Maresfield Barracks - Herford

Thinking about those times (1952/3). There were 3 Signal Regiments. HQ BAOR Signal Regt, 11th Armoured Signal Regt & 1 Corps Signal Regiment. Don't think there was a Maresfield Barracks then as both 1 Corps & 11th Armoured Sig Regiments was billeted in Hammersmith & Wentworh Barracks.
Just think what the locals had to contend with on pay day. 2500-3000 soldiers all out on the razzle, beer and the little AKC cinema and YMCA. We were only allowed to change £1 BAFV's into DM. I think the rate of exchange was £1.0.6 = 12 DM. It did narf go a long way.
Remember seeing that 3-D film 'The House of Wax' at the AKC in around 1953.
Went back to Herford in the late 1980's when one of my Sons was stationed at 7 Sig Regt.
Not a great change, still the same little market square etc.

12 DM to a pound is right - though we used to live rather well on 2 oz cans of Nescafe and any cigarette rations we could buy from any of the (few) non-smokers

Going back even further, our troop drill corporal at Somme Lines, 7 TR, Catterick, in 1951 was one Cpl. Postlethwaite - who bore an uncanny resemblance in both looks and demeanour to the late actor Peter Postlethwaite, both in real life and in his role as the evil Sgt. Hawkswill in the Sharp's Rifles TV series. I've been trying unsuccessfully for several years to determine whether or not they were related.

Not good old Palestine Police Force Postlethwaite ... he was a lance jack at 4TR Gaza Lines. .He gave me stick for having toothbrush with uneven bristles (Spa toothbrushes were made that way) .. got back at him a couple of days later when I passed cipher course and was promoted to Cpl, had him for no tie in the NAAFI .. what goes around comes around.

Len (Ciphers)

6 Armoured Div Signals were also in Wentworth at that time Jim as 'guests' of 11 Armoured Div Sigs .. we were waiting for Birdwood Barracks Bunde to be completed for us .. moved there April/May 1952.


Wentworth 1952

Not much change over the years.

Len (Ciphers)

ciphers wrote:

Not good old Palestine Police Force Postlethwaite ... he was a lance jack at 4TR Gaza Lines. .He gave me stick for having toothbrush with uneven bristles (Spa toothbrushes were made that way)  .. got back at him a couple of days later when I passed cipher course and was promoted to Cpl, had him for no tie in the NAAFI .. what goes around comes around.

Len (Ciphers)

The very same. As a fellow cipher bod, I went to 4 TR after 7 TR and Somme lines.

When I was at 7 Sigs in1963-6 and as my married quarter was close by, I used to use either Wentworth or Hammersmith barracks for the Garrison Library. Used to drive past these barracks down the hill to the NAAFI Families Shop, which was just off Mindener Strasse.

Len: In one of your postings you mention " ... my pal Taffy Reese." It has to be the same Taff who was my close friend through basic and 4 TR. I know he went to Korea at about that time. He was from Swansea. I bumped into him again at the Saighton (Chester) depot on demob after Suez. Not sure whether it was true or not but I heard he got into trouble in Japan for something like B&E - where he left his hat behind with his name stitched in! Apocryphal, but it wouldn't surprise me. A great guy. I wonder where - or if - he is now? I see your Reg No, like mine, is 2256. I joined up in July 1951.

Basic Training Troop 32/36 June 1951
Taff Reese (right) on course at HQ BAOR, Bad Oyenhausen 1953

Len (Ciphers)

Yup - that's the Taff I knew and loved - well, you know what I mean! I'd forgotten we both went to HQ BAOR together. I guess he went to Korea at the same time as I went to Malaya. Your photo really stirs the memories. I just about remember L/Cpl Hook from 7 TR, but Postlethwaite's the one who left the most lasting impression.

Taff was in Germany, Korea and Japan with me. We ganged around together, lost touch when I was hooked of the trooper on the way back from the Far East and shipped into Cyprus.
The Sgt in the photo (Hogan) was in Korea as a Signalman, got busted at Somme for striking some recruit. I used to use him as a weapons instructor (took the weight off my  shoulders). I vaguely remember hearing Taff had got into some trouble, didn't surprise me, he was a bit of a lad.
Who was your cipher instructor, we had the nuttiest guy to don a uniform Sgt Upson, he had an eye that wandered, literally. Part of our course was th mandatory singing all the versus of the Lambton Worm in a Geordie dialect.  Never forgot it.

Len (Ciphers)

Sgt Upton it was - along with Sgt (Pedlar) Palmer. They were both a riot and between them, taught us that the army could be fun. Upton did indeed have eyes like Marty Feldman. They were both great blokes. I seem to remember Palmer got caught stealing coal for the Sgts' Mess. I don't think he was charged - just got his knuckles rapped. You'll probably remember SSM Derwent at Somme lines - a distinctly unlikeable feller whom I had the misfortune to re-encounter on recall as a reservist to 10 Armd Div Sigs in Tripoli, come Suez time. By that time, he was RSM.Unfortunately, he remembered me from Somme and - after a riotous going home party in the Sgts' Mess - which went on until about 0200 - detailed me to be in charge of the advance baggage party for the homeward-bound trip on Empire Orwell. That meant I had to be ready to board at 0400. It was not a happy departure from Azzizia barracks, later bombed by the Yanks when Gadaffi was using it as his headquarters. The four months I spent in Tripoli were otherwise OK, some wonderful nights out at the Whelus Field USAF NCOs club followed one night by an overnight in an Arab jail. But that's another story ...

