The OFFICER CADET SCHOOL was located at Point Nepean just to the eastern side of The Rip, the infamous entrance to Port Phillip Bay and was originally the site of the Quarantine Station for Victoria. See maps (further on).

It was a place described by many with regimental numbers starting with 1, 2 or 5 as the arse end of the world. It was housed in a number of old buildings designed as a hospital to treat those entering with diseases and had provision for all contingencies with a morgue and crematorium as well as the hospital. An old graveyard was not far from the sports ovals. For many years, and certainly whilst we were there, it was in readiness for any Quarantine emergency and accordingly we had to be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice.

When we went bush our gear was packed up and stored away in trunks etc in case an emergency occurred during our absence. This was a constant embuggerance but for a change it was not one that had been deliberately programmed into the training schedule. When we arrived the accommodation blocks available were scattered around with 1 and 2 Blocks at the northern end adjacent to the Cadets Mess and forming three sides of a quadrangle with the Bay as the fourth side. The grassed area bounded by this quadrangle was used for a variety of things from impromptu parades to Hakas and most memorably as the site of extra theme areas for Social functions. Gilligan’s Island during the South Seas Night comes to mind. The Cadet Company HQ was in 2 Block and it was from here that the delightful sounds of the PA system that ruled our lives originated; more about the PA system later. 3 Block was a new purpose-built block and overlooked the parade ground and, until the completion of 4 Block by the start of our Senior class, was the most convenient as it was closest to the Mess and the work areas. However, being brand-new it was harder to keep clean. Miles to the south, if you ask Ken Hussell, was an annexe that was convenient to the gym, canteen, lecture rooms and parade ground but a long way from the Mess. Time was our constant enemy and any second that could be shaved from the time necessary to change and move from lesson to lesson, parade, meal or sport period was greatly appreciated. Those of us who lived on the top floor in 1 Block and thus well away from the work areas were very envious of those who lived in the annexe. Conversely Ken Hussell informs me that we had it good because eating was the most important activity at OCS and we were much closer to the Mess than he and Lou Malietoa and Bill Kingston.

The lecture rooms and theatre were new and faced the parade ground that was a grassed area on the shore of the Bay with the Pier and cadets’ beach to the south and the RSM’s office on its northern edge. School HQ was adjacent to the lecture rooms and formed a backdrop to the parade ground. Cadets tried hard to avoid both the RSM’s office and the School HQ. The Pier and the Bay foreshore, however, did come into our lives at times and are the subjects of some later memories. Sport was held on the ovals to the south of all buildings. The cross-country course ran for 5 kilometers through the scrub and sandy tracks of the Point across towards Cheviot Beach then back via the Assault course. The scramble course was a steep cliff- face at the back of the School HQ and the gym was appropriately between the parade ground and the crematorium, with climbing ropes nearby. The staff married quarters were between the last cadet accommodation block and the main gate with the CI’s married quarter on a ridge just above the Cadets’ Mess. This was to be of great significance to us in the last few weeks at OCS. To the north on the escape route to Melbourne was the little town of Portsea blessed with three pubs, the Continental, the Nepean and the Portsea and a hamburger shop. All of these establishments were very near and dear to cadet’s hearts.

RECOLLECTIONS OF THE LOCATION AND LAYOUT.

• “I was allocated a bed space in the last room on the top floor of 1 Block and thus had the longest distance to travel to the ovals or other work areas. ‘Bloody hell!’” (H) “Accommodation was pretty good, although in the first 6 months I was in the old building on top of the hill (1 Block). My room was upstairs and was the furthest room away from the parade ground and that made it more difficult to get to extra drills. However, I did perfect the morning “leap” as a result.” (David Procopis) “We who lived in the annexe had the longest trek to meals and as that was the most important activity at OCS no-one who lived in 1 Block deserves any sympathy.” (Ken Hussell)
• “The accommodation was great (spoilt in the new 3 Block), meals were good.” (Trevor Gardiner)
• “Having lived in New Guinea for the previous five years I thought I was in Antarctica.” (Brian Stremple)
• “Polishing the floors in 1 Block to the tones of “Orv…ill” the foghorn and the chunketychunk of ships passing by.” (John Graham)
• “I shall never forget the music. Strangely enough, I never got sick of it and have retained a great fondness for military music ever since. My wife can’t stand it. Accommodation, in my opinion, was very good. However, I never really got used to having to leave the window half open at all times. The meals were superb, lashings of good wholesome food and as much as you could eat. Marvellous!” (Steve Griffiths)
• “I’d come from country SA and hot water in a basin in your own room was pretty impressive. I still can’t sleep without the windows open – and preferably with a gale blowing.” (Dennis Lines)

THE FIRST 100 DAYS
Chris Jones has provided this section and I am very grateful. My comments follow his contribution.

