"Driver Training" in BAOR

Talking of Bde HQs, I was a minor cog in one of the units in 7 Arty Bde.

We would toil night after night moving from one location to another within a small geographical area. We had to be careful when close to Bde HQ as it was common to be picked up for minor infringements. Then the penny dropped. They did not move, being nicely located in a school (closed for the hols) or a barn while we lesser mortals traipsed from forest to forest. For them, it was a simple stroke of the Chinagraph pencil. For us, it was hours of toil in the dark and (usually it seemed) pouring rain with wet cam nets, ditched vehicles, poor directions, bad tempers, missed meals, lack of sleep etc so familiar to many.

What's a Bde HQ?

Bde Hq is where the RSM sends stroppy corporals to get then out of Div Hq ..

Len (Ciphers)

You mean.........shock..........horror..........There are more REMFs further up the Chain????

Goldmohur wrote:

Talking of Bde HQs, I was a minor cog in one of the units in 7 Arty Bde.

We would toil night after night moving from one location to another within a small geographical area. We had to be careful when close to Bde HQ as it was common to be picked up for minor infringements. Then the penny dropped. They did not move, being nicely located in a school (closed for the hols) or a barn while we lesser mortals traipsed from forest to forest. For them, it was a simple stroke of the Chinagraph pencil. For us, it was hours of toil in the dark and (usually it seemed) pouring rain with wet cam nets, ditched vehicles, poor directions, bad tempers, missed meals, lack of sleep etc so familiar to many.

Wish you were correct but our Bde HQ moved and moved and moved. Don't just think it was a 20 Bde thing either. This is why you had main and secondary (?) One took over and the Brigadier plus staff decamped there whilst the other moved. Note that the orficers never did any of the work though apart from moving themselves.

Is that the correct terms? Old timers disease starting to kick in!

Edit: Just remembered it was Main and Step up.

jim wrote:

Didn't do much actual cross country work when I drove one Brum, maybe because we were Bde HQ and seemed to spend most of our ex's in barns and stuff.

I recall that Bde HQ used to be in a "cruciform". 4x432s backed up to each other with penthouses erected.

I thought it was more the Div HQs that used to get set up in comfort. Usually in a Chateau with Gen Haig and Gen Petain.

brum wrote:

jim wrote:

Didn't do much actual cross country work when I drove one Brum, maybe because we were Bde HQ and seemed to spend most of our ex's in barns and stuff.

I recall that Bde HQ used to be in a "cruciform". 4x432s backed up to each other with penthouses erected.

I thought it was more the Div HQs that used to get set up in comfort. Usually in a Chateau with Gen Haig and Gen Petain.

Blimey you are older than I thought. How was the Somme?

You are quite correct about the cruciform. Dirty horrible things they were too. Often wonder if they came into the 19th century after I left and got aluminium poles etc instead of those steel things.

Yes it was Cruciform, but I worked in "Step Up" which was the Bde alternative HQ, we were always a few miles away and when the Bde HQ moved the Brigadier came to us with the G3 Ops and the DQ.

Hiya Jim,

Quick change of subject !

You mentioned the other day that you were stationed in Woolwich.

When was that ?

The only Cruciform that I came across was the one that secured the "Becket" on to the top of the Charge Bags!!

Cruciform, the one I remember was on me armour when charging those heathen Saracens at Jerusalem!

Late '80's Brum, I was in the REME Data Centre working on Arrow and accommodated in the QE nurses mess

jim wrote:

Late '80's Brum, I was in the REME Data Centre working on Arrow and accommodated in the QE nurses mess

You lucky lucky barsteward!

Unless they were male nurses of course.

jim wrote:

Late '80's Brum, I was in the REME Data Centre working on Arrow and accommodated in the QE nurses mess

Just checking Jim, I left Woolwich late '80.

I wasn't sure when QEMH was handed over to the civvies. ('cos everybody knows you don't need a hospital for soldiers !).

I hear on the radio that our latest snow also dropped on you. Sorry about that.

Oh dear, mention of nurses has got teabag in a right old two and eight !

They were female nursing auxiliary's Teabag.

Where were you stationed Brum, in the academy?

"Driver Training"
I can't remember whether it was the Bedford QL or RL, but one of them had a trap door in the back, just over the handbrake cable.
You know whats coming now, don't you?
Whenever a "sprog" commenced his driver training, one or two of us would jump aboard 'for the ride'.
We used to lift the trapdoor and wait until we were going uphill then stand on the cable, wait until the poor chap had gone down to 1st gear, the release the pressure.
We often did the same 'on the flat', which was quite amusing (for us.)

Sorry! Belated New Year Greetings to you all!

Another "Wheeze" that we carried out on the Landrover was to put the Fuel Changeover Lever or 4 Wheel Drive Lever in neutral.

The crustier among us may remember doing a similar thing with the forward/reverse lever on the Austin Champ.

Turning the ignition off, when the student was looking elsewhere, was allways good for a laugh.

jim wrote:

They were female nursing auxiliary's Teabag.

Where were you stationed Brum, in the academy?

Sorry Jim, I missed this one.

I was in 21 Arty group, tucked away in the woods behind the Rotunda with the Dog Section.

I remember driving the MTO of 24 Regt, who would ask, "What was that sign you just passed", if you didn't know the answer he would throw the ignition key out of the window!

jim wrote:

They were female nursing auxiliary's Teabag.

Where were you stationed Brum, in the academy?

Hi Jim and Brumm
I think we must have been in woolwich together as I was at the QEMH from 1984-1991 and was living in the Acedomy blocks as the WO/SGT's mess was full but worked in out patients and the Medical resupply, There was a few lads from the REME data centre that used to go running with us in the lunch break .

Brian

brum wrote:

jim wrote:

Didn't do much actual cross country work when I drove one Brum, maybe because we were Bde HQ and seemed to spend most of our ex's in barns and stuff.

I recall that Bde HQ used to be in a "cruciform". 4x432s backed up to each other with penthouses erected.

I thought it was more the Div HQs that used to get set up in comfort. Usually in a Chateau with Gen Haig and Gen Petain.

Cheek! We were no better off at Div. Best we could hope for was to be able to park the wagon in a barn so we didn't have to cam up. Also used the cruciform at Div HQ. The 4 wagons involved were G Ops, G Int, Arty Ops & Arty Int, house bodies on the back of an RL or later an MK. Backed up to each other with with a platform between them to act as a floor so that the staff Officers didn't have to climb down and then up a set of steps to get from one to the other. They would have got wet though because there was no luxurious cover as at Bde!!

Mike

Seems like we were then Brian, small world isn't it.

I never served at Div level, but at Corps we didn't use the cruciform at all that I recall Mike.

It was used at corps in the early 60s,when the reccy officers couldn`t find any handy barns.Not very often i might add.These guys liked their comforts.

The comhead at main corps used it on a rregular basis,but rear corps never in my time.

I once went with the troop sergeant to find suitable locations for exercise, i.e. barns etc. He spoke the lingo and it was fun watching him explain to farmers that our "tanks" were only little and of course we wouldn't wreck the joint.

It was funnier watching the farmer and his families faces when we rolled up in our 432's. Not sure exactly what he was expecting but I am sure he got paid quite well. They did get paid didn't they or did we have to "accidently" damage something?