Recent content by maypolebaz

I had relatives in Norman St, years ago. I had a look in the 70s and found that most of the houses had gone. So what, and where is The Centre of the Earth ?

In the mid - 60s Battlegroup Training used to be carried out in the Libyan desert, (imagine that !). One day we were looking around Bir Hackeim, an old fort that the Free French held out against the Afrika Korps. Kicking one of the rusty biscuit tins, lining a trench, caused the filling to pour...

I've got to the point now where, if I answer the phone and the caller asks, "how are you today ?", I just hang up.

They're going to win aren't they ?

That must be Highters Heath School in the background.

In the "Old Army", (Boer War, WW1), to break in new boots, men were advised to do a wee wee in said boots and leave them overnight. In my experience, wearing boots in the Troop showers was far too risky, so we used to walk through wet grass for half an hour or so, until they were soaked, then...

I never got around to looking for the gun site my dad was on, in Crabmill Lane. What you describe, Karl, sounds like an air raid shelter and could well have been part of the gun site, I can't think of any other reason for one to be out in the middle of nowhere.

What number in Norman St did your Great Uncle live ? My grandparents were of that era and lived in Norman St.

Having had a closer look, I think like MWS, the man's uniform differs from the British Service Dress. I'm inclined to think it's Australian too. Looking at the soldier at the back, I don't think he's wearing an Artillery cap badge, it could even be Warwickshire Regiment. Just to make things even...

The soldier on the left is wearing a slouch hat that troops wore in the Boer War.

I can't remember the first name of the Tyler kid that I knew but it could've been Robert. Funnily enough I could look straight up Aldbury Rd from my bedroom but the only person I knew, that lived there, was a girl called Maureen Jennings.

In the mid - 60s my battery were on Salisbury Plain, firing a high angle shoot, when they were ordered to pause. Shortly afterwards a Vulcan flew over, very low, followed closely by a Meteor. We were told later that they were testing a radar system.

I am strangely aroused....!

Cheers Bob. I must point out, though, that I was in the Gunners and The Queen's Own Hussars, never the Guards !

Those cases were issued in the early sixties, we got them about the same time as we got No 2 Dress and a raincoat (Macs, Flashing).