Cold?

What's this, "Minus 21 in the Scottish Highlands"? SWELTERING !
I remember, when I were a lad, we were stood in Bergen, waiting for our (late) transport to take us in to Hohne camp, and the temperature on the thermometer, on the wall of the apotheke, was minus 25 !
We were OK though, we had our gloves knitted, boots DMS and berets to ward off the cold. What's this I hear you cry? Parkas? - LUXURY!
(Why was the transport late? Them poofy MK Bedfords wouldn't fire up in the cold so they had to use an old RL to bump start them).

Ah, blissful memory ! (Stand by for Canadian respnse !)

Bazza.

It was minus 30 or more around about 1976. Called off an exercise because of it. Can't see the Russians doing that though!

I live a mere 20 miles from Altnahara (-21.3C last night) and yes it was a lot colder in Ralston (Batus) in winter! When the temporary staff arrived in March the thermometer had usually risen to -12c..we as residents were going about in shirtsleeves, much to their surprise!

My trip to Batus was I think late Sept .We left Calgary in several inches of snow,flew to Toronto and there were people sitting outside in cafes and lads in shorts and trainers jogging.

Big country Canada.

Winter 1978-79 there was an icebreaker on the Dortmund-Ems Canal in Munster.

Our first snow has just started here in West Waterford

Can't help from wondering what the racket is all about. I seem to remember winter being like this way back when I was a kid and the snow lasting forever and a day, which we thought was great.

I've been in colder in Germany as have most if not all of us and I've retained my 'snow driving' skills as well.

How do those pesky Germans cope eh?

Perhaps because I was younger and far less crotchety or perhaps the years have dimmed specific memories (eh? What? Who is this?), but I honestly do not recall winters in Germany as COLD. Damp, for sure. Sometimes a fair amount of snow, absolutely. But not biting, bone-gnawing, make-yer-eyes-weep, frostbite-inducing frigid temperatures like what I experience during a typical Alberta winter (there's your Canadian response, bazza! ).

True, Calgary and Southern Alberta generally benefit from Chinooks -- which we are currently experiencing praise The Deity -- but winter around here lasts from October 31 right through to sometime in April. Half the %&*#!! year. Blah.

The one winter that does stand out in my mind, however, was the winter following my return to Soest in 1973. I was desperately seeking someplace to live and recall trudging off downtown from my friend's parents flat not far from the Married Quarters to the local newspaper to place an ad in wholly inadequate footwear. It was cold, yes, but that is not what I remember; I remember being cold and wet...mainly wet. And miserable, despite being back in the city I loved.

There is an ongoing joke around here that while Calgary winters are damn cold we are fond of saying 'yes, but it's a dry cold' unlike those humid, damp colds eastern Canada and Europe get!

The joke, of course, is the recognition that cold is cold. A dry cold? Tell that to my 'boys' as they retreat back up into my pelvic cavity to try and get warm!!!

I certainly do not recall German winters being -25C! -10C, maybe (cold enough) but not the raw winters I've put up with here for the last 30+ years!!

Ah well, another 13 weeks and it will be spring! Maybe....

Hee, Hee, Hee ..... from a sunny BC

Len (Ciphers)

They're promising us +4c on Tues. here in Winnipeg. My sympathy to you folks in the UK. Our winter isn't over yet so I won't tease you. Seen it, lived it, got the T-shirt.

In 1967 I was part of a combined Brit, Canadian and German Trials Unit, we were testing the AN/USD 501 Drone Sytem, later to be known as Midge in the Brit Army. We moved from Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona, to Fort Shilo in mid summer to carry out user trials and then later in the year cold weather trials. Come November we were experiencing typical Shilo winter weather temps were down to -20 occasionally colder, a feature of the weather was that it felt colder at about above -20 due to wind chill that at below -20 as usually there was often no wind, be interested in Hardrations comments on this. We used to go into Winnipeg at the weekends staying in the Sgts Mess of the RCHA, cant remember the name of the Bks, as Brandon had very little to offer in the way of entertainment.

Ahh BobG you hit on a memory there. I believe I was part of those trials in an earlier stage. In the fall and winter of 63 when I was attached to 2 SSM (Trg) Bty RCA, RC Sigs Section we were loaned out to the RCA School Met. Sec. to do the comms. on Met. trials for the drone. Our Met. Det. was at Trig. Pt. Gulf in the training area. One other det was located near the main gate and the rest outside the camp area. Also Shilo in those days was known as Camp Shilo. Later, on unification it became Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Shilo) I was out at Trig. Pt. G. when President Kennedy was assassinated. And yes the weather is bitterly cold out on the prairies. Especially as the wind just whips across the open fields. I was also tasked to go as the Radio Op. in Nodwells during blizzards to transport workers, and rescue from the highway those foolish enough to be out on the roads.

The Germans did the winter trials of the Leopard Mk 1 in Shilo in 64 as I was leaving for Germany. The Barracks in Winnipeg at that time were called Fort Osborne Barracks, but on the RCHA leaving for CFB Shilo were taken over by the PPCLI and re-named Kapyong Barracks (Korea Battle Honour and U.S.A. Presidential Unit Citation). They now sit empty and forlorn as the PPCLI are now in CFB Shilo to. There is a big argument over what to do with the land as it is in a high value real estate area. The natives (1st Nation) say they have first crack at it, the city of Winnipeg , the Province and the Federal Govt are undecided and it's all being fought out in court. Basically I think the Federal Govt (the Conservatives) probably want to make sure it goes to their friends to line their pockets and screw the rest of the world.

