Another input job thanks to LF.

~S~

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THE FINAL DAY

1. The day following our march was Friday, and my body still ached. After the daily parade, Sgt. Parker informed us that we had nothing scheduled for the balance of the morning.

2. "However your new assignments are posted on the Company bulletin board so I suggest you check it out as soon as possible," Parker said, "then get back here right away." Excitedly we made our way to C Company offices and crowded around the board to see where we would be going.

3. I found my name and read my fate with mixed emotions. My new regiment would be the Royal Artillery. Good, I thought, I probably wouldn't have to slog it on foot anymore, but the rest of my assignment puzzled me. Based on an aptitude test we had all undergone several weeks before, I was trained as a vehicle mechanic—me, who would know an internal combustion engine if I tripped over it. But first, with uncharacteristic insight, the Army was sending me to a base in North Wales to be taught how to drive.

4. Talking animatedly about our new regiments, we returned to where Parker was waiting.

5. "As you can see, I also have a list of your postings, but I wanted you to see them for yourselves," he said. As he read the list aloud we realized that the entire platoon would be going to various infantry regiments, except four of us, whose destination was the Royal Artillery.

6. "You people who are going to be Gunners (the Artillery equivalent of private) will be turning in their infantry equipment," Sgt. Parker said. "Corporal Tomkins will take you to the Armory to return your rifles and bayonets, then to the Quartermaster's Store to give back your cross-straps, ammunition pouches, and canteen. Be sure you get receipts for all of your returned gear."

7. Clutching the now-redundant infantry equipment, the four of us were marched to the Armory and then to the Quartermaster's, where, upon seeing me, the Quartermaster Sergeant glowered and disappeared, leaving the counter to his corporal.

8. I was elated at how little I had to do to get ready for our final Saturday muster the next morning, and had my preparations finished before the noon meal. After we had eaten we returned to our room to find Sgt. Parker waiting for us.

9. "The following people will be in charge of the various groups traveling to new assignments on Sunday," and he read out the names. To my surprise, I had been selected to lead the other three, who were also going to the Artillery. I went with the other leaders to the C Company offices. There we were given travel vouchers, railway timetables, and explicit directions to our new bases. I was starting t leave when a Corporal called my name.

10. "Yes, Corporal?" I questioned.

11. "The Captain wants to see you," he answered.

12. My heart sank. I didn't remember breaking any military rules lately. Apprehensively I knocked on the Captain's door.

13. "Come in," he called. "Oh, it's you, Hart." he said, as I stood at attention in front of this desk, giving him a smart salute.

14. "I think this is the first time you've stood there with your hat on," he observed.

15. "Yes, Sir!"

16. Pulling my file from a desk drawer, he spent some time looking it over.

17. "I see you have done quite well with your training but your punishment record is even more impressive," he said. I remained quite. "According to your file you still have 22 days extra duty left to serve," he continued.

18. "Yes, Sir!" I had lost count of the jankers days, but I was sure he was right.

19. "Private, I'm sure you realize this is a dismal start to your military service, and I really dislike sending you to your new regiment with punishment left to serve," he said as he pulled a few sheets of paper from my file and jabbed at them with a forefinger. "It gets you off to a bad start." He looked up at me from his seat at his desk.

20. "Therefore, I am removing your extra duty record from your file, so you can go to the Artillery with a clean slate."

21. "Thank you very much, Sir," I answered, greatly relieved that, not only was I not in any new trouble, but also at the tremendous break he was giving me.

22. "Good luck in your new assignment, and keep you nose clean—dismiss!"

23. "Thank you, Sir," I answered as I started to leave his office. Reaching the door I heard the Captain calling and I turned to face him.

24. "Sir?"

25. "Private Hart, my personal opinion is that you will never make a soldier as long as you have a hole in your arse," he said. I started to grin, but realizing he was deadly serious, quickly wiped the smile off my face.

26. "Yes, Sir," I answered as I left the room.

