The General Danced at Dawn
Encyclopedia
The General Danced at Dawn is a 1970 collection of short stories by George MacDonald Fraser
, featuring a young Scottish soldier named Dand MacNeill. It is a fond portrait of life in the British army
, specifically in the Highland Division, after the end of the second world war
MacNeill is his efforts to become an officer, and his examination by an officer selection board in India
in the final stages of World War II
. Despite performing badly in every task, often trying to answer cleverly and failing miserably, he is approved and commissioned due to his apparent dogged determination to complete the assault course. He perseveres in his futile attempts to cross a mud filled ditch, although the examining officers advise him to 'call it a day' and climb out. In reality he was unwilling to finish or turn back, as he had lost his trousers while floundering in the mud, and had resolved to stay in the water to avoid embarrassment.
Silence in the Ranks finds subaltern MacNeill joining an unidentified Highland regiment
as a platoon
commander, and finding it difficult to fit into the regiment's family atmosphere, or to identify with the men under him. At the end of the chapter he is confined to barracks on Hogmanay
, while the other officers celebrate elsewhere, and is joined in his quarters by some soldiers of his platoon
for drinks and conversation. At the close of the evening, he learns that 'Darkie', whom he hears his men talking about, is in fact his own nickname.
Play Up, Play Up and Get Tore In follows Dand as he takes the battalion football team
on tour on a British-controlled island
in the Mediterranean (presumably Malta
). Despite the machinations of an opportunistic naval officer, Lieutenant
Samuels, who attempts to pass the Highlanders off as members of his own crew, the tour is a success, and the team win every match they play, even against 'The Fleet' in a match organised by the over-enthusiastic Governor
, who fails to recognise the disparity in resources between a small regiment and an entire armed service. Lt. Samuels almost gambles away the teams' paychest on this match, but the money is saved by the unwitting Private McAuslan.
Wee Wullie is about a soldier known only as 'Wee Wullie', who is frequently drunk and violent, and often ends up being arrested by the military police
. The colonel
is strangely tolerant of Wullie, however, and it emerges that during the war he showed great heroism, carrying a wounded German for days across the desert until they were both rescued. He received no accolades for this act of heroism, as while in hospital recuperating he got drunk and climbed onto the hospital roof, where he was yet again arrested by the military police
.
The General Danced at Dawn. The regiment's colonel
is soon to retire, and the regiment is eager to put on a good show in an upcoming inspection before he does. The inspection is going badly, 'anything that could go wrong, seemed to go wrong' until the inspecting General
watches a display of the regiment's officers performing Highland dancing. He joins in, becoming more and more enthusiastic and recruiting more and more passers by to join in, until by dawn the next morning, the entire regiment and most of the local populace are dancing 'a one hundred and twenty-eightsome reel'. The General's inspection report 'congratulated the battalion
, and highly commended the pipe-sergeant on the standard of the officers' dancing.'
Night Run to Palestine. MacNeill, on detached service in Egypt
, misses his flight to return to the Battalion
. While he waits for the next flight, he is put in command of an overnight troop train to Jerusalem. As well as keeping watch for Zionist saboteurs and snipers, he has to deal with an interfering Lt. Colonel, a group of innocent young ATS, a padre
deeply concerned for their moral safety,and a soldier who locks himself in the lavatory, amongst other things. He gets the train to Jerusalem in one piece, despite the effort of the Lt. Colonel, before returning to Egypt
and a farcical court of inquiry which determines at great length that he missed his original flight out of Egypt, hence his presence in Egypt, and that he must therefore get the next flight.
George MacDonald Fraser
George MacDonald Fraser, OBE was an English-born author of Scottish descent, who wrote both historical novels and non-fiction books, as well as several screenplays.-Early life and military career:...
, featuring a young Scottish soldier named Dand MacNeill. It is a fond portrait of life in the British army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, specifically in the Highland Division, after the end of the second world war
Plot introduction
Monsoon selection board follows CorporalCorporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
MacNeill is his efforts to become an officer, and his examination by an officer selection board in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in the final stages of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Despite performing badly in every task, often trying to answer cleverly and failing miserably, he is approved and commissioned due to his apparent dogged determination to complete the assault course. He perseveres in his futile attempts to cross a mud filled ditch, although the examining officers advise him to 'call it a day' and climb out. In reality he was unwilling to finish or turn back, as he had lost his trousers while floundering in the mud, and had resolved to stay in the water to avoid embarrassment.
Silence in the Ranks finds subaltern MacNeill joining an unidentified Highland regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
as a platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
commander, and finding it difficult to fit into the regiment's family atmosphere, or to identify with the men under him. At the end of the chapter he is confined to barracks on Hogmanay
Hogmanay
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner...
, while the other officers celebrate elsewhere, and is joined in his quarters by some soldiers of his platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
for drinks and conversation. At the close of the evening, he learns that 'Darkie', whom he hears his men talking about, is in fact his own nickname.
Play Up, Play Up and Get Tore In follows Dand as he takes the battalion football team
Football team
A football team is the collective name given to a group of players selected together in the various team sports known as football.Such teams could be selected to play in an against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-star team or even selected as a...
on tour on a British-controlled island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the Mediterranean (presumably Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
). Despite the machinations of an opportunistic naval officer, Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Samuels, who attempts to pass the Highlanders off as members of his own crew, the tour is a success, and the team win every match they play, even against 'The Fleet' in a match organised by the over-enthusiastic Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
, who fails to recognise the disparity in resources between a small regiment and an entire armed service. Lt. Samuels almost gambles away the teams' paychest on this match, but the money is saved by the unwitting Private McAuslan.
Wee Wullie is about a soldier known only as 'Wee Wullie', who is frequently drunk and violent, and often ends up being arrested by the military police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
. The colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
is strangely tolerant of Wullie, however, and it emerges that during the war he showed great heroism, carrying a wounded German for days across the desert until they were both rescued. He received no accolades for this act of heroism, as while in hospital recuperating he got drunk and climbed onto the hospital roof, where he was yet again arrested by the military police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
.
The General Danced at Dawn. The regiment's colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
is soon to retire, and the regiment is eager to put on a good show in an upcoming inspection before he does. The inspection is going badly, 'anything that could go wrong, seemed to go wrong' until the inspecting General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
watches a display of the regiment's officers performing Highland dancing. He joins in, becoming more and more enthusiastic and recruiting more and more passers by to join in, until by dawn the next morning, the entire regiment and most of the local populace are dancing 'a one hundred and twenty-eightsome reel'. The General's inspection report 'congratulated the battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, and highly commended the pipe-sergeant on the standard of the officers' dancing.'
Night Run to Palestine. MacNeill, on detached service in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, misses his flight to return to the Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
. While he waits for the next flight, he is put in command of an overnight troop train to Jerusalem. As well as keeping watch for Zionist saboteurs and snipers, he has to deal with an interfering Lt. Colonel, a group of innocent young ATS, a padre
Padre
Padre may refer to:* Partnership for Acid Drainage Remediation in Europe PADRE* An IDE for the Perl programming language, see Padre * A Military Chaplain* A member of the San Diego Padres baseball team...
deeply concerned for their moral safety,and a soldier who locks himself in the lavatory, amongst other things. He gets the train to Jerusalem in one piece, despite the effort of the Lt. Colonel, before returning to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and a farcical court of inquiry which determines at great length that he missed his original flight out of Egypt, hence his presence in Egypt, and that he must therefore get the next flight.