Jimmy Derwent was my RSM at 6 Armoured Div Signals. I found him strict but fair and we got on well, well as well as an RSM and a Cpl can. He also remembered me from Somme and on meeting him at 6 Armd for the first time gave me hell for wearing weights. Took them off me at the guardroom as I arrived. He then looked at me hard and tapped my tapes with his pace stick. Looks like they are making anything up these days he said. I kept a straight face and said apparently so sir. He then detailed me for guard. When I got to the square for guard mount practice, he looked at me and said, 'You look like a big nog corporal, here have these weights I confiscated them this morning. Guess who from.
After that he was chummy, liked to visit the cipher wagon and BS, often bought me a beer at Haltern and regularly called me up from brigade (20 Armd in Munster) if he wanted someone for special parade or guard. He could be a bugger to some guys but as I said I found him fair.

Here he is on the first Admin Parade in 1952 at Bunde, I'm th right marker immediately behind him.

Len (Ciphers)

The two cipher officers I remember at HQ BAOR were Capt. Lofty Moore and Capt. Brian Roderick. Ting any bells?

What's the gong Derwent's sporting? Looks a bit like a George Cross. Surely not?

Can't recall those officers, I was only on a 6 week attachment .. the medal Jimmy Derwent is sporting is I believe the MBE.

Len (Ciphers)

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What's the significance of the "Cross" on the lad seated, 2nd from the right?

Sheldrake,
I know the little Col in your photo group of three. The guy on the left. He was on the same draft as me, a fellow Sgt, going out to Korea on the Empire Fowey. Can't think of his name but here are a couple of photos on board the Fowey :


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Jimsigs

Sheldrake,
Ref my last. The little Col, please amend this to read the little Cpl. Don't suppose he would have reached the rank of Col in a month of Sundays.

Regards Jimsigs

The little col (aka Cpl) is Nobby Clark. Served in 6 Armd Div with me in 52/54, we were great pals until his promotion, he then, and I hope he is reading this, got 'stripe happy', he gave me a real bollicking for calling him Nobby, I'm sergeant Clark corporal and don't forget it. We never spoke again.
And the cross marks Signalman Payne .. ME.

Len (Ciphers)

Hi Len,
Don't remember much about the Nobby Clark you mentioned. If fact the only R Sigs Sgt of our 11 in number was the older guy, seated next to Nobby Clark on the deckchairs. He was referred to as 'Sailor' as he had served in the RN in WWII. However, we had another Nobby Clark in the shape of WOII Clark R Sigs (what a name coincident) , Ex 1 Corps from Herford. He eventually finished up as Chief Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London, having retired as a R Sigs RSM.

We had the Royal Welch Fusiliers on board the Fowey who were originally destined like us for Korea.
However, their posting was changed to Malaya whilst on board and they sent an advanced party via Columbo. One other item I remember about the Fowey was its distinct class system 1st Class = Officers, 2nd Class = WOs & SSgts, 3rd Class Women Services and unaccompanied families of Sgts and below, AND Troopdeck = Sgts and below, although Sgts was accommodated separately. This rankled the RSM of the Welch Fusiliers who complained that is split his Sgts Mess. So he introduced an entirely new class, to be known as WOs & Sgts Mess of Welch Fusiliers. We Sgts and any other detaitched Sgts were then made members of this unique class. The old Ships RSM was not well pleased to say the least.
Memories, Memories
Never saw any of the other 10 Sgts from the R Sigs  again. Don't know where they went to but I went up country to 29 Bde who were tented at the side of Kamasan.

Different Clark, Nobby (all Clarks are nicknamed Nobby) went to 1st Comwel Div. I shipped out on the Devonshire, same class structure. For some insane reason I was appointed Troop Deck Sergeant, I was a Cpl so that caused a bit of a ruckus among some Sgt's who objected to my lofty status  .. that is until the ships RSM said they could have the job. Another nutty notion was that the ships RSM selected about a dozen Signals Cpls and installed them as 'Ship's Police'  .. we had a draft of about twenty members of the RMP aboard  .. guess there was logic to it some where.

Below, same Nobby Clark about 1952 at Bunde ... Stan Underwood and me are still in daily contact over the net.




Len (Ciphers)

I drew the Ship's Police detail on the Malaya-bound HMT Dunera. The first guy we caught slinking out of one of the wives' cabins in the early hours was the nasty little Artillery sergeant who maliciously detailed us for the job. No further action - but he was markedly less offensive for the remainder of the voyage.

Did any of you Korean vets ever come across a cipher corp called Eckersley? He was on our OKC course but I later heard (unconfirmed) that he'd been killed in Korea.