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Wynnum High and Intermediate School Page 61

A Visit to R.M.C., Duntroon
Ting-aling-aling-aling-aling . . . 5.20 a.m. (oops 0520 hours) Friday,
13th (that sounds unlucky) July, 1956. Out of bed, get dressed, have
breakfast, drive out to Kelvin Grove, have uniform inspection then at
last board the T.A.A. “Viscount” for Sydney. Land at Sydney, get out
of “Viscount,” board DC4, and take off for Canberra. All this took four
and a half hours. Lieut.-Col. Walsh, and twelve school cadets were on
their way to the Royal Military College, Duntroon.
In our party there were nine under-officers, two sergeants and one
corporal, besides Lieut.-Col. Walsh.
At 11 a.m. we landed at Fairbairn airport, and stepped into the
brisk air. We boarded a special army bus, only to find it had faulty
ignition, so we had to wait for a second bus. As soon as we arrived
at the College we dropped our baggage, and went to inspect the
armoured wing. This was not provided for in our itinerary, but as we
had caught an earlier plane from Sydney, we were able to fit it in.
Among other things we saw the Centurion tank and "Feneto” or Scout
Cars.
After a visit to Parliament House when we entered both houses,
we were free in the afternoon, and most of us indulged in a game of
billiards in one of the several billiard rooms. During this period I had
a chat with one of our “Old Boys”—Tom Senden, who is in fourth
class at the College. It might be well to note here that cadets in their
first year at the college are in fourth class, and work their way up to
First Class.
That evening, after Formal Mess, which is held once a week, Tom
escorted us to the Cinema, where we saw two films of the college, and
one of Australian Life. At 10.30 that night twelve tired boys climbed
into bed with the outside temperature getting down towards freezing
point.
A glass door without glass in it didn’t help matters next morning
when the outside air temperature was 28" F. (grass temperature
18° F.). We also found that if one wanted a hot shower one did not
shower at 10 o’clock at night, but at 5.30 in the morning (not at 6
a.m. in the morning either, because all the hot water has been used by
then. So with the air temperature around freezing we set off, accompanied
by school cadets from Southern Command (Victoria) for a brief tour of
the college. We visited the spacious, well equipped gymnasium (do the
people at W.H.I.S. know what that is?), then the new engineering
block, where the college engineers are no doubt the best trained in
Australia. By the time we arrived at “New Block,” the newest living
quarters for the Staff Cadets, our socks were frozen to our frozen feet
in our frozen boots and we were pleased to get inside. Each cadet has
a bed, a large wall cupboard, a study desk, and a RADIATOR (ah, lucky
boys). At one end of this block there is a new hall—"Anzac Hall”,
where some of the dances are held. Those boys who want to study are
not disturbed during dances, as a foot thick soundproof door separates
the hall from the living quarters. All dances, however, are not held
at Anzac Hall, as it is not as large as the gym., so it is in the gym.
that the Graduation Ball, the most important social event of the year
is held.
Next we visited the college library. In charge is a fully qualified
librarian, who obtains from the National Library at Canberra books
required by the cadets, which are not available at the college library.
Boarding a bus, we were driven to Mt. Pleasant a lookout just
above the college, from which an exceptionally good view of Canberra
and the College may be obtained. On the way back we visited the
grave of General Bridges, the first Commandant of the College, who had