A mad dash for victory
Chapter 1: The Beginning
It was 1852 and there were two men. One was called Richard and the other was called Bill. They were both about to join the army. One day Bill said:
“This is probably going to be the biggest step of our lives. I think this because we have been playing Cricket and Football and now we are joining the army.”
“True,” said Richard. “But this is what we have wanted to do all our lives so we are doing it.”
The next day Richard and Bill went down to the training camp to sign up. When they got there they were instructed to go down to the mangers office.
“Hello. You must be the new recruits called Richard and Bill. I hear you want to join the cavalry but also want to be able to cover for people in the infantry,” said the manger in a meaningful voice.
“Yes that is us,” replied Richard in his best ‘posh voice’.
“Ok then we will get you started on your training tomorrow.”
The next day Richard and Bill went back to the training camp so they could get started on the training for the real thing.
“Right boys let’s get to work. Everyone choose a Stallion so we can do some basic horse riding lessons. Everyone give your Stallion a name,” said the instructor in a stern and firm but friendly voice.
Richard, who liked the colour black, sprinted straight for a Matt black one and named it Blackey. Bill ran straight for a dark brown one and called it George. There were 18 other boys training to be in the cavalry only 10 would get to go into battle for real. Everyone was also going to get training to be an infantry man. To begin with they would learn to ride a horse. After they had done this the best 15 would be picked to go onto the shooting range. Here they would practise fighting with swords and rifles with blanks in. the top 13 from this would go to the final stage of training. Next the people who got to the final stage would practise fighting while on a horse. Finally the best 10 would go into the cavalry. The rejected 10 people would either have to try again or join the infantry.
Richard got through but Bill did not.
“Better luck next time Bill,” Richard said in a kind voice.
“Well done Richard,” Bill replied in a slightly sad voice.
Chapter 2: Prepare For Battle
The next day Richard went back to the training camp.
“Right. Let’s get to work,” came a voice from a big man. His voice was as loud as a tiger.
“I think he must be the instructor,” Richard whispered to the boy next to him.
“Think you must be right Richard,” the boy replied.
“STOP TALKING IN THE RANKS!” shouted the instructor. “IF YOU DO IT AGAIN I WILL HAVE YOU PUT ON A CHARGE. Now I will carry on what I started saying before I was so rudely interrupted by those two boys over there.” He glared in Richards’s direction. “I hear you all have passed the basic training. Well done. Now we are going to do some more complicated stuff. Firstly we are going to improve the skills you have learnt already. There are 100 of you so you are going to be put into 4 smaller groups of 25 each with a separate instructor. This will mean you will be able to learn more over the time we have. After two months of training you will be told which regiment you will be in.”
Richard was put in a group with a very nice instructor who had a lot of friends and respect. After the people in Richard’s group had got to know each other they started improving the skills they had already learnt. This took five days. On the sixth day of training they started on the more complicated bits. This included fighting with swords and rifles while on horseback and how to dodge rifle bullets really well while on foot. After another 3 weeks of training the trainees then had to complete a quiz. Next the questions that people most commonly got wrong would be mentioned time and time again in training so they would eventually be planted in the trainee’s brain.
After the two months everyone got to know which regiment they would be in. 10 boys, including Richard were put into regiment 22.
Chapter 3: A Mad Dash For Victory
When Richard went to his new regiment after having a couple of weeks at home he was greeted by a friendly sight: his horse Blackly. The regiments general was called Sam Harsh. His surname half told you what his personality was. When he got cross he was really harsh but when you behaved well he was really nice to you and gave out rewards.
“Right. Tomorrow we will be heading into battle with five other regiments. Most of you will be in the right or left flanks but some of you will be in the two centre flanks, either right or left. It was Friday the day of the attack. Richard had been put in the left centre flank because he was one of the better fighters.
Shouting they rode into battle feeling confident they would win. The first hour went well with the other side loosing 7000 people and horses from its mammoth army of 56000 while Richards side only loosing 1000 from its army of 40000. Three hours later they were not so sure that they were going to win. There were now only 17000 men left and 25000 left in the other side. Suddenly one of the enemy grabbed Richard from the ranks and dragged him into the middle of the enemy’s camp.
“If you do not give us the information we want when we want it we will kill you!” shouted the enemy’s commander in a voice like a lion’s roar.
“Help!” shouted Richard in a desperate voice.
“Tell us your plans or we will kill you!”
“Never!”
“Fine we will kill you!”
“No you shall not!”
“How will you stop us? We’re going to kill you and that is that! Now kill him!!!!”
Suddenly there was the biggest noise ever. It was the sound of charging cavalry and thousands of guns firing. Shouting Richard jumped onto Blackly and trampled through the enemy ranks. This was the home straight as the enemy commander got shot right in the middle of the head and was killed instantly.
Within two hours the battle was over and won. The army commander came running over to Richard and decided that he should be the commander of both the centre flanks
“Richard. I have decided that you should be the commander of both centre flanks. I want you to make a speech right here. It can be as long or short as you like. Now step up onto this old crate.”
“I am very privileged to be the commander of both centre flanks. Thank-you to the army commander for putting me into this position after just one battle. I hope you all do well and rise up positions and one day you may be where I am or possibly even higher. It does not take much to get up to this position. All it needs is for you to do something really brave or for you to have on really good battle. Now once again I thank Sam for putting me into this position.”
“I agree with Richard. It does not take much to move up a position. We all did really well in that battle even if we did lose a lot of our army. We should be able to build it back up before the next battle. Here are the marks for each flank out of 20: left 16, right 17, left centre 17 and right centre 19. I hope we have time to celebrate this massive win.
The end!!!!!!!!!
This story was based on the Boer war
Liss: Year 6 