an you identify this group of soldiers? Germany 1960s or 197

I wonder whether you could assist. Can you identify this group of soldiers? Germany 1960s or 1970s...am stumped .. it may help that they have a brown Shetland pony as a mascot…one of the bands shown in one of the frames may well be be the Argyll And Sutherland Highlanders, but I am not sure.

The images can be found here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heritagefutures/sets/72157634807554879

I acquired that undeveloped roll of film with a camera set and had it developed.

I am keen to ID the regiments involved and the barracks. Identifying the event would be incredible!

Cheers from Australia
Dirk Spennemann

That's a tall order Dirk !

Personally, I can't help with identifying the units involved but think that the pictures may've been taken in UK. Those unusual buildings in the background look very like the old, wooden "Spider" accommodation blocks that have been renovated in some way.

I don't know about others on this forum but it's unusual to see three bands on a parade, which makes me wonder whether it's some sort of passout ceremony.

I know it's a tall order..but hey!  
It's a possibility that it's in the UK, but the film came from Germany...
yes it could well be a passing out ceremony...am just keen to nail that down as much as I can
Dirk

This is some challenge

I think we can eliminate all the official equine Regimental mascots It is clearly not a Household Cavalry Drum Horse or Cavalry Charger. The Handler is wearing standard Infantry No 1 Dress. This eliminates Cruachan of the Argylls (his Handler would undoubtedly be wearing a kilt) and Bruneval of the Parachute Regimental (Handler would have been wearing a Red Beret) This suggests the mascot was unofficial.

I agree with Brum the bungalow style buildings do not look like the late 1940s era build to be found for example in Munster (Loddenheide) or Osnabruck (Dodesheide) but I have only a very limited knowledge of Field Army locations in the UK.

I wonder however if the Event might be a local Queen's Birthday Parade?

The brick building is reminiscent of Old Park Barracks in Dover or the RE Barracks at Minley but I am not sure where the "Spiders" fit in? For what it is worth, the spectators are sat on Chairs, Dining Offrs/Sgts.

Can't really see the Jock regiment.It certainly is not Cruachan with the pony major.The A&SH pony major would be wearing kilt order and Cruachan would have his coat with his regimental badge on it.

Hello,

Try the Army Apprentice College, Arborfield. A REME brat school. The time is mid-70s, the brick block is Junior Company's accommodation. The spiders are no more, nor the trade training centre blocks. The four legged critter was an official mascot. The college had a pipe and drums band. A new college replaced the old, but that is now defunct too. There are numerous AAC Arborfield websites with bags of photos to view.
The old college was home to my father in 1943 or so, a boy gunfitter who passed out from there to serve all over the world. The parade ground in the photos was strafed by a marauding German aircraft around about then. Arte et Marte.

Enigma wrote:

Try the Army Apprentice College, Arborfield. A REME brat school. The time is mid-70s, the brick block is Junior Company's accommodation..

Marvellous, mate, marvellous!
Yes it certainly looks like Arborfield, so not Germany at all..
Here are links to same very similar shots of a 1965 passing out parade on the web:
http://www.friendsreunited.com.au/passing-out-65c/Memory/2f090f8f-fac3-4acd-85d3-a17b0178e2cd
http://www.friendsreunited.com.au/the-band/Memory/5569edf1-fb8e-41a0-9ff6-a17b017993a1
and
http://arborfield-september49ers.co.uk/photos-r_tarrant.htm

Many thanks for the ID ! Marvellous

I wasn't far out - about 9 miles as the Crow flies. 

It's not often a question goes unanswered on this forum !

Well done, Enigma !

(That barrack block looks like a smaller version of the blocks at Woolwich, there must've been a standard pattern).

Definitely an easy one.

Army Apprentice College Arborfield. Passing Out Parade

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The Arborfield Apprentice

I too was intrigued by this challenge and like Shelldrake live not far from Arborfield

I recently called by the Corps Museum in search of further information. Unfortunately my contact was away on leave but a couple of people on duty were intrigued by my question and produced a brief history of the College which included an undated photograph of the pony which went by the name of Midge

By chance I met today a former member of the College permanent staff in the early 70s. I posed the same question and he distinctly remembered a bad tempered Shetland pony, ill disciplined on parade, who was on the permanent staff roll for a brief time.

I intend to return to the Museum archives in about three weeks time. Hopefully therefore it should be possible to narrow the period when the photographs were taken.

lasatalayas wrote:

Definitely an easy one.

Army Apprentice College Arborfield. Passing Out Parade

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The Arborfield Apprentice

Yes it does look like the place.