"Driver Training" in BAOR

Len the links worked fine for me. What facinating reading - congrats on your sites.

Bob

I managed to find a post card of Hemmern that I picked up from the village shop whilst there in '57.
I remember going in to buy some sugar and the first thing I saw was a whole shelf, behind the counter, full of N.A.A.F.I. fags, which must have been used to barter for stuff by a previous mob.

jim wrote:

I didn't realise the British Army had ever had half tracks. I'm impressed.

Jim. We had them when I was attached to the 16th/5th at Imphal Barracks. In fact, one of the lads in admin. was known as 'One-wheel McNiell' because he lost a wheel while driving a half-track on scheme.

When I came to Muenster in 1968 we had half tracks with cranes which were later replaced by FV434's. On day after lifting a Power pack in camp,I drove down the camp main road intending to park in the back of the LAD,not remembering that the crane boom was extended and brought down all the communication lines in camp.

ciphers wrote:

Jim, click on to my site below and you will see a bit about my time in 20 Armd Bde .. my best posting, if I could have stayed there I probably would have opted for the full 22 years as it was then ..

Len (Ciphers)



http://web.me.com/lenpayne/Site_10/My_Time_in_the_Royal_Signals.html

Splendid site, Len. What a shame it all had to end.

Len, that was a great read, thanks mate.

Quote :

Jim. We had them when I was attached to the 16th/5th at Imphal Barracks. In fact, one of the lads in admin. was known as 'One-wheel McNiell' because he lost a wheel while driving a half-track on scheme.

Before my time Dolmetscher.

dortmund 1959 bedford 3 tonners around locall airfield then around streets with officer then test with german police through an interpreter to questions answer yes or no wrong answer fail lesty

Didn't know the Germans had half tracks.

They certainly did mate.

They even had a tracked motor bike.

I passed my test before I went into the army.  When I had my medical they found out that I had,"low colour perception"  They said I could not drive as I could not see the traffic lights.  I argued and argued so they sent me to Chester military hospital for eye tests.  I failed as they showed me a series of lights and I had to state what colours they were.  I failed.  We all learn in this country that.  On the traffic lights, the top on is stop,(red), the middle one is get ready, (amber), and the bottom one is, go, (green).  In parts of Germany at the time 1954.  Some villages, and small towns had a different type of traffic signal.  It was like a huge lantern hanging high in the middle of main crossings etc, with clock like fingers on four sides with segments of red and green.  when the fingers were on green you could go and when the fingers were on red, obviously you had to stop.  As my problem with low colour perception was with red and green I had difficulty (at first) to suss this out.  I did get my licence in the end.  But I believe that many people have the same condition as I have.  I'd like to hear if anyone has this condition.  We could compare notes.!!!!!!.

I have a CP of 3, when I joined the Army I was told that I would never be able to drive, I finished up as the Driving & Maintenance WO!

I'd a license for two & four wheelers before I was called up. This was almost unknown for NS lads and  when the unit was short of drivers it was agreed I could be given a go.  "Take the BK back home " they said, " Get the MT nco to fix up a vehicle". Always fancied a cabby in a Champ but it was not to be, the prat laid on a- QL. It was the first time in something twice as long as anything I'd driven before, but  double-D gear changes weren't a problem, if  being on the wrong side of the road was different.
  
On the dual carriageway along the town wall in Osnabruck the BK said get on the left side to turn left at the overhead traffic light, one of those clock things, something else new. Being on the left for some distance it was easy to imagine I was back in UK, I stayed on the left after I turned, scattering VWs, Dkws & Lloyds whose drivers floored the pedals when the finger moved into their green sector. Quite exciting, but not something I repeated again.

Thinking of  those strange traffic signs we came across before UK adopted something similar, reminds me that those plates which marked the entrances to, and exits from,  a village were new to us.  Helpful to confirm the location was the same spot as the one the finger was hovering over on the mapsheet, but confusing for the inexperienced when the inhabitants sometimes reversed these to discourage the unwelcome military from seeking temporary accommodation on the area.

brum wrote:

[quote defaultattr=""]
(Ahem !) Just a small point there.

Amber on its own means "stop"
Red means "don't go"
Green & Amber means "get ready to go"
Green means "go".

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Hate to be a smart arse again, ( No I dont !), but in most of UK we don't have "green & amber".  Might be different in strange parts where conforming with recognised rules can be looked upon as being a weakness............ And what's with this confusing white box ????? 

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Bugger me, I can't believe I wrote " green & amber".

The defendant pleads senility, My Lord !

(White box ???).

Traffic light sequence as follows:

Red: Stop at the white line.

Red & Amber:Prepare to go.

Green:Go if it is safe to do so. If there is a box junction, you remain at the traffic lights stop line if your exit is not clear.You may enter a box junction only if you are prevented from turning by oncoming traffic and that you can complete your manoeuvre when oncoming traffic create a gap or clears.

Amber: Stop unless you are over the stop line or a vehicle behind is so close that a road traffic collision would occur you may continue.

Traffic light sequence in Northern Cyprus:-

Red, Amber or Green - proceed with caution.    Under NO circumstances indicate.

During a brief time in Italy I found that the red traffic light means STOP ! . . . . (or maybe you go).

(Procedure for Italian pedestrians, on encountering a level crossing with the barriers down )
(1. stop. 2. look up and down the track. 3. If nothing in sight, climb over barrier, amble across track).

Traffic light sequence in CHINA;

RED GO
GREEN GO
AMBER NO ONE KNOWS WHY IT IS THERE ANYWAY.

Happy days when we could be sure rules were to be obeyed & not just for guidance............  

Green light now means go ahead but be aware that there'll always be someone   crossing from left or right on the amber, or a cyclist who has forsaken the footpath to take advantage of the gutter to drive through and pass by vehicles properly halted at the red light.............
 
And why did German companions always insist on waiting for the Green Man at pedestrian crossings when I had sprinted across ?

Don't remember griping so much when I was younger.