Chapter 11

Tiny handed me a pair of sleeves with two Corporal stripes on them, "You'll need to wear these Tony, don't be frightened to use your authority when need be but don't be too pushy, just remember, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink."

Thanks Tiny, for Christ's sake pull me up if I'm doing the wrong thing, I'm flying blind here."

"It's mostly common sense Tony and you seem to have more than your fair share of that so don't worry."

A short while later a Corporal lead a group of five Nashos into the kitchen and reported to Tiny who called me over.

"Corporal Concept will be in charge of you lads, he will instruct you on your different tasks and will be responsible for their outcomes, don't let him down. For the first week you will address all non commissioned officers by their rank, after that you can use their first names but only while there are no officers present."

I took them to the rest room and issued them with whites and gave them a locker for their personal gear. Grabbing a clip board I took down their names.

Alan Wilson

Brian Cox

Peter White

Alex Croft

John Hookes

"OK, I'm Corporal Concept, as Sergeant Hanlon told you, for the first week that's how you will address me, after that you can call me Tony."

"How come you are a corporal when you are a Nasho?" Hookes asked.

"Because I'm a professional cook, I was seconded to the Catering Corp. The higher ups decided to put me in charge of you chaps and elevated my position to corporal with full responsibility for your welfare."

"I'm twenty two and you're a lot younger than me and you are going to be in charge of me? That sucks."

Hmm, looks like we have a winger here and a bloody Pom at that. Looks like I will be earning my stripes with this little prick.

"Private Hookes, in the army age means fuck all, the thing that counts is the hooks on the arm. In my case there are two, that makes me superior to you. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?"

A very subdued reply, "Yes Corporal."

"Good, righto, lets get to work, has any of you got any cooking experience at all?"

Brian Cox spoke up, "Yes Corporal, I was in the scouts and did a bit of basic cooking, nothing fancy but it was edible."

The others had done a bit at home but weren't confident enough to tackle a meal on their own. I conferred with Tiny and we decided to start them off making the soup for the evening meal.

"OK, we will start off by making the soup for the evening meal, that gives us about four hours. The soup of the day will be a vegetable soup using carrots, parsnips, celery, onions and stock which is already made."

I showed them how to prepare the veggies and dice them, when it came time to get the stock there was a few queasy looks from Private Hookes.

"What is that shit! You can't be real about making soup with that?"

"Stock is made out of the bones and scrap bits of meat Private. The 'shit' you refer to is stock in it's basic form, we will strain off the solids and only use the liquid. I would remind you Private, the food you will be handling is of the highest quality, far better than anything you would get at home. DO NOT CALL IT SHIT."

I showed them how to work out the quantities and when they had enough vegies prepped we loaded them into dixies and added the stock and seasoning, then onto the stove top. While they were tiding up the prep room Tiny asked me how they were shaping up.

"Hookes seems to be a bit of a whinger Tiny, the others fit in pretty well, at least they are showing a bit of interest. I think Hookes is just looking for an easy ride though."

"OK, we'll give him a couple of days, if he don't shape up I'll piss him off back to the ranks. I don't want any bludgers in my kitchen, might help to let him know."

The evening meal finished I let the trainees go for the night, "Remember men, you are on call until midday tomorrow. We have a five o'clock start in the morning, make sure you're on time OK?"

"Yes Corporal, five o'clock start. See you in the morning."

Tiny spoke to the picquets and instructed them to keep the stove fires banked up during the night but to open them up around four thirty. There was a snack prepared for them and strict instructions to leave the kitchen tidy.

We bid them a good night and I went to my quarters for a nice hot shower and a change of clothes. One good thing about working in the kitchen, the whites were put in the laundry basket and someone else washed them.

...

After I had cleaned up I wandered into the mess and ordered a pot of beer, I would probably have only two for the night.

"What's this Tony, drinking on your own?"

I looked up and saw Bob Clarke standing there, "Hi Bob, want to join me? I'm not a drinker so it will only be the two pots, that's what they call me 'The two pot screamer' just to warn you."

"No worries mate I just dropped in for a quick one myself. You seemed to be lost in thought Tony, anything wrong?"

"Em? Shit no Bob, I was miles away planning my future roadhouse."

"Roadhouse?"

"Yeah, I've plans to build a roadhouse when I get a bit more experience and of course a lot more money, but I'm working on both fronts."

"Sounds like you've got it all worked out, where do you plan on having this roadhouse then?"

"I've got in mind buying a parcel of land somewhere between Sale and Bairnsdale, on the Prince's Highway."

"Jeeze! that's a pretty desolate area isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's the whole idea, no competition and a good place to break a journey."

"Well, here's a toast to your idea Tony, I hope it all pans out like you expect it to."

"Thanks Bob, that's a nice thought." We yapped for a while about the army and then called it a night.

"See you in the morning Bob."

"Right, see you then."

...

Five o'clock the following morning the trainees turned up, Hookes was the last through the door but at least he was on time. I started them breaking eggs for the scrambled eggs, firstly showing them how to do the one handed break.

"Make sure you don't drop any shells in the mix, if you do fish it out."

"How do we do that?"

"With your hand Private, Hookes with your hand and make sure it is clean before you put it in."

"Yuk."

"Private Cox, you can help me setting out the bacon ready for the oven."

I showed Cox how to layer the bacon so as the rind and the fat were exposed behind the next layer. "Once you get them all laid out Private, we can pour some water in the bottom of the tray and put them in the oven."

"I thought we were going to fry the bacon Corporal."

"Normally people do fry bacon but on this scale we would be there frying all day. Doing it in the oven gives a pretty good result, the flesh is cooked in the water and the fat and rind usually come out nice and crisp."

I left Cox doing the bacon and went into the prep room to see how the others were doing with the eggs. Hookes was missing, when I asked where he was Croft pointed to the outside door. Hookes was sneaking a smoke, leaving the other to do the work.