Brigade. The formation of trained reserves for
the Signallers was also undertaken and due attention paid to other
requirements.

All training was supervised by the Brigadier and his Staff, but the
latter had not that experience likely to be of assistance either to its
chief or to commanding officers. General Spens lent one or two officers
and non-commissioned officers who had served in the first campaign in
France and whose experience should have been of value to the new troops.
The N.C.Os., genuine "Contemptibles," were really useful and of a fine
stamp--able to impress the young Australian and communicate many useful
lessons. On the other hand, the officers were not, apparently, selected
with any regard to their capacity as instructors but merely for the sake
of giving them something to do. They lectured frequently in a didactic
manner--playing fast and loose with the training manuals, and advocating
experiments for which they could give no sound reason. When pressed on
these matters it seemed to them sufficient to say that they "thought
they were good ideas." This engendered much vexation amongst the
Australian officers, more especially as the Brigadier very often did not
see his way clear to withstand the innovations. The immediate result
was to humbug officers and men and negative many of the sound lessons
already taught.

[Illustration: BRIG.-GENERAL JAMES BURSTON, V.D.
Who commanded the 7th Brigade in 1915.
_Photo. lent by Mrs. Burston._]

[Illustration: LIEUT.-COLONEL C. R. DAVIES, O.B.E, SECOND-IN-COMMAND,
1915-16.]

A further drawback in training was the large number of men which had to
be supplied for duties outside the Brigade. At times these amounted to
over 200 on the one day and comprised town picquets, guards on
hospitals, etc. The absence of these men broke up platoons and also
disrupted the continuity of instruction. There was no way out, but it
was thought that the "dizzy limit" had been reached when a request was
received for church orderlies, billiard markers and barmen--all for a
British formation. The Brigadier ventured a protest, but for his pains
was treated to a severe official snub.

One factor, however, which was a distinct aid to acquiring a knowledge
of warfare, was a School of Instruction held at Zeitun and commanded by
a distinguished officer of the Guards. A considerable number of the
junior officers and N.C.Os. attended, together with a proportion of the
machine gunners and signa