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THE KING'S SHILLING & OTHER MATTERS

 

(Submitted by Pat HAYNES 49B)

 

The 9th September 1949 was notable for several things in my life. I received the King's Shilling at Central London Recruiting Office before we went to catch the train from Waterloo Station, then we were given a day's ration allowance, then to top up this we received a week's pay, all four shillings of it, at the end of the day. Some time during that first few days we had a cross-country race, which I won, second was John CASSELLS.

 

During our Arborfield days George MATHER and I were the only two in our intake to pass the Army Certificate of Education 1st Class Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 at the first attempt. We were congratulated and presented with our Certificates in his office by Lieutenant Colonel E.L. Percival, Camp Commandant.

 

At the Prize Giving at the end of 3 Division on 30th January 1951, Lieutenant Colonel E.L. PERCIVAL presented me a book, ‘Practical Mechanics Handbook’ by F.J. Camm, awarded for Machine Drawing and Workshop Practice.

 

CSM 'Bull' WESTON I remember well. I was unfortunate to tread on one of his highly bulled toecaps whilst being hauled up in front of Major LANGLEY, OC 'A' Company.

 

Do you remember the day when RSM 'Tara' McNALLY lost his top set of dentures when he called our Passing Out Parade practice to attention? He caught them very smartly and popped them back in without hardly missing a beat.

 

Passing Out Parade of 49A was notable for the pair of ladies' panties and a bra flying from the flagpole at reveille. They had been removed by parade time.

 

RSM McNally

 

Major Walmesley

 

Sergeant Payne

 

Major WALMESLEY, RAEC had a tic in his eye and always seemed to be winking at you.

Major LANGLEY, Middlesex Regiment, OC 'A' Company, reputedly conducted his inspections wearing white gloves.

 

Seeing Sergeant Fred PAYNE reminds me of a story. When I was in either Division 2 or 3 our squad of Fitters was marching up towards the cookhouse after a day in the Workshop. I was leading man in the centre rank. Fred's horse had done his business on the road, as horses are wont to do, and my two outside leading men guided me into this line of droppings. Being a very smart cookie, when we arrived at the offending mess on the road I jumped over it. The squad was immediately ordered to: "Halt!" by one of 'D' Company's Drill Instructors, Corporal of Horse 'Donkey' STEPHENSON, Life Guards. He placed me on a Form 252 - Charge Sheet - and I was subsequently charged with ‘breaking the ranks’ and awarded two days jankers  - my only jankers, I might add.

 

Terry METCALF slept in the next bedspace to me in ‘D’ Company. When we were in 3 or 4 Division he contracted scarlet fever. It was after a leave period. As a result of this our room in the spider was put into isolation. We marched to meals after each sitting had cleared out of the dining hall, and we spent endless hours on ‘Interior Economy’. We got our exercise by going out of Camp on organised route marches. Our room NCOs, either Apprentice Sergeant ‘Dinger’ BELL and Apprentice Corporal Ron TOMS, or Apprentice Corporal ‘Harry’ PARRY were also in isolation with us. It was during this time that I learned how to cut the grass growing between the barrack blocks with a knife and fork. Terry was one of the buglers. When he was on duty we always asked him to play the long ‘Reveille’, it gave us longer in bed. The long ‘Reveille’ was known as ‘Charlie, Charlie, get out of bed’.

 

Memories of funny things like that last a long time. The scarlet fever episode is one of them.

 

 

Pat has contributed several items to the web site and they can be accessed from the links below…

 

Pat’s Photo Album                    Pat’s Documents Page.                    HMT Dorsetshire.

 

 

First Published: 14th November 2006.

Latest Updates: 15th April 2011.

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