Sounds and Smells of Deutschland

I can remember one totally dry exercise except that the officers had a dinner party in the field at the weekend with table cloths, wine and mess silver. Us poor plebs just had to look on and shake our heads. Only the British!

Gordon. wrote:

Nope..The caravan was constructed by the Techs,I was involved with the electricals while others did the furnishing.The wine rack was the idea of our F of S..Mind you it was used mainly for vodka and whisky.

Corps HQ was a nice comfy place to spend time on exercise.

So the wine rack was only for vodka and whiskey. Oh well, Ha Ha Ha, that's OK then. Whew!, at least it wasn't for WINE eh ?

Jim (and others)

As a relatively junior officer in HQ 1 (BR) Corps in the early 70s I can assure you that us minions were dry too Maybe there were special rules for the Cavalry/Gunners and those with red tabs

Quote :

So the wine rack was only for vodka and whiskey

Not that kind of whiskey..

From Jan 62 untill Oct 65.i was on a few exercises and i can honestly say none were dry.There was always a beer waggon for the minions.In fact on my first ever exercise we got a rum ration.

Teabag wrote:

I can remember one totally dry exercise except that the officers had a dinner party in the field at the weekend with table cloths, wine and mess silver. Us poor plebs just had to look on and shake our heads. Only the British!

Nar,, the Canadians were up to that sort of foolishness to Teabag.

Our LAD SNCO'S had a Bedford RL kitted out with bunk beds, wash sink ,gas stove, the works. One day the canopy was taken off for some repairs, and a VM working on it, took it on a road test through the camp. The CO wanted to know who this caravan belongs to. A couple weeks after the same CO requisitioned and received a Bedford Binner which he used to enjoy the comforts while on exercise.
If you happened to be a crew member on an FV434 no exercise was dry. Unknown to outsiders , there is a discreet sizable bin behind the tow bar.

There was clearly a vast difference between living arrangements in working units on FTX and arrangements for major HQs on CPX such as Summer and Winter Sales

As Gallahad has hinted accommodation in the Field for FV 434 crews and the likes of Tels Techs and Fitter Turners in REME LADs with their box body 3 tonners could be remarkably comfortable.

Am I right in thinking that in a number of Armoured Regiments there was an understanding that one bogged MBT equalled a crate of Herforder for the ARV crew who came to the rescue?

Hardrations is right....I remember hearing stories of such things out in the field.

Now, my dad -- a Sergeant at the time (retired as a WO II) -- was the teller of these stories and, as quiet a man as he was, he had very firm beliefs about what it was to be "a soldier".

One would think he'd be outraged by such shenanigans but, in my recollection, he was more amused by it than anything. Mind you, like any NCO worth his salt, he didn't have much use for junior officers anyway (lieutenants and captains fresh out of university) so I'm half-thinking this sort of thing was, to dad, just another example of the ....not sure what the word would be....of junior officers.

At least those who had the tablecloths etc brought them along themselves. Not sure who would have been responsible for the laundrying of said linens afterward, though.....

The Messerschmitt KR200, or Kabinenroller (Cabin Scooter), was a three-wheeled bubble car designed by the aircraft engineer Fritz Fend and produced in the factory of the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt from 1955 to 1964.

Remember these? Always thought they were made in Spain. Seemed to be driven by the older set.


[img]http://usera.ImageCave.com/Hardrations/messerschmitt-1.jpg

Well Stephen,

For what it's worth, any "Silver Service" meal in the field you be the brainchild of someone with quite high rank.

I am putting my steel helmet on now and awaiting reaction from the "Lieutenants and Captains, fresh out of university" !!

brum

Teabag wrote:

I can remember one totally dry exercise except that the officers had a dinner party in the field at the weekend with table cloths, wine and mess silver. Us poor plebs just had to look on and shake our heads. Only the British!

Don't know about the '70s but the only dry excercises I was ever on between '57 and '65 was one in which it didn't rain (which was a rare thing).
Perhaps "Higher Net" intended them to be dry...they just never worked out that way.

Hardrations, hi !

I suspect I might be a bit older than you because I remember there were a number of these strange little machines around when I was a kid.

Certainly Dornier produced a similar type of thing and ( I think ), Heinkel too.

Probably part of an effort to re - start the German economy.

brum

Yes, the Heinkel was the one with the door on the front. A three wheeler like the Messerschmidt which had more of an aircraft cockpit look about it.

When you think of them today you realize they must have been absolute death traps.

