Sam Manekshaw On Officers, Then And Now …

Sam Manekshaw On Officers, Then And Now … This is from a Q/A Session with Field Marshal Manekshaw at the Staff College, some 25 years after he retired. Q – How has the Army changed/progressed over the years? Ans: Over the years, things have changed. In my time, my father used to support me until I became a Lieutenant Colonel. I used to get an allowance to be able to live. Today, the young officer has not only to keep himself but has to send money home. In my time, we did not have all these courses. Today the young officer hardly stays in his regiment. He is sent from one place to another to do this course and that course and he does not get a chance of knowing his men. We knew our men. Also, there wasn’t so much work in those days. We got up in the mornings, did Physical Training for half an hour, came back, dressed, had breakfast, then went to our company lines and spent all our time avoiding the Commanding Officer. Those Commanding Officers were nasty chaps. They did not give a damn for anybody. I will give an example of my Commanding Officer. I was made quartermaster of my battalion. The Commanding Officer sent for the Adjutant and myself. He said, I want to take the battalion out tomorrow morning for an exercise. So, I as quartermaster indented for a company of mules. He said we were going to leave for the exercise at 6:30, so I ordered the company of mules to arrive at six. At eleven o’clock at night, the commanding officer changed his mind. He said, “I will not go at 6:30, we will go at nine o’clock”. There was nothing I could do, so come morning I got on my bicycle, went off to the lines, where the mules had arrived. I told them to unsaddle, and go into the shade, when who should arrive on a horse but the General Officer with his daughter! I touched my hat. He said, “What are those animals doing here, young man?” I said that we were going out on an exercise. “When are you going?” “Nine o’clock.” He tore strips off me: “Going at nine o’clock, and you have the animals waiting here at six o’clock!” He was riding with his daughter on a horse. What could I say to a General officer: I had two pips on my shoulder. Suddenly, who should be coming on a bicycle, but the Commanding Officer! He touched his hat, said, “Morning, General.” Turning to me, he said, “What is the matter, Sam?” I said, “Sir, the General is angry with me because we are going out at nine o’clock and the mules are here at six.” He turned round to face the General, and said, “I will thank you, General, to know who commands this regiment. Me, and not this young man. I will not have you ticking him off in front of your daughter.” He turned back to me and said, “Have you had your breakfast, Sam?” “No.” “Go along. Have your breakfast.” I was delighted to go off. But when we came back from the exercise, at about eight o’clock in the evening, in my letter rack, was a letter from the General’s wife, inviting me to tea the next day. Now, I did not want to have tea with the General’s wife! But that’s the sort of thing that happens.” When I became a Field Marshal, I was the guest of Her Majesty in England. I had given a reception at India House, where the same Commanding Officer with his wife were also invited. He came in, shook hands with my wife, shook hands with me, and walked off. After about half an hour, when everybody had arrived, I walked up to him with a glass of whisky in my hand. He turned to me, “May I call you Sam?” “Please do, Sir. You used to call me ‘bloody fool’ before, and I thought that that was my Christian name.”