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National Service

  • Thread starter Thread starter RayD
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There are 5 words to the name of this part, sorry if I misled you into thinking it was one word. you know the army the definition of a part was always last, like "Plate, Butt" I will give you 30 mins.
Dave
 
The smallest part on the rifle is the tiny pin that passes through the end of the pivot pin for the back sight, if I remember it is about 0.28"long by 0.040" diameter. It is called Pin, Retaining Pin,Axis, Back sight. O.K.
Dave
 
I don't know the in's and out's of the .303 Enfield after 46 yr's, now Dave, but I think I still remember the name of the smallest part with the longest name on the Bren " body locking pin spring retainer plunger" I could be wrong, I am sure there is someone on this site who will know.
paul
 
I Notice all the posts are from ex-Army, Is there not any ex Navy or RAF members on the Forum with stories to recount ?? Eric
 
Eddie 14 said:
Eric, get your finger on the keys, obviously you are ex Navy!!
Click to expand...

Dave,

I'm still looking forward to hearing Eric's reaction to that outrageous suggestion!

It's worth tracking down his various contributions in other threads - as well as earlier in this one - which tell of his NS days, not least flying in the (now) BoB Memorial Flight Lanc.

(This is the problem with this sort of thread. All sorts of contributions on this subject have been made elsewhere over the years under other headings. They can sometimes be found via the Search function or even via a particular member's profile. And, especially, with this particular thread, it's a very long one which has been running for yonks and there will be members who have contributed in the past and who now don't want to risk repeating themselves).

Chris
 
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"A life on the ocean wave" come on all you Mateloe's, I believe there was some 50,000 did National service over the 12years. Of course we don't have much of a Navy left now, and the powers to be, look like there still going to be a lot less. Come on Eric lets hear the hammock and grog stories from around the world.
paul
 
Eddie, No I am ex-RAF,( my Avator should give that away, sitting on the engine of a Lancaster) , also I was not national service but regular (1948 - 1956) but came into contact with many national sevice bods. apart from a few whingers, i found them a good bunch of lads, when we were in Hong Kong at Kai Tak airport in 53/54 my Wife and I would invite a few back to our apartment for a meal and a drink, I often wonder where they are now, would all be in their late 70's now (nearly 60 years ago). Happy days Eric
 
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Chris & Eric,
I am sorry if I have said the wrong thing, I only joined the forum last December so I am not up to the history of some of its members. I still have quite a few stories to tell if anybody is interested or we will give the Navy lads a chance.
Dave
 
brummie nick said:
I spent my time in BAOR Wuppertal, we were part of the 2nd Infantry Div,
Click to expand...

Brummie nick
What a lovely place to spend your n/s in Nick, I was working near there back in 1997. the only thing was the train service passing you Hotel window at six in the morning and getting no sleep afterwards.Ref #388
Dave
 
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BIRMINGHAM.jpgIt's the Navy that gets the gravy,Marines that get the beans?.25 years as a 'Bootneck' and I did serve aboard the HMS Victory (but not at Trafalgar) Aye JR
 
Eddie 14 said:
Chris & Eric,
I am sorry if I have said the wrong thing.............
Click to expand...

No criticism whatever intended, Dave. It's very difficult for all of us to keep track of what's gone before. Do keep the stories coming.

Sorry to Eric - Regular, not NS - of course!!!

Chris
 
Eddie, do not get me wrong, I was just wondering why RN and RAF National Service did not post a few service memories on the thread. Persoally I find them all interesting. I have been on Forces United with out success, although I am nearly 82 most of the crews I flew with were older than me (I was aircrew wireless op) and were flying during the war so they might not be around or too old to care !!! I was on the last Lancaster Squadron, 82(PR), in the RAF in Africa 1949 till 1951 so that dates me !!! also done a 2 1/2 year tour in Hong Kong and Singapore this time with my late Wife 1953 till 1955. I really enjoyed my 8 years but was 'grounded' because of failing eyesight so decided to give civvy st a whirl, also my daughter had just been born in Changi Hospital which added to the decision. I joined the RAF because I was potty about flying and wanted to see the world, had not got the necessary qualifications for either pilot or navigator training, waS OFFERED EITHER FLIGHT eNGINEER OR wIRELESS OP, CHOSE wIRELESS op. Joined Post Office Telephones (now BT) in 1956 and stayed with them until I retired. Theres my life in a nutshell. Eric
 
RN, Army, RAF. If we go the way of the Canadians it'll just be a defence force. All rolled into one and saluting like the Matelots ! :sorrow:
 
Maybe thats all we need to be, we are no longer rich or powerful
enough to be a World Power, and certainly not the World Policeman
leave that to the Yanks! Bernard ps.I got a good conduct stripe for three years in
the Coldstream Guards, dont I get one on the Forum?
 
