.
First, let me explain what a Young Soldiers Battalion is, and how these units came into being. Their history is a curious one.
Before the War, Territorial battalions formed companies of old soldiers known RB National Defence Companies, who had no pence-time duties or organisation but were to be called up on the outbreak of war to guard water-works, bridges, tunnels, aerodromes, military stores and power stations.
The age of enlistment in these companies was from 45 to 55, and at first only ex- soldiers were accepted.
Back To Khaki
When War came, these old sokliers turned up with great engerness to put on khaki again and were formed into "Groups" composed of four or more companies under a Lieut-Colonel, who was called the "Group Commander."
As
This organisation was found to be imperfect and so in November 1939, the existing groups were formed into Bat- talions, known as the Home Defence Battalions, and as such
functioned they guards all over the country.
No one has ever praised those old soldiers for the work they did in critical and an- xious times last year, or for the way they stood up to the hard winter of January and February.
Men who commanded them and came into contract with them tell me that they were magnificent.
However, despite their cour- age and cheerfulness, the surprising spectacle was ob- served, so often prophesied in military song, of those old soldiers gradually "Tading away."
And they faded away as the result of age, illness, and old wounds.
Old Blll dragged himself to the water-works with heroic regularity, but, alas, his rhcu- matics, plus the "Blighty one" he got at Festubert, made it necessary for him to retire reluctantly into civil life.
When those ok soldiers had been discharged, the supply ceased, and it was decided to All the gaps with young volun- teers between the ages of 18-
and 20,
That was not a happy idea, and the mixing, of old and ́ young together was not satis- factory; therefore on Septem-. ber 19, 1940, the Young Sol- diers Battalions were formed by removing from the Home Defanco Battalions all the lads of 18 to 20.
Thus the Young Soldiers Battalions wore born; phoenix- llka, from the ashies of the old soldiers battállons,
And they remain to-day the only organisation which can.
give n boy two years' military
visit to the
Soldiers
training before he automati- cally joins the Army at the age of twenty..
I visited a juvenile bat- talion, which wears the badge of a famous London regiment, and is stationed on the out- skirts of a garrison town,
I found the headquarters in a pleasant suburban mansion hidden from the main road by trees.
Here I met the adjutant, and the second in command, both as keen as mustard on training young lads to be soldiers. Then I met the colonel, who was a good man for the job, I thought.
His expression could change in a second from that of a stern parent about to disin- herit his son to that of a bene- volent uncle about to part with half a crown.
"See My Battalion"
"If you wish to see my bat- talion, instead of talking about it," he said, "you'll have to travel round the countryside, for the boys are scattered all over the place on guard duty."
I asked if that was their normal position, and he repli- ed, yes, unfortunately it was.
Owing to the intensive training going on in the dis- trict-it-was-not-possible-for- older troops to be found for such duties, with the result that the young soldiers have. to do them.
He had consequently never seen his battalion on parade, and knew it only as a number of scattered . detachments.
Mere Sentries
I said that while this was un- fortunate for him it must be par- ticularly unfortunate for the boys themselves, who had joined the Army of their own free will in order to become efletent soldiers by the time they were called up, ind, Instead, found themselves turned Into permanent sentrles,
"Well, you must judge for your- self," suld the colonel with a smile that was five shillings In the school holidays; by which I I gather-
that I
I had not displeased hint. Accompanied by the second in command, I I set off in one of those chromalle Austin Sevens, which the Army has tried to disguise as a bit of open country.
cd
like
in
We came to general headquar ters, where, with a sweep of his hand, the major indicated a wide flight of steps nt the top of which. slood two sentries who looked as though they had been blown over from Buckingham Palace,
They were about six feet height, and the
garment, known (thanks,
to some melodramatic tailor), as "uttle- dress,"
had been pressed into smariness; toe-caps shone as the Guards sline them, and every bit of webbing was blancoed, and all the buckles gleamed.
