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National Service

  • Thread starter Thread starter RayD
  • Start date Start date
Suppose I was lucky never lost or had any item broke ! An as in to sports all the time an on top if my measly pay earned 3 quid a game on a Saturday playing for bexhill on sea with 3 other mates off the camp like I said hated moaners you was there so just get on with it easy to learn the skives an sick call ! But had 2 great years learnt a lot an found a lit if good pals


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Hi everyone,
Maybe this little story may trigger a few memory banks. When at Barton Stacey, as I have said before, the weather had turned wet, so being on the hallowed tarmac in training we got very wet. One day we were doing square bashing and it started to rain, so the corporals took pity on us and dismissed us to the shelters at the side of the square where we then put our rifles against the inside wall of the corrugated shelter. Along came two newly passed out (wet behind the ears) one pippers who decided to inspect our rifles, so we had to submit our weapons for inspection. They had only got to the second lad when they found a spider in his barrel, you would not believe the situation, they were amazed and did not bother to do any more inspection as that had made their day probably something to tell thier mates in the mess and the rain had stopped any way so they moved on. I say wet behind the ears because their brasses on their belts were a disgrace, Brasso everywhere.
Dave,
P.S
I have a few more stories so stay tuned
 
Yes Ray I remember No 3 TRE at Cove,Hants very well indeed,I was there from Jan 1955 till Jan 1957 but we didn't have those bunks as in your photo but we did have the highly polished dustbin & the white handle brooms. Are you aware that all those RE army camps No1,No3 & No9 plus Hawley Lakes have all gone now just a small pond left,I see you lived in Great Barr at one time so did I & ialso live in Devon now but South Devon not north as you are.
Best wishes Ray
Brian Harding 23107319
 
Hi Paul, I was supposed to have a stent op last Monday to help the healing of my leg ulcer but it got cancelled but that is another story. Right, a story about a keen Lt at Devizes who always called out the guard when orderly officer thinking he was on the ball but we were wise to him. At the end of my service I only did two guards and the last one we had the Lt as orderly officer. My mates put me wise to him and it was possible to beat him at his little game, by telling the picket on the gate to look out for any lights going on in the officers quarters after midnight and calling out to the guard commander that "Lights on". Then the lads asleep in the guardroom were got ready from their slumber but made out that they were still asleep when the officer opened the guardroom door and said "Call out the guard". The response was quick but not too quick as he may have twigged what had happened if we all flew out in an instance, it was still fast and give him his due he always made comment as to how quick we were.
Dave
 
Sorry to hear about your op cancelled Dave, seems to be happening down here too, yes you had a few "Ruperts", who always tried to test lads to there limits, it was a kind of sport to them , a little like fox hunting without the fox so to speak. keep "em" coming Dave, good luck with your stent op. paul
 
hi guys two weeks ago it mentionioned by some one on the back benches at the house of parliments to try and bring a bill through to try and get nationional services back
for the age group of 18 -26 years of age that some one on the back benches as tried to do introduce the bill i myself have not head any more but its unde wrapps
they might just do that we will have to wait and see ;if it did it will not make any differents to the youths of today they would refuse to go ;
i got ithis info ; from a very good source ; i thought i might just mention this as we was on about the national service days
may be a tactic whith elections soon but they may not get there bill listenend to fr years i have heard the older generation going on about the youths of today
they aint all bad kids but half of them would not be able to handle todays weapanry its so advance got of the days of the old 202 riffles and pig stabbards on riffles ;
the other half cannot read and write best wishes astonian;
 
I don't think it would work now Alan, the N.S. generation at least had some form of discipline during their formative years, Home, school, army/air/navy cadets, boy scouts, boys brigade, etc, they took the 2 years (though some grudgingly), but the modern generations have had hardly any at all, and most would rebel, needing military prisons, more military police personnel, more courts, which would defeat the object , I feel anyway.
 
