large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb_41
large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb
English
6798
They kept mixing up the old and the new methods of training, with the result that it was often hopeless to try and make out their orders. Whole weeks were spent in grinding into the Arabs the names of the different parts of the rifle; weeks more went to teaching them to clean it  although it must be said that, once they had mastered these technicalities, they were excellent shots. Their efficiency would have been considerably greater if there had been more target shooting. THEY KEPT MIXING UP THE OLD AND THE NEW METHODS OF TRAINING WITH THE RESULT THAT IT WAS OFTEN HOPELESS TO TRY AND MAKE OUT THEIR ORDERS WHOLE WEEKS WERE SPENT IN GRINDING INTO THE ARAB THE NAMES OF THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE RIFLE WEEKS MORE WENT TO TEACHING THEM TO CLEAN IT ALTHOUGH IT MUST BE SAID THAT ONCE THEY HAD MASTERED THESE TECHNICALITIES THEY WERE EXCELLENT SHOTS THEIR EFFICIENCY WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERABLY GREATER IF THEY HAD BEEN GIVEN MORE TARGET SHOOTING
, to our disgust, we found that in the great olive-drab pile to which we were led, there was not a single new one. All were old, discarded, and dirty, and the mere thought of putting on the clothes of some unknown Arab legionary, who, perhaps, had died of cholera at Mecca or Yemen, made me shudder. After some indecision, my friends and I finally went up to one of the officers and offered to _buy_ new uniforms with the money we expected daily from our families. The officer, scenting the chance for a little private profit, gave his consent. The days and weeks following were busy ones. From morning till night, it was drill, drill, and again drill. We were divided into groups of fifty, each of which was put in charge of a young non-commissioned officer from the Military School of Constantinople or Damascus, or of some Arab who had seen several years' service. These instructors had a hard time of it; the German military system, which had only recently been introduced, was too much for them. NT UNIFORM IT IS ON THE WHOLE BUT TO OUR DISGUST WE FOUND THAT IN THE GREAT OLIVE DRAB PILE TO WHICH WE WERE LED THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE NEW ONE ALL WERE OLD DISCARDED AND DIRTY AND THE MERE THOUGHT OF PUTTING ON THE CLOTHES OF SOME UNKNOWN ARAB LEGENDARY WHO PERHAPS HAD DIED OF CHOLERA IN MECCA OR YEMEN MADE ME SHUDDER AFTER SOME INDECISION MY FRIENDS AND I FINALLY WENT UP TO ONE OF THE OFFICERS AND OFFERED TO BUY NEW UNIFORMS WITH THE MONEY WE EXPECTED DAILY FROM OUR FAMILIES THE OFFICER SCENTING THE CHANCE OF A LITTLE PRIVATE PROFIT GAVE HIS CONSENT THE DAYS AND WEEKS FOLLOWING WERE BUSY ONES FROM MORNING TILL NIGHT IT WAS DRILL DRILL AND AGAIN DRILL WE WERE DIVIDED INTO GROUPS OF FIFTY EACH OF WHICH WAS PUT IN CHARGE OF A YOUNG NON COMMISSIONED OFFICER FROM THE MILITARY SCHOOL OF CONSTANTINOPLE OR DAMASCUS OR OF SOME ARAB WHO HAD SEEN SEVERAL YEARS SERVICE THESE INSTRUCTORS HAD A HARD TIME OF IT THE GERMAN MILITARY SYSTEM WHICH HAD ONLY RECENTLY BEEN INTRODUCED WAS TOO MUCH FOR THEM
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