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National Service

aggie2347 said:
Hi Graham I landed at the Guards Depot in Nov 1956 and was chased from dawn to dusk by sadistic drill instructors and trained soldiers for 17 weeks. Glad to move on to Pirbright and Pickering which was slightly better. Then on to 1coy 1st Bat at Krefeld Germany. Having said all that the experience and lessons learnt in the Coldstream Guards stood me in good stead for the rest of my life and new career. I'm sure you remember the swimming baths freezing cold when I was there November 1956. Trying to tread water dressed in your Denims with the PTI with a boat hook to stop you drowning and nobody could leave until they had jumped off the top board. Frightening for those who couldn't swim. Picture credit https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/35377996...486&ssuid=&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=MORE
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Oh Aggie I remember all that especially having to jump off the top board, I couldn't swim until then!!
after Pirbright, I went to 1st batt, Grenadiers at Tidworth, Anti-tank platoon, and drove a Land Rover towing an Anti-tank gun around. then not having then 6 months to do when Batt went to Cameroons I was transferred to Brigade HQ at Winterbourne Gunner as a barman in the Officer's mess, what a life that was, no drill, up at 9 am alternate weekends off

I didn't want to do N S but wouldn't have missed it for the world.I wonder if we will meet our mates in the next world
 
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The NAFFI Guards Depot Caterham in 17 weeks I only managed to get there twice once to buy dusters, boot polish and brasso and another time with the permission of the Trained Soldier but only if we bought him some food back. The second picture is Pirbright NAFFI free nosh up if you cleared the tables and helped with the washing up. I did it a couple of times when I was skint which was most of the time. Another way to con a meal was to sit with the padre and butter him up.
Screenshot_2023-06-23_235013.jpgScreenshot_2023-06-11_191933.jpg
 
Did any of you go on the exercise to North Africa, was it Starlight ? we had to have training sessions at Lyneham Airfield on how to get on and off an airplane. We flew out in March i think to El Adam? then our vehicles arrived by sea and we collected them from there, mine was a land Rover and I was towing an Anti - Tank gun around. Off we went from there out into the Desert. To this day i have no idea who the enemy was supposed to be. I do remember getting my Land rover stuck on top of a pile of rocks, which turned out to be the only ones in sight. We were out there for a month. The best part of the thing was that we had to drive our vehicles to Tobruck, it was a trip all along the coast road as was then, stops for swimming in the sea , fantastic. When we got home I remember being very proud of my sun tan in March.
That was the only time i went abroad.
 
Graham2 said:
Did any of you go on the exercise to North Africa, was it Starlight ? we had to have training sessions at Lyneham Airfield on how to get on and off an airplane. We flew out in March i think to El Adam? then our vehicles arrived by sea and we collected them from there, mine was a land Rover and I was towing an Anti - Tank gun around. Off we went from there out into the Desert. To this day i have no idea who the enemy was supposed to be. I do remember getting my Land rover stuck on top of a pile of rocks, which turned out to be the only ones in sight. We were out there for a month. The best part of the thing was that we had to drive our vehicles to Tobruck, it was a trip all along the coast road as was then, stops for swimming in the sea , fantastic. When we got home I remember being very proud of my sun tan in March.
That was the only time i went abroad.
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Squaddies holiday. All free!
LOL.
 
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