Six Months Extra

We too knew our demob date but as you say we were expecting early release. not long before we got the news that we had to stay in the only other national service lads in our barracks were released at least two months early. People were being released early all the time, that is why it was such a shock to us. When our time aproached we were told that we could go two weeks early if we paid our own air fare. To a man that is what we did. Looking back it seems stupid for the sake of two weeks, but then that is how desperate we were to get out.

Quote :

I'm a bit confused by your remarks quoted above

Confused David???Put it down to age..

What Jeff is saying IS..Two months before he could start singing "Happy days are here again"He was invited by HM to assist her for another six months..

Do try and stay awake old chap..

See you've been released on Bail again, Gordon.

Jeff Bentley wrote:

We too knew our demob date but as you say we were expecting early release. not long before we got the news that we had to stay in the only other national service lads in our barracks were released at least two months early. People were being released early all the time, that is why it was such a shock to us. When our time aproached we were told that we could go two weeks early if we paid our own air fare. To a man that is what we did. Looking back it seems stupid for the sake of two weeks, but then that is how desperate we were to get out.

I remember our "Nashies" getting their extra time. Yea ! and there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth ! (couldn't blame 'em, really).
One of our blokes, a Brummie as it happened, (a rare bird in those days) was particularly vociferous. He would slouch around camp, dragging his feet and scowling at the world in general, not a happy soul.
Some six or seven years later, sporting my shiny QOH cap badge, I was driving a squadron Rover through Brum. Stopping at a zebra crossing, to let someone cross, I noticed that there was something familiar about the pedestrian. The dragging feet, the stroppy scowl - it was him, our pissed off Nashie !
Demob did not make HIM look any happier !

Gordon. wrote:

Quote :

I'm a bit confused by your remarks quoted above

Confused David???Put it down to age..

What Jeff is saying IS..Two months before he could start singing "Happy days are here again"He was invited by HM to assist her for another six months..

Do try and stay awake old chap..

Oh dear Gordon ! I've confused you too......... In simple terms ( I think) my query was :-

1. Was Jeff advised that his two year NS would be reduced? Some of the lateNS
intakes had this benefit....I have a mate who only did 2 months before he was
released......... and was Jeff then told that he'd have to do the full 24 months?
or....

2. Was the extra service, about which Jeff complains, over and above the 2 year
term that most did ?

I know that from 1950 the NS commitment was increased by six months to 2 years. I didn't know it may have been done later.......... Some of the posts on this topic tell that others were cajoled into staying on for 6 months more, but this seems to have been done on a voluntary basis, rather than by Act of Parliament. Short term Regs. in fact. Jeff's response shows that he understood my query.................

Having got out of bed to do this, I may as well stop up now....... It's a hard life !

Thank you Gordon, I was begining to think it was me. As I said I am new to all this technology and I thought I had pressed the wrong buttons again.

Sorry again I did not read all responces. I have just read Cartav's latest contribution and I do think he may be confused. First he says I thought I had to do the full 24 months. I already new that. Then people were leaving early. We were not cajoled, and think about it no way did we volunteer, it was an act of parliament.

I do not know how I can make it any plainer.
1... I was called up and there was only one more intake after us.
2... I was called up for two years.
3....With about two months to go our O.C. informed us of our extra time.
4....The eatra time meant that we served two and a half years.

Help

[quote=.......I have just read Cartav's latest contribution and I do think he may be confused. ........[/quote]


Sorry Jeff ! I don't think I was confused but I am now !

You were committed to a two year engagement by Act of Parliament. If the Army let you out before, that was their decision, it was a bonus. But, if having told you that you might go home early, they changed their minds, you still had to do any time they required you to serve up to the full two years.

If the government decided that you had to do more than the statutory two years, it would have been necessary to pass another Act. Somewhere in posts to this topic, there's one from a lad who was asked by his CO to stay on for another six months. He was cajoled, persuaded. He didn't have to do it and his family advised him not to. But he did the extra time and the decision to do so was his alone, no more legislation was needed. It may be that his time inthe Army was different from your own, maybe laws were passed to change things, but they didn't have the publicity that the earlier changes in 1950 had.

Hope that clears it up. Jeff !

I give up

I surrender.

You win

Jeff Bentley wrote:

You win

You should have signed on for 9 nine years and we wouldn't have had all this confusion!!

I can see now why you have that picture with your profile. LOL

Sign on ? aaaaah

Jeff Bentley wrote:

I can see now why you have that picture with your profile. LOL

Sign on ? aaaaah

Welcome to the madhouse, Jeff!

Quote :

Hope that clears it up. Jeff !

Well David.. It was clear,now it is clear, as mud,,

Perhaps a little holiday in some remote Scottish glen is called for...I hear the midges are in great form just now..

Now if you leg it for six monthes we can all get back to sleep..

Jeff....A few large drams and you should recover pretty quickly.

[quote="Gordon."]

Quote :

Hope that clears it up. Jeff !

Well David.. It was clear,now it is clear, as mud,,

Perhaps a little holiday in some remote Scottish glen is called for...I hear the midges are in great form just now..


I'd love to do that Gordon, maybe the weather there is better than down here.
However, having now received clarifications and been unjustly chastened ,
maybe I'll just retire to a corner & sulk ........... but don't bank on it !('')

Shelldrake I have a very good friend, William Blackburn, RSM R.A. He served through Italy in the war. He served in various posts in Germany, including Berlin. Is he your son ?

This forum is getting me confused. Not as much as others who reply

Jeff Bentley wrote:

Shelldrake I have a very good friend, William Blackburn, RSM R.A. He served through Italy in the war. He served in various posts in Germany, including Berlin. Is he your son ?

This forum is getting me confused. Not as much as others who reply

Not my son, Jeff. Mine is called Bill.

Funny you should say that

err, . . I've got a granny in the SAS, excused jumps.

I am a grandad and my wife has excused me jumps. so I am free to roam the 332.
If, as I you lived in Spain you would know what I mean. If you do live in Spain and you know what I mean..........DIRTY BUGGER

re brad, the photo is the60/13 intake at fulwood bks preston i am front row 2nd from the left brad and i
did our n/s together in the loyal regiment the bridge is the autoban down the road from keitghly bks
at wuppertal ronsdorf  we were told 34 days before demob that we had been given anextra 6 months
reason was not enough men had joined up to keep up our nato commitments

Barney wrote:

At the end of NS I was serving (as a regular) in Lemgo with LAD A Sqn 4RTR. I remember that those still serving were told that they would have to serve a further six months. I think it was something to do with an emergency somewhere in the world but can't remember details. Who knows why?

th