Memory lane

We were given a tin of 50 Players sometime in the early 60s.We were told they were getting rid of a ww2 stock pile.They were ok.

They were issued in vacuum sealed tins of 50, I was under the impression they had been confiscated. On my Mothers birthday I would buy a boxed Birthday card, remove the card, fill the box full of cigarettes then send it home, the Birthday card would follow in a brown Military envelope. We were very inventive when money was short.

I remember that one-off issue of fags too. Like my SHELDRAKE colleague, we were also told that they were stuff the customs had confiscated.

Guess we'll never know.

jimsigs1 wrote:

Sometimes, we would buy the Canadian Sweet Caporal brand but I was hooked on US ciggys called 'Kool' (menthol)

Did you ever try those cigars the Canucks smoked Jim ? Old Port, they were called. Lovely!

I was told that the cigarettes issued in the vacuum packed tins were supplied courtesy of Lord Nuffield (Morris Motors) .. and did we not get them in the 50's in BAOR

Len(Ciphers)

we got tins of 50 woodbines in baor in the 50s . it was either 9d or a shilling a tin , i think all other ciggies were a shilling for a packet of twenty . ginger

jimsigs1 wrote:

Talking about Regiment dinners in the Sgt's mess. I remember a specific dinner when the message got round that President Kennedy had been assassinated. We were allowed to finish the dinner and got home earlier than normal.

The younger generation will fail to understand the spirit of the early '60s.

We were teetering on the edge of a nuclear conflict. ( No shit ! ).

Kennedy called the Soviet bluff during the Cuban missile crisis, (thank God !)

We were a nuclear missile regiment in those days.

When Kennedy got the chop we thought that war was imminent.

Brown Trousers Order was in force for all ranks !

Remember the Cuban Crisis very well, it was before I joined up but I still remember it was very frightening mind you when I used to teach a bit of NBC later, it was even more frightening when I was learning the things we would be expected to do

That was the only bit of excitement i had in BAOR.Young and daft.

Yes you are probably correct, I think I would have felt better being on the front line as it were, rather than a civilian

brum wrote:

jimsigs1 wrote:

Talking about Regiment dinners in the Sgt's mess. I remember a specific dinner when the message got round that President Kennedy had been assassinated. We were allowed to finish the dinner and got home earlier than normal.

The younger generation will fail to understand the spirit of the early '60s.

We were teetering on the edge of a nuclear conflict. ( No shit ! ).

Kennedy called the Soviet bluff during the Cuban missile crisis, (thank God !)

We were a nuclear missile regiment in those days.

When Kennedy got the chop we thought that war was imminent.

Brown Trousers Order was in force for all ranks !

I was doing my Boys Service at Troon when Kennedy was assassinated, as Brum says, we thought an all out nuclear war was on the cards. I don't know what our role would have been but I would imagine it would have been some sort of Home Guard effort. The Spesnatz wouldn't have liked it up 'em (or maybe we wouldn't have liked it up us!!)

Hi Shelldrake

Boy service units were planned into the system and the Junior Leaders Regiment Royal Signals were called upon for "active service" quote Wire magazine May-June 1967

"TORREY CANYON"

"There can be few who have not heard of the large oil tanker which went on the rocks off the coast of Cornwall on 18th March, and of the efforts to stop the thousands of tons of crude oil which threatened the beaches of South-West England.

The 21st March was our Administrative Inspection Day and preparations were well in hand to received Brigadier Majury, Commander, 2nd Infantry Brigade and Devon/Cornwall Sub-District. However, the Brigadier took charge of the Army opera-tions to save the South West beaches, and our Administration was tasked in quite a different way. To run any military operation a Commander must first have communications and, being the only Signal Unit in this part of the country, Brigadier Majury requested our assistance. The Regiment quickly deployed radio detachments and comcen personnel and got a network going. It proved invaluable in the first stages, and great credit is due to the P.S. Sergeants and their crews of Junior Leaders who worked so hard.

The Brigade also asked for a Liaison Headquarters to be set up at Truro. The Commanding Officer, with three young Signals Officers, set this up and manned it through the following ten very harrassing days.

At Plymouth H.Q. things were buzzing and two R.A.E.C. Officers were detached for watch-officer duties. Meanwhile, at Denbury, the remainder of the Regiment was by no means idle. At a few hours' notice to move, the Regiment drew spray equipment, protective clothing and boots and prepared itself for exercise "Mop-Up." Now all this was taking place towards the end of term, and over Easter as well. Trade Tests and education examinations were looming up, and the Instructional Staff were showing due concern.

Just in time, however, the Regiment was stood down. The H.Q., Truro, and the signals commitments were handed over and a very tired CO. and his staff returned to Denbury on 1st April.

Messages of congratulations and thanks for the work done were received from the Army Commander and Brigade Commander"

There you go...myself not involved l left in Dec 66 and was on my first posting in Verden-Aller
Cheers
Steve

Hi Steve,

Thanks for that, very interesting.

jimsigs1 wrote:

Where did that happen Wilf ?

Apologies Jimsigs, just spotted this one.

...In a Cinema (Of all places) in a town called Wainwright, Alberta. We were watching the film 'Stripes' during the film someone has the line...'you're in the US Army, the best army in the world' at this point a large section of the audience who were Canadian recruits shout out 'the second best' at which point we (All two of us) shout out 'the third best'! Not a good move tbh, we just about got out unscathed but it was touch & go lol.

Are you wondering why we were at Wainwright? probably...

You may or may not know that the Canadian army has a training depot at Wainwright (CFB Wainwright) with a small Brit detatchment. Sometimes they would come down to BATUS to collect bits of kit, other times we would take it up to CFB Wainwright for them, we saw it as a 'jolly'. Btw, the first time I ever saw male and female soldiers bileted in the same block was at CFB Wainwright, that was in 1981. I don't think even now in 2012 the British army has got quite that liberal! or has it?...

Was Bridgette the Midget still there?

Wilf,

Male & female in the same block - Wow!. Getting closer to the ultimate dream ! Although having said that, some Officer's messes have mixed accomodation. At least they did in the TV series 'Soldier, Soldier'. The Lt in that was a scorcher.

It was a 'wow' when we walked down the corridor and saw lady soldiers! It was so very un-British.

In Germany I was charged for having a woman in my bunk. On orders I asked the OC for his advice on where I should have taken the young lady in question? he bawled at the CSM 'Get him out' I expected a fine, as it happened I was admonished.

Where the fek did officeres think the rank and file where going to have sex? or did they think sex was something only officers did?

in my days , the wrac were the only ladies in barracks , seperate barracks of course,

How's the weather where you are Ian ? Not too bad in UK at present. Pretty cold in South Germany where my Sister lives.

I am sure i only paid 50 pfennig for a bottle of Holsten Edel in 1956 Neumunster, Think that is about the cheapest,

I am sure i only paid 50 pfennig for a bottle of Holsten Edel in 1956 Neumunster, Think that is about the cheapest,

jimsigs1 wrote:

How's the weather where you are Ian ? Not too bad in UK at present. Pretty cold in South Germany where my Sister lives.

We have had a very good winter this year, very little snow, temperatures on the + side of things most days, still very cold some nights though [ -20 to -32c] not complaining though, last year we had 4 feet of snow from Oct to April, roll on spring!

I remember my days in Moscow, -20 often during the day, and looking like the same this winter. wonder how they feel about global warming !!!

steve jones wrote:

I remember my days in Moscow, -20 often during the day, and looking like the same this winter. wonder how they feel about global warming !!!

It must be tough getting used to life in Fiji, you lucky bugger!