National service

[Texas]

I've been having a look on Google to see if there was any clue to what the word 'Medloc' actually meant. Didn't have a lot of success but my guess that it was a kind of army jargon wasn't far wrong. Seems it could be 'Mediterranean location'. Certainly there's a hotel in Marrakesh called the 'Medloc' with a French interpretation of the term.

Like I say though old soldiers would speak of travelling back to England via 'Medloc', so I should think it would've meant getting to Cyprus first then onto Triest, like Kidorry's bro'.

Seems a long way 'round the barn' to me. The subject matter would be of interest to train enthusiasts though.

But to change the subject. Did anybody bring back any souvenirs from their trip abroad with the army, apart from a disease or anything like that (crabs; clap; etc; etc. Any temporary residents of Fayid would remember the Church of Scotland (Jocks) canteen, they sold a great cup of coffee and tea. A necessary stop any time. I pinched one of their mugs, big thick thing, had it for years, but now sadly gone. I had to buy a replica.

[flyer]

Trieste is near the point where the former Yugoslavia ,Austria and Italy meet.

I have a friend who was in a refugee camp in Trieste late 40s early 50s.

He came from Albania.

I visited on holiday about 64 and it was a sleepy seaport that was trying to develop tourism

 

See on S.F I just keep on learning by the time I reach 100 I'll be quite smart :thumbsup:

[Kidorry]

MEDLOC stood for Middle East Direct Line Of Communication.It ran from the hook of Holland to Trieste.Apparently it went through the Russian sector of Berlin.

[Texas]

Well thanks for that Kidorry.

[lisalee]

 

Was doing national service from Jan 1956 to jan 1958. Went to suez crisis in November 1956. Made a man out of me. I wouldn't say everyone should do nat. service but the yobs of today should be put through a similar regime for a period.The tv series 'Bad Lads Army' is typical of what they should be put through

 

My uncle went there, Keith Darling.

[Floridablade]

I went to Suez too on an old tub from Wales via Gibraltar, Malta and arrived after the fighting had stopped. i was with 3 Div. Sigs out of sabrian Bks. Colchester. We barracked in a girls school in Suez and the whole back wall was missing, it faced the beach. Most flew back but I returned on a Tank Landing Craft named Rampart and everything was ok until we were off the coast of Portugal when we hit a gale. We were taking on water and the radio relay trucks were awash so we pulled into Vigo in Spain where we had a great party, got as drunk as a skunk and woke up beside the most beautiful girl you ever saw and I didn't know and I don't think she did because she jumped out of bed and locked herself in the bathroom.

 

We eventualy arrived in Portsmouth where a dozen drivers were waiting so off we went to Colchester but on the way we saw a bloke stood by a car so we pulled up and found out he had no petrol so I told one of the lads to sell him some and charge him a quid. We had 1 and sixpence between the lot of us until that time, egg and chips all round and off we went. Next morning one of the lads told me it was water which had gone in the blokes tank, Oh dear.

[flyer]

Bloody crook, at least the gas we stole and sold the arabs was good and what i never understood was their passion for Signals mail bags don't know what they used them for but always good for a little ready,I do hope the Libyans remember that gas and return the favour the price was getting a little high:thumbsup:

[Floridablade]

When were you in Libya Flyer.

[flyer]

25th ABSS 1952-1955 station for the most at the Air port (Binena) thats if I can spell it after all these years, Plus a little live D.R work from the sig's office in Bengarzi for about 6 months,Oh we land up in Tripoli for our last 4 months:thumbsup:

[Floridablade]

before my time I was OC 14/20th Kings Hussars Signal troop in 1963/4. Qaddafi was a Colonel in the Signals at D'osta Barracks with the British Military Mission. I knew about the coup before it happened because I was asked to go and look at some equipment in his office which was faulty and I was the only one with high enough clearance. It was in English because the teleprinter couldn't print Arabic. King Idris was a pure bred bxxxxxx so I had no problem about keeping my mouth shut.