• 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

foggy39 said:
.An ex squaddie told me when he served in Malaya after a five day patrol they had a few days "down time" and to pass the time they used to write to various makers complimenting their products, and, very often got "goodie parcels" in return. One bloke wrote to Wilkinson Sword saying how good those blades were and that he'd managed to get three months wear out of one. They replied thanking him for his kind comments and added "please find enclosed 3 months supply of blades" Nuff said!
Click to expand...
Nice one Foggy. !! He should have written to Mitchells & Butlers saying how hard it was to get a pint of good old M&B out there.
 
Love the photo Brummie Nick. I was at No. 1 Squadron, Bagdad Lines in January 1952, 3 Troop, and we also had Sgt Woodward and Cpl Smith. Smith would throw his boots out of his room and shout "Clean those for me". I usually copped for it, as my bed was just outside his room. At the passing out parade 3 Troop were given the best turned out and drilled award. Sgt Woodward could shout when it was needed, but was also a quiet guy who got things done in his own way. We never had an officer on our 3 Troop photo, probably because it was too cold and there was snow around. It was a bitterly cold January, and most of us suffered from cracked fingers with the cold. Not allowed to wear gloves on the parade ground, specially with rifle drill. Happy days.
 
brummie nick said:
Where have all those years gone? I'm 2nd left sitting down
Click to expand...

I love these old photos !
It's interesting to see, Nick, how the style of the Battle dress was changing at that time. Some of the men in the picture are still wearing the old wartime pattern I notice.
 
Back in 2008 I went into this matter in some detail having read an article in Soldier magazine concerning K







Back in 2008 i saw a article in Soldier Magazine concering Korea gratuities,up to then I had no knowledge of them.It worked out that I would have been paid a lump sum of £20.our weekly pay was about £2
I put out a request on the internet asking if any other ex Korea members had also missed out,Some had been paid others like me had not.
i asked Mr Tom Watson my MP to raise this matter with the Army.In the end a reply was sent from The Ministry Of Defence by Derrick Twigg MP that due the Absence of pay records and passage of time
it was not possible to establishwhat happenen in Mr Hughes case.As a matter of interest that £20 in 1953 would have been worth £800 t0 £1000 in 2008
Mind you if it had been MP's expenses or Housing payments,that would be another matter
its one law for us and one for them
Thanks for the message
JH
 
Back when our lads were involved in "Bosnia" 1992, it was leaked to the British Media that not only were UK Troops not paid the UN mandate bonus that the French and other troops were being paid, ( around £800pm), but some of them were being taken to court by Colchester Council for unpaid "Poll Tax", when asked by a reporter outside the MD, Tom King, Minister of Defence answered "The British Soldier fights for Queen and Country, not for money". So along with the poor NS from the Atom bomb tests on Christmas Island, various governments have deceived and reneged on commitments to British Military personnel, this is fully recorded historical fact.
 
A little story about travelling in uniform during N/S in a car, and certain people think you should not be.
Some times when I knew that the next week end I was on a 48 hr pass and I wanted to go somewhere special, my father used to let me take his Rover 12 back to camp for the week. I must say this car was 1939 model but was in very good condition for it's age. While back at camp it was cleaned and polished and looked good. This one particular Friday night in the Summer I had 3 other lads in with me, 2 off at Cheltenham and one at Evesham. This Friday as I came to the Junction to turn right to head for the race track, the traffic was heavy coming into the Town, I waited, it seemed I was never going to be able to turn, so I booted it and I was away.I looked in the rear view only to see a Police Car about three cars back. The old Riley Pathfinder, those lads had never seen four servicemen in a car before. As soon as I was out of the 30 I was up to the 70 but they were after me, they passed me and flagged me down, so I pulled up right behind the Pathfinder not leaving enough space for the passenger to get between the two vehicles. He gave me a dirty look and came round the back, "Whose car is this"? " My Fathers" "And What does your Father do"?. My Father was B'Ham City Mounted Police man for 25 years and he was on the Works police where We both worked. I told them this and all I got was "Oh". They thought I had stolen the car. I produced the insurance certificate at the local police station (Hay Mills) where our neighbour was the duty Sergent, he did not even look at it. I suppose in the nineteen fifties it was unusual to see poorly paid N/S lads driving around in cars.

