National service

[flyer]

Nov 11th always a hard day looking back over countless deaths brought on by stupid morons (and I'm polite)with all the different wars and killings between one group or another ,I for one can't tell a Greek from a Turk and I'm told there is a much less of a difference between Arab &Jew they both believe the same thing but they know how to kill each other,now we have Congo starting up again well it may be less than 100'000 killed and they are black Grrrr

[Harleyman]

Nov 11th always a hard day looking back over countless deaths brought on by stupid morons (and I'm polite)with all the different wars and killings between one group or another ,I for one can't tell a Greek from a Turk and I'm told there is a much less of a difference between Arab &Jew they both believe the same thing but they know how to kill each other,now we have Congo starting up again well it may be less than 100'000 killed and they are black Grrrr

 

What have always been mans favorite pastimes?

 

Sex, booze and killing of course and not always necessarily in that order.

[flyer]

when playing in the sand in Libya how hard would it have been for the army to supply us with goggles (tupence a pair)mind you we did buy those fancy bandana's fm the Italians we must have looked a right bunch, mine was black with silver stars edge with gold Woooo eat your heart out Liberarce (cant even spell it0

[howden25]

I occasionly see a guy who was in Signals during the 50's and we were rapping on about those days not so long ago. I mentioned this thread and asked him if he remembered the names of the training camp's lines. So here goes.

1TR, Loos lines.

2TR, Mons or Cateau, linemen,

3TR, Bourlon.

4TR, Gaza, teleprinters.

5TR, was at Ripon, drivers and dispach riders.

I was at 2TR and to be honest those names dont ring any bells at all.

 

I remember that if you met a good standard as a teleprinter op', you could get to ciphers and become an automatic full Corporal on passing out. As I've said before, I was at 2TR but I can't recollect either of those names. Anybody got a clue on 1TR or 3TR?

 

7TR, Somme lines, regular basic training.

1TR, Kemmel lines, Line/Tele Tech training.

[flyer]

3tr wireless ops Richmond

[Texas]

Well that about answers my question. National Service did basic at Baghdad and Vimy. Vimy Lines are still there but much changed.

Does anyone remember the PT instructors with the hooped, black and red jerseys? That was another job I aspired to, all that shouting and bawling. Same old problem back then though, too lightweight and a predilection for not signing on. Anyone remember their bodyweight when they went in and when they came out? I was a 114lb going in and a massive 148lb when I came out. I'm a 154 now, so I'd just about make it.

[Kidorry]

I was 5ft 4in & 140 lbs going in & 5ft 6in & 162lbs coming out.Pure muscle.Ahem.

[Floridablade]

Anybody remember the Beghazi stove, make a cuppa in 2 minutes flat, great invention also the canvas bag filled with water which got very cold due to evaporation hanging from the front of the vehicle. The desert rose and the sun compass.

[Harleyman]

Well that about answers my question. National Service did basic at Baghdad and Vimy. Vimy Lines are still there but much changed.

Does anyone remember the PT instructors with the hooped, black and red jerseys? That was another job I aspired to, all that shouting and bawling. Same old problem back then though, too lightweight and a predilection for not signing on. Anyone remember their bodyweight when they went in and when they came out? I was a 114lb going in and a massive 148lb when I came out. I'm a 154 now, so I'd just about make it.

 

I was lucky when I went to training camp. I'd worked as an apprentice carpenter on building sites and done some labouring also so I was physically strong which saved me from a lot of verbal abuse from those PI instructors

 

I always remember one recruit they loved to pick on because he couldn't do a single pull up on the bars. There he hung, literally in tears while the two PIs yelled every epithet in creation at him

 

It got to him so bad in the end that he attempted to desert. The Regimental Police found him one night walking along the railway track from Gobowan to Oswestry mainline station

 

Dont know what happened to him in the end. May have kept him on longer in training perhaps

 

The physical training years later in the US Marine Corps was terrible. Those DIs would happily dish out gut punches to anyone who looked like they were feeble or slacking off.

 

If you ever saw "Full metal Jacket" that first part of the film showing the training wasn't very much removed from the truth and there were a lot of drop outs

[flyer]

There was a place for all in our mob,the dirty slob got a job as pig keeper the big fat dozy sent away for two weeks and became medic, the bookworm was made pay sgt and me the C.O was always trying to keep me out of trouble rifle through his office records while all was on works parade on my record he had wrote Clarke (me) will do anything if you ask him to and nothing if you tell him,how well he knew me its still true 60yrs later