Hi Lads,
Another little story. The Lt in the previous story was up on the ranges one day with a new intake and I was zeroing their rifles, my job done except from a few minor problems, I was sitting behind the firing point on my heavy tool box and just watching what was going on. About 50 yards back was the officers car with his dog in it. Now you know that there were not many cars about in 1954 and there were many old ones, his was an Austin 10 1934 vintage, with one dog inside, well for a time anyway. That dog chewed his way out by eating around the handle until the door opened.
Some days later I was given the job to repair the inside with some Green rexine and plywood, whiched matched the rest of the car and where he got it from I do not know but I think I did a decent job considering the mess. the plywood had been eaten away as well. Everything was screwed together in those days and not clipped into holes with plastic studs, so it was not too bad.
Two or three of the officers on camp had either Golden or black Labradors, I think it was the in thing
 
Most officers in the Guards seemed to have dogs when I was in Dave, there was a story I did't see it my self but only heard of an officer with a terrier, this terrier was known for coming in the spiders and p-----g all over the central tables and stoves, and was hated. Apparently one day at the ranges in Aldershot the guy's were doing their "Lying Loads " with the Bren, and suddenly this bl---y dog appeared on top of the butts sand bank, and cocked its leg. According to the Range Marshall who I happened to know well, every single Bren opened sustained constant fire, and the poor thing disappeared in a great puff of smoke. The officer concerned never knew what had happened and spent weeks looking for his poor old dog.
 
Another one.
I had in the armoury all the weapons used on camp under lock and key, so I thought, until we had a report, from a farmer across the fields over the hallowed ground, that his cows were running around the field in panic. He had examined them to see if they had been bitten by horse flies, but was surprised to find they had .22 lead shot in them and the shots were coming somewhere from the staff block. After a few days the position of the rifle was located, bearing in mind that nothing was broadcast before because the C.O did not want it to stop until the position had been found. I only knew because he had come up into the armoury to ask me if any arms wer missing, which they were not.The culprit was a Sgt with a swing back Winchester .22 he was not a Sgt much longer, right down to L/cp. He handed the rifle, which was his own, to me and I gave him one of the, biggests Bo-------gs he had ever had, the daft part about it was he was a regular and had done about 15 years.
Dave
 
Paul,
On the ranges at Devizes all the targets were kept behind the butts and the range keeper was an old bloke we called Pop Pearce,who drove a B.S.A bantam all over the area. The entry to his workshop was at the end of target 12. Many a time he would suddenly appear on the B.S.A during firing to come down to the 600yd point to tell the officer he was wanted on the phone, immediately he was seen, the command "Stop firing". How he never got a stray I will never know, maybe he did I would never know.
Dave
 
Met a few like your Sgt in my time, Dave, there was story a few years ago about the "Barton Ranges", here in Cambridge, a University bod, a professor quite an elderly chap apparently who was a Botanist, there were some rare plats or something and he would come when the ranges were being used and would wander about all over the place. One day the Range Marshall came early to make ready for the days shooting and noticed a bicycle lying by the range shed. He recognised it as belonging to the old boy, they found him lying behind the butts apparently a ricochet had hit him the day before behind his ear and killed him outright. paul
 
Before I tell this story ."How many of us went off to join up prepared with bits and bobs to bull up your kit".Being in engineering I had accumulated quite a collection of French files which I took with me as my friends who were in had told me about the amount of Bull and the lack of the tools to do it with. So with French files , fine emery paper (wet & dry), hard squares of cardboard, boot polish, very soft dusters and a good sharp penknife, although one was issued, not very sharp, I made my way into Bham Snow Hill station along with hundreds of others to catch the train to Blandford. During the only two weeks I was at this camp it was all Bull but I was thankful for all the bits I had taken with me. Belt sliders were all smoothed, the same with belt buckles, it made cleaning easier, later on I split the buckles through and flattened the sliders, so they could be taken off the belt but that produced a problem with the Blanco because the webbing had to be distorted to fit it back on and the Blanco would break away, Later on Blanco was changed to a polish which was not water based and was flexible so the pboblem was solved.
Anybody have any of these problems when they went in? Later on the condition of my kit led to it being photographed, but that is another story.
Dave
 
