By I.C. Fraser
By early May 1966 Guyana was in a flurry of excitement over its upcoming Independence celebrations. At Queens College we could see much of the activity in the nearby National Park in preparation for the Flag Raising ceremony.
There was an additional effect at QC because many of the masters, e.g. Mr. RE Jackson, Mr. WM King and Mr. RM Isaacs were tapped for new government appointments.
This led to occasional staff shortages and many “free periods” for students, notably in the senior classes, so we could gape and speculate.
On 5th May Capt. CE Barker, senior master and decades long supervisor of the Cadet Corps, convened a meeting of all cadets in Room 14. He explained that we were going to do a special skit at the Flag Raising ceremony under the command of a British army instructor.
He cautioned discipline and good behaviour. It sounded like some kind of humorous parade.
That afternoon about 70 cadets paraded, then instead of marching to the Police Armory for our 303 drill rifles, we assembled on the playing field where a British Army officer explained the exercise, soon to be known as “The Toy Soldier Drill”.
It was essentially a short mime drama featuring us cadets dressed as Napoleonic era toy soldiers similar to those depicted in the Nutcracker Ballet. We would wear tall, shiny black shakos, bright, long sleeved red coats, and white trousers with a black stripe.
We would carry flat wooden rifles with long wooden bayonets evocative of Napoleonic era muskets. The drill involved marching onto the field by the centre in open order.
All movements were in a jerky but precisely choreographed style, suggesting clockwork powered toys.
Personally, I was a bit skeptical of the show, as I had anticipated us being in a more traditional role, parading with the full time military establishment as we usually did in the annual Armistice Day, Queens Birthday and Commonwealth Day parades.
This Toy Soldier business was viewed by some as a put-down for the Corps, rather undignified and a joke at our expense. But, eventually after a month of twice-weekly rehearsals, including a trip to Gobin’s Tailoring to be measured for the uniforms, some enthusiasm gradually developed.
Also, since the Corps was emerging from one of its rather frequent periods of inactivity occasioned by the country’s political troubles, our actual military efficiency was probably at an elementary level and unacceptable for parading with regular troops.
This was at least a way to be fully involved in an historic occasion and not just be spectators. As it turned out, the QC Cadets were afforded a front row view of the poignant flag lowering and raising ceremony that took place at midnight of the May 25, 1966.
On May 20, we had an on-site rehearsal at the National Park. On the afternoon of May 25, there was a final, full dress rehearsal on site. We would return later that night for the actual performance.
At the appointed moment during the cultural part of the ceremonies, the brightly lit National Park suddenly went dark. When the lights came back on forty-five seconds later, a company of 60 Nutcracker Suite soldiers stood to attention with wooden arms at port.
About 10 feet to their left was a three-man gun crew with a small artillery piece. Off to their right stood an officer mounted on a toy horse.
The officer’s legs touched the ground thus somehow permitting the horse to move. That officer was Cadet Sgt OFA Wade.
The toy soldiers gave a brief display of precision drill to loud commands from the ‘mounted’ officer. Their movements were accompanied by the high-pitched notes of a fife and drum band.
After 10 minutes of this theatrical drill display, the officer suddenly fell off his horse and lay sprawled on the ground. This undignified misfortune resulted in loud perfectly choreographed laughter from the troops.
The men swung in unison from side to side with each loud “Ha”.
The officer remounted his horse and angrily signaled the crew of the cannon to fire on the troops. They dramatically trained the gun, which went off with a loud bang and a big puff of smoke.
The entire company then collapsed, each man rigidly falling forward onto his face, the entire company falling from the left to the right, in a graceful wave like a falling deck of cards.
This was accompanied by a dramatic roll of the drums. The last man on the right remained standing. Then, after two or three seconds, he too finally fell to the ground, joining his comrades.
The lights again went out briefly and when they returned no toy soldier was to be seen. There was loud applause from the audience.
The act depended heavily on mime and body language. Sgt Wade displayed significant talents in both.
(Main ref. QC magazine 1965-66. Personal (Letts Schoolboy’s) diary 1966.)
