paul stacey
master brummie
not that old ken but they look like PTI's.
paul
paul
-
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oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
This photo brings back memories of the fearsome inspections we had at RAF Padgate in 1956. Blankets folded exactly, beds all in line, eating irons and mugs exactly positioned on towels across the beds. If your mug had the slightest crack or chip the Corporal Drill Instructors smashed it in the stove hearth. It was tough at the time but I'm glad I went through it.
oldmohawk..
oldmohawk..
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paul stacey
master brummie
mine was exactly the same at Pirbright, oldmohawk, brings back memories of discipline, order, cohesion, all sadly lacking in our modern world of chaos, and happy memories of comrades sadly some no longer here.
happy days
paul
happy days
paul
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi John - Was that the RAOC barracks near Portsmouth ? there are quite a lot of photos of it on the internet.
With regard to seeing the photo, they should show without having to click on them, they can even be seen without being logged in as a forum member.
Most of the forum photos can be seen with Google Images although stored in a random manner. I do notice however that when I click on the photos in post # 301 my screen goes black, but those images are remnants of the old BHF system. Try the link below which goes to the BHF Image Host.
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/images2/userpics/10006/Padgate_Billet_1950s.jpg
oldmohawk
A.Willoughby
master brummie
A week after Cardington, for kitting out, I too was a lamb to the slaughter at RAF Padgate in May, 1956. Old Mohawk you would not have been in the earlier entrants who on leaving trashed our wooden quarters or were you one who followed us after we had kindly done the same for those who followed us in.:biggrin: ?
Happy days.
Will.
Happy days.
Will.
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cookie273uk
master brummie
You National Service lot had it cushy with a mere 8 weeks basic training, us regulars had to do 12 weeks:fat: at Cardington (home of R101) in Bedford, mind you did do part of my aircrew training in Canada in 1949 which was a bonus !!! Eric
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Eric - Yes I probably have to agree with you, it was a bit cushy at times. I was only an 'erk' looking after the instruments in aircraft. I've just finished reading an autobiography by Geoff Wellum who joined the RAF in 1939 aged 17, entered 92 Squadron early 1940, and was fighting ME109s in the Battle of Britain at the age of 19.
oldmohawk..
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cookie273uk
master brummie
Old Mohawk Most of my time was spent on Lancasters (Africa), Sunderlands ( 205/209 Sqdn Air Sea rescue Singapore) and Handley Page Hastings (Transport Command) as a wireless op which dates me a bit (1948-56), but I thought they were all wonderful a/c particularly the Lanc ( 82PR Sqdn) Eric
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Eric - I would have loved to have had flights in a Lanc or a Sunderland. I did have flights in Handley Page Marathon navigation trainers, and a very exciting acrobatic flight in a Provost over East Anglia. The RAF 'pranged' most of the Marathons, and on the link below you can see they lost approximately 230 aircraft in 1958 and I saw two of the 'prangs'. Just imagine how BBC News 24 would have coped with that...
oldmohawk...
https://www.ukserials.com/losses_index.htm
oldmohawk...
https://www.ukserials.com/losses_index.htm
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cookie273uk
master brummie
Have flew in Douglas DC3s known as Dakotas in the RAF a few times but only as passenger, wwonderful a/c. had a payload of 5000lb but we often put 6000lb or more as we flew from detachment to detachment with our gear and personel, a very sturdy and reliable a/c. Happy long gone days over 60 years ago. Eric
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Eric - I don't know whether you have seen the video clip in the link below, there are glimpses of Lanc radios although probably WW2 versions. It looks best in full screen mode and runs for 8 minutes. Original pictures, video and Microsoft FS segments compiled to remember and honour the crews of Lancaster bombers in the period 1942-1945.
oldmohawk
https://vimeo.com/13430247
National service
I reckon a lot of you guys out there had had a lovely 2 years away in the forces, your billets were clean and light, " why was I so unlucky"? I started off doing two weeks at Blandford, the accom was good, it was in the August of 1954 but why the heck a lot of us were sent onto the hell hole of Barton Stacey in Hampshire I do not know. The weather turned wet at the beginning of September so there were a lot of wet clothes around a billet which did not have any drying facilities, we had a stove in the middle of the billet but we were not allowed to use it because, firstly we had no coal and it meant it had to be blacked with boot polish every morning to keep it looking like new. That was a laugh, the camp had been condemned since 1918 and there were holes in the raised floor where we could sweep the dust and the wooden splinters down save sweeping them up.These were wooden huts with soft Pine floors which had been ripped by the 13 studs on every sole of a boot for decades, you could not walk on the floor without something on you feet. Six weeks there and most of us had had enough, because of the lack of a drying room we were having to put wet clothing in our kit bags because we did not have anywhere to hang then to dry and the billet had to be kept tidy, you could not keep it clean because of the dust. Many of us were having bad colds and bronchitis,including myself,one had piles all related to wearing wet clothes.
