• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

National Service

  • Thread starter Thread starter RayD
  • Start date Start date
#1157, Were you ever unlucky? or did you always manage that first Taxi, although I have to say I would have thought it, was unusual for there not be a regular Bus service to a large military establishment.
 
Hi Paul - I did gambol along the platform one time and ended up in the last taxi. I do remember when there were complaints that too many false tickets where being handed in as we rushed past the ticket collector. The station master considered that something had to be done when they found a folded 'woodbine' packet had been passed off as a ticket and warnings were issued at a morning parade. There were no night service buses in that area so the local taxi drivers could charge what they liked.
 
I remember catching the coach from the Hall of Memory to Devizes many times, we always had a problem on the way back to camp as some of the lads had been drowning their sorrows with too much beer. Many a time the driver has to stop and let someone off to be sick, and the coach stunk of beer, not being a habitual drinker I wondered "WHY"do they get so drunk, I blamed the driver for letting them travel. The inevitable happened one night, I had a lance Cpl sitting next to me and he had a skin full, he fell asleep then suddenly woke up and was sick all over my tent of a greatcoat and on the floor. We were nearly back at the Pay Corps camp and as the coach stopped I told the driver and he was livid, he had to clean it up as best he could. I had to wash my coat but it was never right again as it had made the colour lighter but fortunately i never had to wear it.
Dave
 
Paul , as i said before, everything was stuffed in our kit bags at Barton Stacey and at Gosport we did not need it as that Winter they did not seem to have snow on the coast and it was not that cold. Devizes we had the stove and in the Keep we had a stove in our four man billet. To be honest ,Paul, it was a disgrace as a greatcoat, it had no shape and if I remember it came below my calf, big lapels which if you drew them together you could disappear inside, Horrible!!!
dave
 
Eddie 14 said:
Paul , as i said before, everything was stuffed in our kit bags at Barton Stacey and at Gosport we did not need it as that Winter they did not seem to have snow on the coast and it was not that cold. Devizes we had the stove and in the Keep we had a stove in our four man billet. To be honest ,Paul, it was a disgrace as a greatcoat, it had no shape and if I remember it came below my calf, big lapels which if you drew them together you could disappear inside, Horrible!!!
dave
Click to expand...

Was in Devizes once for two weeks, was on a civil defence course. Based in Spiders huts, that would be 1962/3
 
Cannot remember now, but the three old brick built barracks in Devizes were I think, Loiseberg Barracks, Le Marchant Barracks, and Prince Maurice Barracks, the old German POW Camp was extensive wooden spider construction, but on the edge of town if I remember, where as some of the brick built barracks did have some hutted Accomodation. But it was a long time ago and the old grey matter is wilting somewhat.
 
Mention of greatcoats reminds me of when our billet had to do a late night road patrol duty between RAF Melksham and the town centre. The road patrols were necessary because many of the lads could not handle the local scrumpy and were rowdy walking back to camp from the pubs. It was a night of torrential rain and our greatcoats became drenched. When we got back about 3.00am we hung our greatcoats from the rafters to let the water drain out. Unfortunately while we were out training next morning a newly promoted NCO inpected our billet and did not like the large pool of water which had collected on the floor underneath our greatcoats and put us all on a charge. We plotted revenge but sometimes you could not win !
 
It's a funny thing about being put on a charge, Regiments and other organizations have various methods of dealing with this, I have a mate "John Corefield" Ex Grenadier Guards, he hailed from Wolverhampton. Anyway in the Guards if you were placed on a charge any charge, you went into close confinement, down the depot, you had to take all your kit and bedding with you, I mean everything. He told me that he spent the best part of 3 months at Pirbright constantly wandering about with all his kit. Some times when not on a charge a certain Col/Sgt Dickenson GG, would say "get yourself down the guard room Corefield, I will think of a charge later", he said that his paybook had more red ink in it than black, "I lived on about 1/2 crown a week for months" he once said all the other pay going in fines.
 
You are right ,Paul, I was at Le Marchant bks, it has a "KEEP" at the main gate which, has a preservation order on it I think, is where I was in the four man billet on the third floor and my armoury was one below and the one below that was the magazine. How did you know that camp? It was a prisoner of war camp at one time, the history of it is on the net, it's called the Barracks. It had wooden spiders and so did the pay corp up the road, I am surprised that you did not what camp you were at serviceman!
The spiders were not used for billets only the main block facing the main road and they have all been turned into flats now but the main blocks are as before, the spiders were a T.V room ( projected to a screen) and storage.
Actually the whole project is beautiful, they have even kept the sports field and the field where the cows were shot at is still there, the parade ground is all green grass.
Dave
 
paul stacey said:
Cannot remember now, but the three old brick built barracks in Devizes were I think, Loiseberg Barracks, Le Marchant Barracks, and Prince Maurice Barracks, the old German POW Camp was extensive wooden spider construction, but on the edge of town if I remember, where as some of the brick built barracks did have some hutted Accomodation. But it was a long time ago and the old grey matter is wilting somewhat.
Click to expand...

