ON THE OTHER HAND ANOTHER REMEM- BRANCE Day having just passed, let me introduce you te one of the best war books I have ever read. Its language and sentiments are not politi- cally correct. But they are correct in every other way. The book is Quartered Safe Out Here, by George MacDonald Fraser, the author of the brilliant Flashman volumes. But whereas the Flashman stuff was parody, Quartered describes the experience. of a British battalion of the “forgot- ten” 14th Army that kicked the hell out of the Japanese in Burma. Fraser was a lance-corporal (unpaid). And historian John Keegan says this is one of the great personal memoirs of the Second World War. Fraser was in the Border Regiment. a North Country tot whose members spoke a near- incomprehensible dialect. They were also some of the toughest bas- tards in the country — miners, muckers and MEN. Reading it, the thought struck me that ifany of today's army ladies think they could survive those filthy jungle conditions against a fanatical enemy they should try it some time. The very idea ts preposterous. Those girls know they’H never be asked to, of course. To them, the army is a job that sometimes involves a little pleasant travelling. Not that the men of Fraser's reg- iment spent all their time being tough or even thinking they were tough. As Fraser puts it, they were just out to “kill Jap” — for it was a matter of kill or be killed. ‘ They were also loveable. The book presents some marvellous characters, including goad old “Grandarse,” a bitching, moaning private. He was also a great humorist. There was the time the troops were given tiny flexible magnetic files sewn into a fly-but- ton that. would act as a compass if they were cut off from the battalion or were captured. “Ah can joost see mesel’, wid Jappani wallahs efter us, pulling me bloody fly-buttons off and bal- ancin’ them on me knob,” muttered Grandarse. Fraser's description of a bayonet attack on a Jupanese position is as compelling as anything you will ever read. He was 19 years old at the time and writing letters home to assure his worried parents he was “quartered safe” out there. asymptomatic viral shedding in genital herpes are | presently being conducted. Female volunteers over 18 years of age are required for testing an] investigational drug. Participants will receive either To find out more about participation in this study, please call Viridae Clinical Sciences Inc. 689-9404 Even in those days he was trying his hand at writing. But there were interruptions. “Stop yer scribblin’, git off yer arse, an git fell in with yer rifle a kukei (Malayan knife), Yer gan on tiger patrol. Put yer P.T. shoes on, leave yer ‘at. an’ report to Mr, Gale.” A “tiger patrol” was a trouble pitrol. “Post-battle tausna” is fashion- able these days, but Fraser came across only one case. [tinvolved a soldier “who swore there were hun- dreds of Jups outside, only 18 inch- es tall, led by his member of parlia- ment, Sir Walter Womersley.” Fraser is contemptuous of today’s attitudes, especially the hand-holding exercises and sympa- thy crooning: “One wonders how Londoners survived the Blitz with- out the benefits of unqualified, jar- gon-mumbling “counsellors,” or how an overwhelming number of 1940s servicemen returned success- fully to civilian life without the benefit of brainwashing.” He is eloquent on the hypocrisics of the “anti-racists,” too, most of whom talk through their dumb hats and were not around when the South East Asia race war was in full swing. This great book is not only about war. There is a lot of philoso- phy in it and some bitterness. He talks, for instance, about what the soldiers did NOT fight for, and although he’s talking about England it could just as easily be Canada. “They did not fight for a Britain . Time Is ike where successive governments would encourage crime on an unprecedented scales they did not fight for a Britain where thugs and psychopaths could murder and maim and torture without having a finger laid on them, “They did not fight for a Britain where free choice would be anath- emetized as ‘discrimination’; they Jid not fight for a Britain where to hold to truths and values thought Sia) good and worthy for a thousand years would be to run the risk of being called fascist." (Or racist.) Something to think about on Remembrance Day, because our guys didn’t fight for those things either. (“Quartered safe out here” is a quote from Kipling's Gunga Din: “You can talk a" gin and beer when you're quartered safe out here." ) Dr. William Liebenberg Inc. B.Sc., B.DS. (Rand) is pleased to announce the opening of his new clinic. General Practice New Patients including children Welcome Call DEREK A. 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