• I can't remember the date we started at OCS, but from my 'Universal Any Year Diary' it shows the second Monday in July 1964 as being the 13th and that seems a pretty appropriate date from which to start! 100 days from there makes it the 20 Oct 64. It never entered my head that someone would ask me to remember - 38 years later - what happened in the first 100 days at OCS. I never bothered to keep a copy of the syllabus (or a diary). (What an oversight! Remember Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. H.) Actually I don't remember what happened over most of the period, so please excuse any stuff ups. A more important date really was the end of "running everywhere" - the end of the first 50 days - and that, using the start date of 13 Jul, would have been Monday, 31 Aug 64. The 'marriedies' got to see their families and weekend leave could be granted to the rest of us - except to those on multiple extras - and of course those "really bad cadets", who by even that early stage were on CB.
  But I am getting ahead of myself and should start at the beginning. Ray McCann, Dave Meade and I were all at the School of Military Survey, Balcombe Camp having been in the same platoon at 1 RTB. We subsequently found we were all on our way to Portsea. Ray and I were in the same room at Balcombe and we commenced to do some running; as it turned out, not nearly enough to satisfy Ray Keane's syllabus.
  On the day for march-in, we got our Movement Documents and reported to the RTO at Spencer Street Railway Station. To my surprise there were a few additional faces that I knew. Roger Kershaw and John Martin had been at the same high school and Kenneth John Joseph Richardson-Newton (why isn't his full name in the Graduation List in 'Loyalty and Service'?) who had also been in the same platoon at 1 RTB and been allocated to AAPsy.
  Then we were herded onto buses and off we went - back past Balcombe - and on down the Mornington Peninsula to Portsea.
  From then on everything is pretty much a blur.
  I do remember being allocated to 2 Platoon, getting a whole lot of 'new' webbing equipment (we had 37 Pattern in RA Svy - remember ‘Blanco’?), being issued with clothing and being measured for more. We signed for what seemed an endless number of training pamphlets that then had to be carried up from Badcoe Hall to the first floor of 2 Block. Here we met our section Senior class, Cpl Pat Ferguson, Jim Powell, Warren Griffin, Kev Lunney, Zaki bin Haji Wan Mahmood (Fred) and the most important, my 'father', Malcolm Halsdon. In Junior class on the southern end, 1st floor, 2 Block were Roger Kershaw, John Martin, Stewy Jameson, Russ Smith (with whom I shared a room), Bob Sayce and a couple of other notables. We were told to fold our clothes up exactly nine inches wide, roll the socks and fold the tops and put clothes on hangers so the fronts faced to the left (how many of you still put your clothes that way around on hangers?). I do all the above! (H) We found that the showers were right down the other end of the building - which, unknown at that time, would mean that you had to sneak down the whole length of the corridor in the cold to prepare for extra drills.
  Some other Senior class then began to appear demanding that we stand to attention to speak to them and name who they were. Generally, we didn't have a clue, but Roger K, John M and I knew Hans Schmerlaib, as he too had been at the same high school and he quickly departed. Anyway, it ended up that there were some very direct exchanges between some of the new arrivals and these Senior classmen, followed by the rapid arrival of our section Senior class. From then on we were pretty much left alone.
  About the second day a Senior classman came up looking specifically for Cadet Jones. I had no idea who this guy was, what I had done or not done or what he wanted. I hoped there was another Jones on the course for at this time I wasn't even volunteering that my name was Jones. Eventually he found my father who summonsed me to him and it resolved that I was the youngest in the class and it was my job for the next six months to lower the 'daysto- go' in the holders placed on the Cadets Mess mantle piece. Off I went to be acquainted with this task. This Senior class ‘youngest’ informed me, that the number of days left was very important to them and if I got it wrong I would be on "extras" for the remainder of his time at OCS. I came back to my room with the hope that I could get hold of a calendar some how, and quickly, so that I could keep count.
  This was particularly necessary as the next event was the Junior class introductory field training and I would be away for a week and have to get the days-to-go numbers right when I got back. I think the field training was more of a period to get us away from the Senior class, and allow us to get to know our peers. It also gave the staff time to get to know us. It was not really to teach us too much. Anyway, it taught those who hadn't put up a hutchi or eaten ration pack meals what this was like. We all wandered off down Ochilltree Drive, skirted Number 1 oval and headed into the teatree for a week.
  For the first week and while we were on the field familiarisation period we were 'safe', but on our return the embargo on giving us Extra Drills was over! I am unsure for what I got my first extra, but I think it was from Phil Spence, the platoon sergeant, because my clothes were not all nine inches across. I can remember coming back from training at one of the breaks to get changed into a different uniform and finding my clothes all over the floor in the corridor. My wardrobe was located in the hallway because we had two to a room. There, stuck on the front of the wardrobe was a note telling me to "take one"! I was really crooked on this, as I had my laundry done through the canteen and my green shirts were starched and folded and it was next to impossible to refold them, even if they were re-ironed, given the amount of starch used in the process. Anyway, my complaint fell on 'deaf ears' and I developed my first grudge (of many) against the system.
  I entered the penalty in the register book and got up early the next morning to do my penance. This turned into what for a while seemed like a procession as I certainly remember that I got my second extra for some transgression I had committed on my first ED parade.
  For the first 50 days we were required to run everywhere. I doubt if it would be allowed to day, as it would probably be against OH&S to run inside barracks on highly polished floors - that the cadets polished on their Saturday morning "make & mend". The idea for running was that it got us fit more quickly. They needn't have bothered to make it compulsory; most of us we were running to get to the next activity on time anyway.
• In the first week we practised 'leaps'. Before the evening meal (Officer Cadet) Sergeant Spence would send up a message that the platoon was to parade in five minutes in the quadrangle in front of the mess dressed in, say, field dress. When we all got there he would give us five minutes to be back in battle dress, then PT attire (another OH&S problem today would be those black toe capped sand shoes that of course had to be spit polished - thank heavens for gloss spray paint!) followed, at last, by Blues uniform and off to dinner. Meals were all taken in the Cadets Mess, with waiter service and we were all hungry enough to eat any thing placed before us. Bread and butter were always devoured as soon as you sat down and could get at it, after Senior class went first, of course.
  My father taught me that as soon as dinner was finished you got out of the mess and sprinted to the canteen so that you were in the first group to be served. He also taught me that it was quicker to go down the back steps from 2 Block and across the front of the parade ground along the sea wall, as you were not supposed to run in Blues down the main pathway in front of the HQ for some reason.
  Nearly every night during the whole time I was at Portsea and we were in the barracks, I would grab my laundry and dry-cleaning bag and run to the canteen, then buy a block of Old Jamaica chocolate and a pint of milk, before getting into the laundry line so as to scoff the milk and chocolate while waiting to be served.
  I was hungry the whole time I was at Portsea, I think. Remember those Sunday lunch functions? When the mess doors were opened for the buffet luncheon if you were in the front then you had better run or those in the second wave would trample you. Everyone was hungry.

