Few who served as fighting soldiers in any war had more than a little
understanding of the purposes of the conflict. This was particularly so
in 1950 when all young men, at 18, had to serve two years' National
Service. For some, a few weeks training and then the remaining time
spent doing routine tasks and back home every weekend. For others, a
different experience. This unique account is of how one tenderly reared
young man, who had never been in a pub and only rarely in a car,
survived and made sense of his roller-coaster experience. From the
start, the experience was brutal. Almost the first bellowed words were
to make sure they knew they now 'belonged to the king' and had no rights
at all - if 'they' decreed, there would be no time off or leave given,
for soldiers were no more than malleable junk in the nation's great
scheme. The initial interminable marching drill was, at least,
understandable in making them disciplined to obey all and any order
without question and immediately. But what purpose did other training,
assessments or appointments actually serve? A few years later, he
learned that had he been 'savvy', he need never have spent these two
years as he did, thus raising the question whether it was a complete
waste of time. It certainly didn't 'make a man of him', but in
hindsight, he would not have missed the experiences for anything.
