Did you ever bump into someone you once knew in Germany?

Mate, officers, ex rankers like you say the exception, are a bread upon themselves - they have a career in the army only to join the old boys club in the new world and crap on all below them (again).

Apart from 2 officers in my time I don't want to see any of them again - in it for their own gratification if you ask me - loyalty are men amongst men...

I also read once that an Officer once complained that a "wife of" did not mention the hard work of the officers of the unit just mentioned "the men". Her reply was "men work, what do you do?".

Quote :

you never meet Officers at reunions, ex-rankers excepted.

Not strictly true..The RSA reunions at Blandford would prove that statement wrong.One of the reasons i don`t attend.

Themaadone wrote:

Mate, officers, ex rankers like you say the exception, are a bread upon themselves - they have a career in the army only to join the old boys club in the new world and crap on all below them (again).

Apart from 2 officers in my time I don't want to see any of them again - in it for their own gratification if you ask me - loyalty are men amongst men...

I also read once that an Officer once complained that a "wife of" did not mention the hard work of the officers of the unit just mentioned "the men". Her reply was "men work, what do you do?".

Thought dough boys were yanks! Sorry couldn't resist. To be fair I never met a really bad officer. Incompetent yes but I was no super soldier either. I did meet lots of senior NCO's who were utter gobshites though. Usually they were Sergeants or Staff Sergeants for some reason with two exceptions. Both WO1's who wanted to be officers so badly that it showed. I remember their names very well and still wish them nothing but shit. I bet they got nothing but shit either. Karma, I love it. Time to move on Teabag!

I agree with a lot of that Teabag, but must admit never had a bad RSM.Eccentric like "Jolly Jack G" but not bad..

Funny that - I sorta liked my RSMs - CSMs also but some senior ranks outwith that select few were power mad twerps.

Stick with the lads I did.... it shows even now

Gordon. wrote:

I agree with a lot of that Teabag, but must admit never had a bad RSM.Eccentric like "Jolly Jack G" but not bad..

Oh I agree with you on that. These WO1's were not RSM's though. One FOS and one YOS. My last RSM was a complete gentleman and I would gladly buy him a pint if I met him again.

Given my weird trade career I never had much to do with RSM's and stuff. The greater majority of officers I worked for were fine, the only really bad one was my own Corps. He was a snivelling little rat.

Dish the dirt Jim, he might have been in one of my Qtrs?

Bumped into three old mates in Manchester city center,Les Livsey,who I served in Paderborn and Kineton with working as a building manager,now divorced,that was a few years ago and have not seen him since.
Mickey Weir,also a building manager, served with in Dulmen,met him just round the corner from where I worked,not seen him since,something sinister being a building manager,you tend to disappear,or maybe they were avoiding me.

greetings all, first time on the forum.

i was in the church army cafe at lippstadt on our morning tea break and i was just leaving when this gunner from 132 bty grabbed my arm and said "what the hell are you doing here"
it was a guy i went to school with, i was in 3 sqd 22 sigs and there was a cpl in 1 sqd who was on the same course as me at tech collage many years befor. small world ant it

reg

It is indeed Reg, Hi and welcome mate. There's plenty of Scalies on here.

About a couple of weeks ago I was working in the store and I'm serving this fellow. He glanced at my name tag, which just has my first name on it, and said "You're Stephen Lock, aren't you?"

Now, prior to working at this store and for many years, I was quite involved in a variety of community projects and was pretty much the media "go to" guy for various issues so it wasn't unusual for people to recognize the name, or me, or my voice (I also produced and hosted a radio show on a local community radio station for 14 years).

"Yes...." I replied.

"Wow..." he said, "I'm Dale...."

And before he finished the sentence I exclaimed "Dale English....Steve's brother!!"

My best friend from my Soest days, and who I buddied up with upon my return to Canada, was his brother. Steve unfortunately died in the early 1990s at a very young age, early 30s. I knew his mother quite well (lovely lady) and was merely acquainted with Dale, who was a few years younger than us, but not by much. However, he did move in totally different circles than we did so I really was only acquainted with him, never really hung out with him.

But as soon as he identified himself, I got an immediate flash of the young kid he was. It's been over 20 years since I saw him or his mother. I'd heard his mother had died but had also heard she hadn't so did ask after his mother in a neutral sort of way and learned she was, thankfully, still alive and living in a small town south of Calgary and doing quite well.

The likelihood of this fellow coming into a suburban convenience store and finding the clerk to be me/someone he knew back in the day....what are the chances?? He's not been back, but I hope he does as I'd like to hear from his mom. However, these things tend to be a one-off sort of thing and after 20, or 30 or whatever years if we do bump into someone it's wonderful and all, but really has nothing to do with our current lives and so we just move on.

That's quite a coincidence Stephen, amazing isn't it.

Happened a couple of times.

Detmold 1976.....walking towards the NAAFI when I heard someone shouting my name behind me. Turned round and there was a WO2 , didn't recognise him so carried on walking, he shouted my name again so I turned round and walked across to him. He says to me " don't you recognise me Robert ".....it suddenly dawned on me , it was a friend of my Dads from Aden I'd last seen in 1967.(Know to me as Uncle Graham he was a WO2 and I was a lowly Cfn )I asked him how he recognised me and he said you walk like your Dad.

Also bumped into a school friend from Singapore in 1978 in the Why Not in Detmold.He wasn't sure if it was me so sent a friend over to ask.........told his friend it was indeed and mentioned his mates name. We were in the same class at school and lived in the same street in Singapore.A few beers were consumed that night!

Happy days!!!

More on this....

