27th Canadian Infantry Brigade

On the subject of Canadian combat boots. When the Trials Troop I was with were based at Fort Shilo in late 1966, we Brits were issued with the Canadian combat boot complete with rubber over boots - which were never used, as we were soon into Canadian winter kit wearing mukluks (? spelling) on our feet - good kit.

BobG

Bob

My guess is that you were drinking Herforder, a very familiar tipple to those of us stationed in the Bielefeld/Herford /Minden area

The subject of Rheinsehlen crops up on the site from time to time, usually in connection with the "ladies" who operated out of the bushes by the level crossing at the entrance to the camp

I have vivid memories of "minding" a group of RCEME reservists who had a brief summer attachment to the Minden based 11 Field Workshop who were on exercise in that area. Their extramural activities during their weekend in Hamburg still remain a military secret

[quote="JPW"]Bob

The subject of Rheinsehlen crops up on the site from time to time, usually in connection with the "ladies" who operated out of the bushes by the level crossing at the entrance to the camp

I]Worked out of a taxi in our day. The 2I/C went bonkers one night trying to stop the trade.

JPW & Hardrations,
Thanks for the name of the draft beer on tap at HD. You are doing well to remember that; I think I read somewhere that there are about 2500 different breweries in Germany. I remember the problems the base provost had with the hookers, prostitutes etc at the main gate in Hannover. I don't recall them being referred to as "ladies". LOL They were very loud and aggressive as well as being knowledgeable about what was going on at the base such as when their customers were going away on exercises. They posed a very unseemly crowd at the main gate and were frequently chased away. I never did hear where they actually carried on their trade near the base; there was a strip of no man's land where bushes and shrubs had been cleared away. I guess the German army did not have a problem there as undesirables including Germans got shipped off to concentration camps.
Regards,
Bob

BobG,
re: Combat boots
Glad to hear that The Brits were issued combat boots and mukluks. We never had that issue in the militia, not sure about the Regular Force. I remember when Canada first sent troops to Afghanistan they did not have combat camouflage clothing for their mission.
Bob

ritter wrote:

BobG,
re: Combat boots
Glad to hear that The Brits were issued combat boots and mukluks. We never had that issue in the militia, not sure about the Regular Force. I remember when Canada first sent troops to Afghanistan they did not have combat camouflage clothing for their mission.
Bob

I think the problem ther Bob, was that they had camouflage but it was forest camo not desert sand camo at first. Kind of made the Canadians stand out in the crowd.

Found this old Video of Hardrations on youtube!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMzHlkB-Yg

Shell Drake you rascal. I never ever cow kicked, I did my depot with the Cdn Guards, they'd never let me get away with that. And that's not a Campbell tartan . Dornie Castle 2010.

l

[quote="Hardrations"]

JPW wrote:

Bob

The subject of Rheinsehlen crops up on the site from time to time, usually in connection with the "ladies" who operated out of the bushes by the level crossing at the entrance to the camp

I]Worked out of a taxi in our day. The 2I/C went bonkers one night trying to stop the trade.

It'd be interesting to know how he tried to stop the trade that night. Did he do solo patrols, pounding on the windshield with his flashlight? Stand at the entrance to the bushes handing out religious tracts? (now there's a 'mood killer' if ever there was one!). Clearly whatever attempts he made were futile, were there's a will, there's a way and nothing, absolutely nothing, gets in the way of a randy squaddie and his goal!!!

ritter wrote:

BobG,
re: Combat boots
Glad to hear that The Brits were issued combat boots and mukluks. We never had that issue in the militia, not sure about the Regular Force. I remember when Canada first sent troops to Afghanistan they did not have combat camouflage clothing for their mission.
Bob

That's right, we didn't!! Created bit of a furor back home. Mukluks are great...in knee-deep snow. Not great in knee-deep sand!

ritter wrote:

Recce83,
We also got nailed here with our 2nd snowfall on Thursday. My neighbour told me she was driving on the highway (the notorious 21) running north along Huron and ran in and out of a couple of whiteouts off the lake. Everyone is looking forward to an Indian Summer now and it was sunny and cold here today. Thanks for your further information on the bush dress issue but please explain 'Press heavy there's five copies', a repayment charge??
It's a very small world in the Canadian military; you mentioned your former CO, L/Col Duncan McAlpine. When I was taking my basic training in Valcartier in 1950, Duncan McAlpine was a Capt in charge of the instructional cadre. I read somewhere that he became a Major General.
Good luck to your wife and her coach in the school board election,
Bob

Thanks for the good wishes. Sunray was re-elected by a landslide!
Now, back to normal, whatever that is. I guess you were one of the lucky ones who never had to sign a CDV (cash debit voucher which was a polite name for "we're docking your pay". There were 4 carbon copies on the hated document and in retrospect perhaps we should have ignored the instructions and pressed lightly instead, thereby making the document illegible. (I know, it wouldn't have worked).

Regarding General McAlpine: he was Honourary Colonel of RHC when he died in the spring of 2010.