Dave
 
That's a great story Dave, it would have been very, very unusual to see "other ranks" driving a private car in uniform that's for sure, when I first joined up I couldn't have afforded a used bicycle. paul
 
Around '61 and in Germany a "Long weekend" was looming and we didn't fancy hanging around in barracks.
A kid in our room was the proud owner of an Opel Kadette and suggested we go to Amsterdam. Another of us said "why not get a pass for Amsterdam and go to Blighty ?
Wearing BD we duly set off on a trek that took us through Belgium and France and through half of England, (We only had the M1 then).
The car owner was from Crewe, so from there my mate & I took a train to North Wales and our other fellow-traveller went to Liverpool.
Two days later we met up again in Crewe, only to find that the Scouser was absent. Getting back to Germany we had to report the missing man and of course the cat was out of the bag.
I don't remember us getting much in the way of punishment for our escapade, with hindsight I imagine the powers-that-be at the time probably admired us for our cheek.
If the Scouser hadn't done a bunk I believe we would've got away with it too.
 
In Germany in the Army, a mate had a mini, the generator had bust, and we all '3', decided to look for a scrap yard to get a second hand one, eventually we found one on the outskirts of Hannover, and pushed in though some old gates , of course there was't any British cars, about so we split up. Suddenly "Basher Barker" shouted out " Brummie" behind you, I turned to see the biggest dirty Rottwieller, and behind it a huge Doberman, thinking quick just above me was an old VW van with its door ajar, in one move I grabbed the door bottom, pulled it out and grabbing a seat leg hauled myself up and slammed the door. Everyone but "Smiffy" got into a vehicle and was safe, I watched as he scampered about like a demented octopus grabbing door handles and then found an old Merc, which he jumped inside, it was so funny because it had no windscreen and he was on his knees shouting "Mother", "Mother". Just then a couple of Jerry's appeared and got the dogs locked up and saved the day. Looking back we were so naïve, and it was dangerous, but so funny. We never let "Smiffy" forget it, and we never got a generator either.
 
Baz, you talking about being let down by a mate. I was nearly late back to camp one Monday morning, because my Fathers car, which I always maintained before I went into the army had not been checked over by him, and I was due to go back to Camp on the Monday morning in it. I started out and got down as far as Cirencester and I could not get any acceleration out of it, and time was running out for the 06.00 deadline. I realised the S.U carb damper was lacking oil and I did not have any, and there were no garages open that time in the morning in those days. I was going nowhere so I stopped, I sat and thought , the only place for oil was in the engine, so by taking the dip stick in and out many times it was sufficient to allow the movement of the carb piston. I made it to camp with about 30 minutes to spare.

Dave
 
RAF 1951 001.jpgRAF 1951 officers mess I was a batman to the sports officer. John Crump OldBrit. Parker. Co USA
 
National Service Pay

I have come across my Realease Leave-Statement of Soldier's Account
I will post a copy on the forum
What interest me is an item under Debits.Realease leave payment £7.0.6
How come I was charged this sum to leave the army?Have we any members of the forum who were in The Army Pay-Corps to give an answer
At that time in 1953 I was just glad to get out and did not look to closely,but £7 pounds was 2 weeks pay then
Regards
JHKorea Payments.jpg
 
Re: National Service Pay

Just looked at my Army Book 111, Certificate of National Service, and according to my CO's comments I was "Clean living and SOBER in my habits"
He obviously didn't see us coming back to camp on a Saturday night absolutely bladdered.
 
