Always attach bayonets

SIR: Charles Pasternak’s piece on National Service (January issue) and officer training at Mons reminded me of an incident in 1956 when I was doing my stint there in the Royal Artillery.

On one of the fortnightly pass-out parades which involved the formal appearance of all of us trainee officers,

I committed the heinous crime of leaving behind my bayonet which, of course, had to be attached for formal presentation during the inspection by the visiting dignitary.

I had no choice but to go through the motions and hope. Miraculously, I seemed to get away with it.

The following day, on morning parade, RSM Smy, the successor to RSM Brittain, with a voice just as loud and a height of what always seemed to be about 6ft 11in, called out for ‘officer cadet Trigg to take a one step forward’.

He then marched right across the parade ground until his face was about an inch in front of me and said, in the voice that could be heard by all several hundred cadets on parade, ‘I’ve heard all about you, Mr Trigg, SIR. One slip-up of any kind and I promise it will be “Left right, left right, CLANG, coo ain’t it dark in ’ere?”’

Needless to say, I was on jankers within the week. Oliver Trigg, Ferring, West Sussex