TROON MEMORIES

[Kanonier]

Sundays at Troon were dominated by Church Parades. After we "Passed Off The Square", we were allowed out of Camp but first we had to attend Church Parade, which were broken down into denominations. First up was Roman Catholics, whose Service was from 0800hrs to 0900hrs, next was Church of England, 0900hrs to 1000hrs and lastly Church of Scotland, 100hrs to 1100hrs. Dress for Church Parade was No 2 Dress or Regimental Mufti, which comprised of Grey Slacks, Blue Blazer, White Shirt with the Junior Tradesmens Regimental Tie, every one in the Regiment had to purchase Regimental Mufti and the cost was deducted weekly from your Pay. We could only "Book Out" at the Guardroom on production of a Chitty signed and stamped by the Padre or his representative, at the time I lived in Glasgow and am Church of Scotland so had to wait until 1100hrs to book out, after a couple of weeks I worked out (doesn't take the brains of Einstein) that if I pretended to be RC, I was free to escape at 0900hrs. We had to be back in Camp by 2300hrs and many a time, when the bus from Glasgow was late, we had to get another Chitty signed by the Conductor/tress, explaining our absence!! (If you were "Non Denominational you had to wait until 1100hrs). Happy and innocent days indeed.

[trooper bogaert]

well I remember the church parades but didnt have no mufti or regimental tie.....one clever bugger in Goodbodys said he was an aethist so he could stay in bed sunday........sgt marriot had him doing all sorts of jobs...believe he became RC shortly after that!happy days indeed......cheers malcolm

[davidmansell]

i used to go to the rc one the rsm used to bring his daughter yum yum.cant remember his name but he had a dog called worthington

[trooper bogaert]

is that the dog that got charged and sent to the guardroom for walking on the sqaure!best regards malcolm

[davidmansell]

the same one.he favourite saying was GET OFF MY SQUARE.happy days

[Kanonier]

Ahhh Malcolm - you had it so easy in your day!!!

[trooper bogaert]

I suppose it was easy...but we where a bit like the hitler youth..we could have out-fought anybody...we where once i believe described as young lions.......if i had the chance to go back to then from now I would.....then I could beat John Little in the inter-platoon quiz!!!!!...F**k the RSM's daughter........set the gym on fire........break into the OC's office and re-write the confidential reports......borrow large ammounts of money and buy all those ex MOD vehicles which for sale at the old airfield near Kilmarnock!!!!hapy days indeed!!! cheers from a freezing north-northumberland.malcolm

[tonkatojo]

I suppose it was easy...but we where a bit like the hitler youth..we could have out-fought anybody...we where once i believe described as young lions.......if i had the chance to go back to then from now I would.....then I could beat John Little in the inter-platoon quiz!!!!!...F**k the RSM's daughter........set the gym on fire........break into the OC's office and re-write the confidential reports......borrow large ammounts of money and buy all those ex MOD vehicles which for sale at the old airfield near Kilmarnock!!!!hapy days indeed!!! cheers from a freezing north-northumberland.malcolm

Ah Malcolm you are still at it, this link is quite appropriate mate LOL.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQNqk54HPdE

[trooper bogaert]

John yes I can sing it all the way through!cheers from a cold and snowy north-northumberland...Malcolm PS you just wanted the RSM's daughter for your self!

[davidmansell]

i remember when i was in cassells company we used to march to the cookhouse with our kfs and white pot mug held by one hand at our backs and for a laugh break the mug held by the guy in front,it wasnt very funny after a while though as we had to pay for it to be replaced.i am going to trace larry dewhurst today hopefully and will get back with the result.

[trooper bogaert]

wel done that man...yes we got deducted 1 shilling for the mugs...best regards to Larry....cheerrs malcolm

[Kanonier]

What about, marching along, and deliberately tapping the guy in fronts' foot with yours to make him trip up - would be called "Bullying" nowadays? I also remember the first uniform I was issued with, it was made from the same material as Battledress only it was of the same design as No 2 Dress but fastened up to the neck. I do believe that they were surplus uniforms from the First World War, we later upgraded to Battledress, rank badges were the same as those issued to Regular Troops, (white), but were discontinued and replaced by the green? ones. Don't remember the colour as I didn't have any!! I also worked out my hourly "Rates of Pay" from 1962, it came to just over 2p per hour.

