Clothing and Equipment

The best, most functional and long lasting piece of kit that I was issued with were 2 x boot brushes, 1 x blanco brush and 1 x clothes brush. I was issued with them on the 18 Aug 62 and still using them (not so much the blanco one these days).

not quite kit issued but my mother has had a tea spoon with the Naffi logo on it for at least 40 yrs and she has been using it as a sugar spoon ever since. dont be 48yrs though thats good going

Still have my 'housewife' ... still in use after 60 years ... OK, no smart remarks about what Housewife would want me. And I still have 4 NAAFI sherry glasses with crest that I liberated 1964 from the Sgts Mess.

Getting back to scarves, in Korea we were issued with camo scarves to help keep the dust out, then the Yanks brought out silk scarves, light blue to identify with the UN colours .. in short order some local entrepreneur in Seoul made them with regimental crests, and our CO at Britcom Signals allowed us to wear them ... proper posh we wuz because normally we were in 'shit order'

Len (Ciphers)

Shelldrake wrote:

The best, most functional and long lasting piece of kit that I was issued with were 2 x boot brushes, 1 x blanco brush and 1 x clothes brush. I was issued with them on the 18 Aug 62 and still using them (not so much the blanco one these days).

Beat you there! Mine were issued in June 1960.

Dolmetscher wrote:

Shelldrake wrote:

The best, most functional and long lasting piece of kit that I was issued with were 2 x boot brushes, 1 x blanco brush and 1 x clothes brush. I was issued with them on the 18 Aug 62 and still using them (not so much the blanco one these days).

Beat you there! Mine were issued in June 1960.

I don't want to get into the " nah nah na nah nah!", but I have a button stick issued to me in 1957.

"What's a button stick ?" I hear you (raw arses) cry. I'll just say that Staybrite was unheard of when we got one of those.

A button stick

Gordon. wrote:

A button stick

Remember it well. Which reminds me, i had a web belt on which I had adapted the rear buckles so that they could be detached for cleaning purposes. Good old Admin. inspections.

I tried that when i was an apprentice.The only problem was it had been done loads of time before and the PS were wise to it...New belt double quick!!!!

I don't want to get into the " nah nah na nah nah!", but I have a button stick issued to me in 1957.

"What's a button stick ?" I hear you (raw arses) cry. I'll just say that Staybrite was unheard of when we got one of those.[/quote]


When I Marched in to my first Married Quarter in 1969 on the inventory was a Brooms, Bahia Bass. I Marched out in 1971 and took the aforesaid Brooms, Bahia Bass with me, and still have it to this day. Apart from 7 new heads and 3 new handles, it is still as good as new.

Ah yes, Brooms, Bahia Bass !

The Army had so many of those little gems.

Who could forget "Towels, Hand, Huckaback" ?

On the D&M side, "Mandrell, Axle arm setting", is another one that haunts my memory !

How about Capsules, Lachymatory or Pokers, Soldier?

Shelldrake wrote:

How about Capsules, Lachymatory or Pokers, Soldier?

er!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is it card games?

enlighten us good man!!!

when i arrived in lippstadt & got settled into my room, nearly every room had a curly poker for tea making....any one else see these?

John, Capsules Lachrymatory was the posh name for those instruments of torture that they used in the Gas Chamber when you removed your Gaspirator and gave your No, Rank and Name. I remember those Reg, the H & S brigade would have heart failure if they were in use today. There was also the obligatory Grundig Radio, the ones with the big white buttons, fantastic tone, they would give Bose a run for their money. In the 70s it was also compulsory for every MQ to have a Grundig Radiogram, a glass coffee table and a chest freezer.

coming in to the 80s do you remember the big radio/tv/cassette all in one good sound crap picture though

reg wrote:

when i arrived in lippstadt & got settled into my room, nearly every room had a curly poker for tea making....any one else see these?

This was covered a couple of months ago Reg.

What you called a "Curly poker" our mob called a "Brew stick". I suppose you could call it an "Imersion heater, electric, Hand held".
To go with it you had to have a big brew can (cadged from the cookhouse) and a supply of tea etc. (always available from the Guard's supper).

