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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1942-04-02, Page 6PACE. Six TWIT SFAFOR.TH NEM THURSDAY,, APRIL 2, 1942 Cioestr^oont Atoi) Owt Ws A Misl«11 $01004 +'"p left is a classroom scene at an Officer Cadet Training ., ,....where in Great Britain. The intentness of the students e• re. well tor the Canadian Corps' new crop of officers. A• richt U. 5. C. lieutenant -colonel in command of the Can- •��• atia -- -' wheel discusses a phase of proofioat •.r#door woo* it two «weds who wear dark masks ash E mmaa Le *Adie.* ro 1M co.monflage on their "tin -hale Today's Privates Tomorrow's Generals t(By Kim Beattie) With the Canadian Army Over- seas: -In this threatened island, where so many things inspire, the most inspiring of all to a Canadian is the "Canadian country," the country of drab battle -dress and brilliant battle patches, of ominous road- blocks, of neat clipped hedges, snug thatched cottages and grim barbed wire. They practice strange arts here— stealth patrol, panzer ambush, para- troop stalk, attack by brigade, divi- sion and corps. The versatile inhabi- tants are berth border -raiding guer- riles and armored shock troopers. It is a shifting, complex and high- ly diversified and intensely preoccu- pied realm. You are engulfed in martial bustle and stir. There are thousands of marching, deploying, manoeuvring youths with Canadian grins and unmistakable Caandian buoyancy. You are enthralled by the leashed strength in the hard smash of their heels, by the defiant challenge in the swing of their shoulders. The invasion season is almost on them, and it is no exaggeration that they are daring the Luftwaffe and the Wehrmacht to come on! It is diffecult to sort your impres- sions—"so many things inspire"— until you come to the school where they make tomorrow's generals. Then you know that here is one of the standout military educational in- stitutions. To trace the roots for the founda- tion of this unique military aeadeiiiy you must go back to the forgotten spring and early summer of 1915. The 2nd Battle of Ypres, then Festu- bert and Givenchy, had proven that the casualty drain in infantry subal- terns would far exceed the supply, but the Canadians had high average education and intelligence and a wise system of promotion from the ranks was adopted. It worked so well that by 1916 it was a habit, and by 1918 many of the great company and battalion commanders were men who had, first seen action as private soldiers. How the procedure strengthened the first Canadian Corps,and proved its worth to history, can bt seenin the fact that three Divisional Command- ers of the 1942 Corps were commis- sioned from the ranks in the last way. That is why we dubbed our junior, leaderestablishments "Schools of Tomorrow's Generals." They are ex- actly that. Major Gen. G. R, Pearkes, V.G., D.S.O., M.O., who commands a division, was a trooper in 1915 in the Canadian Mounted Rifles, Major - Gen C. B. Price, DSO, DCM, VD., who commands another division, went overseas in 1914 as a sergeant - major of the 14th Battalion, and Major-General F. F, Worthington, MC, MM, who enlisted as a private in the^Black Watch after serving an apprenticeship in guerrilla fighting in Mexico. Largest of the three Canadian subaltern colleges is in operation at Brockville, Ont. Another is located. at Gordon Head, B.C. But because we enthusiastically report the over- seas establishment does nob mean that any feature of it is superior to those at home. It is the school we know. The Commandant has a rare com- bination of attributes: a wise coun- sellor and safe confidant, a kindly friend, an earnest and progressive. teacher, he was also the hero of an incident of courageous splendor in the last war which won him the Vic- toria Cross, His very presence is thus a wealth of encouragement and in- spiration. The first procedure leading to ad- mission to a Canadian Army cadet course is recommendation by the candidate's commanding officer. The next is a written quiz test for gener- al knowledge discovery. The candi- date for a commission must then pass muster before an aptitude selec- tion board at headquarters. Then, af- ter admission, he is given four weeks to prove or disprove that he has the calibre. The percentage to return to their units as unfitted is very small. The reasons why one man is chos- en over others are often difficult to discern. Many men possess the sur- face qualities supposed to denote a "born leader." Many hopeful candi- dates have similar education and in- telligence, are at the same point of transformation from civilian to train- ed soldier, and inay be almost indis- tinguishable in alertness, ambition and keenness. In general, these hand-picked fut- ure generals, chosen three times a year to go to OCTO—Officer Train- ing Cadet Unit—are young men who have grasped just a little bit better than the next man the basic mean- .. ing of officership, of the training,. of the care and the leading of other men in battle, They may be "born lead- ers" but they also must be such nat- ura1 soldiers. that they sense instant- ly just exactly what is meant,and all that is implied when a soldier admir- ingly recalls: "The Guards brought then rifles with them back from Dunkirk." All the hard realities of soldiering lie in that compliment, In other words, then, in addition to being leaders, the cadet must also instinctively understand the value and common sense of discipline and army fundamentals; he must he able to vision Why and how the parade - square came out on those shell -swept harried beaches of the Guards; he must sense how to instill that troop - quality and how to bring it out in his 'own men, ' It means possession of the•indangi- ble soldier's spark in personality, and the man owning it, or a grand and unmistakable combination of fine qualities, is the cadet of OCTU, the goal of hundreds of intelligent, keen young Canadians. The order of merit and importance in which cadet qualities are held and measured at OCT'u will probably sur- prise. urprise. Remembering that leadership of men in war is the aim and life and victory the stake, first thought is that sense of responsibility and knowledge of tactics would lead. They don't: they are third and fourth. And the proof that no mys- terious quality or knowledge is re- quired for admission to the Canad- ian overseas ''School of Tomorrow's Generals," lies in the fact that ordin- ary good character and plain com- mon sense precede them. Here are the Canadian Officer Ca- det's six most important personality attributes, in order of consequence: (1) Character; (2) Common Sense; (3) Military Knowledge and Applic- ation: (4) Sense of Responsibility; (5) Power of Leadership (based on. above four) ; '.