But at the end of each day I had been so occupied and was so tired I had no difficulty in sleeping. And the majority of the other squaddies were good fellows at heart, even if not the brightest. Generally we accepted each other with some respect and with little animosity. For example, fellow soldiers at night got down on their knees at the bedside to say their prayers. This passed without comment.
Food was served in the mess halls and prepared in the cookhouses. We ate en masse off wooden tables and sat on forms. To get the food, one stood in line and passed before the servers standing behind enormous dixies. To hold our food, we had only two mess tins, plates were nonexistent, and a metal mug into which scalding hot tea was poured. The servers seemed to delight in ensuring each item went in the mess tins one on top of the other irrespective of whether, for example, it was gravy or custard. We, however, were usually so hungry we just ate it. There certainly was no point in complaining. To anyone used to school dinners it was just more of the same.
In our break times, we went to the Naafi (NavyArmyAirforce Institute) that had a radio, and where food, drinks, and other items such as boot polish and Brasso – we had to buy our own – could be purchased. It was somewhere to get away from our masters and mentors being for junior ranks only. It was off limits to senior NCOs and officers. They had their own. In the Naafi, someone was always sitting in the corner with the piano playing the popular tunes of the day with different degrees of skill.
Square Bashing
Oswestry introduced us to four basic military requirements; how to salute – all officers had to be saluted, stand to attention, stand at ease, and then on to foot drill – square bashing, marching in a military manner. This had to be mastered with head up, shoulders back, arms swung to shoulder height and at a steady pace. One started by falling in in three ranks an arms length apart and standing easy, hands behind your back and feet apart. Next, the sergeant brought us to attention – feet together, thumbs in line with the seam of your trouser and feet together. And following that, we right dressed – an arm’s length apart and sized with a marker to the right front, usually the tallest soldier with the smallest in the middle and taller ones toward the ends of the squad. We then learned to march keeping our dressing, left turn, right turn, left wheel, right wheel, about turn until the whole gamut of foot drill was mastered. We were rewarded with a welcome halt, stand at ease, stand easy and dismiss, a turn to the right a stamp of the boot and away.
This early learning of this basic army skill was done on the vast graveled surfaced parade ground under the eagle eyes of the drill Sergeants and the Regimental Sergeant Major, an imposing individual with a stentorian voice and a constant source of caustic comment.
Once a squad of say 30 or 40 however got the measure of the required drill it acts as a whole. And I must admit I never minded the drill, deriving a certain, perhaps perverse pleasure in it. When we became more used to the drill, the squad worked in unison with our heavy studded boots crashing as one to the surface of the square. It generated a certain team spirit. Today team ballroom dancing seems the nearest many get to it. Heaven help the soldier who did not get it right. A tongue lashing for the culprit from the drill sergeant, which while biting often included some rough and crude humor, along with extra drill usually resulted for the whole squad until we met his standard, and a welcome dismissal. With other squads also drilling one had to pay attention and listen for your own sergeant’s commands. It was good exercise too. And it broke in my new boots as well as my feet, but without blisters. Carried out in the heat of June, it was an initial toughening up made more so by the boots and heavy uniforms. We also had regular PT too, which combined with the drill began to get us fit.
Perhaps I thought once mastered foot drill would be a thing of the past, but we did more. And we were kept at it the whole of our National Service.
Hi John
I have already told you how much I have enjoyed this account of your National Service days…….it has brought back many many memories………albeit mine were in the infantry!
A minor point, the Warrant Officer in charge of the Regimental stores at Oswestry where you were issued with your Uniform would be an RQMS…..Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant……..not Sergeant major although as a WO1 he would be equivalent in rank to an RSM
The NCO in charge of the Battery or Company stores would be a BQMS.
Our paths continue to intertwine……. as a cadet I attended a PT course at Oswestry……staffed by fearsome corporals clad in the red and black striped sweaters you so accurately describe
Later, when in the army proper, I spent 3 months at Netheravon on Salisbury plain at the Small Arms School Medium Machine Gun Course so I became very familiar with the NAAFI club in Salisbury!
