Civilian into SoldierPart 6 Promotion373649 Arthur H Paddison, 2nd Field Regiment, NZAThe day began with "Wakey wakey" with the Troop S.M. charging through the tents a few minutes after reveille shouting 'Hands off c*cks! Feet in socks! and woe betide anyone not on the move. Off would come the blankets and any adverse comments would result in name taking. Fifteen minutes of vigorous PT and a run round the racecourse raised a sweat and set the blood pounding. | ||||
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From time to time without warning Battery kit inspections were ordered. Everyone had to stand to their beds while the Battery Commander (the BC) accompanied by the Troop Commander of each troop and the BSM made the rounds. Names were taken of offenders which could result in extra squad drill or confinement to barracks depending on the BC's mood.
In the training situation such as we were in, a syllabus was issued from on high and posted on the Battery Notice Board for all to see. On a foolscap page divided horizontally and vertically with spaces covering every hour of every day in the week from dawn to dusk with days across the top and hours down the left-hand side. Each rectangle so formed naming some aspect of activity in brief form to be prepared for and carried out by those responsible for the instruction or whatever. After day or two of settling in, immediately following the morning parade, when 'A' Troop was changed to denims and ready for instruction there was a bit of a delay and as this time was usually taken up with a bit of squad drill (marching back and forth etc); we were standing there at the TSMs' pleasure. He ordered "Gnr Paddison, Fall out." Gnr Paddison doubled smartly over to the TSM. As I approached him, I recognised a certain look on his face that experience among the signwriters had taught me that something was up. Not trouble, but definitely something. I stopped facing him and came to attention. There was an amused twinkle in his eyes when he said "They're all yours" and continued looking at me. Nothing else. I recognised a test of some sort and my brain raced for a second or two till the penny dropped. I turned about in my best military fashion and there they all were, about 40 of them, NCOs and all; the sequence of commands swiftly being reviewed in my mind I took a deep breath and in my best imitation of the TSM I gave the cautionary "Troop" and as they stiffened roared out "attention" and as one man they snapped to it. Theirs not to reason why, I obviously, had the backing of the Sar' major. I turned them to the right in column of threes and marched them off, turning them about and wheeling them etc until the SM told me to fall in again. The mystery was solved when I got a look at ROs (Routine Orders) later on; Gnr Paddison was now Lance-Bombardier Paddison. More was to follow. The expansion of the army meant that not only was there a need for NCOs, there was also a need for officers and the quickest way to get them was to commission selected senior NCOs. A batch of them left to go to Officer Cadet Training Unit (OCTU) leaving gaps to be filled from down the line. There was a major reshuffle among the gun crews, with senior Bombardiers promoted gun Sergeants. However, there was still a shortage of one to command A3 and it fell to Lance-Bombardier Paddison to fill the gap. Two weeks later I was promoted Bombardier and filling a position normally held by a sergeant, I was on my way with nobody more surprised than me. I was responsible for an eighteen pounder field gun, limber and Marmon-Herrington tractor and a crew of six, counting myself.
The next six weeks were spent training hard with plenty of gun drill and driving around bringing the guns into action from on the move, to the left and to the right, practising antitank shoots, getting faster and more confident in ourselves. Next chapter (Rank brings Responsibilty)... AH Paddison, 2007 | ||||