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The two years National Service I did was compulsory - I was not happy at the time - just did it and wanted to get back to 'civvy street'.
During my last few weeks in service, officers often tried to persuade me to become a 'Regular' - they failed !
Most of my posts and pics in this thread are about the lighter moments and some of my pics show a cheerful group, and all of us had 'demob charts' on the back of our locker doors.
 
Eric,
Can you remember when you were in the forces you did not see many Naval lads in bham, I did not. We had a few on the coach going to Gosport who would get on the ferry and go over to Portsmouth because there were a few naval barracks over there.
As I said before, being new on the forum I find it impossible to know what has gone on before, I retract the comment that I made as I can see you got some in, its nice to know you have still got an active mind as many of our age are not into computers.
Dave
P.S
Where were you in B.T?
 
My brother in law did National Service in the Navy at the same time that I was in the RAF. He served on the aircraft carrier HMS Bulwark and was in the Suez invasion. He saw aircraft going over the side of the carrier - there was some chat about it around Here on the forum.
Dave - have you got any photos to add to the thread ?
oldmohawk
Phil
 
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Eddie, saw very little of Birmingham during my service, most of my service was abroad or down in Wiltshire and Oxfordshire. On BT finished up as a PABX maintainance Engineer with the grade of TO (technical officer) initially round the Aston Saltly Nechells area and finally in the black country area, Halesowen, Black heath, West Brom and Smethwick maintaining customers private automatic branch exchanges (PABX), spent over 30 years with them before taking early retirement in the late 80's to give me more time for my painting (i was in my late fifties then) Eric
 
Just a quickie for you RAF types, anyone in Malaysia in the early 50's insurgency, I read a very interesting articel about a DC2 which went down in deep jungle and has just been reached and the plane photographed and remains buried, wondered if anyone remembered or knew anyone.
paul
 
Paul. I was based ar RAF Seletar, Singapore in 1954 and can't recall anything, maybe it was earlier ? I was on air sea rescue 205/209 Sqdn, Sunderlands and we would do sorties along the Malaysian coast. Eric
 
What a fantastic service you did have Cookie!, I have only stood against one of those Sunderlands at Duxford , what a plane, and you had all that sunshine too, ever visited Changi?, or Nee soon Barracks, and what about Boogie Street. Singapore slings in Raffles, and YMCA, or "The Tiger Balm Gardens, or the Tiger beer brewery I forget the name of the road now.
paul
 
You guys have left me behind as regards service travel. it was after the service I started travelling around Europe out East as far as Korea the middle East and the States. Not so good when you have a wife and daughter and you are away for a month at a time and longer some times, don't get me wrong I would not have missed it for the world as I saw places which were off the beaten track but those were the ones where the Hotels were not up to our standard and the food did not agree with you, such is life!
Dave
 
I can see I will have to get the ball rolling again, no Navy lads responded, right lets get back to Devises!!
On Thursdays in the Army it is Pay day as most of ex army lads know, also it is usually rifle inspection by the R.S.M,on Pay parade, I along with the other permanent staff took our rifles down to to have them inspected. These were drawn out from the Armoury and cleaned by the staff who were in their working clothes, the cooks were in their whites and so on. I had taken my rifle down one day and the R.S.M came to me and said "Corporal Edwards what the Hell am I inspecting you rifle for it must be the cleanest on camp and you know more about them than I do,don't bring it down again" "Yes Sir"
Two weeks later my friend the C.S.M took inspection I knew the sh--t was going to hit the fan, he got as far as me and said "And where is your rifle Corporal Edwards? "The R.S.M told me not to bring it down again Sir as it should be the cleanest on Camp" "HuH" and he walked on, he was always trying to have a go at me and I do not why
 
