First Year @ RMC February 1950 – 3069 W.A. McColl
Feb. 5 – 1950: I was the only defaulter yesterday which is very unusual. Mills was W.D.C (Wing Duty Cadet) and he didn’t bother falling me in. It was queer to hear him say “Defaulter, dismiss…” Church parade today was indoors again. It is fairly cold now and the river side is frozen over. A few kids were skating around the edge. We can’t go on the ice until orders say it is safe. I’ve been carefully watching that I don’t get my mustache shaved off! Several guys have lost theirs and I want to keep mine, I’ve had it for nearly a month and it is coming fine. It seems Anderson got drunk last night and they tried to get into my room about 0100, but I had the door locked and slept through all the racket. Dad’s letter came today with a cheque, I’m damned glad to get that! Wrote a big letter home.
Feb. 6 – 1950: D, E and F flights started their boxing today and we start ours tomorrow. Fred Ross and Price were both knocked out! Archebault lost part of a tooth! In fact, the whole affair has been pretty bloody so far.
Feb. 7 – 1950: I fought Jim today; he is 164 lbs, 2 lighter than me. I got him with a knock down and bruised his face up quite a bit, I just hate hitting a guy in the face like that, I’ll never be a boxer. It’s pure hell watching fellows who are good pals trying to knock the teeth out of each other. I saw Kormylos beat Munrdell and Ward beat Shane, they are both in my class and I’d just as soon be turned into a cage with a panther as fight either of them. Navy Bay is safe for skating and I’m going out tomorrow if I get the chance. It was so cold today that there was ice in the toilet bowls this morning.
Feb. 8 – 1950: This afternoon it has thawed so that we can’t skate on the bay. We had another band practice. Andy, Bob and I spent the rest of the afternoon learning pistol shooting from Coggin’s, it is real fun and I hope to do a lot.
Feb. 9 – 1950: This morning I fought my second fight with Richard and won. He is 175 lbs but not a “hard” 175. The ring has been set up and I fought Johnny in it tonight. It was a close fight, the Chief said and I lost by 1/2 pt. Best part of it was that neither of us got hurt although we were really going for each other. Johnny has a punch like a mule’s hitch! Andy was crazy to fight Ed today because he hurt his back again. Wood fought Juneau and won with a knock-down and then a knock-out. Juneau seemed like quite the flashy fighter until Woody caught him a good one. I like boxing as long as no one gets hurt badly. It really shows who has the guts. Tonight the mess dinner was supposed to be conducted entirely in French, it was hilarious at points and Hoffman makes a helluva Frenchman! Our first Descriptive geometry (D.G.) test was pretty grim and mortality rate will be pretty high.
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