The next posting was armourer training at no 10 barracks at Gosport for 24 weeks,this was through the Winter of 1954 and still no heating in the billets but we were not out in the weather during the day only on Muster Parade in the morning. Nice camp, is still being used, for what I do not know but Google earth shows it has had work done on it and it might be offices, it is very old!! Hilsea camp was across the harbour and up through the town of portsmouth where we had to march a troop sometimes to have photo's taken and there was Aggi Westons for a free film and tea and doughnuts once a week.
The best camp was my last one next to the pay corp camp at Devises "The Barracks" as it is known on Google Earth,The main block has only recently been converted into flats but "The Keep" is 400 yrs old but not used, as far as I know. That is where I slept in a stove heated room for 4 lads, heaven at last until demob.
Dave edwards
I reckon a lot of you guys out there had had a lovely 2 years away in the forces, your billets were clean and light, " why was I so unlucky"? I started off doing two weeks at Blandford, the accom was good, it was in the August of 1954 but why the heck a lot of us were sent onto the hell hole of Barton Stacey in Hampshire I do not know. The weather turned wet at the beginning of September so there were a lot of wet clothes around a billet which did not have any drying facilities, we had a stove in the middle of the billet but we were not allowed to use it because, firstly we had no coal and it meant it had to be blacked with boot polish every morning to keep it looking like new. That was a laugh, the camp had been condemned since 1918 and there were holes in the raised floor where we could sweep the dust and the wooden splinters down save sweeping them up.These were wooden huts with soft Pine floors which had been ripped by the 13 studs on every sole of a boot for decades, you could not walk on the floor without something on you feet. Six weeks there and most of us had had enough, because of the lack of a drying room we were having to put wet clothing in our kit bags because we did not have anywhere to hang then to dry and the billet had to be kept tidy, you could not keep it clean because of the dust. Many of us were having bad colds and bronchitis,including myself,one had piles all related to wearing wet clothes.
The next posting was armourer training at no 10 barracks at Gosport for 24 weeks,this was through the Winter of 1954 and still no heating in the billets but we were not out in the weather during the day only on Muster Parade in the morning. Nice camp, is still being used, for what I do not know but Google earth shows it has had work done on it and it might be offices, it is very old!! Hilsea camp was across the harbour and up through the town of portsmouth where we had to march a troop sometimes to have photo's taken and there was Aggi Westons for a free film and tea and doughnuts once a week.
The best camp was my last one next to the pay corp camp at Devises "The Barracks" as it is known on Google Earth,The main block has only recently been converted into flats but "The Keep" is 400 yrs old but not used, as far as I know. That is where I slept in a stove heated room for 4 lads, heaven at last until demob.
Dave edwards
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hello Dave
Looks like you might be right ...enjoyed reading your post. I suppose some of us do put our 'rose coloured specs' on when we think back, and I was in the RAF and had aircraft to play with. Only one of the camps I was at still exists - RAF Topcliffe - and the army have taken that over. The last time I went to look at it a guard with a gun told me to 'get lost'.
oldmohawk
maypolebaz
master brummie
Ahh, . . was there anything worse than the smell of wet BD ?
I remember we were firing at Trawsfynnyd (try saying THAT with a skinfull of Brew Eleven !), in '58 and we were wearing greatcoats.
We had to sleep in two-man bivvies in all that Welsh wet.
Just thinking about it makes me shiver. I was only 17 !
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Great description, thanks, Dave.
Billets were better for the Brylcreem boys, by the sound of it - but then you could find yourself in the middle of absolutely b*****-all, as far east in England as it's possible to go and with no means of escape apart from the RAF-issue bike. And that wasn't much use either when the blizzards were blowing in from the North Sea.
Chris
Billets were better for the Brylcreem boys, by the sound of it - but then you could find yourself in the middle of absolutely b*****-all, as far east in England as it's possible to go and with no means of escape apart from the RAF-issue bike. And that wasn't much use either when the blizzards were blowing in from the North Sea.
