The Outpost Vol 1 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

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THE OUTPOST. 3 The Sergeant-Major. "LESS TALKING ON PARADE." " WHEESHT, there's Kellv." In a moment the murmur of voices c~ases, shoulders are instinctively squared after the approved military fashion, every head is set well back, and every eye glares at the man in front as if in conscientious study of the nape of the human neck. The lapping of the waves on the shore, and the tramp, tramp of many ieet, are the only sounds that one can hear. "Any more of that talking ,and ! ! ", the speaker does not finish his sentence, but there is a perceptible jutting out of that jaw and a glint in these masterful, keen eyes that bodes ill for some unfortunate. The silence in a way becomes oppressive, and the change in general demeanour wonderful. A sort of inhuman mechanism seems to have descended on every man, each seems to find fiendish pleasure in -this moving statue attitude. By and by the great man passes down the line in search of some other little breach ef our rigorous system of discipline, and in that part of the column that he has.jnst left there is an audible sigh of relief--in some cases the pursing of the lips and the omitting of a long, low whistling breath-but no more " yabbling," to use the R.S.M.'s own choice phraseology. Oh, no! for the men are most mindful of that unspokell threat. Such is the personality of Regimental Sergeant-Major James Kelly, who, like Bunty in another sphere, pUlls, in collaboration with our much respected Colonel and his Officers, the strings of the I7th (Service) Battalion. Ay, and pulls them right well, as our present efficiency so eloquently testifies. The introductory pen picture of a common scene might suggest to the unknowing the personality of a martinet, and, mayhap, to the anxious mothers of our boys, a despot, but such, let it be known at once, is not the case-far from it. In the early days I and many others were constrained to enquire, sotto voce, of the individual nearest to hand, "Who is that? " His reply was terse and monosyllabic " Kelly," but his look showed that it was not the old Isle of Man joke. I forget at the moment whom it wa'S that I asked-I rather think it was a Q.-M.-S.-but well do I remember enquiring further of him in an amazed sort of wav, " And who the de1"l{:e is Kelly?" "Kelly," - remarked my laconic friend (assiduously attending to .some papers the while), "will be a father to you. Hence· forth he will be your father and the father otthe Battalion." Into my unsophisticated civilian brain the significance of the remark slowly dawned, and with some degree of awe, mingled with amusement at the military expression, I contemplated my new papa. Behind all his banter and chaff, it was not difficult to discover a forceful personality, and without being unduly eulogistic, papa at once impressed me. Never once since we entered upon our military duties has the subject of our sketch failed to realise his paternal responsibilities, and while, no doubt, he is a believer in the old adage, " Spare the rod, spoil the child," it is a happy circumstance that he has never, or at least seldom, required to exercise the rod of heavy punishment on his children, and yet we have not been spoiled. Not for a moment would we conntenance any such suggestion! On the contrary, he has inculcated much sense of things military, and by patience and without the rod has developed from very raw material a most serviceable crowd. From the private's point of dew he is just the right, right hand man to· Colonel Morton and our Offic
THE OUTPOST. The Psychology 0/ the Stripe. THE Company was marching on route and at attention; quiet, good step, and in every way observing the prevailing order. There was none of those irritating trivialities (trivial only in the eyes of the offender) to bother Officers or N.C.O.'s, and the casual observer would have found no fault. There was, however, gradually borne on the mind of a Sergeant an irregularity, trivial in itself, but none the less anathema to C.O.s. What the irregularity was matters little, sufficient for our purpose it existed, and the Sergeant, as a matter of duty, and for his own peace of mind, drew the attention of the offending private with a view to its rectification. The request was ignored at first, and was obeyed _grudgingly, only on its being rendered . in the fdrm of a command. A halt came shortly after, and then the march was resumerl. Even Sergeants, under favourable circumstances, don't look for trouble, and even privates under the same favourable circumstances do not willingly serve it up in large quantities, but om offending friend beforementioned wa
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Page 6 and 7: THE OUTPOST. 5 IN the first issue o
Page 8 and 9: THE OUTPOST. 7 IT was suggested tha
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Page 12 and 13: THE OUTPOST. 11 A Roundabout Journe
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Page 16 and 17: THE OUTPOST. 15 came along to find
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Page 24 and 25: THE OUTPOST. 23 It was a wounded so
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Page 28 and 29: ,THE OUTPOST, 27 f Plwto . h A Rout
Page 30 and 31: THE OUTPOST. 29 TTALI~.N [JOTES ~ I
Page 32 and 33: THE OllTPOST. 31 1 paid my check at
Page 34 and 35: THE OUTPOST, 33 THEBES in Egypt. is
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Page 38 and 39: THE OUTPOST. 37 Witb ldens\ve WITH
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Page 42 and 43: THE OUTPOST. 41 Modern Artillery. F
Page 44 and 45: THE OUTPOST. 43 Major W. J. P A U L
Page 46 and 47: THE OUTPOST. 45 SIR Lancelot was a
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Page 50 and 51: THE OUTPOST. 49 It must be a fine s