[quote="Stephen Lock"]

Hardrations wrote:

JPW wrote:

Bob

The subject of Rheinsehlen crops up on the site from time to time, usually in connection with the "ladies" who operated out of the bushes by the level crossing at the entrance to the camp

I]Worked out of a taxi in our day. The 2I/C went bonkers one night trying to stop the trade.

It'd be interesting to know how he tried to stop the trade that night. Did he do solo patrols, pounding on the windshield with his flashlight? Stand at the entrance to the bushes handing out religious tracts? (now there's a 'mood killer' if ever there was one!). Clearly whatever attempts he made were futile, were there's a will, there's a way and nothing, absolutely nothing, gets in the way of a randy squaddie and his goal!!!

Probably veering off topic but, does anyone remember the young(ish) ladies who plied their trade in Motorhomes at the Autobahn Ausfahrt, Soltau Sud?

[quote="Shelldrake"]

Stephen Lock wrote:

Hardrations wrote:

JPW wrote:

Bob

The subject of Rheinsehlen crops up on the site from time to time, usually in connection with the "ladies" who operated out of the bushes by the level crossing at the entrance to the camp

I]Worked out of a taxi in our day. The 2I/C went bonkers one night trying to stop the trade.

It'd be interesting to know how he tried to stop the trade that night. Did he do solo patrols, pounding on the windshield with his flashlight? Stand at the entrance to the bushes handing out religious tracts? (now there's a 'mood killer' if ever there was one!). Clearly whatever attempts he made were futile, were there's a will, there's a way and nothing, absolutely nothing, gets in the way of a randy squaddie and his goal!!!

Probably veering off topic but, does anyone remember the young(ish) ladies who plied their trade in Motorhomes at the Autobahn Ausfahrt, Soltau Sud?

I certainly do but I remember it was allways a caravan or two at Soltau Sud.

We've touched (or should that be groped . . ?) on the subject of the Ladies of Ill Repute that plied their ancient trade around Reinsehlen camp before, of course.

My only sighting of Five Mark Monika was on a dismal wet day, as we drove in to the entrance of the camp.

I was driving a Saracen command post and wearing goggles. We'd driven up from Paderborn so my vision was a bit impaired but I did notice two female figures standing by the road. While we were lining the vehicles up (with a director, of course), I was told that the two women had been greeting their potential customers with their skirts held at shoulder height. Apparently the ladies had neglected to don their unterhosen.

We decided that Five Mark Monika's sidekick must have been Zwei Mark Susie. We were never introduced.

In the early 70's,someone opened a brothel in Lahr just up from the SKC Astra cinema.even had pictures of scantily clad girls posing in front of the front gate at Lahr airfield in the German equivalent of Hello magazine. It didn't last long,one of the single guys in my platoon went in out of curiosity and was asked for 150DM.he told them that with all the free stuff downtown they were on a loser,and they were.

TonyE wrote:

In the early 70's,someone opened a brothel in Lahr just up from the SKC Astra cinema.even had pictures of scantily clad girls posing in front of the front gate at Lahr airfield in the German equivalent of Hello magazine. It didn't last long,one of the single guys in my platoon went in out of curiosity and was asked for 150DM.he told them that with all the free stuff downtown they were on a loser,and they were.

I well remember that Tony. I was posted down in Kaserne then. Also with the cinema being close, just past the cinema was the Kindergarten to Gd 5 schools for the Canadians. I remember one of the single lads in the Sqn telling us about it. Much as your singled lad said. It was way to expensive for his taste.

[quote="Brum"

We decided that Five Mark Monika's sidekick must have been Zwei Mark Susie. We were never introduced. [/quote]


Brum, what rate of exchange are you using on that one? I have a feeling that I might have been ripped off (zweimal).

TonyE, Hardration. Brum, Shelldrake et al,
I have been following your thread on the value of the mark in relation to procurement relative to foreign currencies. In 1952, I think it was about 4.2 marks to the Canadian dollar or approx .25 cents a mark. Does this seem to square with your calculations? LOL
Bob

Thanks for that info Bob, it has all become much clearer.

alan8376 wrote:

I am married to a German lass. I have never lived in Germany apart from my service years. My German is not fantastic, but I can conversate with the relatives.

There has been discussed on this thread about the 'Du and Sie'. However, when I am in the presence of mixed company, the problem arrives, for me anyway, is composition of the remainder of the sentance, as non native German speakers are aware, can be a real trap. How often does one read about squaddies falling into the trap when asking someone on a cold day, whether they are 'cold'?

Conversely, it was probably unwise to ask a young lady if she is "hot".

ritter wrote:

TonyE, Hardration. Brum, Shelldrake et al,
I have been following your thread on the value of the mark in relation to procurement relative to foreign currencies. In 1952, I think it was about 4.2 marks to the Canadian dollar or approx .25 cents a mark. Does this seem to square with your calculations? LOL
Bob

The exchange rate had nothing to do with it Bob.

Zwei Mark Suzie was probably Five Mark Monika's mother. It's all to do with the saleable value of the commodity.

Them Gun Sergeants weren't too fussy either way !