When I initially went in KD was still issued, in the Guards as you would expect "Bull" was total a the reason of our existence, our blouse for instance had about 4 more creases in it then other squaddies issue, we had double tap Ammo boots, white clay piping of forage cap and leather belt, we learned to shave the inside of our creases, cut our trouser bottoms and fill with bike chain, blanco gaiters with masking tape on leather straps, our buttons originally were brass not stay-bright we learned how to use starch in the creases of blouse and trousers, and the millions of other dodges as all of you will know. My dear old dad was an old gunner and he showed me how to make bed corners, and use card board to box out webbing ect. As I did with my boy it helped , I quickly became "squad leader", and my boy passed out as top recruit . keep well.Dave
 
paul stacey said:
trouser bottoms and fill with bike chain
Click to expand...
An old memory came back, I had forgotten about bike chain in our trousers to get that perfect match with our gaiters. The cooks on our camp supplied the chain at the cost of a quarter of a week's pay, they also controlled the supply of cardboard to get the perfect box folds on our shirts for inspection, and this was in the RAF ! :friendly_wink:
 
oldplumber said:
Yes Ray I remember No 3 TRE at Cove,Hants very well indeed,I was there from Jan 1955 till Jan 1957 but we didn't have those bunks as in your photo but we did have the highly polished dustbin & the white handle brooms. Are you aware that all those RE army camps No1,No3 & No9 plus Hawley Lakes have all gone now just a small pond left,I see you lived in Great Barr at one time so did I & ialso live in Devon now but South Devon not north as you are.
Best wishes Ray
Brian Harding 23107319
Click to expand...
Hi Brian.

Nice to hear from a fellow Sapper, I was post to No 3 Training Regt RE at Cove in Sept 1959 I completed my Field Training in Dec 1959 and was posted to No17 Port Regt at Marchwood, Southampton.

Cove brings back many hard done by stories the bull we had to do, that 1st ride from Farnboruogh Stn in open backed lorry driven a WRAC who should never been allowed behind a steering wheel.

We were marched through Hawley Lake to smash the Ice before being set the task of building a "LAFB" ( Light Assault Floating Bridge )

The next Task was to build An 180M double panel Bailey Bridge in 2 hours, one lad got discharge after dropping a 6 man panel on his foot.

I also went up to No 9 Railway at Longmoor to carry out our explosives training it was freezing cold up in Longmoor camp.

We were laying blocks of dummy explosive to rail tracks and I unfortunately dropped one just as a 2Nd Ltn was passing, I heard SAPPER you have just blown me up.

Beginning of Jan 1959 I was posted To 17 Port, First 6 weeks a slave in the Cookhouse, went to see the Major and got put on a course at Beaconsfield Cinema Projectionist in the camp Training Cinema Marchwood.


Got feed up showing the same old black & white American Training films requested to see Major again, ended up the last 17 months RHQ Pay NCO till demob in Sept 1961 .

It wasn't what I want after serving an Apprenticeship At The GEC Witton, but when I look back on it was good experience and I think it would benefit a lot of teenagers today.

Ray Griffiths 23641476
 
Hi Ray, having just read your posting takes me right back in time! Like you I did my training at No 3 Training Regiment at Cove but I was there later, August 1960. After completing training I was posted to RE Bridging Camp Staff Hamelin in Germany. I spent 2 years there (they built the Berlin Wall and so we were invited to do an extra 6 months!). I was demobbed early 1963. I enjoyed my time in Germany, we built lots of heavy ferries on the River Weser and I was also a tug operator giving support on NATO schemes etc.
 
I have no understanding of how the R E's work, but a story which I still find funny 50yrs later, cannot remember its name but the old wooden hutted, RE camp off Queens Avenue Aldershot, which had a sign "Gibralter House", and I know 9 Para were on the same camp, Pirbright was not just the Guards Depot guardroom, at this time, but also the overflow Garrison Guard room, we had an RE prisoner who had to be escorted back to this camp, and I took him, well I thought the Guards were hard but on turning in to the camp guard room I was met with the sight of a chap in full kit including great coat webbing and tin hat standing in a highly polished dustbin shouting at the top of his voice , I AM RUBBISH, I AM RUBBISH, it was the funniest thing I had ever seen.
 