• "Make & Mend" or Internal Economy was on the syllabus on Saturday mornings. This was the use of cadet labour to tidy up the barracks. Dressed in our KD protective dress, starched of course, and cloth berets, we were detailed to various tasks, chipping weeds, sweeping gutters and generally cleaning up the area, as well as 'spit polishing’ the barracks. I mentioned the polished floors before, but the door handles had to be 'brassoed', windows cleaned and everything dusted.
• There were no floor polishers, of course. We had three blankets on our bed - one kept clean on top, for inspection purposes, one on which you cleaned your web belt brass and, when it was your turn, sat on while two other cadets towed you up and down the corridor as a polishing rag for those highly polished floors.
  The remaining one was used for covering the Tables, Bedside as an ironing base - and to keep the polishing blanket off your sheets!
  How no one ended up in hospital after some of the 'chariot sprints' down the corridor and whip turns at the end while polishing the floor was more a case of good luck and being fit enough to absorb the collisions, than good management.
  Then there were the first PT sessions? WO2 Keane sitting on the floor with his legs at 90 degrees to his body and shimmying up the climbing rope just using his arms. He then introduced us to the scramble course and took us for a 'familiarisation run' along the obstacle and cross country courses!
• OCS was big on physical activity and organised sport was high on the list with Colonel 'Stan-the-Man' Coleman, Commandant. Now I had played sport - baseball, sailing and surf lifesaving and had done reasonably well - but I had never played a team game of Australian Rules football or cricket and much to my platoon sergeant’s horror had never even seen a game of rugby!
  This was important as you quickly realised that most of the Senior class who held Senior NCO appointments in the Company of Officer Cadets were also members of the OCS 1st Rugby Team. I never even dreamed of my plight - I was suddenly, but did not know it, even more liable to be awarded extra drills! None of the sports in which I had an interest were on the list at OCS and so it was that every afternoon I began to parade in the Gym Squad. What this meant was that for most of the afternoon sports period, the gym squad, under the supervision of a rotating captain instructor, played volleyball every night while the sports teams went away and did their training. Captain Warwick Smith I remember was unusual as he actually used to participate on one of the sides in the volleyball matches.
  Once after "his team" had taken a particularly bad thrashing for two sets he gave us a break and went off down to the RAP. We sat and lay around and waited enjoying the moment; but he was soon back. He then summoned myself and someone else (I have a feeling that it might have been Yippie Geyl, if not I am sorry). "I have repeatedly told you two to use two hands when you strike the ball", he said, "hold out your hands Jones - palms down" whereon he produced a crepe bandage that he had obtained from the RAP and bound my wrists. Then he did Yippie's. We played for the remainder of the period with our wrists bound and at no time subsequently were we on his team!
  Generally, the staff members were all pretty good. My guidance officer was Capt George Newton, RAASC and I can remember only twice that I received "counselling sessions" from him in about the first 100 days. Likewise the other rank staff senior NCO were also reasonable blokes, from The RSM (Atten ... HO) down to 'Orvrill'.
• First 100 Days" be damned - 13 Jul 64 to 12 Jun 65 - I just wanted to get the hell out of the place the whole 345 days! Well, that this is about all the lies I can dream up. Anyway, it is said, "you only remember the good times" and I hope these memories will bring some smiles. (Chris Jones)
  