It was 4.25 marks when I first went over in 64 and in 71 when I returned it was going up in value. It was around 2 something I think when I left in 74.

Something else Brum didn't point out, is that a few brews of good German beer and take your glasses off (if you wore them) and didn't squint, it wasn't all to bad.

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Baor(27CIB) surfers,
Installment No. 18 Another Turn as Orderly Officer
As you all know the main duties of an OO consist of routines like inspecting the guard, checking meal parades, closing up the men's Canteen, and on occasion inspecting the Bde Detention Centre. What happens at these details is usually predictable but what is not predictable are the situations which can arise anytime during the 24 hrs that one is on duty. Within the regimental family you are confronted daily with, the good, the bad, and the ugly', which is a title which I borrowed from an Italian Western starring Clint Eastwood. It was one of those unexpected situations which occurred after I had completed all of my daily regular duties and I was feeling comfortable about having survived the day without an incident. The orderly Sgt and I were sitting in the orderly room completing our reports and exchanging some trash talk when a telephone call came in just after midnight. The Sgt said it's the Adj on the line for you. The Adj told me to round up the duty driver and that we were to report to the Rot Muhle (Red Mill) in downtown Hannover where we were to pick up the Commandant and his party. The RM was a popular cabaret known for its good food and entertainment. It was an oasis surrounded by nearby rubble. I had been there once earlier with my friends; the food was not the usual Octoberfest menu and the house wine was a very nice Haute Sauterne, a wine which is still a favorite of mine. The entertainment was an orchestra featuring a transvestite vocalist with a very good voice. The music was not the usual oom pah pah; it was a more classy genre featuring the latest hits on the Hit Parade. I can still remember one of the numbers which I think was called the A,B,C, song, a riot when the vocalist blended it together in English and German. The atmosphere could be a bit risque but not raunchy like the notorious Reeperbahn in Hamburg which Hydration alluded to in a recent post. I was never there. I would be interested in hearing from anyone in the Forum who heard about or was at the Rot Muhle in the 50's.
When we arrived at the RM the Commandant's driver and vehicle were nowhere to be seen. The Adj met me and we picked up the Commandant and the remainder of his party , two majors both a bit under the weather. I had deduced that the Commandant's driver had already picked up the ladies and was taking them home. I had hoped to learn if the attractive waitress , Ursula, had been there as the Commandant's lady; that rumor had been circulating for some time in the mess. More about the seductive Ursula in another post. Now for the interesting part. When we arrived back at the barracks the Adj drew me aside and told me that the Commandant was still in the mood to party and that I was to wake up all the Jr. officers and have them report to the Mess. As well, he stressed that I was to make sure that the officer who played the piano by ear was there; he could sing and he had a talent for ratcheting up a party to a high pitch. But I got a very hostile reception from the Jr Officers as had to shake most of them awake and it didn't improve when I told them it was the Adj's order. LOL
Now to get the readers of this account into the festive spirit for the late night do, I would suggest that you Google and U tube the following songs:
'The Old Piano Roll Blues" a song written in 1949 and a hit song for many years in the 50's and beyond.
'When the Lights Go On Again All Over The World', by Dame Vera Lynn. There is a very good video showing memorable pictures of the 'blitz'.
'Lili Marleen ' by Marlene Dietrich sung in German.
Be patient, I'm getting to the good part. It did not take long for the party to warm up especially when the Commandant ordered the bar reopened and at this point I wisely opted, with the Adj's approval, to return to
my very pressing OO duties.LOL The next morning, I got the ugly story of the finale to the party which got totally out of hand. It degenerated into one of those frequent and inane regimental challenges that all of you will recall. In this case, it was throwing the rapidly emptying glasses outside through a 1/2 open window from an ever changing and more challenging line drawn on the floor of the mess. The damage was considerable with glass everywhere inside and out. But not to worry, the Adj simply ordered the steward to add the damage to the bar bills of all the Jr. Officers, another lesson in rough army justice. LOL And now I'll end this sorry account with a subaltern lament: When you're at the bottom end of the totem pole of life, even the dogs will urinate on you.
Look for my next installment, 'Another failed mission at the horse's ass, August Ernst Platz von Hannover.
Bob

Oh lordy Bob you awakened another distant foggy memory. In 68 two of the fella's in the Sigs Sec were rotating back to Canada. They both lived out by the Sorpesee (secondary target of the Dam Busters). I treated them and their wives before leaving at a very nice gasthof in their village. This particular gasthof had very nice beer and pilsner glasses with the appropriate crest of the beer they served. The ladies decided they didn't have any of this type so not being able to put them in their purses it was decided after much consultation that seeing it was all grass around the gasthof that putting them out the window onto the grass would work. Typically they were of a thin glass. So on leaving, going around to the proper window, we realized we had sat at the back of the gasthof which was on the slope side with the paved parking lot. Yeah no glasses, just shards.

Bob R

Were not the married senior Officers and Senior Ranks entitled to Married Quarters like their British equivalents on 12 month plus tours of duty in married accompanied garrisons.

Ah the Brewery glasses, another forgotten souvenir of tours in BAOR