I was posted back to Shilo in 74 to 3 RCHA RC Sigs Tp in 74. It's still a crappy posting. The Germans were there from 74 to when the Berlin Wall came down. They put a lot of money into the Base improving the training area and into Brandon. They were Armoured and Artillery originally then it was Armored and Armoured Infantry. The Germans had some strange ideas about life in Canada on the Prairies. A whole different story to tell some time here.

Shilo has the RCA Museum which is a really good one. Apparently it's considered second to the War Museum in Ottawa. I was in it last year with friends from the UK. I myself have donations on display in it. Most of, if not all the WW 2 buildings are gone and new ones on a grand scale have been built. Mind, the drill hall still stands, lots of memories of parades and drill and parades and drill in there. I'll be honest, I don't miss Shilo.

Sam on the Mall on Sunday sun shining,nice and mild. Snow gone (we hope) Hullhorst near Minden is very cold.

blairgowrie wrote:

Sam on the Mall on Sunday sun shining,nice and mild. Snow gone (we hope) Hullhorst near Minden is very cold.

I have passed that many times

Paul.

Sam, I take it, is the dog? What a cutie!!!!

I have a dog about the same size, maybe a tad bigger (bison-Cavalier Spaniel (as far as we know) cross) named Joey.

Like your guy here, point a camera at him and he poses! He absolutely knows his picture is being taken.

Your guy looks like "just a nice little dog"....same with Joey. Friendly, loves people and kids and other dogs and cats (cats, to his continuing non-comprehension, don't care for him back!), doesn't care for squirrels or magpies.

Paul
If you are in the Mall, call into the Royal Irish Fusiliers Mus, I am a Vol worker there,very interesting.

Stephen
Sam loves kids and is a real poser.

The badge of the Royal Irish Fusileers is also worn by the Vancouver Regt of British Columbia, Canada. My uncle Jim Chapman was a Sgt in the RIF during WWII and was seconded to the 2 Btn West Yorks when he was killed in Burma, March 1945. Also a pal of mine Matt Woodman won the MM in Italy with the RIF, Charley Chester also joined at the same time.

Len (Ciphers)

I love the way this subject has drifted from a frigid North Germany, to friendly little dogs doing something to the wheel of a gun carriage in Armagh, via The Vancouver Regt of British Columbia, to Charley Chester !!
It must be an age - related thing, (especially if the readers remember Charley Chester !).

Armagh War Memorial Project
Armagh War Memorial Project - Online search for WWI and WWII ... 2009 ArmaghWarMemorial.com, All Rights Reserved | Login | Site Designed By dbsquared.co.uk ...
www.armaghwarmemorial.com - Cached

The war memorial in Armagh has no names,we hope to put WW1 & WW2 Names on the War Memorial.

bazza wrote:

I love the way this subject has drifted from a frigid North Germany, to friendly little dogs doing something to the wheel of a gun carriage in Armagh, via The Vancouver Regt of British Columbia, to Charley Chester !!
It must be an age - related thing, (especially if the readers remember Charley Chester !).

Okay Bazza let us in on the secret. Who was Charley Chester?

Hardrations wrote:

bazza wrote:

I love the way this subject has drifted from a frigid North Germany, to friendly little dogs doing something to the wheel of a gun carriage in Armagh, via The Vancouver Regt of British Columbia, to Charley Chester !!
It must be an age - related thing, (especially if the readers remember Charley Chester !).

Okay Bazza let us in on the secret. Who was Charley Chester?

Shame on you!!!

You don't know who Charlie Chester is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Chester

Unfortunately, his good name has been used as "Cockney" rhyming slang for something totally different.

Paul.

Hardrations wrote:

bazza wrote:

I love the way this subject has drifted from a frigid North Germany, to friendly little dogs doing something to the wheel of a gun carriage in Armagh, via The Vancouver Regt of British Columbia, to Charley Chester !!
It must be an age - related thing, (especially if the readers remember Charley Chester !).

Okay Bazza let us in on the secret. Who was Charley Chester?

Hang on mate ! Cyphers started this one !!

How did we get from frigid Northern Germany to Charley Chester you ask .. well it was one small step from an old guy to one giant leap of the imagination, for the rest of you 'erberts.

Seriously (really), Charley was a great old time entertainer, one day in Korea he was entertaining us when a burst of automatic fire took out all the windows on one side of the building we were using as a mess hall, as we were all diving for cover, Charley just stayed up on the stage and carried on as nothing had happened .. I think his comment was, 'F**k me, those guy's must be hungry as the grub ain't that good here' .. something along those lines.

Len (Ciphers)

ciphers wrote:

How did we get from frigid Northern Germany to Charley Chester you ask .. well it was one small step from an old guy to one giant leap of the imagination, for the rest of you 'erberts.

Seriously (really), Charley was a great old time entertainer, one day in Korea he was entertaining us when a burst of automatic fire took out all the windows on one side of the building we were using as a mess hall, as we were all diving for cover, Charley just stayed up on the stage and carried on as nothing had happened .. I think his comment was, 'F**k me, those guy's must be hungry as the grub ain't that good here' .. something along those lines.

Len (Ciphers)

No mate he had a radio programme Radio 2 sundays in th 1970's

The lad got about.Look here

http://www.jsfnet.co.uk/bio_chester.htm

Thankyou and sounds like he was good man.

Well I'll wander back to the cold subject. We are now getting a dump of snow here in Winnipeg. Not to sever, but more than we've had lately. So I guess my WMD (Weapon of Mass Destruction) will be put to work. That's my snow blower I'm talking about. T'ill then it'll be a slow day.