Chapter V

 

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CHAPTER VI

 

Travel

 

Perhaps the chief advantage of being stationed in Germany is that it is a wonderful starting point for continental travel. We have tried to make full use of this, and today more than half the unit have passports. Two summers ago there was also a strong membership of the Youth Hostels Association but other activities last summer largely prevented hostelling.

 

As already mentioned, we have had a party of all ranks visiting Norway for skiing in three successive winters. Each year the numbers have grown – 6, 12 and finally 14 – and all those who visited our friends in the Norwegian Army will never forget their Hospitality and friendliness1.

 

On the last two occasions we spent one night on the way to Copenhagen as the guests of the Danish Army, who also proved to be wonderful hosts. Denmark is, of course, very close to us and there have been many visits there. On two occasions a party of officers managed to talk themselves into an official visit to Jutland. On the first, Major Eric Donnelly accompanied me to Aarhus and on the second Majors Gerry Pinder, Eric Donnelly, Harry Rogers and I toured the west coast of Jutland. We managed very successfully to combine pleasure with business.

 

The town of Haderslev, some 50 kms over the frontier at Flensburg, has had many week-end visitors from Todendorf – generally using my car as taxi! Summer 1955 saw two parties2, Easter 1956 another3, while in 1957 L/Bdr Adam Pettigrew and Gnr. Bill Button accompanied me there twice.

 

A party of 10 from Todendorf4 together with three officers from 72 LAA Regt RA spent Whitsun 1956 in Berlin. The highlight of the visit was undoubtedly an extensive tour of the Russian Sector.

 

Summer 1956 was our greatest camping time. The Troop Commander, Lt Dennis O’Grady, took his whole troop (and me) to the seaside resort of Schönberg where we had a splendid week-end of military training (living in two marquees), bathing and other diversions. Lt O’Grady and I spent another week-end at Schönberg with Cpl George Millie and Gnr Jim Girdwood in a home-made 4-man tent, and yet a third week-end at Grömitz with L/Bdrs Adam Pettigrew and Alec Melling.

 

Meanwhile L/Cpl Pete Edge and Gnr John Lea went off hiking and hostelling, and roamed as far south as Italy.

 

February 1957 and 1958 saw our ski-team visiting Winterberg in Sauerland, while summer 1957 saw our 4-day marchers roaming even further afield, camping where necessary, until the final visits to Haderslev Army Barracks in Denmark and Nijmegen Air Force Barracks in Holland. The names of these teams are given elsewhere.

 

The whole Sergeants’ Mess, not to be outdone by all this travel, had an outing to Gedser in Denmark – the chief object of which (let it be said) was to take advantage of the famous buffet on the ferry-boat – 7/6d. and eat as much as you possibly can for as long as you possibly can. Rumour has it that a few minutes were also spared for washing everything down with a glass of liquid!

 

We have, of course, made many other local expeditions – Kiel Canal, Lübeck, the Plön lakes etc; - and there is not much left within striking distance which has not been explored. All, I think, have enjoyed their travels, and some have certainly caught the bug for yet more travel. But all these journeys were not memorable in themselves. As in all our other activities, the clue to everything is the relatively high percentage of the unit which took part. We have had our ups and downs and clashes of opinion, but by and large it has been a singularly peaceful and trouble-free unit and one which, for me, has been invigorating to command.

 

So although we all disperse shortly, here is to the whole team – past and present – meeting at the reunion we have planned, and renewing the friendships and memories which I believe each one of us values.

 

1The parties consisted of:-

1956 Lt. Col. Martin Burnett, Cpl. Bryn Evans (RAMC), Cpl. Don Turner (REME), Bdr. Joe Boyers, Bdr. Derek Seabourne, L/Bdr. Taffy Blanche.

 

1957 Lt. Col. Martin Burnett, BQMS Roy Marshall, Cpl. George Millie and L/Cpl. Pete Edge of REME, and Gunners Alec Melling, Bill Button, Adam Pettigrew, Denis Milson, Jim Girdwood, Mike Farrar and “Brummy” Lea. The last-named achieved fame by getting himself featured in the local press as “Young John from Birmingham”.

 

1958 Lt. Col. Martin Burnett, RSM John Scogings, BQMS Rex Burns, Sgt. Derek Humphreys (RAPC), Bdr. Pete Taylor, L/Bdrs. Harold Groombridge, Pete Barrow, and Terry King, Gunners Tony Payne, Jim Girdwood, Brod Lawson and Kieth Watkinson, and SAC Harry Wilson of the RAF.

 

2The first 1955 party consisted of Cpl. Bryn Evans, Bdr. Joe Boyers and myself, whilst in the second I was accompanied by Cpl. Wilkins of the RAMC, Gnr. Jock Scott, Gnr. Mike Farrar and LAC “Casanova” Haslewood of the RAF. In the latter visit we also visited Copenhagen.

 

3At Easter 1956 the party was Lt. Denis O’Grady, Cpl. Don Turner and L/Bdr. Alec Melling and myself.

 

4Consisting of:- Lt. Col. Martin Burnett, Cpl. Bryn Evans, Cpl. (later Sgt.) Jock Ball, Cpl. Don Turner, L/Bdrs. Fred Kingshott and Roy Foord, and Gunners Bill Smith, Fred Thompson, “Ginger” Vines and Mike Farrar.

 

 

CAMPING AT GRÖMITZ – SUMMER 1956

 

Lieut. O’Grady and L/Bdr. Pettigrew

 

 

 

Postscript