Sick Parades

So how much have sick parades changed through the years then. I know when i joined in 87 if we wanted to go sick we had to be in No2 dress carrying all our kit with us. Bit of a pain depending on what was wrong with you.

I know this was done to help discourage malingering but dam it was hard if you really were sick.

Nowadays its just a matter of popping in to the Sqn office getting chit and mincing along to med centre. The doctors we had were civvy doctors and the Medics were corps medics they could diagnose you before getting to see the doctor and also bed you down if they deemed necessary.

All a bit to easy if you asked me.

What was it like when you guys were in the 50's and 60's

Thanks Ian.

It was parade at the guard room in best kit carrying carrying small pack with your small kit (washing shaving sleeping etc.)We were then inspected by the provost Sergeant and marched to the sick bay.which was some distance away...That was at AAS Harrogate,Other units were similar except RAF Changi where you rang the squadron office,an appointment was made for you and you wandered along at your leisure..Much more civilised.

Never had to get dressed up at Catterick and took nothing with us. Place was run by two civvies as far as I remember and tetracyclin (sp?) used to be the standard.

Went with a very sore bum once and they gave me the pills and said carry on. Ended up in hospital for a number of days with a very painful abcess. Thankfully it was a civvy hospital and I gave those "doctors" some stick when I got back to barracks.

I sympathise with yuou Teabag..Those abcess`s are a right pain in the a*se.There was a guy in Tidworth Military whose abcess turned out to be a fistula.He was in agony when the dressings were changed.

A bloke I was teamed up with in Hohne used to work in the MI room.

He was telling me how someone had come in one day with an agonising swelling on his coccyx. When he gave it an exploratory prod a jet of pus shot out, squirting up the wall.

In amongst all the corruption was found a hair, about 4 inches long that had grown under his skin.

He said it took him a week to get the smell off his hands.

Teabag, if it's any consolation I had the same problem, I had to have a drain "Inserted" every day, the pain from that was worse than the abcess. We had a Fire Practice in Lippstadt, one of the guys didn't parade "As Per", told the BSM he hadn't heard the Fire Alarm. The BSM told him to "Get down the MI Room and get your "£%&^*+ ears syringed", this he did, a lump of wax the size of a suppository came out of each ear which he then presented to the BSM as "Evidence for the Defence". Hope you not about to have your Tea!

Only time in my life I have passed out apart from passing out in basic training or because of beer. Everything just went white and I dropped.

It was a Friday and I hitch hiked home. Took me four agonising lifts before I got there.

I recall reporting sick one morning at the Medical Centre in Tidworth. The MO was a retired General with a voice like a Sgt-Major . There was a thin wall between those many men sitting outside and the MO's Office as you could have heard what ever was spoken in there. I was not too keen on letting those waiting to see the MO hear what my complaint was.

Why not gallahad??/do tell

Portnoys Complaint?

Actually , the unit was on exercise that said morning, and the Workshop was awaiting my return from the medical centre, before setting off. They were not pleased when I told them that I had a knee problem, and had to see a specialist at the Royal Herbert.
Sometime later , a note in large letters appeared on my bed space.
"THE ROYAL HERBERT HOSPITAL DOES NOT DEAL WITH KNEE PROBLEMS"

No alcohol for you, my lad.

On exercise in germany I got a belt on the hand with a SMG , finished up with a cut across the back of my hand and it swelled up, after we got back I went sick was told it was just swelling and given "Codeine" universal medicine after a week I went back, was sent to the RAF hospital the metcarple was broke and healed so now my knuckle is set back ,,, army doctors for you.

Sick Parade a "POINTLESS EXERCISE" total waste of time.

Hi All,

Been away for a few days - no not sick.
But, do remember a sick parade at Harrogate in early 1950. Paraded in PT Kit, in open order and await the MO and his lot. Kidney shaped dish with iodine and ONE NEEDLE. That was our first jabs and at least 3 fainted at sight of either the iodine being applied or seeing the needle. Very hygenic in those days.
Then it was off to do PT and achin/swelling arms for a few days.

