From the book of Drill

When recruits are more advanced, they should not be touched.

So, untill this is so, Burke has a lot of touching to do, so says the Drill book.

Summing up the read (this quote has now been claimed!): An officer must be confident in giving orders, or else the soldier won't be confident in executing them.

On the word Attention, the hands are to fall smartly down the outside of the thighs..

And here I was of course imagining what would happen if they fell on the inside.....it would look remarkably like the soldier needing to pee.

Eyes to the Front - the look and head are to be directly to the front, the habitual position of a soldier.

It could be nothing but a habit of a soldier to look to the front. Preferably blaming the stock.

The greatest precision must be observed in these facings, for if they are not exactly executed, a body of men, after being properly dressed, will lose their dressing.

And like a salad, that would taste bad.

The ham must be stretched, but without the stiffening the knee.

Ham?.. I have a distinct feeling this is not food we are talking about...but it makes for a picture

As all marching (the side step excepted) invariably begins with the left foot..

I knew it. The lefties wrote this! :p

That is it for now.. Because I need to iron fabric now!

Zachary Pye wrote:

On the word Attention, the hands are to fall smartly down the outside of the thighs..

And here I was of course imagining what would happen if they fell on the inside.....it would look remarkably like the soldier needing to pee.

This is specified in order to prevent soldiers from dropping their hands to the more front or more back of the leg. The seam of the trousers is the most reliable way to remember it.

Zachary Pye wrote:

Eyes to the Front - the look and head are to be directly to the front, the habitual position of a soldier.

It could be nothing but a habit of a soldier to look to the front. Preferably blaming the stock.

I've seen folks tuck their chins in a bit, or even cant their heads back a little, when standing at attention. Head up, chin out, shoulders back.

Zachary Pye wrote:

The greatest precision must be observed in these facings, for if they are not exactly executed, a body of men, after being properly dressed, will lose their dressing.

And like a salad, that would taste bad.

Dress right, dress! Admittedly my own unit has a deplorable sense of right-dress.

Zachary Pye wrote:

The ham must be stretched, but without the stiffening the knee.

Ham?.. I have a distinct feeling this is not food we are talking about...but it makes for a picture

The hamstring, I think. Most important thing to remember when on parade (or when at Attention for any length of time) is stand upright but to avoid locking your knees.

Zachary Pye wrote:

As all marching (the side step excepted) invariably begins with the left foot..

I knew it. The lefties wrote this! :p

I was told the reason for this, but it was a long time ago and I've since forgotten. Anyway, in my world (ha) it's not wholly true. Right-side movements - column right, right flank, &c - are called off the right foot. But in general the step is called off the left.

All changes of direction on the march are called on the left foot. There may be a check step involved to get the movement on the right foot, but it's called on the left.

I'll take you both through some drill in August. Before Detling, if we have time, but certainly in the first bit of free time on the first day at Detling. And in a squad, follow the person in front or to your right.

Flying example: changing direction from straight forward to ninety degrees to the right. "Column right, march!" is called off the right, to keep everybody in step. The movement is made one half-step after the command of execution, so the command would be given on the right and the pivot made on the left, with the step-off being the right foot.

Hurray. Period D&C. If nothing else, 'right-dress' is more ingrained in my reflex than marching.

The abovementioned comments are mostly written in jest (similar to the joke that ran around about the order.. stick the knife in the scabbard, which... in a different language meant a very private part of a female... and that attested to many snickers, laughs and winces . Then there were of course orders of cover and uncover yourself, which in jest painted a picture of soldiers lying in bed... and there alas...

Yes. We've had too much time on our hands reading military commands (which the book I know happily own.. because the library needed to get rid of some of them!).

Whooo about going through basic training! ... I wish this booklet had pictures too!