Boy Soldiers

stuartmartin wrote:

I am the founder of the JTR RHYL forum and if you served there then you are welcome to come and join us we have hundreds of members and will be having in 2011 the third reunion which includes the camp the girls school hehe and the ACF pop in and have a look you will enjoy it and look in on the not to be beaten Photograph thread
cu there
http://jtr.forum-free.net/

Stu

Oops sorry John I didnt see your post

Thanks for this Stu.

While not a member of JTR I was at Kinmel in early '59 as a trainee signaller.

I noticed on the website, in the obituary, mention of Paddy Carrol BEM, the Provost Sgt. Would I be right in thinking he would've been at Kinmel when I was there ?

brum

I dont think Paddy Carrol was there then But you may Know our Wilf
jack.williams he was there about that time .I can put you in touch if you want Just PM me
Stu

Thanks Stu.

I had a look at Wilf but he appears to have been there well before my time

brum

it was,but now up an runing.

Had a wee look see on your site Stu ,one set of Photos brings back memories of Martiniqe Barracks Bordon. I've searches the net and there seems to be no pictures of Martiniqe.


I joined in 1974 at the tender age of 16 as a Junior Leader. I had a place at Arborfield but wasn't allowed to leave school.I had to wait until the August , Arborfield was full so I went to Dettingen Barracks Deepcut which is now a housing estate but at least they kept the name.
When I arrived we were issued the usual stuff and weren't allowed to leave for the 1st 6 weeks.We had to buy RAOC tracksuits which pissed me off no end as I was REME. We also had to buy our Stable belts but weren't allowed to wear them till after the acceptance parade.
Pay was £1.50 every 2 weeks with the rest going into credits with the option of opening a PO account. When you went on leave you were given money from the credits and when you arrived home over the next 2 days you recieved cheques for the rest of the credits .My 1st cheque was for £102 , that was at christmas.
Pay went up to £3 in the second year.
When I went to Bordon( when it was Havana Barracks) my pay went up to £75 every 2 weeks.
There was 10 VMs in my platoon and 1 Reccy mech.When we arrived at SEME they didn't have a course for us because of the large intake so they put us on our JMC , still no course after that so they let us draw lots for 1 or 2 weeks leave......I drew 2 weeks .Came back after leave and started my course 5 days later.
My claim to infamy at Bordon.......just inside the front gate at the TTA were 2 greenhouses...I drove a Bedford RL through them .

happy days

brum wrote:

Thanks Stu.

I had a look at Wilf but he appears to have been there well before my time

brum

No Probs there then Its nice to see you looking in I hope you looked at the massive photograph section

G'day, I was an Apprentice Tradesman (Draughtsman) at AAS Chepstow (actually at Beachley, under the Severn Bridge.) I was there 63-66, before migrating to Australia, my Father purchased my discharge, I wanted to stay in the Army, but he wanted me to come to OZ.

Very tough discipline at AAS, we had Brigade of Guards Sergeant Majors. I am still in touch with some old mates from that era, through the wonderful world of E mail. I was in UK during 2004 and visited the location, is now an Infantry Depot, not sure which Regt.

Any ex Beachley Boys on here?

(Crikey, I just got Lance Jack, thanks fellas.)

Hi Beachley Boy,

Hooray for ex-boys. I was an Apprentice 1949-52 but at Harrogate. Besides us, there was two other Apprentices Schools - Arbofield and Taunton. The latter closed down in 1949 to make room for national service. Anyway, all the school whixh became colleges closed down in 1995 and the one at Harrogate has been rebuilt in is known as The Army Foundation College.

Regards
jimsigs1

Thanks jimsigs1. Yes the name changed from School to College, whilst I was there in 63-66.

I visited AAS Harrogate and Arborfield, doing X Country running for our School. Arborfield was REME I think. At Beachley we also trained Ammo Techs for RAOC, they passed out as full Corporals.

Us poor mortals, Sappers in RE. Never heard about the one at Taunton, but then I was only born in 48.

By the way, Australian Army also had a Army Apprentice School at Balcombe, Victoria. Same badge as UK, they pinched it ! Also now renamed.

Hi Beachley Boy,

Yes, I forgot there was an Army Apprentice School in Australia but wasn't sure whereabouts.
You mentioned the games between the schools, I remember such occasions which also included the Air Force Apprentice School from Halton. They as you know were started before the Army Schools.
To add to the Harrogate history, when it opened up in 1947, they transferred some 400 Royal Signal boys from Catterick. They did not learn a trade at Harrogate but concentrated on a military theme. One of the last signals boy left in around 1952/3 having served some 5 years as a boy soldier. His name was Phil Murray and I think he went into the Royal Engineers.

