We think that
today’s Australian Army is efficient; well
the Army of days gone by ran rings around
the present set up for efficiency.
Back in
January 1958, as a Young 18 year old
conscript, I received a special invitation
to go to Ingleburn Military Camp in NSW.
Ingleburn
back then, was the home of the 13th
National Service Training Battalion, who’s
Headquarters, was Bardia Barracks. The
Battalion comprised five Companies namely, A
(Alpha), B (Bravo), C (Charlie), D (Delta) &
E (Echo).
E Company was
the Artillery Company, staffed and Commanded
by Gunners, wherein all recruits were
trained and posted to units of the Royal
Australian Artillery (RAA). In later years
the corps (RAA) became the Royal Regiment of
Australian Artillery, being still referred
to as RAA.
Anyway back
to efficiency.
The
instructors and staff at Ingleburn were all
World War II veterans, as evidenced by the
medal ribbons on their uniforms, where they
no doubt had learnt how to be super
efficient.
There came a
day when the Company was lined up by
Platoons, there were 4 platoons to each
Company, outside the RAP (Regimental Aid
Post) hut.
We were given
an order to remove our shirts and told we
were all to receive vaccinations for all the
known tropical diseases in case we had to go
overseas.
As the
Injections would be given in alphabetical
order we lined up with the “A’s “at the
front.
The procedure
was you entered the hut which had a corridor
down the left hand side with rooms off to
the right. At the first room you stopped
where your right arm was prepped with an
antiseptic solution. You then proceeded down
the hall to the next door where you were
jabbed with a needle. But instead of
removing the needle the medic unscrewed and
removed the syringe portion leaving the
actual needle part imbedded in your arm. You
were then told go to the next door and wait.
Upon arriving at the next door another
syringe was screwed into the needle which
was dangling from your arm and another
injection was given. Once again the syringe
was unscrewed and removed leaving the needle
still dangling from your arm.
The same
instruction was given go to the next door
and wait then again the same thing. Another
syringe screwed into the needle and another
injection received.
This was
carried out about six times. At the last
injection you received your written record
card of injections received and the needle
was removed and you then went out of the
hut.
By now your
arm was getting sore and the smiling Platoon
Bombardier greeted us with the warning if
you want to use your arms swing them hard in
a circle for at least the next ten minutes
or else your arm will swell and be very
sore.
What a sight,
all these bare chested pale looking 18 year
olds swinging their arms like crazy. That is
except for the macho ones, who had fainted
upon coming out into the open air and had to
be revived lying on the grass.
Guess the
Army saved heaps on the cost of needles and
syringes by using one needle per person for
all the injections. Not to mention we only
had one hole in our arm, the right one at
that and we were all mostly right handed,
instead of several holes. Actually it would
have been worse in the left arm as that is
the arm you used to carry your 303 at the
“slope”.
So if that is
not thoughtful and efficient then what is?
As recalled
by “A 50’s era Nasho”