Now it could of been the Prince Maurice arracks, very large spider frame. This was 1962/3 long time ago, it was a civil defence course like a building site. Think some one on raoconline told me that name
 
Large red built building if I remember Dave, I did the rounds Devizes, Lark Hill, Middle Wallop, Tidworth. knew all Dave.
 
Paul, When I left 22 Coy. in June '58 (Just when staybright buttons were coming in. Bloody 'orrible stuff) they were beginning to wind the company down.
I guessed it wouldn't be too long before it disbanded altogether, that's probably why they moved to Aldershot.
As a point of interest, the old Coy. camp at Taunton is now a housing estate. (Now there's a surprise) Funny thing is, the roads were left where they were and the new houses built round them.

As an aside to this, about 5 years ago, I managed to locate two of my old mates from those times.
Joined up together, stayed in the same company and got demobbed together.
Wonderful seeing them again. Meeting again soon I hope.
 
Really nice to meet up with old mates Austin, The guards were about the last to get "Stay Bright", but even in 63/4 in The Coldstream Guards, we had to use pipe Clay on forage cap and regimental leather belts. Dave after my service, I was for around 18yrs in the Military car sales business, and these barracks and camps were still operational, I suspect that I would have been to every Army camp and barracks, and RAF station in UK, NI, and Germany, including, SHAPE Mons Belgium, and Berlin, and all the American bases.paul
 
We had the "Stay Bright " issued to the R.E.M.E. in 1954, it took me a bl***y long time sewing them on that tent I was issued with, did I tell you it was a Canadian one, it should never have left Canada.

Dave
 
Paul,
You said you were connected with Military Car Sales, did you ever meet up with a bloke called Graham Harding from Birmingham?
 
The name rings a bell Austin, but I cannot place him, there were many, my best pal was Terry Hodgetts, he came from, Gt Barr. Be careful we don't go off thread. Regards Paul.
 
RE National Service. I did my National Service in R.E.M.E. (1960-63) attached to 19th (field) Regt R.A. I was surprised recently when I looked them up to see them that they were known as "The Scottish Gunners", I certainly don't recall that. Can anyone shed any light on this?
 
The thing is Foggy, that all aspects of the British Army we knew and loved have changed, and quite frankly the present set is a complete mystery to me, even though I have a son in the RE Para's, and regularly go with him to places and do's.
 
Smudger, you are right, I am in touch with Graham in Stockton, have been for the last couple of years.
Yet to get up there to meet up again.
I lost touch with Graham in the early '60's after leaving the garage we both worked in.
In out chats since then he tells me one of his jobs was driving ex military vehicles around the country, hence my asking Paul if he knew him.

How come you know where Graham is Smudger?
 
Austin K2 said:
Smudger, you are right, I am in touch with Graham in Stockton, have been for the last couple of years.
Yet to get up there to meet up again.
I lost touch with Graham in the early '60's after leaving the garage we both worked in.
In out chats since then he tells me one of his jobs was driving ex military vehicles around the country, hence my asking Paul if he knew him.

How come you know where Graham is Smudger?
Click to expand...

I can`t remember how i knew where Graham lives. I knew him (vaguely) when i lived in Erdington & i went out with a girl that he was sweet on. Her dad was a butcher & threatened to hang me up on the meat hooks. Ouch.
 
foggy39 said:
RE National Service. I did my National Service in R.E.M.E. (1960-63) attached to 19th (field) Regt R.A. I was surprised recently when I looked them up to see them that they were known as "The Scottish Gunners", I certainly don't recall that. Can anyone shed any light on this?
Click to expand...

In the late sixties various artillery regiments were affiliated to cities or areas, Foggy. It was all supposed to stimulate recruiting, (I was in 2nd, who were known as the Manchester Gunners for example).
19th only recently became the Scottish Gunners after 40th, who were known as the Lowland gunners, disbanded.
 
paul stacey said:
Not much going on in Colorado at present then,?, just hold on a bit mate, and if that "Putin", decides to move west, we could all be back in uniform again.
Click to expand...
I only have my best blue hat I saved from NS and put it on the forum 4 years ago !
Best_Blue_Hat.JPG

see that highly polished badge ... thanks to 'Staybrite' ....:)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top