HERFORD BARRACKS SWIMMING POOL ?

steve wrote:

Baz....I can fill in a later posting for 2Lt RP Gravestock...he arrived as a Troop Commander at the Junior Leaders Regiment Royal Signals Denbury Camp Newton Abbot Devon Jun 65 not my troop commander but same squadron by 1966 he was promoted to Lt but posted before the disbandment in Aug 67
Regards
Steve
www.denburyjuniorleaders.com

Gravestock was posted to7th Sigs and was our Troop officer. Last time I saw him was when I was in Civvy Street in a pub called The Leefe Robinson opposite RAF Stanmore North London back in 1972.
Baz

2LT Gravestock was posted to 7th Sigs and was our Troop officer. Last time I saw him was when I was in Civvy Street in a pub called The Leefe Robinson opposite RAF Stanmore North London back in 1972.
Baz

Hi Barry,

I remember Gravestock. As you say he was a Troop Commander of I think 'Tango' troop when I was Tp SSgt of 'Sierra Troop. My Troop Officer was Lt Bill Backhouse & then Lt Debret-Gordon, both very good officers. Lt Backhouse finished his service as a Brigadier. Don't know about Debret-Gordon. Our SSM was Tom Joyce who eventually become an RSM then emigrated to either New Zeland or Australia. Would like to make contact with him one day.

Jimsigs1

Hi Jim
Confirmed by a very good mate Lt DeBretton-Gordon made Capt at 7 Sigs and was Major DeBretton-Gordon and my OC 3 Sqn 1 Div HQ & Sig Regt in 1968/9 a real gent and understand was in the ranks up to Sgt before being picked for officer training at the same time the squadron 2IC was Capt Clem Palmer also an ex-ranker RSM who went on to be Major QM of 216 Para Sigs and died later in service while serving at Catterick...both were the best officers I ever met in the Royal Signals...Major DeBretton-Gordon died in 2004 if he was Alan P DeBretton-Gordon then he served as a boy soldier with 6 (Boys) Trg Regt/Junior Leaders Regt 55/57...it is a small world
Best regards
Steve

I Remember when Lt (as he was) DeBretton-Gordon arriver for 1st Works parade, driving his mini. He had a driving Knob (no dirty remarks here please) bolted onto the sreering wheel. Ir was liking watching a person steering a JCB, doing wheelies on the square. Great Stuff from a great officer.

Jimsigs1

Hi
My name is heidi. Im looking for a Taff Murray. Ok, his real name was Taff. He served the army 1987/ 1988. Hammersmith Barracks in Herford. Vlothoherstr. We were in contact, but now i lost his phonenumber. I even ask the army for information, but i didnt get any Sorry, my english isnt that good. But i hope you understand what im writing here. I cant look in the phonebook, because i dont have his adress. Is there any office in wales where i could go and ask for him? Please, i just would like to know how he is.
colli

the swimming pool at HERFORD was on the lefthand side of the entrance opp the guard room,in front of the swimming pool was a tarmac area were the on going guard would parade for inspection by the duty officer,it was a small pool with a 6 to 8 foot hedge around it and that was in 56/57the regt at that time was the 12th l.a.a,ra,it left there in oct 57and moved to lipstade,the regt that followed the 12 th into harewood bks was the lancers,i was the last one to leave the bks as I got posted to woolwch for demob

Hope you remembered to turn off the lights, Ronnie?

yes mate I wish iwas was back there to turn them back on,by the way the photo on this page was not harewood bks one

steve wrote:

Hi Jim
Confirmed by a very good mate Lt DeBretton-Gordon made Capt at 7 Sigs and was Major DeBretton-Gordon and my OC 3 Sqn 1 Div HQ & Sig Regt in 1968/9 a real gent and understand was in the ranks up to Sgt before being picked for officer training at the same time the squadron 2IC was Capt Clem Palmer also an ex-ranker RSM who went on to be Major QM of 216 Para Sigs and died later in service while serving at Catterick...both were the best officers I ever met in the Royal Signals...Major DeBretton-Gordon died in 2004 if he was Alan P DeBretton-Gordon then he served as a boy soldier with 6 (Boys) Trg Regt/Junior Leaders Regt 55/57...it is a small world
Best regards
Steve