Paul, you mentioned about the Bull, one thing in particular was the wearing of weights in the trousers, we were inspected for this, because some lads had lead wrapped around a piece of strong string and that kept the trousers nice and straight, "BUT"We could be charged for wearing the weights because they would wear the material out from the inside and discolour it, that was misuse of the Queen's property, as many other things damaged by misuse.
Late one morning a Sgt who had only been just made up and kept looking at his stripes, came up to the armoury with a rifle, which was a bit muddy. "Tiff" he always called me that, short for artificer, "We can't get the bayonet on this rifle, can you tell me why." I never did like people who were not my close friends calling me anything else other than my rank, especialy a jumped thick Sgt. "Yes Sgt Payne, you have scrapped the rifle because you have not instructed the recruits to pull through the barrell after going over the assult course and a spot of mud was up the barrel when they fire five rounds, the bullet has stopped for miliseconds and the gas has built up behind it and swollen the barrel and it is (B.L.R) beyond local repair."I have to write a report to the C.O to instruct him as to what has happened and this is a chargeable offence, you might lose one of your stripes"!!, I never did like him so I piled it on a bit. "This is misuse of the Queen's property, very serious as the rifle is scrap". I had a blustering Sgt trying to make amends standing in front of me and he just had to stand there and take my comments. That was one thing the armourer was a respected person who kept an infantry depot running and was looked up to although I say that myself.
Dave
 
Dave and Oldmohawk, you say about the trouser chains etc, but you could be charged with anything in those days of the old "1955 Army Act", we all knew you could be charged "and sometimes where", but you did it. In the Guards "Slashing your peak", in both KD forage cap, or Regimental Forage cap, meant a cost of 36/-, (no small amount in those days), but everyone did it. otherwise you looked like a side profile of a ducks head , or bus conductor.
 
Basic training would be called 'team building' in today's jargon. Anyone having a problem with their kit on bull nights could count on help from someone in the billet. We quickly learnt that one person with a major problem in the kit inspection next morning could seriously annoy the DI's and the whole flight would suffer their wrath. The DI's would always find some minor thing wrong but that's how it was, we were all in it together.
Eventually our shambolic marching of the first week became precision marching and we became quite proud of ourselves on the day of the pass out parade, and then the 'pass out party' where we drank beer with the DI's and they actually talked with us instead of shouting.
Next morning we were posted to many different places, names hurriedly written down, photos autographed, promising to keep in touch, mostly we never did, but you do remember them after all these years.

Reading Paul's comments about 'slashing peaks' on hats, I've dragged one of my pics down here from earlier in the thread - it shows our DI's with moderately slashed peaks. They were all decent blokes under their uniforms - I can hear them shouting now !
normal_DI_Corporals.jpg
 
These guy's really stood out amongst the others. ( A piece of my National Service ).
1949 - 1950 . At this time the Forces were calling out for ' volunteers ' to under go parachute training under the direction
of the Airborne Parachute Regiment.
The course was roughly about eight weeks duration and involved the first part being carried out at Aldershot where Discipline, Advanced Gym work and Assault Course work was assessed. The Second part took place at Middleton Stoney
and Upper Heyford, Bicester where successful men from the first part were trained in ground parachute exercises which
culminated with making a minimum of eight parachute jumps.
The volunteers came from all parts of the Army including Royal Marines, Guards Regiments, Infantry Regiments, Tank Regiments the REME and the RASC.
It was during these training periods that I started to notice that this one particular group taking part with us on this course
appeared to be particularly adept at everything the course threw at them.
Asking the question I was told that these guys belonged to an outfit called ' Special Air Service '.
It's true to say that at this time I did not have any idea what these guys actually did within the Army set-up.
What I did see though is that these chaps were streets ahead of the rest of us in terms of Physical condition / Mental attitude / Initiative and Adaption / Determination.
They were from a different ' Mould ' altogether .
It was some time later that I realised that this was a group of men from the now proven and World famous SAS Regiment.
 
