The Outpost Vol 1 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

THE OUTPOST. 69,
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My DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,
The Editor has asked me to write a
few words specially for you, and that is why
this letter is here.
I am going to tell you a little story.. One
day I saw some soldiers at drill, and I heard a
big, brave second-lieutenant, who is a very great
man indeed, tell them they were a lot of school
kids. Wasn't that funny of him!
But you are not big, brave soldiers yet, and
so I am just going to write a few little. childish
verses for you to read. I have no doubt that
some of the young recruits and the wee
lieutenants will also read them on the sly.
Now, the first verse will t~ach you that you
must always be clean and tIdy, and never be
late. Here it is; perhaps you have heard it
before;­
Little drops of water,
Little grains of sand.
Make rusty. gritty rifles.
Then a reprimand.
And the little moments.
Humble though they be,
Make us late at " fall in,"
Then we get C.B.
Should the soldiers be late for parade they are
bullied by a very terrible man called the
Regimental Sergeant-Major. But he means
well, and his bark is worse than his bite.
Listen to this
Kelly loves us. Yes. we know,
For he often tells us so :
If we don't behave too well,
He will run us all to -~l.
I have left the last word out because it is a
naughty word, and you might not like it. The
subs. can read this little poem instead; J think
they will like to read about themselves ;­
Twinkle. twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
When you're on a khaki cuff
You denote a second.lieu·
Tenant. Great men? I don't think!
" Tennant's " also is a drink.
Now, I hope you will all be good little boys
and girls, and behave yourselves at school, or
your te",cher will give you black marks.
Lots of soldiers get black marks, too, and
when they get three black marks they have to
go before the Major and he gives them C.B.
Isn't it silly?
Perhaps you don't know what C.B. means.
\Vell! I will tell you. It means "Confined
to Brodie's," because you have to sit in Brodie's
Bar all night, and you just get out for a few
minutes every half hour to walk along to the .
Drill Hall and get a breath of fresh air.
And now here is a little competition for you.
Can you answer this little riddle :-" vVhy do
sergeants always keep on • yabbling , when we
are marching at attention?" It is not so easy
to answer as it looks,
You must write the answer very neatly on
Army Form B295-which only costs one halfpenny
if you go to the Quarter-Master, but if
you go to any stationer you get a hundred for
sixpence-and you must hand the answers to the
Company Orderly-Corporal before the Battalion
leaves Troon. So you will have lots of time.
At school you have a master, but in the army
we have only a quarter-master. I wonder if
you can tell me why he is only a quarter!
Because he is not all there? No 1 It is because
he only gives us about a quarter of our pay.
Now the Editor says I must stop, so I hope
you will send some nice little letters to
Your loving
UNCLE JAMES.
t t t
Good Luck to the Lads.
Air-" BONNIE DUNDEE,"
C
OME all you gay fellows who do yourselves well
In the pubs, at Mar Lodge, and the South
Beach Hotel j
Here's a toast for all times, be it morn, night, or
noon,
"Good luck to the lads who were quartered in
Troon ! "
Come fill up your glasses, and drink it with me,
Come fill up your glasses, and" sink it " with me,
With a hey I and a ho! that might reach to the
moon­
" Good luck to the lads who were quartered in
Troon! "
They've smart lads at Prestwick, and good boys in
Ayr:
At Gailes and Kilmarnock-they've stout fellows
there,
But take them together, platoon for platoon,
" Wha's like us? "--the lads who were quartered
in Troon!
Then let all the H.L.l. gather around,
Let ev'ry Royal Scot make the rafters resound,
And shout with a roar, like a raging typhoon:
" Hurrah for the lads who were quartered in Troon I"
A. K.