I can see the look of disbelief on the faces of our younger contributors !

I remember those Reg, the H & S brigade would have heart failure if they were in use today. There was also the obligatory Grundig Radio, the ones with the big white buttons, fantastic tone, they would give Bose a run for their money. In the 70s it was also compulsory for every MQ to have a Grundig Radiogram, a glass coffee table and a chest freezer. [/quote]

"H&S" indeed mate !

One of the rooms in our troop had a dodgy "brew stick" that kept blowing a fuse.
It was considered quite normal that one of the blokes had to stand by the fuze box, (remember, they used to be in the corridor ?) holding onto the fuze switch to stop it tripping out. The Brew took priority !

You're so right, the coffee table the Grundig radiogram.
The Deutschies used to make the best kit in those days, didn't they , before the Japs out-performed them?

I remember a bunch of us were in the QOH PRI shop in Hohne. The bloke behind the counter said "Eeyare lads, some nice watches 'ere".

"What sort are they ?" was the reply. "Japanese", quoth he "Called Seiko".

"Seiko ?" was the reply. "That's a bleedin' funny name for a watch !".

"Yer woon't cop me buyin' that sh*t!"

(I think Grundig stuff is made in Malaysia now, isn't it ?)

We had a tile topped table, it was one of those german wind up and down ones, I thought they were great, I remember those immersion heaters as well, I had one in my room for ages, great for making a cup of coffee,

Bought a Blaupunkt portable/mains radio in the QOH PRI Shop in 1972, still in everyday use. They dont make them like they used to.
Bob

BobG wrote:

Bought a Blaupunkt portable/mains radio in the QOH PRI Shop in 1972, still in everyday use. They dont make them like they used to.
Bob

They couldn't persuade you to buy one of those Japanese watches then Bob ?

brum wrote:

I remember those Reg, the H & S brigade would have heart failure if they were in use today. There was also the obligatory Grundig Radio, the ones with the big white buttons, fantastic tone, they would give Bose a run for their money. In the 70s it was also compulsory for every MQ to have a Grundig Radiogram, a glass coffee table and a chest freezer.

"H&S" indeed mate !

One of the rooms in our troop had a dodgy "brew stick" that kept blowing a fuse.
It was considered quite normal that one of the blokes had to stand by the fuze box, (remember, they used to be in the corridor ?) holding onto the fuze switch to stop it tripping out. The Brew took priority !

You're so right, the coffee table the Grundig radiogram.
The Deutschies used to make the best kit in those days, didn't they , before the Japs out-performed them?

I remember a bunch of us were in the QOH PRI shop in Hohne. The bloke behind the counter said "Eeyare lads, some nice watches 'ere".

"What sort are they ?" was the reply. "Japanese", quoth he "Called Seiko".

"Seiko ?" was the reply. "That's a bleedin' funny name for a watch !".

"Yer woon't cop me buyin' that sh*t!"

(I think Grundig stuff is made in Malaysia now, isn't it ?)[/quote]


I forgot about the "Schrank", I wish I had a Fiver for the amount of people who said to me as I was Marching them in to a MQ, "My Schrank ain't gonna fit in here".

After all this talk of curly pokers ,,i extracted one from my loft,changed the plug,and lo and behold it still works.it`s quite a talking point among the grand kids

Bought a blanket from RATIO, in Muenster in 1969, took it on every exercise I 've done since then. Went looking for a double one like it after getting married,no luck. Still use it occasionally down here in the Caribbean when the temperature drops to 70 something

brum wrote:

Ah yes, Brooms, Bahia Bass !

The Army had so many of those little gems.

Who could forget "Towels, Hand, Huckaback" ?

On the D&M side, "Mandrell, Axle arm setting", is another one that haunts my memory !

There was also the "24 Volt, 2 Stage, Axial Starter Motor" as fitted to the Ferret Scout Car. I got a "School Standard" for my TP on that one at Bovington!