Into Victoria Barracks at Beverley, Yorkshire, one day last week walked Walter Campbell, drummer of the East Yorkshire Regiment. He wanted to make sure of the medical benefits due all Britons under the new National Health Service Act, starting July 5. There was one difficulty. Drummer Campbell was a deserter, and had been since 1888.
When Campbell chucked the regiment, Victoria had just celebrated her Golden Jubilee; Rudyard Kipling was writing about a legendary hero in the Burmese Wars ("He crucified noble, he sacrificed mean, he filled old ladies with kerosene"). But, as the Manchester Guardian straight-faced last week, "It was a...
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