[trooper bogaert]

aye I can remember triping the guys in front as well....soon to be followed by "that man get into step"......was talking to an old mate of mine from Culzean by Maybole yesterday...seem he was in Holland for the Arnhem celebrations last year and got bitten by a sheep tick.....this made his blood congeal and the result has has had a couple of strokes...however when recovering in the stroke unit at Glasgow...who was in the next bed to him!!!!!!!! only our very own JTR dentist Maj John Rogers...seems he lives in Prestwick and at 82 had also sufered a stroke...he told my mate he was in Malaya and was posted back to the UK about 1963...started as unit dentist at JTR Troon when unit started to when unit was disbanded....I had some of his concrete filings for years and was stupid enough to let civvy dentist remove same.....perhaps another old gent for the re-union! cheers malcolm PS Happy Birthday Dave Stanton on Monday

[davidmansell]

well i traced larry today he is looking fine.he is now 75 his legs give him bother.we had a good blether about old times,he is up for the reunion but will need a punt up for the bus.that wont be a problem as he is only a little guy,he still has the same physique though.we tried to remember the sergeant majors name in cassells company,he was irish and had a habit of hitting you with his pacing stick if you moved when you were supposed to be standing still on parade,he used to shout if you dont pucking stand still ill shove a puckin tunderflash up your arse.i remember the tripping as well.there was a guy in cassells company i think his name was pitt he was in the signals and he was tiny none of the issue clothes fitted him,his hat had about half a toilet roll insde the rim so it wouldnt fall off,i wonder what happened to him.i have a vivid memory of him on the 25yard range in front of the skc cinema losing control of an smg and nearly wiping us out.i have larrys email and mobile number but dont want to put it o this forum as i dont think it is secure
happy days

[Kanonier]

Malcolm, I remember Maj Rogers - excellent Dentist, he sorted all my teeth out as I didn't own a Toothbrush until I had to buy one before arriving at Troon. Do you remember we were given a list of things that we had to bring with us, also a letter from your Parents/Guardians which authorised you to smoke, only recently managed to pack it it!!

[trooper bogaert]

well that is good news about big larry...was the sgt majors name not Mc Mullen or Mc Grath or something like that...sure he was from the skinns...yes I do remember j/sig pitt.....hope he has fared well in life....can you remember j/sig wellard...dopey looking with horn rimmed glasses...how he ever got in beats me...we had to carry him around the assault course so that he could muster///how he got on when he went to mans service is a life long mystery to me!if you would care to email me larrys contact details I would be much obliged........bogaeN@aol.com....cheers malcolm

[davidmansell]

wellard rings a bell.i think thecsm was in the skins right enough,am i right in saying there was a leiutenant cassells.can you remember there was a radio in a room and a speaker in each room so we could hear music,i dont remember a tele though,i think we went to the wrvs for that.i have forwarded larrys particulars to you.his parting remark to me was he was aschuffed as naafi breaks for our blether.i will pop round to see him in the near future

[trooper bogaert]

David your right on the money as usual...yes Lt.Casells was in the Seaforth Highlanders...his dad was ADC to the Queen and was a Field Marshall....Lt.Jennings-Frisby used to say behind his back he was thick as a plank sideways!...In Goodbodys we also had Lt.King R/Sigs who's dad was also a General...then in Murray Coy ...there was Capt.Willy Turner KOSB..yes youve guessed it..his dad was also a General.....yes day room did have a TV..we watched the world cup final didnt we! look forward to receiving Larrys contact details from you....cheers malcolm

[Kanonier]

I don't remember a Radio, other than the little portable ones that the guys had, which in those days were few and far between. I remember the Television being in the room at the front of the Spider, opposite the Ablutions, each Company had one, they were provided free of charge by the Nuffield Trust. Everyone used to congregate in the TV room on a Saturday after Tea to watch Ready, Steady, Go or it might have been Oh Boy, it was the first time I saw The Beatles on TV. We all then went to Kilmarnock and got Blootered on 2 Pints of Shandy and vomited all the way back to Camp!

[trooper bogaert]

I think my platoon was bit more sophisticated as our favourite programme was Skippy the Bush Kangaroo....funny how some songs stay in your head for bloody years.....dont remember any radio in the rooms apart from some rich guy having a transistor!which Sgt.Marriot RA(large moustache) used to switch off at lights out!memories!!!!!!!!!!cheers malcolm PS if I ever find that Kangaroo Ill strangle it!

