The Desert Rats (1953)

Robert Newton: Tom Bartlett

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Quotes 

• Tom Bartlett : You don't know much about real fear, Tammy. Maybe it comes with age or the bottle. You don't know what it is to be a coward... really a coward. To know it, yet to hope one day something will happen to prove that you're not, yet half the time not really believing that either.

• Capt. 'Tammy' MacRoberts : How did you get into this?

  Tom Bartlett : I suppose the way I get into everything. A School Master with the nickname of 'Blind Tom' doesn't last long. I got an idea I might find greener pastures in one of the dominions. Unfortunately, I picked Australia - where it appears everyone volunteers. I made my usual mistake of being in a pub the day war was declared and on a wave of beer suds...

  Capt. 'Tammy' MacRoberts : If you were going to make the gesture, you might at least have got yourself a commission.

  Tom Bartlett : A commission? I'm the perfect Private soldier. No worries. No responsibilities. I can't even be demoted.

  Capt. 'Tammy' MacRoberts : Don't believe that for a minute. Being an infantry man is the toughest job in the army.

• Tom Bartlett : But all wars come to an end sometime. This one will too.

  Capt. 'Tammy' MacRoberts : If I have anything to do with it, it will.

• Tom Bartlett : [after a battle where Capt. MacRoberts was wounded]  How's your hand, Tammy?

  Capt. 'Tammy' MacRoberts : Oh, burning like brimstone. But, how are you, sir?

  Tom Bartlett : I found a very deep hole. If you can dig deep enough, only your pride gets hurt.

• Tom Bartlett : He's just a boy, he...

  Capt. 'Tammy' MacRoberts : We've got no use for boys here - particularly not as officers.

  Tom Bartlett : You can't be much older than he is.

  Capt. 'Tammy' MacRoberts : I don't know whether I am or not. I do know that I've been here for a year and one of the first things I learned was that this isn't a game for children. Men get killed and stay killed.

• Tom Bartlett : It's a pretty cold estimate, Tammy.

  Capt. 'Tammy' MacRoberts : Perhaps it is. But, it's the truth.