“More drill for recruits. It gives me a real bang to teach these lads and see an improvement in their drill. Boy! They have a long way to go.”
That week saw OCdt McColl meet a British war hero, Lt. Gen. Sir Arthur Smith, before a whirlwind trip to the Maritimes.
7 Oct 52
Classes ended early today & we had a ceremonial parade for Maj. Gen. Cassels who was G.O.C. the Commonwealth Div. in Korea. The new brass band from Vimy played for us and were good except for one thing – they play a quick march just a little too quick for good marching. After supper, Pete & I drilled our recruits in the Old Gym. The Staff Adj. has ordered that all recruits be passed off the square for this coming weekend. Well we’ll pass them off if we must but they go right back on again after this weekend. All of our class feel that recruits shouldn’t be allowed out at all until they come up to standard.
8 Oct 52
More drill for recruits. It gives me a real bang to teach these lads and see an improvement in their drill. Boy! They have a long way to go. After supper we got word that 8 from #1 Sqn. would go to hear some general speech at Queen’s. So Barry & I wound up by going. It turned out to be an excellent talk on being a Christian. Afterward we went to a movie – the evening was all shot anyway.
9 Oct 52
I neglected to mention that earlier in the week Jim Graham & I helped bring in the old long boat which Lt. Cmdr William has brought up from the bottom of Deadman’s Bay. So we went and heard Dr. Preston talk on “The Ships in Deadman’s Bay” at one of the faculty’s scientific colloquium. Today they got the thing in to the shore by the old bathing house and a crane is needed to take it out from there. The Brigadier spoke to us on the trip to Halifax and said that the main idea of the games was to stir up interest in the College in the Maritimes from where we get very few recruits. This morning a few of us met Lt. Gen. Smith personally and he is a fine old soldier – thank goodness we didn’t have a parade for him too!
10 Oct 52
Today we spent impatiently waiting for 1600 hrs when our long weekend started. At that time the College just disappeared in no time flat. We left for Norman Rogers Field in ten shiny station wagons and loaded two Dakotas. We were airborne in no time and on our way to Halifax. Played bridge nearly all the way with Dee Fryer – it was a very smooth trip. Loaded at HMCS Shearwater at 2200, and after coffee at the Admiralty House, bedded down in one of their barrack blocks.
11 Oct 52
Saw the films of the game with McGill, had early noon meal, and then down to Studley Field for the game with Stadacona. The navy boys around here seemed pretty confident about their team. Anyway we won 21-9. There was a large crowd and all the ex-cadets in Halifax were there. Apparently a lot of money changed hands today, and a lot of whiskey too. One ex-cadet won a case of scotch. After the game we went to the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron for a little reception held by Col. McQueen and other ex-cadets. From there we picked up dates arranged by the navy and went to a dance at the Police Club, a very modern gymnasium & residential lounge.
12 Oct 52
Church parade was cancelled due to rain so we just walked in to the Stadacona Chapel for church services. After that, dinner at the R.A. Park Mess, a very good dinner thrown by the Halifax ex-cadets for the team. Col. Rainnie took Pete Chisholm, Ken McMillan & myself to entertain us for the afternoon & did a very good job. We drove around, saw the sights in Halifax and eventually went to another ex-cadet’s, Mr. R.B. Cameron whose hospitality would be hard to equal anywhere.
To make a long story short he gave us both his ears for the evening. I forgot – after church we went down & saw through the “Maggie.” Dick Bohn is a Sub-Lt. on her and he showed us one of the Avengers and lastly the game-room for a sweaty ale.
Spent a quiet evening at the Admiralty House & saw a film. To bed early for everyone.
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