Chris
Thanks Chris,
I think looking back it was the comradeship which got most of us through those two years, living together almost 24 hrs a day you knew who your good friends were. Some would not pull there weight when it came to the crunch they would skive off on volunteer duties and leave the others to bring the billet up to scratch on a Saturday morning inspection. At Gosport I was a La/Lcp in charge of a billet in "A" company and I had a lad from Coventry,cannot remember his name, but every Saturday he would go on cookhouse duties and leave his bed space then return after inspection,I left it to the lads to sort him out because the acting corporals had not the authority to charge them with neglect of their duties. we were promoted on our skill as engineers and armourers.This happens in all walks of life, you work with them and you think why is he getting paid the same as me when he does nothing
I made some good friends and we said we would keep in touch but it never happens to the majority,because that gets pushed into the background in civvy st,girl friends, work and in my case travelling all over the country and abroad. I have kept in touch with one in Swindon but it a bit expensive on the fuel and he is not into computers.
Such is life!!
Dave
I think looking back it was the comradeship which got most of us through those two years, living together almost 24 hrs a day you knew who your good friends were. Some would not pull there weight when it came to the crunch they would skive off on volunteer duties and leave the others to bring the billet up to scratch on a Saturday morning inspection. At Gosport I was a La/Lcp in charge of a billet in "A" company and I had a lad from Coventry,cannot remember his name, but every Saturday he would go on cookhouse duties and leave his bed space then return after inspection,I left it to the lads to sort him out because the acting corporals had not the authority to charge them with neglect of their duties. we were promoted on our skill as engineers and armourers.This happens in all walks of life, you work with them and you think why is he getting paid the same as me when he does nothing
I made some good friends and we said we would keep in touch but it never happens to the majority,because that gets pushed into the background in civvy st,girl friends, work and in my case travelling all over the country and abroad. I have kept in touch with one in Swindon but it a bit expensive on the fuel and he is not into computers.
Such is life!!
Dave
paul stacey
master brummie
Never mind about "Rose coloured Specs", I never met a NS man who did't admit it was the finest 2yr's of their lives.
paul
paul
cookie273uk
master brummie
Paul, there was also a percentage of 'whingers' amongst certain National Service conscripts, the sort who pinned calenders inside there lockers/wardrobes and crossed the days of one by one, moaned and complained about everything and generally made things pretty unpleasant for their comrades, fortunately these were in a minority. I personally was in the RAF for 8 years, including 2 years in Africa and 2 1/2 years in Hong Kong and Singapore the latter tour with my Wife. I was Aircrew wireless operator 1948 till1956 and thought it was a wonderful life, if I wasn't grounded because of weakening eyesight I would have signed on for a further period. Incidently I completed my 12 weeks 'square bashing' at RAF Cardington where the ill fated R101 Airship was moored and the huge hanger is still there to this day. Eric
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Hi Paul
It was probably the best time because we all look back on life as we get older and think basically of the good times but think of the bad ones and they are there. Paul I do not know what your social life is like but you do not have so many friends talking to you now as you did then for so long, with all the jokes and the banter and there was always the one who was the life and soul of the group. Even in retirement it can be lonely that is why we chatting to one another now although I have a jet washer to fix but that can wait.
I suppose you did n/s? just put down a few lines of the bad times and I will respond.
Dave
It was probably the best time because we all look back on life as we get older and think basically of the good times but think of the bad ones and they are there. Paul I do not know what your social life is like but you do not have so many friends talking to you now as you did then for so long, with all the jokes and the banter and there was always the one who was the life and soul of the group. Even in retirement it can be lonely that is why we chatting to one another now although I have a jet washer to fix but that can wait.
I suppose you did n/s? just put down a few lines of the bad times and I will respond.
Dave
paul stacey
master brummie
I was a regular Dave, and we all think of those times as a learning curve, the most memories I have are the ones of mates, companions, I am lucky here in Cambridge , I have a large circle of friends, some are ex service men but others never been in the "cate" and we all get on well. I feel we never have friends as when youngsters, when all in the same boat together!!. I do remember an incident when at the depot, basic training, it was an offence to smoke in certain areas so we had some one keep "dogo" whilst we had a sly fag, it was in-between two spiders, suddenly this chap shouted, watch-out RSM's about, and legged it, I said to this other kid "oh my god" and a deep voice behind me said "yes" .
regards paul.
regards paul.
