[Lang]

Mike

The ages were very different as you say. Quite a few Nashos were deferred (mainly to complete university) and appeared in uniform as late as 22 or 23.

When I joined up I was still 19 and turned 20 during officer training. My first posting was to 3 Recruit Training Battalion at Singleton as a platoon commander. I had 60 diggers (twice the size of a normal platoon).

Do you think that was a steep learning curve being the youngest person in a platoon of blokes, many of whom did not want to be there!!! Luckily my flying course was brought forward and I went off to Point Cook after only two intakes and six months at Singleton.

But I learned a hell of a lot more, and faster, than the soldiers. The Colonel was a bloody tyrant and the young officers were in fear of their very lives which put huge pressure on us
unbeknownst to the soldiers. Looking back I now realize the CO (WW2 and Korea) knew that 75% of his lieutenants would be fighting a war as platoon or troop commanders within 6-9 months just as we realised our soldiers would also be getting shot at. The vast majority of soldiers tried to be the best they could and few regret their time in the army 50 years on. For me, as a regular officer, it was sink or swim and I fall back on what those blokes unwittingly taught me, every day of my life.

The system was really good and I loved the way the army had of getting everybody equally to the starting line.

We would go to Brisbane and pick up a few hundred Nashos and bring them back in a flock of chartered aircraft. Arriving at the camp we would put them in mixed lines of blokes out of university in suits, mechanics in shirt sleeves, farmers in jeans and in those days, not a few long haired hippies in leather sandals. Every barber in the district would be there and the boys just sat in the chair, got a complete all-over #3 blade head shearing then gathered on the other side of the building.

Unbelievable transformation! On one side of the building was a bunch of unconnected people from all walks of life while on the other side was a bunch of bristle brained stunned mullets. They all suddenly looked the same, all were in shock and all instantly bonded by this outrage committed on their persons by the bloody army.

The concept was brilliant and immediately made them realise they were all in the same boat and got them talking to each other on equal terms.

Probably could not do this today or if you did, the barber would have to be Laurence of Paris who would show them a photo board of styles and ask if they wanted a blow dry.

Lang