Yes , Oldmohawk, they look a fine body of men, and the Paymaster/RQSM, at the Guards De[pot would have had field day with them, they would have a particular parade at Pirbright. You always knew when you were in for it because the your Squad Instructor, the RSM, and RQSM, all came on the parade smiling that, "Crocodile smile, meaning we are going to eat" . The parade would be bought to the Shun, and they would pass slowly along the detail, tapping just right with a pace stick, watched as the peaks dropped down on to the parade ground, with RQMS saying in a loud voice, 30bob, 30bob, 30bob. The parade would then be lectured as Dave says about HM Queens property and the destruction thereof, and tell all concerned to report with pay-books to the orderly room and the chief clerk, would note in red ink for next pay day.
 
paul stacey said:
I have no understanding of how the R E's work, but a story which I still find funny 50yrs later, cannot remember its name but the old wooden hutted, RE camp off Queens Avenue Aldershot, which had a sign "Gibralter House", and I know 9 Para were on the same camp, Pirbright was not just the Guards Depot guardroom, at this time, but also the overflow Garrison Guard room, we had an RE prisoner who had to be escorted back to this camp, and I took him, well I thought the Guards were hard but on turning in to the camp guard room I was met with the sight of a chap in full kit including great coat webbing and tin hat standing in a highly polished dustbin shouting at the top of his voice , I AM RUBBISH, I AM RUBBISH, it was the funniest thing I had ever seen.[/QUOTE

Hi Paul.

9th (Independent) Para R E was based in Aldershot at Gibralter Barracks.

Saturday night in the NAAFI at Aldershot was a war zone they used to set about the ACC ( Army Catering Corp.)

Ray
Click to expand...
 
Hi Ray, thanks for the info, My son William is an RE, he is with 51 Para Sqn, Woodbridge Suffolk, but he also belongs to the "Gathering", the members are both marine, 59/ 9 para trained RE so can wear either green or red beret, small world. I don't know if you remember the "The Royal Exchange Pub", opposite the old NAFFI club in Aldershot, on the Ash Vale road, well as a young sprog I went in there once feeling hard with slashed peak, and was agog at half drunk Para's head butting, hard thrown billiard balls, I slunk out pretty smartish I can tell you. paul
 
What a nasty thing to say about the A.C.C, they could not help it if they could not boil water. Just getting thrown in the A.C.C and not having any idea how to cook because your Mom had been cooking all her maried life for you, and before she was married you can't expect the lads to pick it up in a few weeks, plus they have to try it out on someone who has'nt the right to complain. I have always said in my previous posts that we had good cooks at Devizes, the occasional slug in the salad but generally they were tops.
Dave
 
I remember the day when we all went in a hall to be told what job we would be doing when we were posted to squadron units. The look on some faces when they learnt they were to be cooks. I suppose they had plenty of food and there was always someone on 'jankers' they could order to clean the pots and pans and do the dirty jobs. Maybe there was some system to decide what job you would do but it seemed a mystery to most of us. I had one day in the cookhouse at RAF Melksham and learnt how to make bread and butter pudding - mentioned before in #238
 
Paul, your post 861 which I have just been reading again. Why was your pay so low as in 1956 when I left I was on nearly £12 per week, mind you I had maximum of six stars and about 7 maybe 8 trades tests, plus two stripes, my mates told me to take as many test as you can as they were easy for engineers. I know I started back at work for a pound a week less for the first week and nearly went back in.
Dave
 
Talking about working in the cookhouse and peeling spuds and all the other things. When at no10 at Gosport we were given the choice of doing one weeks cookhouse at the beginning or the end of armourer training. I chose at the end because I wanted to get a local acting stripe and not get the mucky jobs at the end, crafty but this what the army was all about, looking after No1, I managed that and was in charge of some of the lads and they would be doing various jobs, coal to the married quarters, food from M.O.D warehouses near Farnham and so on. It turned out o.k for me.
Dave
 
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