Jimsigs1

During Basic Training at Arborfield, I jumped over a wall on the assault course and landed on the hard packed sand close to the base on the other side,injuring a muscle in the groin. During the night I had to be taken to the MRS. I returned to the MRS later that morning for a check up,and while limping in pain back to Poperinge Barracks, I received a bollocking from a Sgt-Major, "HEY YOU! CAN'T YOU BLOODY WELL LIMP BETTER THAN THAT?"

Exercise Holdfast 1952 ... arrived at assembly point two days early and set up Sigcen (Comsen)
ran local lines ... check all vehicles cammoed up ... nothing to do .. got pissed at the local gasthaus ... found a nice bit of straw to lie on ... stuck a mag in my sten, jammed the but in the ground and use the resulting 'V' as a hard but serviceable pillow.
Next morning woken by the farmers daughter who eyed me very suspiciously ... tried to get up and found my right arm would not work ... tried to shave could not hold the razor ... 'ummm, better go sick ... thats when they found I had damaged the radial nerve in my right arm by rolling over in my sleep and the sten's cocking piece jamming into the nerve.
No use on exercise, go back to camp young man .. that pissed off quite a few people, the Div Cipher Officer, the Sqn CO, and Tara.
Back at camp (Birdwood Barracks, Bunde) a solders dream came to pass ... going to the MO I passed the camp adjutant, executed a smart eyes right and carried on.
'Corporal where is my salute, why the eyes right, are you paralyzed' .. I could hardly contain myself .... 'Yes Sir' I replied with a song in my heart.

Len (Ciphers)

Good story Len but, could you rewind and expand on the "Farmers daughter" bit?


Brian.

Shelldrake!! I am getting the impression that you are a bit of a muck raker..

Len!!! Be a good chap and do as the man requests..

Unless of course she has taken out a Super injunction?


Brian

NAh, he can't tell as she took advantage of a 'paralyzed' man. LOL

Now, now, be nice .. the young lady in question was a typical Westfallian farm girl who was intent squeezing the cows titties for the morning milking ... I must have given her a bit of a fright ... as in the mornings even then, I am not a pretty sight.


Len (Ciphers)

What a let down, I thought it was going to be the one about, "She was that ugly I had to chew my arm off in case I woke her up".

Before this wanders TOO far off subject !

I'd only been in the Army a couple of months, age 16, when I went sick at Hereford, ('57, I think).

I paraded with my small kit, like everybody else, got into the medical centre and flopped down in a corner.

Eventually one of the staff came to me, everybody else had gone by this time, and made it clear he thought I was on a skive. I didn't care, I felt so bad they could've poured petrol over me & struck a match.

The noble Cpl finally got around to sticking a thermometer in my mouth, then he disappeared.
On his return he looked at the thermometer and found that my temp was 104. The panic button was duly hit and within no time at all I was tucked up in bed.

It was the start of a 'flu epidemic, which some of you older blokes may recall, called Asian 'flu. Within a week most of the regt had got it and were bedded down in the gym.

I don't think I've ever felt that ill since.

The only time I deliberately skived off was in Korea .. number one after BAOR I hated the bloody place ... I had been up all night encoding casualty reports from all the various units ..
that in itself was bloody redundant as it was after the cease fire and 99.9% of the reports were nil casualties .. anyhow coming out of the cipher office at shift change SSM Taff Hunter clamps his beady eye on me and yells 'get on parade corporal, your late' ... no point in trying to argue the point so I get my small pack and reports sick.
I drum up the story of my old 'war wound' paralyzed arm which was completely OK by that time .. the MO was very sympathetic and unbelievingly sent me on a two week R&R at Inchon.
First and only time I ever malingered while in the mob.

Len (Ciphers)