Naturally there was no leave during this period so trips away for sport were precious. Even our first time out in the scrub was welcome. It came in the form of an introductory “non-tac” week on the Point to introduce us to the pleasures of “camping out” OCS style, ie clad in greens with only a khaki jumper worn under the shirt, no track suit bottoms or other gash gear, certainly no combat jackets (they came later for less hardy classes – lucky buggers.) The sleeping bags were of the blanket inner and outer style with the ridiculous and useless blow up mattresses to ease the shock of sleeping on the ground. Here it was plain how much ahead the ex-RAR guys were. Not only with respect to the civilian entries but also to those like myself that had had vehicles available to carry extra bits and pieces and to provide shelter. Watching Dave Procopis rig up a stretcher out of branches and thus elevate himself out of the wet weeds was very enlightening but as this was one of our few “non-tac” exercises the lesson was wasted, as we had neither the time nor the opportunity to do the same later on. For many it was the last time we bothered with blow-ups as they always went down and left you with some part of your body on the ground. Besides they made making a bed roll very difficult. It was easier to leave them behind and have an easy job in the morning packing up your gear, even if the first night was a bit uncomfortable lying on the ground with only a thin groundsheet and a flimsy lightweight “sleeping bag” to keep the Victorian nights at bay. The second and subsequent nights you were so tired that you could have slept naked on rolls of concertina wire.
It was also in a very real way the start of the bonding process that is still evident today. “One for all and all for one.” If someone had not already said it I might have been tempted to claim it as our motto. We were certainly all against the enemy, no matter whether staff or senior class, and were always prepared to help out a classmate if they were having a problem. Thus it was that we came to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and develop the teamwork necessary to ensure success. The number of us that graduated would be the measure of that success.

RECOLLECTIONS OF THE FIRST 100 DAYS

• “During this critical time we were introduced to the discipline system but our fathers had to do the EDs for us in the first 15 days or so. I had managed to keep out of trouble until right up to the morning of the day we would have to do our own punishments. Running back from the parade ground after last period I went to secure the bolt from my rifle before dressing for mess and there it was gone. I had put it in my greens pocket and when running it had managed to jump out unnoticed by a Cadet who was trying to keep a good lookout for the enemy as he fled to the security of his room (or the monastic seclusion of your cells as Teeth Donohue would have it.) I tried to retrace my steps but no joy so it was a very despondent cadet that told his father and his Section Cpl what had happened before going gloomily in to dinner. The wording of a charge for ‘Conduct Prejudicial’ was already going through my mind when the CSM, Bruce Hampson, rapped
  for silence then asked if I would come forward.
  “Jesus,” I thought, “that was quick. He is ready to chew me up and spit me out already and I only told them less than an hour ago.” The CSM quietly handed me my bolt and, with a reminder to be more careful in the future told me to sit down. What a man!!” (H)
• “Not long after we arrived we had to run a five miler around a circuit near the oval past a clump of tea-tree and then along some sandy track before coming back onto the oval. We had to do this twice as I recall and as I passed the tea-tree for the second time I had my first view of Frex Keenan. Frex was carrying a bit of weight and was chafing badly around the groin and backside area so was in the middle of discarding his underwear or jock strap when I came along. NOT a pretty sight!” (H)
• “Day one and the first 100 days were hectic to say the least as we oriented ourselves. It was something of a blur.” (Trevor Gardiner)
• “I was totally lost on Day one and on a steep learning curve with a great deal of physical activity over the remainder,” (Varmi ‘Yippie’ Geyl
• “My feelings changed from shock, bewilderment even depression to finally one of enlightenment as I began to understand the army’s mysterious ways. From that point on I enjoyed it and went to it with a will.” (Steve Griffiths)
• “We built up a close comradeship with our senior class during those 100 days.” (John Graham)
• “My father put it all into perspective on Day One but the rest were a blur that finished with a good party.” (Ted ‘WE’ Harrison)