I just now received a nice little note from....wait for it!!!....the SON of a female friend (just a friend!) I hung out with as a teenager in Soest. Her son....gawd....He saw some submissions I'd posted concerning his grandfather (!!), who had worked with my dad. That wasn't so bad, really....it was being the son of the young woman I knew that threw me. No way she is a mother of a young adult....nope, can't be...nuh-uh!! LOL

And so we move into the 2nd generation.....

Stephen - you're getting old mate lol

Seeing we're getting bit off subject (about officers). I remember one officer extremely well who thoroughly pissed me off. It was in 1973 at the Njimegan marches. I was working as the helper ( drain blisters, etc) for the Sigs Sqn team. This RCASC officer joined up with us on our last day. He seemed to have the idea that I was to be his personal bum boy. Well he gets a blister on his small toe. Orders me to chase after some Cdn Army Doctor he spotted to aid. Needless to say I didn't find the Doctor, BUT... I offered to drain the blister for him as I was trained in that procedure. He hesitated but decided to take my medical assistance. I ensured him that there would be no pain. Well I drove that needle in and he turned white, which was interesting as he was fair skinned to start with. I drew blood. Funny, he dissapeared after, not to be seen by us any more.

PS: I just realized that I might have mentioned this incident some time before. Ah well, good to drop in. We should be in the new residence on the 14 Dec

Quote :

PS: I just realized that I might have mentioned this incident some time before.

Don`t worry about it..It`s happening quite a lot at present

Here's a bit of a reversal on knowing some one in Germany.

While returning from leave in the summer of 64 via train, I met a German lady from Red Deer Alberta. (Now remember Canada is a rather large country). I mentioned that I was to be posted that Oct to Germany. On asking me where in Germany I mentioned that it was in a village called Deilinghofen. She up's and smiles and says her brother an Optician lived in Hemer and gave me his address and suggested I call on him. The address went into my wallet with promises to follow up,to be immediately forgotten. Well roll on 1965 or 66 and I needed new glasses, finding the Optician at BMH was a bit of a dork (read use less) I went to Herr Wiener in Hemer. He mentions he has a sister in Red Deer, memory clicks in. I show him the address and he says yes that is my sister. Considering the size of Canada to run into some one who has a relative in Europe and then to meet them. Small world some days. Never did see him again

Hardrations wrote:

Here's a bit of a reversal on knowing some one in Germany.

While returning from leave in the summer of 64 via train, I met a German lady from Red Deer Alberta. (Now remember Canada is a rather large country). I mentioned that I was to be posted that Oct to Germany. On asking me where in Germany I mentioned that it was in a village called Deilininghofen. She up's and smiles and says her brother an Optician lived in Hemer and gave me his address and suggested I call on him. The address went into my wallet with promises to follow up,to be immediately forgotten. Well roll on 1965 or 66 and I needed new glasses, finding the Optician at BMH was a bit of a dork (read use less) I went to Herr Wiener in Hemer. He mentions he has a sister in Red Deer, memory clicks in. I show him the address and he says yes that is my sister. Considering the size of Canada to run into some one who has a relative in Europe and then to meet them. Small world some days. Never did see him again

Specs must have been crap then?


Should have gone to ................... The last bit might go over the head of a Canadian though!

Teabag wrote:

Hardrations wrote:

Here's a bit of a reversal on knowing some one in Germany.

While returning from leave in the summer of 64 via train, I met a German lady from Red Deer Alberta. (Now remember Canada is a rather large country). I mentioned that I was to be posted that Oct to Germany. On asking me where in Germany I mentioned that it was in a village called Deilininghofen. She up's and smiles and says her brother an Optician lived in Hemer and gave me his address and suggested I call on him. The address went into my wallet with promises to follow up,to be immediately forgotten. Well roll on 1965 or 66 and I needed new glasses, finding the Optician at BMH was a bit of a dork (read use less) I went to Herr Wiener in Hemer. He mentions he has a sister in Red Deer, memory clicks in. I show him the address and he says yes that is my sister. Considering the size of Canada to run into some one who has a relative in Europe and then to meet them. Small world some days. Never did see him again

Specs must have been crap then?


Should have gone to ................... The last bit might go over the head of a Canadian though!

Can't make out the fine print Teabag.

Themaadone wrote:

Stephen - you're getting old mate lol

Shaaaaduuuup!!!! Old?? OLD??? Did you say O L D[i]....no no no no no....aaaaaaghhh!!! My generation can't be getting old....not supposed to have happened, no way, uh-uh....meh!

Not quite someone I knew but someone I had played rugby against.
I played for the Hannover Garrison side in 1955-56 season and on the Boxing Day we played a charity game at the Hindenburg Stadium against a side selected from the 4 local German RU sides. Much to our surprise we got beat 6-3. We were drawing 3-3 into the final stages when the Germans got the winning try.

Fast forward to Sennelager Training Area in about 1978. I was with an RCT TA regiment and we were spending our mid-exercise break in the field. A guy from the local Paderborner Brewery came to set up the Sgts Mess bar and I got talking to him. He said he played for a side called the Paderborner Tankards but was from Hannover and had played rugby there and I told him about the game. He asked what position I played and I said that on that day I was on the right wing. He told me he had played on the left wing for the civvie side and said "I must have passed you on my way to scoring the winning try"!!

It paid off for after the weekend break he let us keep the Paderborner barrel-end plaques and some tankards and ash trays to take back to our home mess.

Noch ein bier,

Norman.

On joining up, I was standing at the bus stop outside of Wokingham Station on my way to our Depot in Arborfield, when this REME guy Sparky Smith came along in a Volkswagen car and gave me a lift . I never saw him again during my years of service, but on returning to the Caribbean, I met him running a bar in Bridgetown called The Office.