5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards

Do we have any ex-members amongst us?

If so, can you add anything to the entries on the main site for:-

1946 November 1948 York Bks, Munster.
December 1948 - October 1951 Barker Bks, Paderborn.
February 1957 - November 1962 Athlone Bks, Sennelager.
March 1969 - June 1970 Harewood Bks, Herford.
June 1970 - November 1973 York Bks, Munster.
November 1977 - 1981 Imphal Bks, Osnabruck.
1986 - 1989 Barker Bks, Paderborn.

Paul.

I did my National Service with the 5th Royal Dragoon Guards at Athlone Barracks from December 1959 to November 1962. After six week basic training at Catterick me and another (Neil Metcalfe) were shipped out as Non Tradesmen because tank driver training had been suspended due to National fuel shortages. We were the last two National Servicement to be allocated to thr Regiment. Two others who were conscripted a month before us were being trained as clerks at Barnard Castle, and joined the Regiment in February 1991. Neil ent into MT as a truck driver and I was kept in RHQ on special duties. These special duties I detested and after some moaning and groaning I was given clerical duties and trade tests. I was married prior to conscription and was deferred as I was a time served bound apprentice, so I was 21 when I entered service in the very last intake of RAC NS 60/22 with the 4/7th RDG at Bourlon LKines Catterick. All the time I was in the army my wife got £4/10s per week and I got 10/s (50p) (8p per day) !!! I remember that my duties were general typng for the CO,"ic, Adjutant and Asst Adjutant, as well as travel warrants and leave. The best two weeks I ever had was at CIV when the LAD was depleting due to NS release and we didnt have any welders, so I got the opportunity to spend these two weeks welding on all the bits that had fallenoff the the tanks, I probably am the only clerk that drove a tank, shunting them about to safe areas, although I had planty of experience driving dozers cranes and excavators prio to the army. I never wore boots during my time with the regiment, never did any duties, exept duty clerk, and was the only one in the regiment not on parade for the standard parade. All in all apart from the brass I had a cushy number.

I did GMT with the 'Skins' Way back in '55. arived Catterick -- 1st day of Spring 2ft of snow ! --- feezing cold --- scared to death 16 and a half yr old Band boy. after travelling through the night from Manchester. The regt were not long back from Korea.
I still remember our training company Sgt 'lofty' Bright. Marvelous chap, bright by name and bright by nature.
Attatched to the band I had my first taste of Army life under Bandmaster Harry Vince. Trumpet Major Colin Herbert later became my Bandmaster at the Carabiniers and later was head of Music with the S.African Police band service.
Tough times for a youngster but remembered with great affection the people I met and worked with.

The Skins were the training Regiment at Cambrai barracks Catterick, when i arrived(intake 74/24)to do my basic training. A SQN took drill, fieldcraft etc and C SQN were tasked the duty of vehicle maint/driver training etc. B SQN were in Berlin. In the summer of 1976 we(skins) left to take up the posting at Imphal Bks, Osnabruck. Taking over from the Scots DG. We did Soltau,Hohne, Batus but our first trip to Fermanagh(N. Ireland)will stay with me forever and i cherish those memories. I left the regiment in 1981.

If I remember right , 5th Skins were still in Osnabruck in 1983 when I arrived .
They were replaced by 4 RTR.

I joined "The Skins" from J/ldrs RAC(Bovi) in Dec 1957.They were then at Atholone Bks.Sennelager.In 1962/3 we went back to the UK.Aliwal Bks Tidworth.From there The Regt went to Aden etc.etc.

I am John Walker.I live in Oxford. I serve on The Regt Committee and also on The Cav Parade committee.Also am the sect of Oxford Branch RDG Assc. also help run The Skins branch here in Oxford.Am also part of the team who see our brave men home on the Repat parades here in Oxford We are getting far to many of these men coming though!!! I should like to hear from anyone on here who served in or along us.I see we already have Norman Hall on here.I know Norman.
Hi Norman hope your well.
Hope to hear from some former Skins soon.If your not already on our new webb site(RDG) I will give you all the info.Its a great site lots of us oldies on there Just to add as a child I was in BAOR from Nov 1946 untill summer of 1954 .My father was R.Es We were the first married family to go to BAOR (as a family.that was my three sisters and I and of course my mother) We arrived in Beilefeld.there for 4 yrs then on to BAOR 1(Bad Onyehasen) then on to Hameln. also went to King Alfred School.Plon.Loved every min of it,I mean the whole time we were there.
Regards to you all.
John.

Johnwalker wrote:

......... .If your not already on our new webb site(RDG) I will give you all the info.......

