The Banker (Part 8) – Training
Training for active service at the front soon began in earnest. The instructors at the Ladysmith Base were keenly focused on preparing Findlay and his fellow recruits for war. Every drill had one overriding purpose: to reduce casualties at the front. The instructors drove the men to the brink. Discipline was non-negotiable. Each fellow would be in better physical shape by the time they boarded the troop vessels. They would also master the weapons of war. Every drop of sweat in training would bring as many men home alive as possible. Each day began before the crack of dawn. Ablutions. Seemingly pointless precise making of beds – ironing blankets and sheets to achieve a “boxed” appearance. Spit and polish. Indulging the army’s obsession with all things “square”. Running two-by-fours through rifle barrels to clean them. Standing to attention for inspections that revealed imperfections regardless of attention to detail. Followed by squad formation and punishment drills or PT inflicte...