Jimsigs1

RAF Halton apprentices along with Harrogate Chepstow and Arborfield made up the four teams for the quadrangular sports events.A visit to Halton was considered a bit of a treat..See how the other half live etc.etc.

Tried to get into RAF Apprentice School but failed the exam. So Army Apprentice School had to suffer me for 3 years instead.

Jimsigs1

I went to AAC Carlisle in September 1967. I was 15 yrs and 2 months old. Amazing when i look back on it, we really were just babes

steve jones wrote:

I went to AAC Carlisle in September 1967. I was 15 yrs and 2 months old. Amazing when i look back on it, we really were just babes

G'day Steve..I was 15 years 4 months when I entered the portals of AAS Chepstow (Beachley) back in September 1963. Mere babes in khaki we were, soon to be awakened from our slumber and mother by barking Platoon Sgts and Guards Sergeant Majors.

I was the same age as you Steve in 59.A friend of mine`s wife was reading a draft of a book that is being writen by an ex apprentice,and was horrified at what we went through..Looking back i can see her point although at the time i thouroughly enjoyed it.

A bit masochistic perhaps

Gordon/Steve...following on...A book 'History of AAS Chepstow has been written/published by BOBA - Beachley Old Boys Association. I have looked at parts of it, does not mention nor paint the true picture of bullying, senior apprentices running the show with little interference from permanent staff, if you ex Army Apprentice Tradesmen and Junior Leaders Regt blokes know what I mean, we all went through it. The book is a little sterile.

I will leave it at that.

For those interested in the written word on Apprentice Schools, there is an excellent book about AAS Harrogate written by the last Commandant - Col Walters. A great read and lots of contributions from former apprentices. There is another book called 'Jimmys Apprentice' a photographic history of apprentice boys that joined the royal signals between 1942 to 1948. Quite a few of the later boys were still at Harrogate when I joined in 1949. They used to wear the old R Signals cap badge and their rank stripes were white compared to our black & red.
'B' Company which was for the R Signal lads was divided into Wings not Platoons. The Boy Sgt was the Wing Sgt.

Jimsigs1

I went to JTR Rhyl in May 1969. Spent two years there,can't really remember anything bad. The regime took a bit of getting used to, but looking back, I enjoyed it. Yes, there was some bullying that went on, but all in all, you were well looked after. If given a chance I'd do it again, the only frightening thing is where has the time gone?

Hi Whitehorse660,

What corps etc did JTR Rhyl train you for in your day ?
See you were cap badged RMP. Knew a Sgt Ginger Bardsley in Cyprus 1955-7

Jimsigs1

I think the Junior Leaders, RMP were trained at the All Arms Junior Leaders Regt at Rhyl, I recollect they even wore redcaps when they visited us at AAS Cheptstow for sport.

It is enough to bring tears to eyes of the old sweats but the wheel has been reinvented yet again

The Army Technical Foundation College was reopened last Autumn in the old Greenjackets Depot in Winchester, meanwhile a purpose built complex in Arborfield is quietly fading away, unloved by anyone.

PS Army Aprentice Colege Carlisle needs to be added to the list of Junior Entry units, sponsored by REME, sadly it only lasted about a decade but it produced some of the best tradesmen and all round soldiers I came across in my early career

JPW,

First I have heard of an Army Technical Foundation College in Winchester. As you know, my old lot at Harrogate have had an Army Foundation College for around ten years. Wonder what the difference is apart from the 'Technical' element.

Jimsigs1

Why thank you JPW. AAC Carlisle closed in 1969, i was amongst the last to pass out from there. for those interested there is an old boys web site at http://www.hadriansoldboys.co.uk/

Don't forget me! Carlisle AAS Boy as well..


Alan

jimsigs1 wrote:

Hi Whitehorse660,

What corps etc did JTR Rhyl train you for in your day ?
See you were cap badged RMP. Knew a Sgt Ginger Bardsley in Cyprus 1955-7

Jimsigs1

Hi, We couldn't enlist direct into RMP at that time. We enlisted into the General Service Corps and only got to wear the RedCap on "Pass-Out". Then went to the Training Centre at Chichester. Most of us trained as clerks and if you had long enough, you trained as a driver/operator as well. Rhyl was great,the difficult bit was getting through the RMP Training Centre. We arrived there to join a squad made up of direct entrants, I think in those days the basic training was about 10 Weeks and of course we were a slight disruption, bearing in mind we had spent up to two years messing about. Having said that, every JTR from my pass out managed to make it through Chichester, the same couldn't be said for the direct entrants.
ps. I knew a Graham Bardsley, perhaps the same?