Walking Wounded

I ended up in Rinteln in 1964 recovering, having broken my leg ski-ing in Bavaria. There was a daily ration of 2 cans of Tennents lager for each patient, and the walking wounded had to dish them out (I was hobbling about in plaster). A fond memory was that it was easy to accumulate more than your ration from the boys who didn't (or couldn't drink).

Ed

EdBoyle wrote:

I ended up in Rinteln in 1964 recovering, having broken my leg ski-ing in Bavaria. There was a daily ration of 2 cans of Tennents lager for each patient, and the walking wounded had to dish them out (I was hobbling about in plaster). A fond memory was that it was easy to accumulate more than your ration from the boys who didn't (or couldn't drink).

Ed

So that's why the Wall came down.

When I was with a trials unit in Arizona I went skiing at Squaw Valley, Nevada, and as a result of a bad accident ended up in the USAF David Grant Hospital on Travis Airforce Base. I made the point with my surgeon that if it had been in a British military Hospital I would have got a pint of beer a day, a few days later when the evening meal came round there were two cans of beer on my tray, he had checked with the British Army Staff in Washington who confirmed the allowance. I became very popular with my section of the ward as I kept one can and passed the round for sippers. The only other way to get a beer was if you were fit enough to get a day pass and head for the NCOs Club, did that later when I got out of the body cast but thats another storey.

Bob

Didn`t get a beer ration in Tidworth,mores the pity.

EdBoyle wrote:

I ended up in Rinteln in 1964 recovering, having broken my leg ski-ing in Bavaria. There was a daily ration of 2 cans of Tennents lager for each patient, and the walking wounded had to dish them out (I was hobbling about in plaster). A fond memory was that it was easy to accumulate more than your ration from the boys who didn't (or couldn't drink).

Ed

G'day Ed, ah Tennents Lager, the Scottish stuff, had a few of them, back when.

I have a query I note on your profile - RAPC ? That is Royal Army Pay Corps NOT Pioneer Corps ?

BobG wrote:

When I was with a trials unit in Arizona I went skiing at Squaw Valley, Nevada, and as a result of a bad accident ended up in the USAF David Grant Hospital on Travis Airforce Base. I made the point with my surgeon that if it had been in a British military Hospital I would have got a pint of beer a day, a few days later when the evening meal came round there were two cans of beer on my tray, he had checked with the British Army Staff in Washington who confirmed the allowance. I became very popular with my section of the ward as I kept one can and passed the round for sippers. The only other way to get a beer was if you were fit enough to get a day pass and head for the NCOs Club, did that later when I got out of the body cast but thats another storey.

Bob

A couple of points....interesting that your surgeon A) bothered to check with the British Army Staff in Washington about your beer allowance and B) authorized giving it to you! Of course, beer is a good aid for sleep (in moderation!) and helps with the digestion and all, but still....

Secondly, I am getting this big enlarged picture in my head of you trying to drink beer, out of a can no less, while encased in a body cast!! Beer through a straw just isn't the same!!! But I suppose where there's a will, there's a way!

Thirdly, you have to share your other stories about heading off to the NCOs Club!

Stephen
I did not have a problem in drinking my can of beer, the body cast was from the neck to my hips which meant I could lie half propped up.

As to my trip to the NCOs Club. First let me set the scene, I was in a large orthopaedic ward which was overcrowded with casevacs from Vietnam. Travis AFB was the first place in continental USA that casevacs arrived at, if they were fit enough they were moved on to the hospital nearest their home which could handle them, those deemed unfit were held at the David Grant Hospital until fit enough for onward movement.

Having got out of my body cast and short leg cast and now on crutches, I asked the sister (Lootenant) in charge of our section of the ward for a pass which was granted, Iwas told I had to be back on the ward by 2200. Travis is huge it is more like a town than just a base, all MQs are on the base and numerous civvy enterprises operate including a taxi service. Having called a taxi I negotiated a long fairly steep ramp from the hospital entrance to the road and my tpt to the NCOs club, the ramp was overlooked by our ward. Had a couple of beers and then adjourned to the restaurant for a steak, returned to the bar ,having had a great meal and more beer, and spotted a group wearing KD and RAF rank slides went across and introduced myself, turned out they were the crew and tech support for a Britannia on a global trg flight. Needless to say by the time they poured me into a taxi I was more than half cut. The taxi deposited me at the foot of the ramp and left me to negotiate it on crutches and clutching a six pack for the lads. I evetually made it back to the ward to find it in uproar, they had spotted me trying to get up the ramp and apparently it was the best comedy turn they had seen in ages, good for their morale. Sister was not amused, only got away with it because I was a Brit and they did not know how to deal with me. The lads got the beers but needless to say I never got another pass. Was discharged two weeks later. Three months later had to go back for an outpatients appointment and final discharge, Yuma, Arizona, where I was based, to Travis - near Sacramento California, and back took 3 days, happy times !!

Bob

I think i would like to have seen the return to hospital Bob.Would have suited my twisted sense of humour.