• “Like the rest it was run, run; run until I was fitter than I had ever been. I remember waiting patiently for the RSM to kick himself in the arse with his heel every time he was on parade. The downside was putting up with some of the pathetic little runts in the senior class, who provided a good example of how not to treat subordinates.” (Frank ‘Speed’ Maloney)
• “Loved the non-stop running.” (Ray ‘Smokey’ McCann)
• “No trouble to a trained PTI.” (Lou O’Dea)
• “DAY ONE: No bugger is going to make me paint this flagpole in my one and only suit. DAY 100: Bloody hell!! Another 200 days to go.” (Jungle Jim Parkin)
• “We were constantly tired from training, especially sport training at 1645, and were still always hungry even though we smuggled ‘fudge’ from the canteen in our football boots to our room to eat at night.” (David Procopis)
• “Day ONE: Clean up the beach. Yes sir, Warrant Officer Haley, sir.” (Ken Richardson – Newton)
• “Driving through the gates into the unknown then doubling everywhere to ensure we were punctual. Thank God for the support of my father –Dave Gillett.) (Bob Sayce)
• “The shattering news that my motor bike was not acceptable on the grounds. Had to stash it quickly in Portsea Township.” (Sam Smalley)
• “Day one: We were all on parade and the RSM came along to me and told me to get rid of my green, slouch hat pugaree and uniform
  emblems on my shirt as I had just come from 28th Commonwealth Brigade in Malaysia. What a shame I thought, they looked quite good.” (David Procopis)
  

• “The practice of having intakes consisting of serving soldiers and civilians was one of the greatest attributes of OCS as it assisted in a smooth transition for the civilian entries. These serving soldiers knew their way around – they could put their gaiters on the correct leg, get the buckles on their belts on the correct side, wear their slouch hats correctly and even carry out drill movements with a degree of precision. Most of them excelled in less important skills such as weapon handling and fieldcraft. They also offered hope during our darkest times with comments such as “don’t let it beat you mate, this is not the real world, just wait till you get to a battalion/regiment/depot”. (Gary Jesser)

THE DISCIPLINE SYSTEM

The discipline ‘system’ was the illegitimate offspring of a childish infatuation with West Point that the founding fathers of RMC carried into their school and which then devolved to OCS. This ignored the fact that the original and its Australian Slave were intended for young boys just out of school with little or no life experience and was hardly suitable for adults, some of whom had served overseas and/or were married and had children. It was far removed from the discipline system that existed in the Real Army and thus was a real bone of contention for all with previous military experience.
The main problem was that its summary punishment system was too open to abuse and it only needed a staff member with a tiny amount of immaturity and some poor cadet would suffer. The punishments were also self-generating due to the fact that in a timeshort
environment any restriction, of itself, caused lapses that were then also punished.
The end result was a cadet might get a reasonable award for a misdemeanour and end up doing time for a felony as the punishment
regime kept piling ED’s or CB one upon the other. The result was that some cadets finished their senior term still owing punishment even though they had been on CB for up to 63-65 days at a time. As a training tool the preparation of your own charges had value and the honour system, another West Point idea, certainly had merit as it made you aware of the need to take responsibility for your own actions and be prepared to wear the cost of those decisions.

