Memory lane

Gordon. wrote:

The man himself

The surprising thing about Michael Bates is that he was a Major in the Brigade of Ghurkas and spoke Hindi fluently.

He was in the film "Battle of Britain" and had also played Montgomery.

Saw the movies, hadn't realised it was Rangi Ram !

There was another chap that play Monty in 'I was Monty's Double' The actual Lt RAPC who did double for Monty.

Jimsigs1

M.E. Clifton James was the guy who played Monty's double , recruited by LT COL David Niven

Thanks for that John Boy. Don't know whether Clifton James ever made any more films after that one.

Jimsigs1

Don`t think so Jim.He died around 63.

Sounds like he was a one hit wonder. Then, he wasn't an actor really.

Jimsigs1

jimsigs1 wrote:

Thanks for that John Boy. Don't know whether Clifton James ever made any more films after that one.

Jimsigs1

He played the prison governor in"Blanche Fury" starring Stewart Granger

he also played a car driver in a film called "The Calender" both films made in '48

John Boy,

You certainly know your films and I was wrong about him, he was indeed an actor and was with ENSA during the war.

Jimsigs1

glad we got that sorted, i knew it was all master bates

Talking about the price of beer. Here’s another snippet from my book. Note the price of beer.

Silky

The inspection over; the Adjutant congratulated us on passing our first drill test. He then said, “You have all done well, and so I’m granting you a Saturday night leave pass to visit the local town till 23.59 hours.” This was to be our first time outside the camp since our arrival four weeks before!

At 13:00 hours on Saturday, we climbed aboard the three-ton vehicle outside the guardroom and travelled to Oswestry. Though only seventeen, being in uniform gave the local landlords the impression that we were of an age to drink.
With a pound in your pocket, you felt like a rich man. A group of us went into one of the pubs and ordered five pints. The five pints of Courage ale were placed upon the bar, and the landlord asked for six shilling and three pence (37.5 new pence). Raising our pint we toasted, “The best of health to one and all.” Quaffing a mouthful of beer, I soon found out why it was called Courage. You needed lots of Courage to drink it; I thought it was bloody awful.
After travelling around the world and drinking lots of different beers, I still think that Courage is the worst beer I’ve ever tasted, with Tiger beer a close second. The rest of the day went fine; it was nice to have a day when no one shouted at you. At 23:00 hours we assembled outside the NAAFI Club to catch the three-ton vehicle back to camp.

Clifton James was an Australian and his full name was Meyrick Edward Clifton James.

He Served in WWI, and was badly gassed. After the war, took up acting, and was on the London stage in WWII, where he came to the attention of MI5 by accident. At the end of one nightly performance, he couldn't find the hat that he would normally wear, and so he donned a beret and walked onstage; the audience, thinking that he was Field-Marshall Montgomery, promptly stood and cheered.

Silky

Quote :

I’ve ever tasted, with Tiger beer a close second.

There must be something seriously wrong with your tast buds John

michael bates was oneof the originals in last of thev summer wine. cyril blamire

gingerjim wrote:

michael bates was oneof the originals in last of thev summer wine. cyril blamire

Indeed! The character was an ex R Signals Sgt/Maj I think, as opposed to the character who replaced him, Foggy Dewhurst who was an ex Cpl Signwriter. Presumably RASC then.
Mike

spot on guvner

This will probably be wasted on the younger contributors but a small flashback came to me this afternoon.

I remembered a time (early 60s), when a couple of us were reading about our new rates of pay on the Battery orders board.

"F*** me "said a sergeant to our left, "at this rate I'll be on a thousand pound a year !".

We looked at him pityingly, nobody could possibly earn THAT much !

I think I must've been on about £8 a week then, around £420 a year.

Compare that with today's wages !

I think it was 69/70 when i reached the magic £1ooo

Gordon. wrote:

I think it was 69/70 when i reached the magic £1ooo

And that is about the same time our CO notified us that the Orderly Sgt will no longer be coming around in the morning to get us out of bed, he said , "You are now highly paid,buy yourself an alarm clock."

My my, such a high powered wake up call,Orderly Sgt indeed

I have found amongst my extensive Library (Reveille, Parade, Readers Wives, Happy Weekend etc) a 1965 edition of Whitakers Almanack which details, apart from High Tides, Phases of the Moon and Bank of England Bank Profits, Service Pay, Marriage Allowance and Retirement Benefits. Scale C - Committed for 9 years or more, daily rate of pay, non tradesmen:-


Pte 22/6 - 28/0
Lcpl 28/0 - 30/6
Cpl 32/0 - 33/6
Sgt 39/0
Ssgt 43//6
WOII 45/6 (RQMS received 6d per day more)
WOI 48/6


Technicians were paid an average of around 3/0 per day over the above.

Marriage Allowance (Weekly)


Cpl and below:- 77/0
Sgt 91/0
Ssgt 96/3
WOII 99/9
WOI 113/9



Married Quarter Charges ranged from 40/0 to 53/6 depending on rank of occupant and type of Quarter (weekly).


Here endeth the first lesson.

That looks about right to me Shelldrake.As a Cpl Tech i was on about 35 bob a day and thought i was well off

Compared to us GD Grunts, you were!

Doing not too bad now, though.



www.armedforces.co.uk/armypayscales.htm

I`m not on that list..Looks like more cuts on the way..

Talking about army pay, I recollect as an Army Apprentice Tradesman at AAS Chepstow in 1963, we started on 2 pound ten shillings a week, half of which had to go in your 'posby' post office savings bank.

Re British Army pensions, what are they like, I cannot remember what my Dad got, he died in 1975. Served in British Army, 1940 to 1962. Retired as a WO2 - RQMS.