A sergeant is given
a wing of the battalion to play with for three weeks--a month, or six
weeks--according to his capacity, and turned adrift in an Area to make his
own arrangements. That's what Areas are for--and to experiment in. A good
gunner--a private very often--has all four company-guns to handle through
a week's fight, acting for the time as the major. Majors of Guard
battalions (Verschoyle's our major) are supposed to be responsible for the
guns, by the way. There's nothing to prevent any man who has the gift
working his way up to the experimental command of the battalion on 'heef.'
Purvis, my colour-sergeant, commanded the battalion for three months at
the back of Coolgardie, an' very well he did it. Bayley 'verted to company
officer for the time being an' took Harrison's company, and Harrison came
over to me as my colour-sergeant. D'you see? Well, Purvis is down for a
commission when there's a vacancy. He's been thoroughly tested, and we all
like him. Two other sergeants have passed that three months' trial in the
same way (just as second mates go up for extra master's certificate). They
have E.C. after their names in the Army List. That shows they're capable
of taking command in event of war. The result of our system is that you
could knock out every single officer of a Guard battalion early in the
day, and the wheels 'ud still go forward, _not_ merely round. We're
allowed to fill up half our commissioned list from the ranks direct.
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