• “I felt it could have been improved. Many of us were married with young children. I found it hard being supposedly prepared for a
  demanding career with loads of responsibility while being treated like a recalcitrant school boy.” (Ken Hussell)
• “Discipline was as one would expect, mostly consistent with normal standards with an appropriate amount of extra pressure/bastardisation superimposed. I guess I only got cheesed off for copping EDs for dust in my room when away on enforced absences. However, I won in the end by leaving still owing several EDs at graduation time.” (Trevor Gardiner)
• “I thought the honorary system worked well and that the general system of ED’s and CB was applied fairly and kept us on our toes – which is what it was meant to do. I wonder if subsequently, any cadet exceeded my record at the time of 32 days CB straight. (EDITOR’S NOTE: I think we should ask Brian Strempel or Chris Pepper.) The initial award of 28 days was for being AWL by 2 hours and under the influence, one Saturday night. On the 28th day, I was awarded 2 more days for an invisible speck of dust on one of my boots and on the 30th day, I was awarded a final 2 days for an imaginary thread on my tunic. It was certainly challenging at the time, but I look back on it with amusement and some considerable pride at my endurance.”(Steve Griffiths)
• “Different – it became an exercise in finding the most innovative way of ‘beating the system’.” (Ted Harrison)
• “I have a lasting admiration of Chris Pepper and Brian Strempel who did a lot of the hard yards for all of us.” (Barry Johnson)
• “Was it a rumour that Chris Pepper and I were the first cadets to graduate while still owing EDs? We could accumulate EDs
  without even trying. Some people got stripes – we got Eds. Swam around the fence one detention weekend and thumbed down to Rosebud for a swim. Spread the towel, lay down looked left, said hullo to Captain (??) who promptly sent me back and gave me further detention.” (Brian Strempel)
• “As I graduated and left owing 100 EDs, I refuse to comment on the system.” (John‘Jazza’ Jasinski)
• “Oh, if any of you are interested, I still have my "parade" AB Boots with the insteps spit polished. Some 'clown' made me do them
  after an extra drill parade inspection because they couldn't find anything else wrong – and also gave me more extras for not having done it in the first place - bloody unbelievable.” (Chris Jones)
• “I was the first cadet in the class to cop 28 days CB. But not the last!” (Ray McCann)
• “Was there a system? It appeared that every way I turned I copped it from the DS, the Senior Class or someone. Even that woman
  who ran the Dragon Squad had a go at me.” (Jim Parkin)
• “Extra drills could sometimes be fun especially if they played the right type of music to march to). Some of the music had a good swing to it (St Louis Blues), so we could combine the foxtrot and regimental march. However, CB was a pain in the arse. I remember once I was in my good battle dress with field equipment and spit polished boots and Orville (Sgt Williams) made me run up the large sand hill twice. That not only stuffed me but also stuffed my spitties”. (David Procopis)
• “I had to drill the ED squad the morning that the Staff Duty Officer decided it would be fun to march them over into the bay. What the
  lesson was in that still escapes me to this day. Genuine defaulters were fair enough but not that sort of nonsense.” (Frank Maloney.)
• “Everyone remembers that ED march over the sea wall into the bay but has anyone worked out what the point of it was.” (Sam Smalley.)
• “I got myself on the ED parade system quite early and then could not break the cycle. 42 days in a row. I remember that the first in the shower turned on all the taps and those on EDs would run from one end of the shower recess to the other and dry themselves on the way back to the room. Not much fun if you have to go through when only the hot taps are on and not the cold as well.” (John Spurway)

THE TRAINING

“If I find you have time to engage in activities other than those planned for you, I will find more for you to do.” Col STG Coleman, as told by John Graham.

Thus everything we did at OCS was training of some sort. Not only were we trained to be infantry platoon commanders, the basic aim; we were being trained to be Officers and Gentlemen as well.
The author of this section of the scrapbook, Ray McCann, has drawn on Neville Lindsay’s excellent book – ‘Loyalty and Service: the
Officer Cadet School Portsea’.
The Officer Cadet School, Portsea, existed for 34 years from 1952 to 1985 and during that time it turned out 2,825 junior officers for the
Army (40% of the total). This exceeded the RMC output of 2,022 over the same period.
The origins of OCS lay in the need for a substantial increase in the output of officers in the early 1950’s to support commitments to Japan and Korea and to provide junior officers to train the earlier National Service scheme recruits during their three months full-time duty. During our time at Portsea in 1964/65, the new conscription scheme and the expanding commitment to Vietnam created fresh need for Portsea graduates. Our training, therefore, was conducted in an environment of Army growth and increasing defence urgency. It was strongly focused on counter revolutionary warfare in a tropical setting that, fortunately for us as potential cannon fodder, was an area in which the Australian Army had considerable experience and expertise.

The aim of the OCS course was to provide a balanced, introductory education in basic military subjects and to foster in cadets the
mental and moral qualities on which leadership depends. The 44-week course included such diverse and exotic subjects as
battlecraft, etiquette, drill and ceremonial, logic, field training, social studies, weapon training, character development, navigation, current affairs, methods of instruction, P&RT, military history, tactics, military law, leadership, radio telephone procedure, operations, logistics and administration. No wonder our poor little brains were scrambled by the time we graduated.
During our time, OCS operated on the traditional, Spartan lines of high pressure, rigid discipline, restricted privileges and directed activities that were held to be the right environment for producing officers able to face the rigours of military life and provide leadership example as Regimental Officers. Consequently, all our waking activities at Portsea had a ‘training’ basis: e.g. eating in the Cadets Mess (social and military etiquette) and ‘leaps’ and wardrobe layout (personal organisation). In hindsight, one wonders whether sheer bastardry rather than training needs underpinned some of the more analretentive aspects of our indoctrination.

Our first six months of training was devoted to producing trained soldiers with the second six months to officer training. The pace was
frantic, particularly for civilian entrants who had to catch up with the serving-soldier entrants in terms of military skills and adjusting to military life.

