Item 04: Memoirs of a Colonial Boy by Robert Joseph Stewart, ca. 1971 - Page 187
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[Page 187]
93
return tomorrow about 2 p.m. Next morning I had a leisurely breakfast at Pine St, read the morning newspapers, put on my uniform, packed up the rest of my belongings to leave them with my friends, and arrived back at Paddington promptly at 2 p.m., where, across the barracks square queues of volunteers were already slowly inching up to each of the four newly-appointed infantry battalion commanders, standing with their adjutants under the long balcony of the main building, and briefly interviewing each man in turn, and, if considered eligible, recording his personal particulars and requesting him to stand by. I chose the queue leading up to Lieut-Colonel George F. Braund V.D. (commander of the 2nd battalion to be) and his Adjutant Captain Wallack, a permanent artillery officer, and was duly questioned, accepted and recorded, without any stipulation as to rank.
By about 5.30 p.m. each battalion commander had got more than half of the thousand men required, and as it was getting late in the day, each collection was marched off to the Randwick Racecourse nearby. And what a motley rag-tag mob they looked in their civilian clothes; some without collars and ties, and some elegantly dressed; wearing either straw boater hats or felt ones, and carrying bags, bundles, parcels and suitcases of all shapes and sizes. The dozen Militia officers in uniform marched in front of our lot, no doubt wondering (as I did) whether they had any hope of being gazetted to officers commissions in the new force, but quite prepared in any case, to serve in the ranks in any capacity.
On arrival at the racecourse there was an issue of a mess tin, knife, fork, spoon and a pair of blue army blankets. Tea, soup and beef stew were cooked in Soyer stoves and dixies by a few of our number, who answered the call for cooks.
After a somewhat rough and ready meal, the officers "bedded" down on the upstairs floor of the Tea House, and the "other ranks" stretched out between the seats of the grandstands. Such was the inauspicious beginning of the famous A.I.F.