Unexpected
Edgar Whitehead's job after taking over Q was a curious mixture between quasi-political, economic work and strictly military duties.
One Friday morning the General sent for him and said, "A signal has just arrived from the WO requiring an immediate 'ammunition state' of the Command including the exact number of rounds of all types with every unit and all reserves held by Ordinance. I want it on my table by 0930 on Monday morning".
Edgar replied, "Very good, Sir."
"How do you propose to do it?"
"Well Sir, I'll have food served in the office, I'll have camp beds moved in so anyone who can't carry on without sleep can take a couple of hours rest. We will have to work from now until Monday morning."
They got the job finished just an hour before the deadline. Edgar carried the result over to the General's Office. He asked, "Can you guarantee these figures are accurate?"
"Sir, I can guarantee they are ninety-eight percent accurate, but not one hundred percent."
Edgar was dismissed for the day, but the General added as he was leaving, "I'll give you your next job tomorrow morning".
Edgar went back to the office to clean up the routine work.
About this time the General told Edgar he had been allotted two OBE's (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) and had recommended Edgar for one of them. Shortly afterwards the awards were confirmed.
Edgar was very touched by the generosity of his regular colleagues who came to the office to congratulate him. Almost all said they would very much have liked the award themselves but considered it went to the person who really earned it.
Praise from his own colleagues meant so much more to Edgar than compliments from the uninformed.
Happy New Year everyone!
I wish everyone all the very best of good health for 2025!
Attention all Zimbabwe Readers! Hannah Rothwell of Pungwe Projects, 10 Stuart Avenue, Pomona, Harare can take book orders for Whitewashed Jacarandas and Full of Possibilities. Once Hannah places an order it is usually received from the UK within two weeks. Contact her at: PUNGWEPROJECTS@GMAIL.COM phone 0785 685 568. Find her on Facebook as Pungwe Projects or on Instagram as pungwe_projects.
The historical novel Whitewashed Jacarandas and its sequel Full of Possibilities are both available on Amazon as paperbacks and eBooks.
These books are inspired by Diana's family's experiences in small town Southern Rhodesia after WWII.
Dr. Sunny Rubenstein and his Gentile wife, Mavourneen, along with various town characters lay bare the racial arrogance of the times, paternalistic idealism, Zionist fervor and anti-Semitism, the proper place of a wife, modernization versus hard-won ways of doing things, and treatment of endemic disease versus investment in public health. It's a roller coaster read.
References:
- Sir Edgar Whitehead's Unpublished Memoirs, Rhodes House, Bodleian Library, Oxford University, by permission.
- Photo Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_British_Empire