Field training in the miserable weather conditions visited on Point Nepean during winter was a sheer delight especially for the PNG and Filipino cadets. Others joys included flotation and swimming tests in the icy waters of Port Phillip Bay, dragging one’s fundamental orifice up the Scramble Course,‘dancing’ lessons with the Dragon Squad and field training in the State Forests at Healesville and Gembrook.
We must have been a resilient and talented bunch because our course had the lowest failure rate on record at Portsea – 9.5% compared with 18% for the period 1952-1970, and 30% for the period 1971-1985. Some less charitable individuals might suggest that our low failure rate was more likely due to the Army expansion in 1965 and the consequent need for ‘cannon fodder’. We know better.
We were brought up in an era of foot-mounted infantry engaged on small-scale operations in close country. Our training was strongly
focused and we were not faced with the complexity of mobile/mechanized operations and advanced technology that our successors are now required to master. Life might have been simpler then, but it was certainly physically demanding.
It is appropriate to acknowledge here the contribution, professionalism and commitment of the OCS instructional and support staff.
We owe them a debt of gratitude not only for getting us through a difficult course but also for imparting the skills and knowledge necessary for our survival and further development. (Ray McCann)

FIELD TRAINING

Training varied in location to suit the lesson and we spent time alternating between class rooms, the mess, parade ground, gym, sports
ovals and out in the field.
Field training, thus, was a regular and essential part of our lives and varied from the pleasant“non-tac” in summer to the bloody miserable
“tactical” in the snow of Gembrook. No matter, whatever the location or even the climatic conditions it was still a testing time in all senses of the words and as such a time to keep your eyes and ears open and ensure the DS were not laying in ambush waiting for you to slip up-ask John Spurway. We were always playing at Platoon level and had various platoon appointments to perform. You could be OC, Pl Sgt, Section Comd, and Section 2IC or, if you happen to have worn an RA Sigs badge at some time, radio operator. Basically there were two main camp training periods, the first in your junior term where the junior class played at being diggers and the senior class filled the platoon appointments and then in your senior term it was your go. Both of the training exercises were broken down into Conventional warfare and Counter Revolutionary Warfare each with its advantages and disadvantages for the cadets. Few, for example, enjoyed the digging-in part of the Defence module. Similarly the seasons also had a bearing on how comfortable your time was in the bush. Apart from the obvious preference for dry warm nights, if it was not raining it was often better to be out in winter because the period between last light and first light stand-to was much longer and you got more sleep. Memories linger of a warm sleeping bag under a tight dry huchi; when you were not on the gun and some other poor soul had the duty.
In between these major exercises there were a number of patrolling exercises, navigation exercises and short attack or defence exercises
both in the Point Nepean area and in various snake and leech ridden state forests. These latter training areas were a source of dismay
and concern for the Kiwis much to the delight of the locals. Anyone seen any drop bears?

Good idea but whoever plotted this forgot there was an exhibition that showed what various anti-tank rounds could do to Armour. Oh well! Back to the swimming lessons. That was it - THE VISIT. Well, we lived in interesting times (apologies to that Chinese bloke wot said it first). (Sam Smalley)

RECOLLECTIONS OF THE VISITS

“It was hot and dusty and the water in our canteens could have been used to make tea, the nearest cold drinks we thought was kilometres
and hours away but let us not worry; we have an artillery demonstration to watch. Next thing up the dusty track drives a utility with a big container that looked like a large hot water system on the back. Out jumps a smiling Salvo and he proceeds to hand out mugs of ice
cold lemon squash. A man of God indeed. My memory fails me here but I think that when we took a hat around back at OCS over £100
was raised. I do know I have always supported the Salvo’s since. (H)

SPORT and P&RT

The sport section has been provided by David Procopis, another recipient of my heartfelt thanks.
Sport was heavily entrenched in the OCS culture mainly due to the then Commandant Col Stan Coleman who was a sports fanatic. It was rumoured that the only criterion needed for admission to the College was to be a jock of some sort but preferably a rugby player.
Needless to say then our class was full of potential Olympians, Wallabies and All Blacks – even if only in our own minds. During the first fifty days, it was the smart cadet who volunteered for sport, as this was the only way to escape the confines of the barracks. However, it came at a price. Who could forget playing rugby in Melbourne near the MCG, in atrocious, muddy conditions and then having to suffer a freezing cold shower afterwards? Still it all seemed worthwhile when the bus back to Portsea stopped at a hamburger shop where the ever-hungry cadets purchased “real food” like burgers and chips or the odd meat pie.
Winter sport’s training, whatever the code, was played on the oval after the last scheduled lesson at about 1645 hrs. Naturally, this
involved the poor cadets running around in wet and wintry conditions. Tired, cold and soaked, they would then straggle back to the
quarters, but not before visiting the canteen to purchase chocolate bars or “fudge” as it was affectionately known. These were then hidden
from the DS in dirty football boots or socks and smuggled back to the rooms. Summer sport’s training, was more pleasant but just as tiring with repetitive training regimes to suffer after a hard day at the office.
The routine of smuggling goodies back to barracks from the canteen remained an essential part of the cadets’ life, however, as they never seemed to be able to satisfy the constant hunger pains. There were, as well, some memorable events at sports carnivals. For instance the Interplatoon Athletics competition, which was won by 2 Platoon by a solitary point, had one senior class cadet in tears. No names no pack drill, Baby John. The basketball competition was contested fiercely. Basketball was a minor sport in those days but played with great skill by the Filipino cadets in particular. Some of you might remember some fiery abuse dished out by one tall DS Infantry Captain at the referee our favourite PTI, Ray Keane. This “man” must have had a “chip” on his shoulder, pun intended.
There was also the great pleasure in watching some of our junior class in action, like PNG Cadet Kwago Guria, who could throw the
javelin out of sight and Moose Dunlop hurling the shot. We also saw the Australian Pole Vault record broken at Portsea during an
athletics meet between cadets and visiting clubs.