I only served in the UK and Germany but later in life I visited Hong Kong on a number of occasions. I thoroughly enjoyed your descriptions of trips from Kowloon on the Star Ferry, shopping in Nathan Rd etc
The whole account was an enthralling read….couldnt put it down!
Kind Regards
John
Hi John,
Thanks for those comments and I’m glad you enjoyed the read. With that kind commendation I hope others will too.
Your experience and service I take note of and there, I believe, one or two other matters will be the better for your further pertinent and welcome remarks. Let’s get things correct, the site is present and ready for inspection.
Kind regards,
John..
Hi John, really enjoyed your account of national service days, they sound so familiar as my dad Tommy Stevely is always telling me about his NS days. Like you he joined the Royal Artillery and served from ’49 -’51 and went to Oswestry ,Rhyl , Woolwich and Hongkong (sailed out on the Dunera) Most of his service was as a driver, (possibly because one of the driving instructors during training was a Jim Morrison from his home town Kilwinning, Ayrshire) During some of his time in Kowloon his duties were to transport the senior NCO’s to and from the ferry, also did some time as a PTI.
I look forward to letting him see your memoirs,
Cheers Alastair
Hi Alastair,
Yes, your father and I must have shared many experiences being about the same vintage and serving in Hong Kong, thank you for getting in touch. I also learned, from an instructor how to drive and the art of double de-clutching a jeep along with what seemed at first perilous excursions on mountain tracks and roads busy with rickshaws, carts and Chinese drivers. However, there, I was spared the attentions of those energetic gentlemen in in red and black striped jerseys-the PTI’s.
I hope your father enjoys the website and that the memoir will bring back a few memories for him. If it does would he be prepared to share them here? I’m sure others would be interested, for example, what was his unit and where stationed.
Kind regards.
John.
Hi again John, just to let you know my dad has enjoyed reading your memoirs it has brought back so many memories for him. I’ve had to print it out for him as he has never come to grips with the computer age, I’ve just the last chapter to give to him.
My dad served with 94 Battery, 25 Regiment and spent some of his time in Whitfield Barracks but moved when he became driver taking the senior nco’s back and forth to the ferry each day.
Cheers Alastair
I was at oswestry from 18th march 1954.and looking for any photo’s of this passing out parade,thanks.bill
Hi Bill,
Always happy to hear from another Gunner and thank you for responding; when you can find the photos please post them.
Also post about your service, what unit, where and your experiences.
I, and others, will be interested.
Regards,
John.
I was in this intake on the 18th of March 1954,I remember it well and on collection of all our equipment,the NCO lined us up on the parade ground arms aching with holding all our bedding etc, asked if we were cold and stupidly we all said yes,which resulted in us having to run around the parade square holding all our gear
Hello Brian,
It’s anecdotes like that which bring a smile to one’s face and so typical of army humour. Thank you for it.
Can you say something more about yourself and your service? I have no doubt there’s something of interest there.
Glad you found your way to my website.
Regards,
John.
Hi John’Yes I did have many funny things happen in my service and I will be happy to share them,I also have many photos that I have gathered over the years from other members of my old regiment ,which was the 35th LAA S/L regiment,which was based in Oldenburg Germany,I noticed that there was a gunner by the name of Jolly,that emailed in to your column,and I would be interested in contacting him as he was in the same intake as me at Oswestry,on the 18th of march 1954,All the best I will keep in touch
I enjoyed reading the memoir. My dad did National Service with the Royal Artillery. He was initially based at Oswestry and then was stationed in Aden. His name was Mervyn Tilley, and he used to tell us many storiestof his army days.
Hello Teresa,
I’m glad you enjoyed the memoir and thank you for telling me so and that your father was a fellow Gunner. As they say: once a Gunner, always a Gunner.
I have sympathy for his service in Aden. Not the most hospitable of postings. I visited twice, once whilst travelling out to Hong Kong, the other on my return. I only got ashore the once on the outward journey and was not impressed, a great bare lump of rock broiling under a very hot bright sun. But it was an experience and was glad of the opportunity.
You say your father had some tales to tell. Would you be prepared to share them on here? Others would I’m sure be pleased to hear of them. Not only of those who also served there but those who never had the experience of NS. It’s part of history.
Kind regards,
John.