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[Page 577]

horns of a dilemma

After a tremendous amount of interviewing of officers & N.C.Os. the coat was exchanged as a great favor so that the Sentry could pass the very close inspection for general cleanliness always made before men are allowed to proceed on furlough.

Never was a man more pleased to get away from the domineering influence of such a lot of apparently physically fit but crass incompetants then predominating in the Monte Video Camp at Weymouth.

The number of absolutely ignorant men who always manage to succeed in forcing their way to the position of being temporarily appointed to some post of Authority however small, from nothing else but bluster, bluff, & hide bound "cheek", in nearly every Australian camp in France & convalescent camp in England, is sufficient in many cases to cause mirth bordering on tears of hysteria, always provided that these same self ornamented & self promoted "boobies" are not exercising their marvellous administrative powers on one's own individual unit.

As cases in point –
In Etaples in France a Sergeant who as a private did not go on to Gallipoli till after all the hard work was over, came to France with his Battalion but then succeeded in being appointed to a post at Etaples in a very easy position but through which he ranked higher than any Sergt Major or Sergt who having been wounded were on their way back to rejoin their battalion, or as invalids were waiting to embark for England.

When this same Sergeant managed to get sent back himself presumably from heart trouble or nerves, much to the surprise of the NCO, he used to "boss", his rank was found to be only a private & he had on his own admission never even heard a shot fired in France, & yet forever

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