National service

[Harleyman]

From reading your posts on how you fared with the battle dress issues I think I got off lightly.

 

After finishing training at Oswestry I was posted to Royal Artillery depot Woolwich. Most of the time there we wore fatigues which were pretty horrible looking but at least were never seen beyond the depot confines.

We were allowed out in civvies in the evenings and weekends and then when we got posted to the far east turned in our BDs to Q and traveled by chartered plane to Singapore wearing civvies.

 

The army far east tropical uniform was olive green and the greatest i thought.

Light tunic worn either with long or short trousers with the impressive brigade flash sewn on the shoulders

 

The Chinese laundry did a smack up job with them too. Always returned beautifully ironed and starched to perfection.

 

Most of the days however we wore only a pair of navy blue PT shorts, beret or jungle hat, boots and socks

 

I loved those olive greens (OGs) so much that I ferevently hoped that we would be allowed to wear them on our return to England.

Not to be however and a week before docking at Southampton we had to turn them in for BDs issued by the ship's Q stores. Worse yet we didnt get the same BDs that we'd been originally issued with

[sweetdexter]

Yes, the O.G's were a great uniform.

We also had the benefit of civilian laundry service.

The puttees and hose were a bl**dy nuisance

We also had 'Sew-Sew' who came round the billets doing our sewing.

She had bound feet and was treated with the utmost respect by most of the guys

In all the camps we were in the Char Wallahs were from Pakistan.

One of the nicest people I have ever met was one of these 'Char Wallahs'

While on leave in Hong kong we would stay at the YMCA.we would blow most of our pay in the first few days.Never mind we would pay a visit to the first camp we were in and the for-mentioned 'Char Wallah '.would give us a loan to be paid back to the Char Wallah in our camp.

[Texas]

In the Middle East it was khaki drill for the summertime uniform, KDs.

I like your observation about the Chinese laundry starching and ironing to perfection. Our dhobi wallahs were prone to go a little over the top in that department. Freshly laundered, your KDs were like a suit of razor blades. When I collected my laundry I would watch the technique for starching. Each worker would have a large can full of starch water, he'd fill his mouth and then spray it all over the inoffensive piece of kit, invariably it got a double dose. Your shorts could stand on their own, and the collars, especially the collars,would just shine nearly white with starch. Personel were allowed to wear a bandana folded over the collar. Of course everybody exploited this with all sorts of colors, but the official line was white.

[flyer]

clik below to see this smartest soldier in the British army Libya 1951

 

[fleetwood]

I'm trying to place some pictures on this post but having no luck whatsoever. I've been on photobucket but cannot make the link, anyway it's my problem, I will sort it at some point.

[flyer]

far beyond me I have to get my daughter to do it for me, it took her 10 mins & shes dead smart, thanks she moved back home

[Harleyman]

In the Middle East it was khaki drill for the summertime uniform, KDs.

I like your observation about the Chinese laundry starching and ironing to perfection. Our dhobi wallahs were prone to go a little over the top in that department. Freshly laundered, your KDs were like a suit of razor blades. When I collected my laundry I would watch the technique for starching. Each worker would have a large can full of starch water, he'd fill his mouth and then spray it all over the inoffensive piece of kit, invariably it got a double dose. Your shorts could stand on their own, and the collars, especially the collars,would just shine nearly white with starch. Personel were allowed to wear a bandana folded over the collar. Of course everybody exploited this with all sorts of colors, but the official line was white.

 

We treated our dhobis with great respect. They were in the money lending business with interest charged of course. Those borrowers who thought they could skip and run learned the hard way. As our names and last 3 were all inside the tunics and trousers they soon found out who these deadbeats were and their uniforms were either "mislaid" or came back looking like clothing from a shpwreck salvage sale

 

Some of the lads really treated the civilian help in a sad way

 

We had a boot boy nicknamed "Pop" He was a skinny elderly Hindu who didnt speak a word of English. There were numerous occasions when he came around to collect his 5 Straits dollars for work performed that he'd never get paid. Always the excuses. "Skint Pop. Next week for sure" was a popular

one, the individual giving that excuse of course having spent it on booze and/or Suzie Wong the weekend before.

[flyer]

Must confess to being a bit of a cheat I was never N .Service I was smart signed on for 5yrs be for got called up that'll teach um

[growler22]

I remember me dad going on about NS and to him it did him the world of good.Personally i think todays generation would miss there computers and tvs.

 

Might kick a few of the little so and so's into shape and make certain areas better / nicer to live. Respect and honour is no longer tought to the youngsters of certain upbringing any more. Small percentage that make a big impact !!

[sweetdexter]

Must confess to being a bit of a cheat I was never N .Service I was smart signed on for 5yrs be for got called up that'll teach um

 

I said as much when i first started the Thread