A familiar name.............DBG! I'm just wondering if he is any relation (possibly the father) to Hamish De Bretton-Gordon of RTR fame.

it is certainly not harewood bks i was stationed there 4 years.as a previous contributer as said
the pool at harewood was on the left as you entered the main gate,i was there 1962-1966 and swam
quite often

kevinp,your right there mate I was there in 56 till 57,the guard room was on the right as you goin the main gate,in front of the swimming pool was a tarmac area for the on going guard parade,i was in the r,h,q,block the first on the right,happy days there

ronnie french as you describe it that is exactly how it was in 62-66,i remember it well,the layout
of the barracks was the first building on the right was hq sqd the next was b sqd and the third was
c sqd coming down the other side from the top was Asqd then wos and ncos mess next was officers
mess behind the ncos mess was The Square

kev,remember the gym I was a p.t.i inthere and the assault course was around the square,the naafi,was opp the garages,and the n.c.os bar,and the games room was also there,had some great nights in them places

ron i do remember the gym,however when i was there the naafi was opposite the cookhouse
and the workshops where on the opposite side of the square from the wos mess our ncos mess
was incorporated with the wos mess,i suppose the layout could have been a little different in 62-66
someone mentioned willi scultz bar,you must remember that,but when i was there willi was not
the landlord was walter altrogge had some great times in there and of course in the naafi

kev it was me that mentioned whilli shultzes bar I was in it every night,cutlet and katofle 1mk,one of our lads taff morgan used to play the piano and sing,he was on the hughi green show a few years later,whullies daughter married one of the lads from r.h.q. when he finished his service they stated a taxi firm

Ron although willi was not in residence we knew the bar as top scultz asi said to the landlord
was walter altrogge and his wife marta a middleaged couple we had a few lock ins there every week
and got to know a few of the young germans as well as the old,i am thinking of going back to Herford
for a week,i was talking to my son about herford and he came up with the idea,you probably know
that you can see the barracks on google earth i do have a look now and then

kev I don't know if your regt kept pigs but our regt did and the piggery was at the top of the garage blocks my 2 mates looked after them and the regt sold them to the local pig farmer and the money went into the regt sports fund,(sometimes)that's how we used to go out every night,if the sow had a litter of 12 they told the r.q.m.s.it had 10,and sold them later on the quiet,happy days

we did not have pigs only the drill kind,however if we had i daresay we would have gone
the same way as you, or someone else would have there was always something to sell
if you looked closely

KevinP,
Interesting to read about your time in Harewood Barracks. I was there in 1952, and was billeted in what was your 'C' Sqn. In our day with R Sigs, it was 3 Sqn. Next to us was the run down to the cookhouse and as you say, the NAAFI and Cpl's Club were on the opposite side.
Memories, memories.
Was back in Herford in the 1960's with 7 Sig Regt up at Maresfield Barracks.
Jimsigs

jimsigs1
thanks for your response,when i was there the 7th sigs were still in Maresfield barracks,we had some very good sig blokes attached to our regiment Royal Horse Guards,62-66,knew a couple of them quite well ,Pat Morley and Bob Dodsworth i dont suppose you would have known them,had some great nights out with them,as you say memories great isnt it

I was at 7th Sigs Maresfield Bks and a member of the Sub Aqua Club which was formed in Jan 67 and we used the pool for training  which was at Harewood Bks on the Ring Strasse.
By the way, the last remaining soldiers in the whole of Herford will be leaving the town for good next year, 2015. This info was given to me by an old German friend of mine.

Thanks for the info Barry,i am hoping to visit herford this year,i had some great times there,knew quite a few locals,and that helped a great deal,thanks again for the info.