As I said the lads went on Pay Parade in their working clothes and during rifle inspection the R.S.M would call me out of the ranks to look at a weapon which might have some corrosion in the barrel which is impossible to remove with 4x2. You cannot turn round and drop your mates in it so I would make an excuse that the weapon would have to be brought up to my armoury and the Brass wires would have to be used on the barrel to lap the marks out.
One Pay day I was called out of the ranks by the R.S.M to look at a rifle belonging to one of the Cooks, "what is that in that barrel Corporal Edwards" I looked up the barrel and there was a very dark area near the muzzle end, "It looks like corrosion Sir but I am not sure" I put my lips to the breach and blew very hard and a cloud of lovely white baking flour wafted into the air."I can't charge anybody when you are around " he said
Dave
 
Pay day at the Guards Depot was a nightmare, more SDI's than you could shake a stick at, in the Coldstream Guards, we waited in line in order of your surname, being 'S' I was down the line a bit. It was a bit of a performance, when your name was called you answered "Yes Sir", doffed your head gear marched in, head gear under arm, pay-book in hand. Replaced head gear, saluted, step forward present pay book, to Paymaster, step sideways to RQSM, (no debits), side step, pay clerk, receive pay and returned pay book, step side ways , salute, step back, right turn, march off. This day I had been in the Cambridge Military Hospital for 5 days suffering with Guardsman's heel, only been in the army a short time on return ordered to pay parade, really nervous I would mess up the protocol. I watched everyone in front of me desperate to get it right, name called, dropped my pay book, 3 SDI's screaming at the same time forgot to doff head gear, hit coconut mat, shot forward nearly head butting paymaster, RSM came up "No need to kiss him lad you ain't getting that much" dropped pay book again. Then the CSM's, SDI's, RSM, dragged me out of the pay hall, all screaming, flustered I shouted "I'M Sorry I've been in hospital" whereapon the RSM screamed " Do that again lad, you'll go */#~:'^$" back"
paul
 
We Gunners had a similar ritual but as well as the previous description, (we never had to take our 'ats off, Paul), we had to bark "Pay and book kerrect, SAH !".

A mate of mine marched in one day and his drill failed to satisfy the requirements of the Sarn't Major. He was told to go in again and "pick his boot up 12 inches and drive it down 13 !". Flushed with military ardour, in went my mate went again. He stamped his Boot, Ammunition down so hard on the wooden floor that all the nicely piled up small change flew off the table and all over the floor.

The Paymaster was quite peeved.
 
Sounds hilarious now Baz, but mortifying at the Time, don't know if I mentioned it but Dad was a "Gunner", he and my uncle Ernie, Grandad Stacey, was a "Coldstreamer", and the other Grandad "Black Watch". Father in Law Ken, "48 Commando". All sadly passed on to that Barracks in the sky.
regards Paul.
 
, and what about Boogie Street. Singapore slings in Raffles, and YMCA, or "The Tiger Balm Gardens, or the Tiger beer brewery

Hi Paul,

When I was in Singapore with the Royal Navy Raffles Hotel was out of bounds to other ranks. It was commissioned officers only. It has long been my ambition to return to Singapore and stand in the middle of Raffles reception area and shout my opinion of the place. However they may still have capital punishment in that part of the world so I have not bothered.

Old Boy
 
You can be shot in Singapore for dropping litter or chewing gum, so by that standard I should keep well clear if I was you "Old Boy", Boogie Street has long since gone,along with the old Oak Tree , "Ki' ty Bar's,
and sikh policemen with 4' riot sticks and Victoria Road Police station.
paul
 
paulstacy (post 440) my only experiience of Changi was visiting the RAF hospital there when my Wife gave birth to my daughter in 1955 (she is now a grandmother) Have been to Raffles for a 'Singapore Sling' a couple of times and Tiger Balm gardens, did not go into Singapore to often as it was 18 miles away and involved 2 bus journeys (changing at Paya Lebar) and RAF Seletar was a large base with its own theatre, Cinema, swimming pool and shops plus the inevitable NAAFI and a good dance once a week, vey popular that was. The climate was not that appealing, hot and humid 365 days a year plus heavy rain, we much preferred Hong Kongs climate. Have 1 or 2 pics on my gallery on coppermine of taken outside our married quarters Eric
 
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