John,

Send me the web address by PM or e-mail, and I will put it on the Links page.

Paul.

Paul..Please find the info you asked for ref RDG site below..I have been looking in on this BAOR site for a good while now.It really is so good.I know a lot of my Army buddies do to.I decide just yesterday that I would give it a go!!!.I will tell my buddies to move on too.
Thanks.Regards John.



http://rdg.forums-free.com/

Johnwalker wrote:

Paul..Please find the info you asked for ref RDG site below..I have been looking in on this BAOR site for a good while now.It really is so good.I know a lot of my Army buddies do to.I decide just yesterday that I would give it a go!!!.I will tell my buddies to move on too.
Thanks.Regards John.

http://rdg.forums-free.com/

John,

The RDG's are now on the "Links" page of the main site. I have put on the Museum and Association webb address as the Forum is easy enough to reach from there.

Paul.

Paul. I Roger that.
Many thanks.
John.

John I had many good friends in the "Skins" one in particular was Sgt "Jack " Warner an ex Desert Rat who rejoined after the War and was in the tech stores under James Bertrand, I knew Jack when I was a boy. a Great guy in every way

arbor...Thanks so much for that.I knew Jim Bertrand well(great man).You never said what Regt you were? ref Jack Warner befor my time I think.However thanks again.We do have an inter Sqd Football Comp (Jack Warner Cup) could that all tie in??This is still running today(under The RDG of course)
All the best.John.

My father in law was Cpl Dougie Thorpe, in 1973 I think he was wih C sqn. His troop leader at the time was Patrick Cordingley.now retired (as Major General). Sadly Dougie died a few years ago, he had a brother also in the unit..Ivan!

Hi.REME..Just spoke to you on another thread.I now know who you mean Dougie not sure about Ivan! 1973 was after my time .Went onto other things then.I of course remember M/Gen Pat Cordingley.He became C.O. of The Skins in 1984.Went onto become our Col in Chief of The Regt.I sat on the same committee for a while but has since retired.Im still on it(The Regt Association) as long as they will still have me!!Very sorry to hear about Dougie.May he R.I.P.
John.

Johnwalker wrote:

arbor...Thanks so much for that.I knew Jim Bertrand well(great man).You never said what Regt you were? ref Jack Warner befor my time I think.However thanks again.We do have an inter Sqd Football Comp (Jack Warner Cup) could that all tie in??This is still running today(under The RDG of course)
All the best.John.

I started my training as an early regular with the 'skins' in Feb 56 and Jack Warner was the first person I saw when I entered the billet which was almost covered with snow, as you say he was a really nice bloke and always ready to help the trainees.

1992 Barker Barracks Paderborn Amalgamation Parade 4/7 and 5 Skins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wlx30spAc98

5 INNIS DG getting into the action a Sennelager 10 Aug 1949


https://catalog.archives.gov/id/21465

111ADC7693Signal CorpsSOURCE: AFCF (ESPC 52-49)FILM: ARCH & APC MP 675' ea Silent
ADC 7693WESTERN UNION REVIEW (BRITISH ARMY OF MINE, BRITISH AIR FORCES OFOCCUPATION AND ALLIED CONTINGENTS)Sennelager (Paderborn), Germany released 8 Oct 1949
VS, tanks of the British 5th Royal Inskilling Dragoon Guards moving off dirt roadand across field on way to assembly point.
FS, US light tank crossing field. American light tank coming toward camera and stopping.
CU guidon on tank "14th Constabulary".M-24 tank crossing ditch.
MLSs, MSs, kilted Black Watch troops (British) marching toward and to 1 of camera.
MS, same as above, marching toward and to right of camera.
VS, drummers of combined bands, beating drums, followed by other instrumentalists.
LS, MLS, Black Watch bagpipe band.
MLS, Lt Gen John K Cannon (CG, USAFE) in jeep prior to trooping the line.
LS, r to 1 Black Watch troops.Cutins, spectators.
HSs, pans, tanks of the 14th Armored Cav (Constabulary) in review.
HSs, pans, unidentified Allied armored vehicles on parade.
RG 111Accession III-NAV-210
ARMY PICTORIAL CENTER, 35-11 35th AVE, LIC 1, N

bob wrote:

If I remember right , 5th Skins were still in Osnabruck in 1983 when I arrived .
They were replaced by 4 RTR.

I transferred from 15/19H, Paderborn to RAPC in 82. First posting to Mercer/Imphal, quarter just down the hill from the Skins, next door neighbour was a Skin.

Anyone know Peter Donovan - Royal Armoured Corps - possibly at Athlone Barracks 1959/60?