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Western Mail, Thursday 26 October 1933, page 2
Court Procedure.
Adapting Light Horse drill to the exigencies of marching, a Gyppo witness before a court martial requires some initiative, but I managed it at Heliopolis in January, '16.
I was court orderly, and "Dinkum," a one-eyed Gyppo mess waiter in the sergeants' mess, was one of the principal witnesses.
President of the Court: "March in the witness, Mahommed Mustapha Ben Asu."
Realising that this was "Dinkum's" review order name, I went to the door and called: "Dinkum, tala beena!"
Having manoeuvred him to a spot on the left of the accused, I ordered sternly, "Dinkum, tana."
While he was having his evidence extracted from him, he stood there occasionally casting appealing glances at me (he had re-filled my glass so often with a cheery grin and the remark, "Something similar, sar?" that he looked on me as a cobber, and a moral support in these strange surroundings).
At last they finished with him.
President of the Court: "March the witness out, Sergeant!"
I tapped him on the shoulder: "Dinkum! Imshi!"
"Dinkum" imshied! - J. Ryder (ex-10 L.H.), Lake Biddy.
Those in the story:
Dinkum = Mahommed Mustapha Ben Asu, an Egyptian waiter employed at the 10th Light Horse Regiment Sergeant's Mess at Heliopolis Race Course Camp, 1916.
Narrator = 218 Sergeant James RYDER, a 36 year old Farmer from Maylands, Western Australia. He enlisted on 20 October 1914; and at the conclusion of the war Returned to Australia, 27 January 1919.