The Theme Party held on 7 November 1964 was a South Seas Night and to add to the atmosphere and adventure an island was
constructed in the quadrangle and I remember a few got castaway on it for most of the night.
We dressed for the occasion and enjoyed the opportunity to sample a little of the good life that we hoped was still outside the gate waiting
for us.
But we had to get through the Junior class first and then we would be able see the end of it all. First our Senior class had to graduate so there was an excuse for a party.
A feature of every function was the great suppers that were laid on. I can recall a few, but very few, to rival them, Oh, for the crayfish and oysters that were so plentiful then. The entertainment was usually provided by a very good dance band supplemented by our own wonderful musicians: Lou Malietoa vocal and ukulele, Ken Hussell cornet, Doug Kent and Brian Kowald, piano and various talented
Maori singers and guitar players from our junior class. They were special nights.

RECOLLECTIONS OF SOCIAL LIFE

• “In the last few weeks of our course we had some function, a dining in night I think. At the conclusion it was decided by some that
  despite the hour more music was required. Not a problem they simply fired up the PA system and proceeded to play Bagpipe music for the entertainment of all. As mentioned previously the PA operated throughout the barracks and accommodation blocks so waking up all the student body seemed like a great joke at the time. Alas their reconnaissance was faulty for they failed to determine the extent of the coverage of the PA system. Unbeknown to the pranksters it was piped into the married quarter of the CI just up on the hill behind us. Although even if it had not been he would surely have heard the din. Anyway as the cadets were retiring to a pleasant sleep counting days to go instead of sheep World War III began. Phil Christ had risen if not from the dead exactly at least from a deep sleep and in pyjamas and dressing gown called everybody out on parade and tore a spare anal orifice in everyone, guilty or innocent, and put the whole school on stoppage of leave for the coming weekend. The miscreants sat and ‘thought’ about this turn of events and had another great idea.‘We will go and apologise.’ With that well appreciated plan in mind they trooped up to the married quarter door and rang the bell thus waking up a still angry CI from his now twice interrupted sleep. Good thinking, guys! (H)
• “Inside OCS, meal times were a great occasion for banter and fun. I enjoyed dressing for dinner and talking about the day’s
  activities over coffee in the anteroom. There was always plenty to talk about and laugh about. The positive energy was incredible.
  The humour still tickles me after all these years. Outside OCS, I remember there were a few good sessions at the Portsea Pub, but I seem to recall that leave passes were fairly sparse.” (Steve Griffiths)
• “Finding out that the Portsea Hotel had at least 1,000 rooms or, at least 1,000 room keys (for the after-hours patrons)”. (Ted Harrison)
• “Being accused of having lipstick on my underclothes that I placed in the canteen for laundry was a social experience I would not
  mind owning up to but it was only dye from the sport shorts.” (Chris Jones.)
• “Every Friday Night I fronted to the dancing classes with another sports injury. Mrs Hocking must have thought I was too lame to
  ever graduate. Now I regret not taking the opportunity to learn to dance.” (Bill Kingston)
• “Mrs Hocking tried hard to put a bit of polish on rough stock and always tried to find us partners for the social functions. One
  memorable night she had arranged a partner for Smokey McCann and I drove him out to pick her up. Down the path coming towards us with the late afternoon sun streaming through her hair was Miss Universe. Smokey couldn’t believe his luck and muttered something about this being better than winning Tatts. However, he then got tongue tied and sat her in the back and jumped into the front with me.” (Frank Maloney.)
• “Garth Hasell’s room being used for extracurricular Ball activities. Pun intended.” (Ross Miller.)
• “Who entertained his lady friend on my bed whilst we were on final exercise? A real man would have found a gun emplacement, rocky outcrop or sandy beach.” (Lou O’Dea.)
• “I wonder if it was the same so-and-so that stole the two bottles of VB I buried near the quadrangle near the end of the course.” (Lou O’Dea.)
• “My only social event was in name only. Some one took out the Adjutant’s daughter and said their name was John Spurway. I
  wondered why the Adjutant used to look at me strangely on pay parade. I assume the guilty party will be at the reunion with his partner. Every dog has his day.” (John Spurway.)

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