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THE OtJTPOST. Equipment at last! Af
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THE OUTPOST. 55 a pity to leave so
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THE OUTPOST; ~lIll1l11lll1l1ll1IHII
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THE OUTPOST. IT certainly looked as
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THE OUTPOST. 61 TALION [:]OTES~·~
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THE OUTPOST. n:.l COMMANDERS, 117TH
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THE OUTPOST. 65 NEARL Y four thousa
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THE OUTPOST. 67 Father Time: "HAVE
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THE OUTPOST. 69, " ,~ . ' My DEAR Y
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. THE ODTPOSl'. 71 .. C B is one of
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'THE TPOST 73 Major W. AULD, V.D.
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I THE OUTPOST. 75 of rounds at that
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THE OUTPOST. 77 loaded lorry to com
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THE OUTPOST. 79 Ever since the elim
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THE OUTPOST. 81 Our Sports Parade.
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THE OUTPOST. Drawn by A DREAMER OF
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,THE OUTPOST. 85 We paraded for kha
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THE OUTPOST. 87 proved himself a ru
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---------.-----.~---- -----_. THE O
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THE OUTPOST. 91 Why Did I Join the
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THE OUTPOST. 93 THE past month has
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However, a new system was invented,
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THE OUTPOST. Should you see thrC'c
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THE OUTPOST. ,99 THE EMPTY LIMBER.
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THE OUTPOST. 101 My DEAR LITTLE CH
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meeting on i\. French or B ritish w
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THE OUTPOST, J05 Sergea nt.Major H
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THE OUTPOST. 100 A little of what w
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THE OUTPOST. 111 two sets to the Ba
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THE OUTPOST, 113 Special Training.
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THE OUTPOST. 115 I A Visit to the
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THE OUTPOST. 117 promotion to Plato
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THE 01JTPOST. 119 At last we have a
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THE OUTPOST. mill UlIlIIIIIIIIIIIH
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THE TP T , T ' H E order to Jeayc T
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TU,· OUTP ST . l ~ii BATTALION NOT
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THE 0 TPOST. J27 variety in the bos
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THE OUTPOST, 129 It's a better day
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THE FATES AND AUSTRIA. 131 THE CURS
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THE OUTPOST. 133 My DEAR CHICKS, I
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THE OUTPOST. 135 Walking-Out. WHEN,
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THE OUTPOST,
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THE OUTPOST. 13\1 OF]:.thou has lur
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. THE OUTPOST. 141 anatomy and bear
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THE OUTPOST. 143 8 players from the
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THE OUTPOST. 141) WIT14· THE:. :DE
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THE OUTPOST. 147 bate," the artist
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, Further, seventeen members of B
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THE OUTPOST. Hn stones from the par
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THE OUTPOST. ~ 1111 111111111111111
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THE OUTPOST. 155 P.T.GOD OF ISCOYD.
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THE OUTPOST. 157 established by the
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THE OUTPOST. 1;:;9 PI•. N O" ,.,l
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THE TPOST. l 11.1(' say Lhat Ca t;t
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THE OUTPOST, 163 Drawn by "WE'LL FI
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THE OUTPOST. \Vhile the Queen was b
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THE OUTPOST. 167 ! Of course tha
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THE OUTPOST. Hi!)
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THE OUTPOST. 171 IT'S a litter of b
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THE OUTPOST. ~-~..---...--------.--
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THE OUTPOST. 175 In continuance of
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THE 0 TPOST. 177 Impression of the
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THE UTP ST, 179 J ust Talk. T h !iC
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THE OUTPOST. 183 ITI'\ ·TF\f. 'l)t
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The Outpost Vol 1 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

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