{"product_id":"2940013682429","title":"Scapegoats of the Empire","description":"When war was declared between the British and Boers, I, like many of my\u003cbr\u003efellow-countrymen, became imbued with a warlike spirit, and when reverses\u003cbr\u003ehad occurred among the British troops, and volunteers for the front were\u003cbr\u003ecalled for in Australia, I could not rest content until I had offered the\u003cbr\u003eassistance one man could give to our beloved Queen and the great nation\u003cbr\u003eto which I belong.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen the first Australian Contingent was being prepared for active\u003cbr\u003eservice, I was a gunner in the Royal Australian Artillery, and was\u003cbr\u003estationed at Fort Franklin, opposite Queenscliff, Victoria. I was sworn\u003cbr\u003eto serve for five years in the Artillery, and this gave me little hope\u003cbr\u003ethat my wish to go to Africa would be realised. But one day a notice\u003cbr\u003eappeared in brigade orders that a limited number of artillerymen would be\u003cbr\u003eselected for service at the front, all applicants to parade on the jetty\u003cbr\u003eat Portsea in full marching order. Between thirty and forty attended.\u003cbr\u003eSoon the launch \"Mars\" put in an appearance from Queenscliff with\u003cbr\u003eLieut.-Colonel Charles Umphelby, O.C.R.A.A., on board. (Lieut.-Colonel\u003cbr\u003eUmphelby was killed on active service at Driefontein in 1900.) The O.C.\u003cbr\u003einspected the men, and picked out one here and there; when he came to me\u003cbr\u003ehe looked me up and down, and remarked that I was too \"big and heavy,\"\u003cbr\u003eand all my hopes were dashed to the ground. We congratulated those whom\u003cbr\u003ewe thought were the fortunate ones, and hoped for better luck ourselves\u003cbr\u003eshould another contingent be required.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs time went on, and reports came to hand of hard fighting and much\u003cbr\u003etougher work than had been anticipated, I got more tired than ever of\u003cbr\u003ebarrack-room soldiering, and hankered for something more real and\u003cbr\u003eexciting. Another call was made, another contingent was to be sent; my\u003cbr\u003eprospects began to brighten, but only two men were selected from the\u003cbr\u003eR.A.A., two quartermaster-sergeants. With the third contingent no\u003cbr\u003eopportunity was given to me to join. Shortly after a fourth contingent\u003cbr\u003ewas raised, to be known as the Australian Imperial Regiment. The\u003cbr\u003equalifications for the Regiment were bush experience, and that every man\u003cbr\u003eshould be able to ride and shoot. The \"machines,\" or the men who could\u003cbr\u003emerely drill and move their arms and feet as though they were worked on\u003cbr\u003ewire, without having the above qualifications, had no place in this\u003cbr\u003econtingent. I was among the successful applicants from the R.A.A., as I\u003cbr\u003ehad been born in the bush, could ride almost as soon as I could walk, and\u003cbr\u003ehad learned to shoot almost as soon as I learned anything. My actual\u003cbr\u003emilitary experience was gained during the twelve months I was with the\u003cbr\u003eR.A.A.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs soon as selected, I, with my comrades, was sent to the Victoria\u003cbr\u003eBarracks, Melbourne, for examination and tests. While there it was my\u003cbr\u003eduty to assist at the Mounted Police Depot, receiving, breaking,\u003cbr\u003ebranding, and trucking remounts prior to sending them into camp at\u003cbr\u003eLangwarrin, also attending with horses at the Domain for the riding test.\u003cbr\u003eThis riding test seemed to be looked upon by the general public as a kind\u003cbr\u003eof circus, and was attended daily by thousands of spectators. The track\u003cbr\u003ewas about half a mile round, and the test was to commence at a trot,\u003cbr\u003ebreak into a gallop, and negotiate three jumps. A man could judge fairly\u003cbr\u003ehis chance of success by the applause or \"barracking\" as he passed the\u003cbr\u003ecrowd. There were many good horsemen among the recruits, men who could\u003cbr\u003eride anything anywhere, and not a few who could rarely have seen a horse,\u003cbr\u003emuch less have ridden it over a jump. One little recruit, with a very\u003cbr\u003etheatrical appearance, known by the sobriquet of \"Bland Holt,\" had a\u003cbr\u003egreat struggle to get his halter on his horse, and when it came to\u003cbr\u003eputting on the bridle, which was one of the Mounted Police pattern, and\u003cbr\u003erather a complicated piece of harness to a new chum, he got terribly\u003cbr\u003etangled up. After about ten minutes struggling, panting, perspiring, and\u003cbr\u003emuch whoo-whoaing, he succeeded in hanging the bridle on with the bit\u003cbr\u003eover the horse's ears. At this stage an Artilleryman went to his rescue\u003cbr\u003eand saddled his horse for him. When his turn came to ride, he led his\u003cbr\u003ehorse before the examining officer, and with much difficulty succeeded in\u003cbr\u003eclimbing into the saddle, and started off at a walk. \"Trot!\" shouted the\u003cbr\u003eofficer. The horse quickened its pace, and \"Bland Holt\" and his hopes of\u003cbr\u003edoing yeoman service for the Empire fell to the ground.","brand":"WDS Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47069095395568,"sku":"2940013682429","price":3.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013682429_p0.jpg?v=1763584443","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013682429","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}