Cookie273
I will tell you a story about photd's. When I was at Devises,as I said I slept in the Keep, the billet was very homely and isolated because it had to be kept locked when not occupied because of my armoury and stores at night time as well, this meant the orderly segt could not enter the building at 6 in the morning so he used to shout up about 60 feet to our billet to wake us up. We did not escape the C.O' inspection on saturday morning, he was Lord seymour the Duke of Somerset,a very nice person who reminded me of King George the VI.This one Saturday morning I was on a 36 hr pass and was changing into civvies when I heard the C.O and the other officers coming up the Concrete stairs I had permission to leave a little early to catch the coach from the Pay corp Camp just up the main road as it had many lads from brum stationed there
The first thing the C.O noticed was the 72 pictures on the wall of the billet,these were of film stars out of the picturegoer mag, his remark was" Are there any new ones Corporal Edwards"? No Sir, There were next week and the lower ones were brought up to visual height. He never bothered to inspect the billet because he was dealing with seasoned soldiers who knew what was what when it came to keeping up the standard
We never ran out of pictures ever.
Dave
I will tell you a story about photd's. When I was at Devises,as I said I slept in the Keep, the billet was very homely and isolated because it had to be kept locked when not occupied because of my armoury and stores at night time as well, this meant the orderly segt could not enter the building at 6 in the morning so he used to shout up about 60 feet to our billet to wake us up. We did not escape the C.O' inspection on saturday morning, he was Lord seymour the Duke of Somerset,a very nice person who reminded me of King George the VI.This one Saturday morning I was on a 36 hr pass and was changing into civvies when I heard the C.O and the other officers coming up the Concrete stairs I had permission to leave a little early to catch the coach from the Pay corp Camp just up the main road as it had many lads from brum stationed there
The first thing the C.O noticed was the 72 pictures on the wall of the billet,these were of film stars out of the picturegoer mag, his remark was" Are there any new ones Corporal Edwards"? No Sir, There were next week and the lower ones were brought up to visual height. He never bothered to inspect the billet because he was dealing with seasoned soldiers who knew what was what when it came to keeping up the standard
We never ran out of pictures ever.
Dave
Paul
Another one about the C,S.M who I did not get on with, attached services did not do any duties and I knew he did not like me getting away with it as I was R.E.M.E and I was att to the Wilts infantry but I always got one over him at times. As armourer I had to service his Bicycle when I felt it required it, he was the only person on Camp with one and rode it everywhere, I would have it put on orders that the cycle must be taken to my armoury the next day and he could not do a thing about it and that narked him. I would keep it for a day and give the once over, I was a rotten b----r.
Dave
Another one about the C,S.M who I did not get on with, attached services did not do any duties and I knew he did not like me getting away with it as I was R.E.M.E and I was att to the Wilts infantry but I always got one over him at times. As armourer I had to service his Bicycle when I felt it required it, he was the only person on Camp with one and rode it everywhere, I would have it put on orders that the cycle must be taken to my armoury the next day and he could not do a thing about it and that narked him. I would keep it for a day and give the once over, I was a rotten b----r.
Dave
paul stacey
master brummie
Best never to upset CSM's Dave, were you ever at 'Tidworth' Dave, there was a huge Armoury there at "Aliwall Barracks" I think, there was more REME there than Bordon, and that's saying something. there was a few National servicemen just finishing there time when I was in, and most signed on again to get the extra money.
paul
paul
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
With this thread popping up I been reading through it and some of my old posts and other's comments, some little gems like 'Kiwi' polish was better than 'Cherry Blossom', and how to make bread pudding in a large sink without a plug and more. I also put a few photos here and there, and I had previously put the link below to show that us RAF types sometimes carried rifles. The station in the film closed down one year after I was there.
oldmohawk 3150438
Defended Britain during the Cold War and Suez Crisis...
https://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=32610
oldmohawk 3150438
Defended Britain during the Cold War and Suez Crisis...
https://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=32610
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cookie273uk
master brummie
Eddie14, I did my wireless op training in a camp near Devises called RAF Compton Bassett, ring a bell ? Eric
paul stacey
master brummie
Being in the Guards, I saw many broken "pace sticks" in my time Rosie, including one thrown the full length of "Gods Acre" Pirbright.
paul
paul