East and West
"Two of our lads," said the major. "We are very proud of Anding the headquarters guard." ·
We mounted the steps, where I talked to, the young glant on the left,
Where do you come from?" I asked.
"Hackney," he replied sternly but sulously.
How old are you?"
"Nineteen next birthday," he paid,
giving the Inst word its true Cockney value,
"Ace your people safe?''
So far."
I spoke to the young giant on
the right.
"Where do you come from?" all.
I
"Kensington, sir," he said briskly. "And where did you go ta school?"
"Westminster, sir."
“And do you like the Army?" “Well, er...” he looked in the direction of the major, "yes sir, I like it very much, sir.”
"A Grand Mixture"
We passed Into the building, where we encountered two more young soldiers' mounting guard over n pile of dust-bins and a series of back doors.
I asked the mofor. If the mixture of
L.C.C. public schoolboy and schoolboy, which I had encountered on the
was general throughout the
front step.ion.
"Yes, it is," he replied, "the but- dalion
is a mixture of lads of every social grade, and a grand mixture it is. East End snobbery, and West Ent snobbery don't last long here. "The lads soon mock the rough corners off each other, and It's in- to, see them striding up
08.
The two you spoke to on the front step, who used to fight like cals, are now great buddies: they go about everywhere together."
What are your chief troubles?" "First, these
perpetual guard duties, which make it difficult to erente esprit de corps,,
"usecolavcipline, for which I per-
general ingrained lack of sonally blame parents, among inds of eighteen.
of
"Thirdly, a small percentage of real bad huts with criminal re- curds, who have been wished on us by magistrates."
How is that?"
toolish habit was the magistrates
particularly in Glass- gow, which does not affect us, to offer Juvenile offenders the choice between punishment and the Army. "Of course, they chose the Army, That has been stopped, I am gind to say."
We then made a rapid tour of ordnance stores, waterworks, petrol dumps, an aerodrome, and such- Hike places, scattered over an area of several miles, and at each point we came upon small detachment
soldiers.
fer were being chased about on
They P. and bayonet practice in the brief intervals between "posing up" for guard duty.
A sergeant, who wore the Mons Star,
told me that a better lot of lads could not be found anywhere. It was a pity to see their keenness being blunted ΟΠ the soul-kliling monotony of guard duty.
As they reach the age of 20, the boys leave the Young Soldiers Bal- talion and report to a training con- tre, from which they are sent to re- gular units of the Army.
It is the ambition of every boy in the battalion to become 20, 80 that he can escape from guard duty and learn to be a soidler.
Help These Lads
I came away from this battalion with the profound conviction that we are neglecting one of the best breeding-grounds for officers, and N.C.O.'s If we do not right the wronits of the Young Soldiers Battalions.
These boys are volunteers in un #ge of conscription.
They are interested in the Army, otherwise they would have waited to be called up in the ordinary why.
They are ambitious and want, to Le already profielent at an age when their contemporaries raw recruits.
Dro
It is clearly our Uuly to help
them to be AD,
"Well," naked "Ulla colonel, when I had got back. "What do you think of my boys?"
I told him, I thought they had had a tough deal. I received a ten-shulling smile.
TO-MORROW:
A Royal Armoured Training Corps Centre
ROSELLA
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Tennis Socks
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WHITEAWAY, LAIDLAW & Co., Ltd.
In aid of Bomber Fund and B.W.O.F.
BOY MEETS GIRL
At the K.C.C.
Sat. April 12th.
Mon. April 14
Sat, April 19th
SEAT:-$3.00, $2.00, $1.00.
Bookable at Mosera. Moufrio's or the Club.
MONSTER RAFFLE
in aid of the Bomber Fund TICKET DISTRIBUTING CENTRES
Mongkong Hotel,
Peninsula Hotel. The Gloucester Hotel. Star Ferry (Hongkong) 5. C. M. Post, Hongkong Inckoy Club. (Exchange Building), Gilman & Co., Ltd. H.K. Bowling Alleys.
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