I can tell you a mile off Jonny Crump, I like the guy next to you showing off his stripes. Did they have a cycling team whereever you were stationed? I say that because you rode for G.B and usually they give those lads with sporting backgrounds cushey jobs and let them carry on with their original sport representing the Forces they are in. If that is not so ,I cannot see for the life of me why they wasted your Moseley education on being a Batman.

Dave
 
Yes Dave That's why I was batman to the sports officer, got to train when I liked and go racing and play football. Did ride for the RAF a few times in TTs. etc. John
 
I thought I was right, it happened at Gosport with a lad from Wolverhamptom who was a runner, he did very little duties except go running every morning.

Dave
 
Similarly with Derek Ibbotson, the runner, who was at RAF Yatesbury at the same time as me. He never seemed to do anything except run!

Maurice
 
At Barton Stacey we had to do a 5 mile cross country run, the corn had just been cut, so you lads can imagine what happened.I had never run that far in my life. this was early in Sept 1954 just before we had the heavy rain for a week There were about 600 of us starting off in groups of about 100 in each. why I do not know as it became a farse. If you had good runners in the second group they could catch up the slow ones in the first, anyway we all eventually took off and I came at number 152. If you did not guess what happened, we all had very badly scratched legs because the stubble was dry and cut into our legs from the ankle to just below the knee. Lads were hanging back so the ones in front trampled down the straw and they could step in their footsteps. We were in a hell of a mess, blood everwhere, sores from stinging nettles, some collapsed but made to the finish. The M.O was there putting Iodine on all the legs of those who wanted it, I think the Iodine was worse than the cuts.

We all survived, the lad who won was the one from Wolverhampton, Osman.

Dave
 
There were lots of future sports stars doing National Service. I played for the army against the RAF ( 2 TAF), in Hamburg. In their team was a young Freddie Truman, already bowling at express speed. Fortunately, batting at number 10, I did not have to face him. Our opening bat did. He was Alan Jones of Glamorgan. I think he went on the play for England.
 
As a PTI at Hilsea barracks PORTSMOUTH in 1955 i had to privelage to have both Ducan Edwards and Bobby Charlton pass through my squad. At the time Bobby had only played Central League football, you old folk will know what i am talking about.
 
Duncan Edwards AND Bobby Charlton. That's a great shout, Ken. I remember Duncan Edwards. I believe he was from Dudley. Not a famous person, but in 1953 we had a Cpl Hunt, and during 1953, his uncle led the 1953 conquest of Everest, which was a very big day at the time. Eddie
 
Dave The chap with the stripes is Ron Tooth, a real spiv he was, wore jackets without collars, skinny ties, loved to chase the 'birds' as we called them those days. of course smoked like a chimney. I have to admit I had a chushy time and lots of fun riding my bike. Rode the bike home to Yardley on weekends and went racing with the club. John Crump OlderBrit. Parker. Co USA
 
John, at one time you asked the question of the lads on the forum, if they knew where you were stationed, or were you joking ? Where were you putting your head down at night, at camp. You said you cycled back to camp, knowing you that could have been Cosford, well within your cycling ability.

Dave
 
Yes Dave Cosford it was, Two years ago we went with my nephew to the Air museum at Cosford, has changed completely, didn't recognize anything there now. I was also at a RAF base towards Oxford can you remember the name of it? John Crump
 
paul stacey said:
Sounds like "Abingdon".
Click to expand...

Paul, you mentioned Abingdon. Were you ever stationed there? I did an Air Dispatch course there in `61, dropping stuff from Hasting aircraft, & some of the low level drops were a tad scary. It`s a strange sensation standing in the open doorway of a flying aircraft. I seem to remember we got an extra 15 bob "danger money". We had to pack our own `chutes as well. Sgt Crusoe or Carusoe was our instrctor. I passed the course & got posted to a staff car unit, typical army thinking.
 
RAF Abingdon was part of the 'P' Coy, parachute jump school in the early 60's and very hard it was to Smudger, there was a bad accident there around your time with two planes colliding and some fatality's do you remember?Paul
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top