Chapter III

CHAPTER IV

Social Life

The remainder of this book is devoted to the ways and means we have devised to give ourselves exercise and pleasure in our off-duty hours.

In case a casual reader should get the impression of one non-stop round of entertainment and sport, two things should be emphasised.

First, the fact that three years activities have been crammed into a few pages; and secondly, the isolation of this little unit which is buried deep in the back-lanes of a sleepy if beautiful belt of agricultural land, 45 kms from the nearest town offering any amenities. The nearest railway is 17 kms distant and the only buses run spasmodically between neighbouring villages. Normal unit social life is impossible, as the married quarters are 35 kms from the Camp. Even the families themselves are isolated to a great extent being 15 kms from the remainder of the British community in Kiel. Small wonder, therefore, that we put great store in building up for ourselves rather special amenities.

First of all, we were determined to make the three Permanent Staff Messes into something out of the ordinary and little by little they began to be more what we were striving for.

In the Officers’ Mess, we carried out extensive alterations and completely refurnished the dining-room in which many a successful candle-light guest night was held, including ladies’ nights which were very popular. Similarly, in the Sergeants’ Mess first RSM Harry Flowers and then RSM John Scogings and his members altered the building this and that way until it became ideal for the many successful functions held.

The Junior Ranks’ Mess became perhaps the best Mess of all in comparison with equivalent accommodation in normal barracks. With the small numbers involved, it became possible to establish it on exactly the same lines as the other two messes – a single building containing dining-room, ante-room (complete with piano), kitchen, bath and showers etc: drying room and three six-men barrack rooms. When NAAFI finally deserted us, a billiard-room and a table-tennis room were added nearby.

Outside these Messes, one of the NATO NAAFI’s was often used for dances, All-Ranks’ Dinners, Children’s Parties and other unit functions – in the organisation of which RQMS Harry Cranfield and BQMS Sammy Weaver always seemed to be prominent.

But the social events – apart from Christmas parties – which involved most members of the unit, were the annual visits of Norwegian soldiers of all ranks to us in the summer, and our return visit to them in the winter to ski. This private échange-au-pair grew up from contacts made by me when stationed in Norway some years before, and proved immensely popular both ways. In all there were six visits – three each way – involving about 60 different people.

Our other great social venture has been the construction of a completely English pub called the “Goat & Compasses”. The sign was painted by Gnr Bill Button, now teaching art in civil life, and the many notices and advertisements, the beer-pulls, the horse-brasses and the dart-mat were all brought from England by members of the unit when on UK leave. It has proved an immensely popular (and profitable) all-ranks’ social center and, since NAAFI deserted us, has also been the regimental canteen. The first landlords were L/Cpl. Pete Edge and L/Bdr Harold Groombridge whose names appear in accordance with tradition on the door lintel. They were succeeded by Bdr Jock McGloan and L/Bdr Pete Barrow. The pub ceiling still bears witness to the opening of the first barrel of draught beer. Such was the pressure that the power-jet of beer scarred the ceiling on the way up and soaked Sgt Len Stacey to the skin on the way down!

In August 1956 the unit’s own group of married quarters was completed and this not only considerably cut down the husbands’ daily travelling time, but made it rather easier for the wives to join in the unit’s social functions. While on the subject of wives, mention should be made of the work of first, Mrs. Sandy Dingwall, and since 1956, Mrs. Ethel Pinder in looking after the families’ interests and welfare.

I would like to put on record one social occasion which I shall never forget – and in parts find hard to remember! In August 1956 I completed 25 years commissioned service, and to mark this quarter century of undetected crime, Lt. Dennis O’Grady and RQMS Harry Cranfield organised a party for me given by all ranks, who presented me with something I shall always treasure. The party started in daylight one day and finished elsewhere in daylight on the next – some party!

Which leads me naturally to the “Honky Tonks” without mention of which no book on Todendorf is complete. There have sprung up outside the camp a succession of wooden shanties which are part café, part bar and wholly “honk-tonk”, complete with juke-box. The names read well – The Oasis, The Astoria, The Metropole, Sans-Souci, The Atlantic, Waldklaus. They vary greatly in standard and popularity but few visitors to Todendorf have not sampled them and some have appeared to spend more hours in them than in the camp. From time to time one or more has had to be “out of bounds” and two – The Texas and a nameless shack – have ceased to be. But all in all they have been a source of pleasure to many, if a headache to visiting CO’s.

In the little country town of Lütjenburg there is a pub-cum-dancehall which was once very popular with the soldiers of all nations. If L/Bdr Taffy Blanche (and his wife) will forgive me, I must recall his gay bachelor days when he used to visit the “Stadt Hamburg”, as it is called. He could not be bothered with all the girls’ German names and so he named them after the Kings of England. They answered quite happily when called “George III” or “Henry VII”.

Finally, on the social as well as military side, mention should be made of our many visitors. As a remote British RA unit we have always been pleased to see the MGRA and his BRA, the CCRA and all CRA’s, as well as our District Commander. Being NATO, we have had visits from many different Allied HQ’s and on one occasion I recall we had a grand total of 12 stars in the camp, and guards only turned out for 3-stars and above!