[Kanonier]

Malcolm, the song that has stuck in my head for 48 years was the one that was played over and over on the NAAFI Jukebox - "It might as well rain until September"!! Every time I went in to the NAAFI it was on.

[trooper bogaert]

by the time id been deducted for barrack room damages(fiddle) bought the weekly nick-nacks..polish/brasso/toothpaste etc...then major deduction to POSB...I could ony afford a rock bun and a fanta...good job I didnt smoke....but you could always get a better class of ruck bun and a tea off the old girls in the WRVS...free of charge...I was that frustrated I used to fancy one of them!happy days indeed...still awiting your mail ref LD....cheers Skippy alias Malcolm

[Kanonier]

Malcolm, that's nothing - I fancied one of the Girls in the Cookhouse!!!

[trooper bogaert]

bloody hell...I never saw any birds in the cookhouse just fat cooks!!!! cheers malcolm

[trooper bogaert]

now youve started something...remember the grub if a big-wig was comming better than a five star hotel....mince onion pie with dumplings/cheese onion pie/rolly-poly puddings......I want to return to the 60's....best tucker I ever had in my life!!!!cheers malcolm

[dandc1]

the food was awesome,i remember standing at the salad bar one day,the cook sgt maj asked if i could not make my mind up,i said no i dont know what some of the stuff is.i had never even heard of some of it,dave.

[Andyman]

Hello lads, 23981158 j/spr Anderson reporting back in after being Awol for a few weeks, lost the log in passwords. Bloody nuisance aren´t they.

Regiment!, Regiment ´shun! Saturdays were blessed with these sweet words from RSM Gadsden, he of the short stature but big voice. RSM´s Parade the highlight of the week.
It was probably alright for the rest of you sciving somewhere in the middle but it was hell for me. Being the tallest in the platoon I was right marker which was no problem for normal drill but on Saturdays Right Marker for the Regiment. Keep the pace that man! Get in step! And other niceties for my long lanky attempts to keep the regimental parade from turning into a shambles, if looks could kill.
I remember standing there in the horizontal rain that was howling in off the Atlantic and him telling us that it was all our own fault. “You shouldn´t have F****ing joined should you*
Or “ This is Scotland the land of the brave, you have to be F****ing brave to live here” Regiment ´shun!
Then he would climb down off his little wooden box that the unfortunate duty corporal had to carry and run around after him until he found somewhere to shout orders from.

Almost as entertaining was the Cassels coy. CSM Graham Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders if my memory still serves. Hairy legs and a kilt. He was so stiff on parade I often thought he would snap in half.
Standing at attention his arse stuck out behind and the upper body incined forward gave him duck like qualities. He was fearless with the pace stick though.

Another character on drill was Sgt. Digger Blake who 23942018 Woody (Widzy) remembers, he had jerky uncoordinated movements and stuck his forefinger and thumb out to the side when marching, his right arm would jerk back and forth instead of swinging it.
Woody you wrote that he came out to Hong Kong after Troon, perhaps he was a nice bloke when you got to know him, I hope so. You can see him on the photo tha Ian Ried posted of the first intake in May 1962.
Piddlehinton, where you got posted to after Troon is just down the road from my home town of Dorchester, I have been past the camp many times but always thought it was too small for a regular unit and imagined it was a TA camp. I don´t remember squaddies in Dorchester at nights or weekends. Or perhaps you were all very well behaved. Small world isn´t it.
Sorry to hear you were discharged on a medical.
You also mentioned Dave Gungy Gunner Gunning, he was in No. 10 Platoon with me, I remember him well and still have the little bone on the back of my hand sticking out where good old Dave slammed the outside door on me as we doubled around the PT block “Last one back does 10 press ups” and I smacked into the brass door knob with the back of my hand at full pelt,. I got good at doing press ups. Thank you Bombardier Nap.

Kanonier´s memories of the Sunday church parades had me thinking that if you got up real early and went to early mass or communion, I was a proddy dog, you were excused going later, get it over and done with quick. I probably managed it about once. You had to get your chitty signed though, ´cause if you forgot you got a second chance to wash away your sins.

After reading the recent posts about the food and girls in camp I think it must have turned into a holiday camp after I left in December 1964. A salad bar! Girls in the cookhouse! TV room! Radio! Dances on the camp with real female creatures!!!, sounds good to me. Pity I missed it all, Lucky Bastards

Keep up the good work lads. Where´s Chris Gad got to? Hope nothing has happened to him.

