Military careers
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 11:14 pm
Military careers are often affected by circumstances and unknown forces as well as our own ability or lack thereof.
I once was in 13 National Service Training Bn. doing my “Nashos”.
There was a Company Hygiene private who seemed to be in a deadend job.
Years later I met him on the train and he was a WO2 and responsible for hygiene throughout the NSW State.
I looked up a mate from training days in the Infantry (on the net) and came up with a photo of him as a Private in Korea, he was a refugee from Poland and that’s what got him in the paper.
In Korea he was soon a Corporal, then a platoon commander whilst still a Corporal, which was unique, next he was off back to Australia to do an Officers Course.
He told me that his father had been a General in the Polish army and that his mother was a Baroness; when I asked him what his dad thought of him being in the army, he replied that he hadn’t told him as he’d never understand why a Kula-Kulowski (for that was his name) wouldn’t be Commissioned as a matter of course.
I next met Bob (which he used instead of Bogdan) on Liverpool Rly Stn. He was accompanied by another Second Lieutenant, his face lit up with a smile and I threw him my best salute which he returned, stuck out his hand and used my Christian name, I replied using Bob, and saw his companion bridle a bit at this familiarity, with a twinkle in his eye, he introduced me to his brother Officer, “Owen, meet Bill”, I said ‘G’day, Bill, pleased.to meet you”
Bill mumbled something and wisely shut up.
We had a bit of a yarn then their train came in, so complements exchanged again and we went our seperate ways, never saw him again.
However about six months later I was on the train and a young Digger sat down beside me and we soon got talking and it turned out that Bob was his platoon commander; I asked him what he was like,
‘He’s a real bastard” was the reply, further questions brought out thar Lt. Kulakowski never expected his men to do anything that he couldn’t do himself.
So I asked why was he was a bastard, as an example I was given that they were doing a 5 mile run and Bob was running beside them, up hill, and urging them on.
What’s wrong with that I asked, nothing, he said with a grin, but he was running backwards.
I got the impression that he really liked his platoon commander.
Last I heard of Bob was on the net and he was Baron Bogdan Kulakowski.
I once was in 13 National Service Training Bn. doing my “Nashos”.
There was a Company Hygiene private who seemed to be in a deadend job.
Years later I met him on the train and he was a WO2 and responsible for hygiene throughout the NSW State.
I looked up a mate from training days in the Infantry (on the net) and came up with a photo of him as a Private in Korea, he was a refugee from Poland and that’s what got him in the paper.
In Korea he was soon a Corporal, then a platoon commander whilst still a Corporal, which was unique, next he was off back to Australia to do an Officers Course.
He told me that his father had been a General in the Polish army and that his mother was a Baroness; when I asked him what his dad thought of him being in the army, he replied that he hadn’t told him as he’d never understand why a Kula-Kulowski (for that was his name) wouldn’t be Commissioned as a matter of course.
I next met Bob (which he used instead of Bogdan) on Liverpool Rly Stn. He was accompanied by another Second Lieutenant, his face lit up with a smile and I threw him my best salute which he returned, stuck out his hand and used my Christian name, I replied using Bob, and saw his companion bridle a bit at this familiarity, with a twinkle in his eye, he introduced me to his brother Officer, “Owen, meet Bill”, I said ‘G’day, Bill, pleased.to meet you”
Bill mumbled something and wisely shut up.
We had a bit of a yarn then their train came in, so complements exchanged again and we went our seperate ways, never saw him again.
However about six months later I was on the train and a young Digger sat down beside me and we soon got talking and it turned out that Bob was his platoon commander; I asked him what he was like,
‘He’s a real bastard” was the reply, further questions brought out thar Lt. Kulakowski never expected his men to do anything that he couldn’t do himself.
So I asked why was he was a bastard, as an example I was given that they were doing a 5 mile run and Bob was running beside them, up hill, and urging them on.
What’s wrong with that I asked, nothing, he said with a grin, but he was running backwards.
I got the impression that he really liked his platoon commander.
Last I heard of Bob was on the net and he was Baron Bogdan Kulakowski.