(6) Power to Command Generally. The whole function of OCTU is clear in the revelation that a sound character and workable common sense are considered first qualities of the efficient Canadian officer. Cadets are constantly impressed that sense of responsibility :and military knox 'ledge and its application are n. enough by themselves. The eleveres tactician, or the most serious stude in a class can fail. OCTU does not want sissies, gran stealers, superiority or arrogance Cadets succeed who know' the diffe ence between bullying and fussing They know that crispness of spec and an authoritative manner doe not include rudeness. "Actors", good or bad, need no apply; no posing or striving to ac quire the personality and charaete istics of another, even of the her you worship, if you are a hero-wor, shipper, is condoned, When cadet are chosen to go on to a British cad et school for certain technical sub jects, they are admonished, thus "Remember you are a Canadian. 13 yourself. You'll be respected for it If you are praised, as the British gen erously praise strangers, don't ge cocky and come back with a ne English' accent." All affectation is scorned at OCTU as undignified, but so• is crudeness i manners and slang in speech. Cadet must possess a belligerent spirit, bu threatening to "give Hitler the woiks" is translated into something closer to "present him with the whole munition factory." The first thing that happens to the newly arrived cadet does a vast deal toward a good launching. He is treated to an informal, sit-down chat with the understanding and ,discern- ing Commandant, wearing that im- pressive old -rose; ribbon on his left breast. Some arrive worried that the course will be too stiff for them, suf- fering from mixed emotions. They are quickly relieved, told that there is nothing either mysterious or part- icularly difficult about becoming an officer. They are placed on their honor; there is no crime, not even misbehav- iour at OCTU. Part of that introductory talk goes something like this: 'For the next few months we are going to be brutally frank about your personal habits, about you personally, your characteristics, and especially about what we consider are your personal, faults and disadvantages." That prediction conies true• The cadet finds that the Commandant and his instructors come to know more about him than his mother ever did. At least he is told his faults as few mothers ever tell their sons. Instructorship is, of course, the element of salient attention. Its in- fluence is always of first importance but it is more so in the education of war leaders than for any other pro- fession. Graduates will be masters of other men's lives as well as their own; life or death, triumph or disas- ter, rest in the skill and efficiency of the teacher's products. So great care' and attention is given to selection of instructors. The kind of personality and force demanded is summed up in this: he must inspire the spontaneous thought in his class, "There's the kind of man I want behind me in a jam!" And that means soldier and leadership. PO t nt d ch. s t r 0 s. e. t w n s t qualities of the most superlative kind, Freshness of viewpoint in the cad. - et instructor is held almost as .im- portant as exceptional skill in tactics. To retain that vigorous element, star students are persuaded to remain as instructors after graduation. But the most powerful meesure to keep it flourishing is a .decree which scorns the. old "army game" of holding a good instructor forever. The Com mandant contends that an instruc- tor's value starts to wane . from the moment he starts losing his early en- thusiasm; and authority has laid, down an OCTU rule that no instruc- tor, except one or two who know the mistakes of the, past, can remain longer than eight months—or, two courses. The overseas cadet school was or- iginally designed for infantry and machine-gun officers only: A four months syllabus was set, and still operates. But after Dunkirk the scope was broadened to include can- didates for commissions in the artil- lery and ancillaries. It was clear that all arms and services were vulner- able in the new warfare and that the attrition in junior leaders would be heavy throughout the army. .A five- week course was inaugurated. Another of five weeks is being gi- ven for purely administrative offic- ers—quartermasters, paymasters, re- cords officers and others -who may have a great fund of knowledge in their specialty but who may have to fight as guerrilla -infantrymen as well as specialize, They are given training in basic tactics and weapons. A widow who kpet a confectioner's shop was being courted by an eligi- ble bachelor. He came to her shop every night at closing time and she gave him her bag with the day's tak- ings to carry home• The bag was. heavy, and this prompted her lover to' 'remark: "You surely do a big trade, seeing you always have such a heavy bag." "Oh, yes," was the modest reply. "I have a pretty good business." But It wasn't until after they were married that he discovered she had been giving him the shop weights to • carry home every night. AUCTIONEER F. W. AHRENS, Licensed Auction her for Perth and Huron Counties Sales Solicited. Terms on Application Farm Stock, chattels and real estate prop*"ty. R. R. No. 4. Mitchell Phone 634 r 6. Apply at this office HAROLD JACKSON • Licensed in Huron and Perth coun- ties. Prices reasonable; satisfaction guaranteed. For information, write or phone ;Harold Jackson, phone 14 on 661; R:: Et. 4, Seaforth. EDWARD W. ELLIOTT, Licensed Auctioneer for Huron. Correspond, ence promptly answered. Immediate arrangements can be made for Sale Date by calling Phone 203, Clinton. Charges moderate and satisfaction guaranteed. Counter Check Books • We Are Selling Quality Books Books are Well Made, Carbon is Clean and Copies Readily. All styles, Carbon Leaf and Black Back. Prices as Low as You Can Get Anywhere. Get our Quotation on Your Next Order. • The • Seatorth News SEAFORTH, ONTARIO,