Cheers Andyman

[Kanonier]

The Girls (I use the term loosely) that I remember worked in the Cookhouse. I did a lot of Restrictions of Privileges when I was at Troon, normally we were sent to the Pandive to "assist" the Ladies - god help you if you didn't clean everything to their standards. Can't remember Salad Bars, Dance Nights or any form of frivolity when I was there either, Andy. I can remember going to the Cookhouse where the food was plain but I suppose very nutritional. At the end of the Hotplate , normally at Breakfast, was a Tray with, what you were entitled to on it, which was normally 1 egg, 2 rashers of bacon, sausage and beans. This was pointed out by the Catering Officer, a Captain in the ACC. This man was of "generous build" and the rumour was that he had been captured by the Japanese and force fed Rice and Water - hard to swallow - the story, and the Rice and water! It wasn't until I joined my Regiment in Lippstadt that I first tasted Lamb with Mint Sauce, I had to ask the Cook, sorry Chef, what it was. Steaks were another delicacy alien to me, if you didn't make the first 15 in the queue you got Stew.

[trooper bogaert]

wwhen I got my first posting to 213 Sig Sqn(airportable) the food was un-edible...raw bacon half cooked eggs...we sometimes would go to a dockside transport cafe at belfast Docks for a smashing Ulster Fry with everything cooked to a treat on a large plate...then clean up the plate with soda bread....I took my main meals in the Naffii...chips with everything!cheers malcolm

[dandc1]

i think some of you lot got your brains addled some where,"girls in the cookhouse"dont you mean the over 50s battle axes from the local area."dances"there was no chance of girls on camp,"food"yes food was the best thing about troon when i was there,1967/68,dave.

[Kanonier]

Dave, they might have been "Over 50s Battleaxes" to you - for a sexually inexperienced 16 year old they were ravishing beauties!!

[trooper bogaert]

it seems fairly certain that you where not drinking the tea! they used to say it contained BROMIDE to take away the sexual urges....didnt work in our spider judging by the number that used to sneak away from quite wanks!cheers malcolm

[dandc1]

aye they used bromide,but it did not stop the beds creaking.ohhh happy days on 3 quid a week,dave.

[trooper bogaert]

you dont make any noice with 2 fingers!wonder what happened to that old sock!cheers malcolm PS Ive still got my old POSB book from Troon...there 8 pence in it!

[davidmansell]

does anybody remember going on sick parade,all you got from the mi room was codeine,its a wonder we didnt end up being druggies.i got knocked out in one of the boxing tournaments and i got a chitty excusing me from boxing for 5 days.really helpfull

[trooper bogaert]

I Had a fight with Ferguson and he hit me over the head with a bumper...Turner and Lindsay carried me unconsious to the MI room was there a couple of days(maybe I could make a claim if it was in the accident book)...yes all I got was codiene....hope ferguson is comming on the re-union my bumper wants a word with him!anybody remember pte.hampson well I met him at a course I was on at Park Hall Camp,Oswestry....very strange boy!cheers malcolm PS Im in contact with Larry!

[Kanonier]

I remember going sick with Constipation (it must have been from all the rich food), the Medics tried all sorts of remedies, none of which worked. I was then taken to an unused Spider, near to the MI Room, where at the end of the room was a six foot table (which I had to lie on A*** up), 2 Medics, a length of hosepipe and a funnel. Warm soapy water was then introduced to my body, this had the desired effect and I had to run from the top to the bottom of the room with the **** running down my legs until I reached the Toilet - good old days???

[trooper bogaert]

I seem to have lost my appetite now.....things have went very quite on this forum.......cheers malcolm

[davidmansell]

i remember the hours of frustration trying to make them bed packs with three blankets and 2 sheets you either had it or you didnt.on inspection days the floor was a mass of sheets and blankets when the sergeant flew them about the floor.happy days

[trooper bogaert]

Im sure i could still make a bed box... never had to bother with any of that bullshit when I went to mans service!nowadays its all duvets......are we the only two bods left david!once your off on your travells Ill be all alone....wonder whats hapened to old Dodger!!!I have asked Chris Copland to check tonkatojos registration( he cant log in) but as usual nothinng hapening!!! wife reckons CC wil be asking them al for funds shortly for the re-union...hence the quiteness!!! cheers malcolm PS Scotish Military vehicle Group (old army vehicle nutters) have been asked to put on a military vehicle display at Cultybragen!