27. *   *   *

28. That afternoon I went to the kitchen of the mess to the cooks I had been relieved of all punishment, and to say goodbye to the friends I had made. I wanted to see them before they became busy with the preparations for the evening meal.

29. "No more jankers," Sgt.   "Chin's" grinned. "Just when you were becoming an expert with the dishwashing machines."

30. My Cockney Corporal friend came over with several of the other kitchen staff and we shook hands and wished each other good luck. I knew I would miss them, as they had been good to me. I also knew I would miss the extra food they always gave me.

31. "Would you like me to write you a letter of recommendation to the mess Sergeant at your next base?" Sergeant "Chins" roared with laughter and shook like a bowl full of Jell-O.

32. "No thanks, Sergeant," I assured him, "I hope to stay out of trouble from now on."

33. This was the signal for all of them to double up with laughter. "Fat chance!" My Corporal friend chuckled, his face mottled red with the effort of his merriment.

34. That evening my plate was again piled high.

35. *   *   *

36. Our travel arrangements had us leaving early Sunday morning, which left Friday and Saturday evenings free, and for which we had been given passes to leave the barracks.

37. So, Friday evening about a dozen of us left the barracks, bound for a country pub we had spotted on our various training marches. There we spent a pleasant few hours drinking beer and talking about our homes, civilian jobs, girlfriends, the past six weeks, and speculating on our new assignments.

38. "Let's come here again tomorrow night as it will be our last in Exeter," someone suggested. We all agreed. "How about we invite the rest of the platoon and have a bit of a party? Another rejoined. Again, we all agreed.

39. "Do you think we should as Sgt. Parker and Cpl. Tomkins to come too?" A third voice queried. This time there was no ready agreement.

40. We all had another beer and discussed this radical suggestion, finally agreeing to ask them both, but only for the sake of appearances. None of us were really comfortable with the idea, being sure they would put a damper on our festivities if they did decide to meet us.

41. Next morning three of us approached Sgt. Parker and asked if he and Cpl. Tomkins would want to meet us at the "Wheatsheaf" pub that evening. "We'd both like that," he said, much to our surprise.

42. Saturday afternoon we packed our kit bags and backpacks to be ready for an early start Sunday morning. Saturday evening about half of the members of the platoon made their way to the "Wheatsheaf" to enjoy our last few hours together. Some time later Sgt. Parker and Cpl. Tomkins joined us. Parker was a totally different man off duty. While Tomkins draped his gangling frame into an easy chair, Parker regaled us with some hilarious stories of his experiences during the recent war, having seen action in North Africa, Italy, and D-Day—the Allied invasion of Europe, collecting several medals and a couple of wounds along the way.

43. Finally it was time for us to return to the barracks.

44. "Before we break up I'd like to buy you all a drink and propose a toast," Sgt. Parker announced. Quickly we gathered around with our beer.

45. "I must admit that I didn't give you people a hope in Hades that you'd ever successfully complete your basis training," he said. "The most I hoped for was that you wouldn't embarrass me too badly. But, you all fooled me, and so I give you, "The Dozey Platoon!" We had no trouble drinking to that.

46. I looked around at the young men with whom I had just spent 24 hours a day for the past six weeks. It was easy to see that we had all changed and matured from the boys who had arrived at Topsham Barracks a month-and-a-half earlier, I knew I would miss these lads that I had come to know so well. I suppose what we had experienced together is now referred to as "Male Bonding," a rather cold, clinical term for what we thought of as comradeship back in the 1940's. I knew I would miss the daily stimulation of training, the constant attention of Sgt. Parker and Cpl. Tomkins and, strangely, even the extra duty punishment the Army had so generously sent my way. I had also gained about 12 pounds of muscle, was in the best physical condition of my life, and possessed confidence in myself I had never known before.

47. With more than a little sadness, I tagged on the end of the line that was filing past Sgt. Parker and Cpl. Tomkins, to add my goodbye. Shaking hands with each of them in turn, I thanked them for all their efforts with us. Sgt. Parker solemnly shook my hand and wished me luck, and, as I walked through the pub door into the cool night air, I heard him vigorously blowing his nose.