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Kelvin Bob ROBERTS’ Photo Album
Source: Trevor STUBBERFIELD (52A)
AAS Arborfield
1952 - HQ
Company Champion Drill Squad, Intake 52A
Centre, front rank – Sgt Ginger ROBERTS, East Lancs Regiment, Drill Instructor
Junior Leaders
Drill Competition
AAS Football
Team
(seated, left) – Bob ROBERTS
AAS Athletics
Team
(standing, left to right) – Ian AKERS, Pete WESTON, Terry
GRIGG, Apprentice Sergeant Nick WEBBER (50B), Bob ROBERTS, Terry REDDIN, Eddie COOPER
(crouching, left to right) – Taff POWELL, Ted HORN
(sitting, left to right) - John
GROUNSELL, Dave GODBOLD, MAGUIRE
2nd February 1955 – Intake 52A Passing-Out Parade
(above and below) – Apprentice CSM Bob
ROBERTS, saluting
Bob ROBERTS receiving the Regimental Efficiency Prize
REME
1959 -
Aircraft Carrier HMS ‘Albion’
Departing Portsmouth bound for the
eastern Mediterranean. Bob ROBERTS is
lining the flight deck with the other troops
Cyprus
Bob ROBERTS
Dekhelia, Cyprus
(crouching, left to right)) – Dave Snoz
JOHNSON and Bob ROBERTS
(second left) – Dave Snoz
JOHNSON, and (right) Bob ROBERTS
Career
History
REME:
- 1956: posted to 7
Infantry Workshops REME, Gillingham,
Kent
during the build-up to the Suez Crisis.
- Following that I
ended up in Cyprus,
where we had to check all the equipment that came back from Port Said. We had Christmas
day off that year. Apparently the193rd covered the withdrawal
from Suez.
- mid-1957: returned to the UK
via Famagusta (Cyprus)
and Southampton to Gillingham.
- 29 June 1957: married Jan.
- 1959: went to the
Mediterranean aboard the aircraft carrier HMS ‘Albion’ – there were some
potential problems in Syria,
Jordan and Lebanon.
- Ended up in Cyprus
again.
- On return to the UK moved from Gillingham to Goojerat Barracks, Colchester.
During this time the Unit was redesignated 8 Infantry Workshops REME.
- 1960-1961:
Embarked to Kenya
to support a potential Kuwait/Gulf crisis.
- 14 March1966:
birth of son Andre. I would like to take this opportunity to thank
her Britannic Majesty most profusely for the experience of East Africa and Safaris.
- Final
"Parade" was a big exercise in Cyprus
- Famagusta
and Panhandle (despite all the troubles).
- Returning to UK and due soon for discharge, I was
faced with a type of bribe - a 3-years accompanied posting to Hong Kong, for which I had to sign on for 22 years
and attend No 2 Artificer Course. My
"investigation" said Penang -
NO THANK YOU. Goodbye Sergeants’ Mess.
Civilian:
- I joined the
Austin Motor Company at Longbridge as a
Computer Engineer.
- Rose to the
position of Site Technical Training Manager.
- After 30 years
service, by that time considered ‘too old’, I was made redundant.
Notes:
I have in my possession –
- three copies of
the "Craftsman" magazine (issues August 1960, October 1960 and
December 1961)
- two copies of the
“Arborfied Apprentice” magazine (issues
December 1951 and December 1952)
- three original large Company photographs, one of
‘HQ’ Company, and two of ‘C’ Company (one of which is Champion Company).
Retirement
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