The concluding chapter of this series, dealing with the British Infantry Reserve, will be, perhaps, not so much of the nature of a history as an appreciation. It is, indeed, somewhat difficult to write the unit's history without duplicating that of others, for the Reserves are actually just "carrying on''—continuing if only for a little while in a less strenuous way the work to which in bygone years they devoted a great of energy over lengthy periods. There will be some notes on the service records of some of the officers and these may correctly be taken as very fair examples of almost any individual in the unit, officer or man.
The British soldier has a his variety of songs which were popular a generation and more ago and will be as popular generations hence, but appreciation of a good marching song well sung, or extra special encouragement when the plodding men are beginning to lag, always finds expression in one ditty. With the first husky notes of "Old soldiers——"' a whole battalion, or a brigade, will instantly join in, never die, never die, never die:
Old soldiers never die, They simply fade away."
And the man_ who is really soldier lives might up to the spirit of the somewhat melancholy-toned ditty. He hangs on to the limit of his service, then drifts into the reserve and continues there until he fades away. OF such are the British Infantry Reserve. Many of the grey-hairexl, liberally-girthed members could well give up their uniforms without encountering the scorn of ardent patriots, but soldiering is: n their blood and they will be there until they fads away.
Waen Dip rue Reserves Start?
The writer went to Capt. C. Ryde, O. C. Reserves, and asked kim when the unit originated. Therei ensued a fatherly chat on the advantages of an ex-Volunteer jciming the Reserves and the assurance of a cordial welcome and eventually:—"Oh, you wanted to know when we started. Bless you, I can't teli you. I only joined the §,.V..C. in 1897. Charles Bain is a very old Reservist: go and see him."
So mine host of the Clachan was approached during one of the few intervals when he was not playing bowls, '"'When did the Reserves start? They were old when I was im and much stronger even than they are today. Here's Major Holliday, he will tell you."
Then to Major Holliday and ts hear:—'They were going when 1 first joined and I believe they were in being from the time of the first Volunteers. Perhaps before evea Brodie Clarke. They- used to be called the Home Guard."
Therefore, we get it that the Reserves were parading in the late fifties, the grandfathers and fathers alongside the sprightly young men, all intent on doing their duty so far as was possible in whatever way they could. And they have come down in an unbroken line. The Home Guard was a fine name, for it fits the unit so aptly, the function of Reserves being really home duty whilst the younger men are up in the firing line, The B.LR. correspond in appearance and duties with those splendid old boys, with antiquated but still serviceable rifles, who used to strut 80 proudly on sentry-go around the General Post Office and other public buildings in London during the war and one can be pardoned for regretting a little that the old name has not remained.
The Council asks very little of the Reservists. The latter have to give a solemn promise. to be nice and polite to anyone in wuithority te give orders, which of course 1s easy for anyone who has been doing it for years, and they have to be careful with arms and equipment and so forth. As to duties, nothing is compulsory beyond the annual musketry course—which is a pleasure te most—and half-a-dozen drills a year, which will not kill any man. These condi sons apply to ex-Volunteers, who have qualify as "efficient" in three suecessive years. There are slightly Cifferently worded terms for the enrolment of ex-service men, but there is really no material difference and the Lord Chancellor and tke Lord Chief Justice could argue: for years on exactly what that difference is.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.