[Kanonier]

I'm still here!! About 4 years after I joined "Mans" Service I was selected to be a JNCO!!! Before I could put the stripe on my arm I had to go through purgatory or, as the Gunners named it, a JNCOs Cadre Course. It was obligatory to make proper bed boxes on these Courses. One of the guys on the course reckoned he had the solution, he got a cardboard box, roughly the size of a bed box, cut 3 strips of blanket and 2 strips of sheet and glued them to the front of the box and wrapped a blanket around it, needless to say, the Sgt was not amused.

[davidmansell]

i see you were ra i was attached to 42med regt then at the end of my service i was at dortmund with the thunderbird missile regt,were we together?

[Kanonier]

David, we must have served with 42 together in Lippstadt. I was there from 64 to 71, I was a Clerk in RHQ then moved to the QMs Dept. Were you with the RLD?

[davidmansell]

yep we were both together then i was in the royal signals doing the rear link operator,we were in hq battery,just at the change over to the m109.i stayed with them when we went to devizes,then ireland blew up and i left to form 8 brigade and we went over the water then the s,,,, hit the pan.we must have bumped into each other.our first married quarter was in devizes across the road from the camp.we visited the area a few years ago the camp has gone but our old street is still there ferosher road.happy days

[Kanonier]

David, we were obviously living in our own little worlds. I also lived in Ferozeshah Rd, no 11. I can remember a few of the guys from the RLD, Ssgt McMillan, Alex, the Bty Boy! a couple of Cpl radio/wireless techs who later transferred to REME and one of the guys who was learning to play the Bagpipes - unfortunately their names escape me, after all it was 46 years ago!! I left 42 in 1971 on posting to Paderborn with 24 Msl then the Regt moved up to Dortmund in 72 - were you with 36 then? I spent the last 10 years of my service with 47 Regt, finishing up as a WO2. I now live in Camberley and work in Deepcut as the Married Quarters ASA (BIA), have been here 23 years. Of all the places that I have served I found Lippstadt to be the best posting, in fact, I am off back there again in July for (another) trip down memory lane. 42 Regt have a Website if you are interested, a few of the old guys from Lippstadt still contribute to it, Black Mac being one of them!!!

[davidmansell]

we stayed at no 16 they were great houses.my wife scorched everything in the gas washing boiler,no posh washing machines then.len oxley was the piper (oxo)there was a guy called jones (jonah)i used to kick around with he was a clerk in hq he had an awful habit of nicking motors though,i could tell a few tales,i left 42 in 69,i went to 36 in 74 till my demob in 75.lippstadt was a good posting.happy days

[Kanonier]

David, you must have lived next door to Bob Woolland. Do you remember the "Old Guy", he was a WO2 in the RAPC, I think that he must have been on the Long Service List - he was probably about 10 years younger than we are now!! I had a little look at Devizes on Google Streetview, the only thing that hasn't changed is The Crammer. There are still a couple of buildings standing from Hopton Barracks - the G10 and the FAMTO stores and a couple of the Romney Huts behind them.

[davidmansell]

aye we stayed next to bob wooland i think his wifes name was sandra she was a wee thing.i remember the pay corps guy he worked at an office in devises i think.there wass a drill square across the road,that was where my wife had her first driving lesson.she thought she was smart and drove to our house where she consequently hit bob woolands car,so i made her go and see them to explain,she never drove again till she was 40year old.i found the web sight for 42 but didnt remember anybody.do you remember cass flay and mel pybus and a guy lucas they were in the same room as me?myemail is d.mansell231@btinternet.com happy days

[bryan2]

i see you were ra i was attached to 42med regt then at the end of my service i was at dortmund with the thunderbird missile regt,were we together?

I was also at 42 in 68, but only for 6 months before being claimed by my brother to 25 who were going to HK for a few years.
I was in HQ. My troop Bombadier married a local girl and because she was due some inheritence ended up with a big Taurnus that he parked next to the CO's poxy Humber.
A month later after declining a commision he was asked to leave and took up business with his father in law, I was stuck down in the american zone on exercise so missed his departure.
Im useless at names, recognise a face from 50 years but could not give it an ID.

[Kanonier]

David, Pybus rings a bell but I can't recall the other two. Bryan, the only Bdr that I remember marrying a local girl was Dave Blackburn but he stayed in and finished up as a WO1. In '68 I was married and living in Private Accommodation in a little Village called Moenninghausen which was on the way out to Saltzkotten - good old days.