Author Archives: Barrybloke
There was in our Battalion a sergeant whose name I have long since forgotten, but who was known by all as ‘Holy Joe’ due to his religious and pious nature. He was a man of about forty and was in charge of the G1098 store wherein was kept all manner of items such as picks, […]
One of the most important events of each day, was the distribution of mail from home. Most of the chaps could expect a letter or two each week, usually from parents and other family members. The luckier ones amongst us would have had a regular girlfriend back home who would keep up a steady supply […]
Winter was also the time of the Saturday morning cross-country run. This was decreed to be a “scale A” parade which meant that no-one could avoid it. Even those whom the M.O. had placed on “light duties” were found some sort of job, such as acting as waymarkers along the route. They would be attired […]
I shall impress you now with the professionalism of Support Company of which I was proud to be a member. This was the title given to the company in any infantry battalion which provided the “support” weapons to back up the rifle companies. Support weapons in my service days were medium machine-guns, anti-tank guns and […]
Due, no doubt to his observation of our performance on the square, the Adjutant decided that the standard of drill of Support Company was below par. He therefore conceived the brilliant notion of holding a drill competition between the four platoons of which the company was comprised. Accordingly, over the next few weeks our Platoon […]
At intervals of about four weeks, there took place an event known as an Adjutants Drill Parade. This involved the whole battalion, drawn up on the square in its six constituent companies in the order, from the front, “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, “Support” and “H.Q.”. The Regimental Band was also on parade, which added considerably […]
It is July 17th 2003 and I am very frustrated! I have just had a report from the site search engine to the effect that someone visited my site and used the search term “smokey funnel”. “Smokey” Funnel was a corporal in Support Company, Mortar Platoon if my memory serves me well. I certainly know […]
This story is not funny, but simply serves to illustrate the diversity of human nature with which we all come into contact in our daily lives. It was September 1954 and I had been in Germany only three weeks when I was told that I was to be attached to the Medium Machine-Gun Platoon. This […]
Further to the R.E.M.E Sergeant story, I left the workshops area and set off in what I believed to be the direction in which I would find my unit. Before I had covered many miles, the daylight began to fade and the fuel gauge with it! After travelling for some distance along a tree-lined road […]
The Support Company vehicles were housed in garages close to, but not part of the M.T. Section. This was a long building, with sets of double doors along its length. From memory, I would say it provided shelter for the following vehicles: four Oxford Carriers and four T16 Carriers; six Humber 1-tonners and eight Austin […]