Record?

I've just been viewing the latest newsletter from our association. Listed in the "Last Post" was a guy who served from 1951-1981 and was a Signalman.

Obviously don't know if he was ever promoted and then busted but wonder if it is a record to go thirty years as a "private"? Anyone know diffferently?

Knew of a few guys who did 22 years with the rank of Gunner but, that was in the 60s when that sort of thing was quite common.

Probably a misprint Teabag..It`s very unlikly that someone could spend 30 years as a non commisioned rank.when at that time, 22 was the so called limit.
I have seen quite a number of strange entries in the RSA RIP lists

may be he was just left to guard a radar site and they just forgot all about him poor guy!!!!!!!!

or is it a miss print as you say 30yrs is heck of a long time without promotion!!!!!

I can remember a guy leaving after 22 as a Signalman. They drove him around the camp on the back of a four tonner with everyone cheering. Spent most of his time in the Regimental HQ making coffee and running the bingo I think. Indispensible member of the unit as I remember.

question? why are royal sigs called scaley backs ? honest answers only

One guy I remember from my days in Lippstadt, around '64, was the Ration Storeman. He joined the Army during the war and in his 22 years service did 2 Courses, Stretcher Bearer and Ration Storeman! He lived in the Ration Stores, was excused all parades and everyone from the CO down addressed him as "Paddy". I met him many years later, he lived in the Union Jack Club and was the civvy Ration Storeman at Woolwich. Another guy I knew, a Bdr at Woolwich, he did his Basic Training there, stayed on and after 15 years he was a Bdr. He lived in the same bedspace in the same room for all those years. One day the DoE arrived to decorate the room and the said Bdr had to move to another room as his was being decorated, after a week he applied to purchase his discharge. On his final COs interview, the CO asked him why he was buying himself out after all these years, he explained about living in the same room and bedspace and how he had to move to another room to accommodate the DoE and then said "I never joined the Army to get f****d about".

Jonathon, on account of all the Acid running down their backs from the Batteries they carried. (I think)

Shelldrake wrote:

Jonathon, on account of all the Acid running down their backs from the Batteries they carried. (I think)

Yeh plus they were supposed to have had leather type protectors that the acid made look like scales. There are other theories but like a lot of things the truth is out there somewhere.

true or false
i heard a story about a guy (dont know what battalion) who wanted to get out but did not want to pay to get out or just leg it so he decided to try and pretend he had lost the plot. Plan of action get dog invisible one yes thats right.MFO=kennel mess tin for his food from cookhouse of course doglead /collar stiffened with wire.GET THE PICTURE .walked round camp for a few daysmeanwhile everyone laughing their bo"""""ls off.by now god(rsm) has had enough puts him on COs.Guy marches in with dog of course.lots of shouting 5mins later comes out looking very pi"""ed off asked what happened he replied that the bloody dog crapped on COs new carpet and the CO fined me £400.00 bloody dog
true/false

False! Only the Adjt is allowed to take his dog into the COs Office.

Funny story all the same. Usual one about do you accept my punishment or opt for courts martial? Your punishment sir. Take him outside and shoot him Sergeant Major.............

Another major digress. Did you ever come across anyone who refused to soldier? I knew a nice lad who suddenly got religion and did just that.

Wouldn't put the uniform on and all that. Think he was sent to Krefeld for some time and when he came back he was a changed man.

Quote :

Do you accept my punishment or opt for courts martial?

Court Martial Sir

March out sarnt Major and tell him the facts of life

OCs interview...Have the facts of life been explained to you Cpl

Yes Sir

Well??

Court martial Sir

Case dismissed. March out Sarnt Major


TRUE

Jesus Gordon, wished I thought of that, would have saved a couple of 'severe reprimand's"

Len (Ciphers)

It wasn`t me Len.I was the escort.i picked up a few reps and one severe rep but managed to avoid the dreaded fines or the drop.

I remember a lad who refused to soldier, he was placed under Close Arrest, was made to strip naked, had the heating turned off in the cell and had all his meals in the cell. I think he gave up after 24 hours.

Never came across it myself, but that is what i heard the treatment was.

Shelldrake wrote:

I remember a lad who refused to soldier, he was placed under Close Arrest, was made to strip naked, had the heating turned off in the cell and had all his meals in the cell. I think he gave up after 24 hours.

I remember one or two cases of men Refusing to Soldier, allways seemed like an execise in futility to me.

One that sticks out in my memory was a Sikh in the 10th Hussars. We shared Barker bks Paderborn with them at the time and this bloke would be seen slouching around in a turban, refusing to wear a beret because of his religion. I don't think The Shiny Ten knew quite what to do with him because he kept saying they were picking on him because he was Asian. (Yep, even in the early sixties the buggers were at it !).

One day, looking out of the NAAFI window we saw this immaculate Sikh bloke go marching past, beret on, smart as a button stick. On asking a nearby Hussar what the score was, it seems he'd got himself a German girlfriend and she'd sorted him out. As they do !

I knew a National Service Man Dinger Bell, Did nearly 3 years NS cos of all the nick he did.
Eventually they made him an RP, His kit was immaculate, and he got his Demob.
He used to say he had done his 2 for the Queen, and had started on Phillips 2.

Going back in time when good conduct stripes were worn I remember the post NCO at AAS Arborfield was a LCpl with I belive 4 good conduct stripes, which meant at least 12 years undetected crime, three years per stripe. Another aspect of the good conduct stripe was a means of detecting an ex boy as you were usually awarded one upon passing out, for some it proved to be the only tape they wore.

hey whats with the promotion i started this as private now i am a full screw this is great may be the 30yre sigi should join up here

There was this guy at SEME who worked his ticket by pretending to ride around camp on an invisible bicycle. Eventually when he got his discharge and walked past the Guardroom as normal as can be, the Provost Sgt shouted to him, "Hey Ginge where's your bike?"
Ginge replied, " I left it in camp for some other daft bugger to ride out."

I'll say it before anyone else - was he told to "Get on his Bike?".

i heard that one too thought it was motorbike because went round camp making motorbike noises