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Few who served as fighting soldiers in any war had more than a little understanding of the purposes of the conflict. This was particularly so in 1950 when all young men, at 18, had to serve two years’ National Service. For some, a few weeks training and then the remaining time spent doing routine tasks and back home every weekend. For others, a different experience. This unique account is of how one tenderly reared young man, who had never been in a pub and only rarely in a car, survived and made sense of his roller-coaster experience.

From the start, the experience was brutal. Almost the first bellowed words were to make sure they knew they now ‘belonged to the king’ and had no rights at all – if ‘they’ decreed, there would be no time off or leave given, for soldiers were no more than malleable junk in the nation’s great scheme. The initial interminable marching drill was, at least, understandable in making them disciplined to obey all and any order without question and immediately. But what purpose did other training, assessments or appointments actually serve?

A few years later, he learned that had he been ‘savvy’, he need never have spent these two years as he did, thus raising the question whether it was a complete waste of time. It certainly didn’t ‘make a man of him’, but in hindsight, he would not have missed the experiences for anything.

Putini dintre cei care au servit ca soldati de lupta in orice razboi au inteles mai putin decat scopurile conflictului. Acest lucru sa intamplat mai ales in 1950, cand toti tinerii, la 18 ani, au trebuit sa slujeasca doi ani de serviciu national.