How about the Unimog, that little 3 wheel "pick-up" style truck? Are they still on the road?

Speaking of some comforts on exercise. One cold and misty morning while on exercise in a Nottingham forest, we were cheered up no end when the ASM was spotted emerging from his wagon clad in silk pajamas.

The only 'doors' I recall on Dornier's and Heinkel's were the bomb doors during the blitz ..

Len (Ciphers)

Hardrations wrote:

The Messerschmitt KR200, or Kabinenroller (Cabin Scooter), was a three-wheeled bubble car designed by the aircraft engineer Fritz Fend and produced in the factory of the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt from 1955 to 1964.

Remember these? Always thought they were made in Spain. Seemed to be driven by the older set.


[img]http://usera.ImageCave.com/Hardrations/messerschmitt-1.jpg

I totally remember those and thought, still think, they are totally cool! I'd have loved to have brought one back to Canada and bombed around in it!

Now, with a name like "Messerschmitt" how on earth did you think they were made in Spain? Or did you just think the factory was there (cheaper labour etc)?

They still look really futuristic to me. Odd little cars, but very very cool.

brum wrote:

Well Stephen,

For what it's worth, any "Silver Service" meal in the field you be the brainchild of someone with quite high rank.

I am putting my steel helmet on now and awaiting reaction from the "Lieutenants and Captains, fresh out of university" !!

brum

eheheheh...well by now those same Lieutenants and Captains fresh out of university would be, give or take, 50 or 60 or even 70 years old now and, hopefully, gained some real life experience in the ensuing years.

My dad's antipathy was not towards Lieutenants and Captains per se....just the snot nosed "kids" who got their commission because the got put through university by the army and were now "paying it back" by serving for 3 or 4 years as commissioned officers but they had no experience at all and, a few of them, used to "trip over their rank" and refuse to listen to the seasoned vets who were NCOs. Those were the types I was referring to.

Heck, some of dad's best friends were junior officers! But they had some brains..... :-)

And, just to be fair, my dad had a cousin who was a Major in the Lord Strathcona's who he couldn't stand. The cousin's own father, a retired Lt. Col, even told him he'd do well to listen to what my father was telling him, or what any other NCO suggested. The twit refused to even consider it!

He also drove a Leopard tank into a tree out in the middle of Sennelager, I believe it was....the only tree around for miles!

recce83 wrote:

Yes, the Heinkel was the one with the door on the front. A three wheeler like the Messerschmidt which had more of an aircraft cockpit look about it.

When you think of them today you realize they must have been absolute death traps.

How about the Unimog, that little 3 wheel "pick-up" style truck? Are they still on the road?

I thought that the bubble car with the front opening for access, the steering wheel moved with the door, was a BMW.

Oh, and the three-wheeled pickup or van was a Goliath. The Unimog came later and was made by Merc. In fact I think they still make them.

Cheers/Mike

No reverse so be careful when parking them front door openers in a garage or you can't get out. The messerscmidt looked like the cockpit of an aircraft. Wonder how they came up with that design?

I can't think why we had this dry exercise but it was the only one I was ever on and it caused a bit of ill feeling especially when they performed with the mess silver etc. RHIP and all that but this was extracting the urine.

Most of the time I was doing rebro so we always had a supply.

That was another good point about BAOR, no HGV driving at weekends so we couldn't move and usually took it easy and downed a few.

For JPW
Peter, when I was a Sqn Tiffy with the QOH the penalty was not only applied to a MBT requiring recovery but also a yellow handbag to the 434 crew when a major assembly lift was required. Other repairs called for a supply of egg butties and tea which the crews always seemed to be able to provide - happy days.

Bob.

When were you with QOH, Bob ?

JPW wrote:

Jim (and others)

As a relatively junior officer in HQ 1 (BR) Corps in the early 70s I can assure you that us minions were dry too Maybe there were special rules for the Cavalry/Gunners and those with red tabs

When were you there JPW? I was in AQ Ops 75 - 77 ish.

and re the bubble cars

see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_car

oooh, I've just noticed, the beers are on me lads.

Jim

Must have just missed each other. I was in EME Branch early Summer 72 to Christmas 1973. as you were a member of the Lead Logistics Branch I would have been under your command.

PS There were 3 KAS Old Boys in the HQ and atleast three Old Girls married to servicemen in the Garrison at the time. Dont recall any PRS representatives

Under my lead? That's about right for a LCPL Staff Clerk. LOL.