Hi,
It was a long, long time ago when I was first called up to do my national service. For me it was a very unusual experience because I started off in the Tower of London and I’ve never forgotten it. Perhaps this is what prompted me to write down what I call The language of the Army
Alan
Ye good ol’ Blighty, eh?
An enjoyable read.
Hi Alan,
in basic training, one of the recruits was chewing gum while standing in formation. Needless to say, the Drill Sergeant made him stick the gum into his nostril.
In purgatory (reception battalion) while we were waiting for the vaccinations, another platoon was chatting away as if they were at a family gathering. The Drill Sergeant shouted, “Keep your mouths shut with both hands!” All sixty men between the ages of eighteen and thirty-one sat there on the bleachers, sandwiching their lips between their fingers. It was the funniest sight I’ve ever seen.
Thank you for the memories. Well done!
Claudia
Ugh!! Reception battalion had to be the single worst part of the army ever! We called it “hurry up and wait!”
Hello,
The army was indeed a scare-crow…Now is not compulsory any more, at least not in my country.
I am happy I am female, so I had not such problems, but my brothers were all telling me lots of weird stories like yours…
Was very funny.
Thank you
Poor me! LOL
It’s mandatory here! I didn’t pass it yet!
Thank you Alan,
I have had an Army experience in my own country. So I am able to understand your feelings.
Good wishes,
Yuri
Alan,
That was neat.
Is it LEFtenant or LIEUtenant in the British forces?
I’ve seen movies in which British soldiers (characters) pronounced it LEFtenant, but ya can’t always trust Hollywood. hehe
Hi Prezbucky,
Glad you liked it. We pronounce it LEFtenant.And that reminds me of one of that breed who was so excited at becoming a lieutenant that whenever he met a private soldier, he would salute first before the poor private had completed his salute. And then invariably he dropped his baton. What a prat!
Alan
Cool, thanks!
Saluting – so it should go like this, for example (?):
I am in did pationate about in english. I want to do anything it takes for me to improve my writing. please couldn.t write much in this present of time, because I am very sad about my life. I work very hard to acheive a goal but it is not going essay for me. thanks I am not going to give up bye.
Dear Alan Sir
Thanks for your Essay Sir. Reallly you had explained your expereince and had
enjoyed as a solider doing part of Military Service with a London regiment (Tower).
Your have written "you had been given plenty of advice to behave in the army.
i.e. If you kept your mouth shut and eyes open, that was the secret of becoming
soldier.That advice I want to follow in the forum to become good learner.
i.e.If I keep my mouth shut and eyes open, I can become good learner in the forum.
Thank you
S.Shanthi
[color=red]Dear Alan,
It was an amusing remark and so cool. I was in bad mood when I received essay28, when I read, it made me so laugh and I imagined your poor sergeant when he slide. It was bad for him and worse for you and your confreres.I hope you never have any bad experience like that.
Sincerely yours
[color=violet]Mitra
“It is well known as a tourist attaraction but it has quite a different meaning for me.” Shouldn’t this be attraction?
Hi Zwalsm,
Please check again. The original text says ‘attraction’, not ‘attaraction’.
Hello Mr. Allan,
When I’ve met my husband for 49 years ago he and his friends always had been entertaining us with their soldier stories. We almost died with laughter. Lot of farcical situations and stories.
In Hungary before the revolution of 1956 the rule was that university students were enlisted in the army every summer for one month. As my husband was going to the Academy of Fine Arts they had been enlisted with the students of Academy of Music.
For the sergeant they were a thorn in his side." My little Artists" was his ironical address. He found out everything to torture them for everything. One of their stories is now it seems to me sad but then we used to burst out with laugh because they also told us humourously. I don’t remember why they got the punishment but they have to crawl in the field in total outfit with gas mask at a scorching day. When they finished and took off their gas mask he could pour out the sweat.
They can sit down or lie down. They were very thirsty. There was just there an apple tree and the sergeant got down an apple and bit into it and the apple juice ran out on his chin. But he forbade them to take off an apple. Now I can’t laugh it . But we say the laughter is contagious. And then we laugh
And we laughed heartily.
After revolution of 1956 the new government stopped enlisting the university students because they were considered as politically unreliable.
After university studying they wanted to enlist him for 3 years but he got away with it. But this would be another story.
Thanks.
Regards:
Kati Svaby
Mr Torsten, I am really appreciate all your essay, they have been very useful for me, I have found a lot of unknown words for me. I have a question different from these essay and it is related to the difference between UNDER AND BENEATH, I am really appreciate your comments.
Liliana
Hi Liliana,
Glad you liked my essay. The difference between ‘under’ and ‘beneath’ is that ‘under’ usually means lower than and ‘beneath’ often indicates that something is both under and usually not seen.
The river is under the bridge. The foundations of a house are beneath the ground.
Alan
Thank you Allan for sharing with us your experience in the army because i learned some army expressions thus, enriching my vocabulary.