Posted by Eric on Jun 13, '10 11:31 PM for everyone I reckon I must have gotten away lightly when I crashed my Suzuki Super Six in 1968.. Woke up three days later to find myself in Cambridge Military Hospital (CMH) Aldershot in a ward full of Paratroopers... I guessed I must have crashed my motorcycle... but didn’t know what had happened till a mate who had been on the pillion visited me.... He told me he was lucky enough to land on top of me but stupid enough to tell the Police he was the pillion rider.
They only told soldiers back then what was necessary on a "Need to Know" basis..... Kept me in hospital for a month... Parents didn't even find out for a couple of weeks..... Not sure what they told them but they lived 250 miles north and didn't visit?
Eventually they released me on sick leave...... a month. I was released with the clothes I had crashed in blood stained and torn motorcycle jacket etc....one boot missing but they gave me an old slipper to use..... The Army Apprentice College 18 miles away did not send a duty driver to pick me up.. I had no money so hitch Hiked / walked back to camp.
There were very few people around at camp they were all on Half term break. At the guardroom the Regimental Policeman (Sergeant) told me I could not have a month’s leave it was too long and called in the Orderly Officer... The Orderly Officer looked at the leave pass issued... signed by a Colonel at the hospital and decided it outranked anything/anyone at the apprentice school so must be valid....He was able to issue me a leave warrant (Train Warrant) so I wouldn't have to pay my own way home...he gave me money (from my own pay) I think I managed to get 20 quid advance out of him to be debited on my return...I hadn't been able to draw any pay while I had been in hospital.
I asked where my motorcycle was.... It was locked in the Fire shed.... It looked damaged but ride-able and started fairly-easy. I was stopped again as I tried to leave camp on the bike. The bloody RP Sergeant telling me I couldn't use a smashed bike and the kit I was wearing was too tatty to "Walk Out" in. Again the Orderly Officer was called in... I explained I was just taking it to Reading Station to put on the train and showed him I was wearing a Suit and Tie (College Mufti) underneath it all.... He let me go.
I rode the bike all the way home to Chester... it handled like a pig, the frame was twisted and had lozenged but I compensated by not going over 80mph.
When I returned to the hospital (direct from leave) I thought it was just for a sort of report in and leave job...... They kept me in for another bloody week??? Don't know to this day what they knew or thought was wrong with me.
The up-side I got back to my unit (Apprentice College) a couple of weeks before the end of that term... I had missed 9 weeks electrical training and thought I would have to be back-squad-ed a term. However I was given the chance to take the final electrical Exams with the rest of my Division..... I came top! They gave me an "average" practical mark for the work I had missed and let me stay with my own division....
During that Summer Holiday I took my car driving test and passed it
The following term I found that the civilian Police had charged me with carrying a passenger when the pillion and myself only held learner licence's... I had to go to court, the Judge (Hangman Hacket as he was known) hated Army Boys, he wouldn’t believe that I did not remember anything on the day of the crash... He banned me from driving for three months...Fortunately my motorcycle was still in for repair during that period of time. I still don’t remember anything other than what I was told by my pillion about the crash. Posted by Eric on Dec 15, '09 2:14 PM for everyone Up and Onwards to 2010
then up and keep moving again
The order was……
"If it doesn't Move.... PAINT IT "
2009 was another great year one of many past and hopefully more to come.
My Dad followed a Military Career so I traveled a lot as a kid (Brat)
The life of an Army Brat
Hell knows all the schools
they were at !!
Life at the double
some got into trouble
For others too late
to look back (RIP)
So many schools! Not that I ever wanted to be at school. It was however an exciting time with plenty of variety mainly after classroom hours. Variety is the spice of life. Certainly I was rarely bored... the curriculum itself was not the main learning curve…..
One of the bigger adventures (being an Army Brat for 15 years) was moving to Penang Malaya. I went to Slim School high up in the Cameron Highlands Pahang nestled in jungle clad hills. Later when that school closed, (the British forces were slowly pulling out) I moved down to Bourne School bringing to a close my secondary education in the capital city Kuala Lumpur.. My education was both Cold and Hot.
Penang where my father was stationed was a holiday resort even back then.
Penang was the Oyster I was the Pearl
with all the crap I could see
It did me no harm leaving me full of charm
took the Queens shilling and joined the REME
I joined The British Army (REME) from Penang at 15 years of age. I was told to report to Arborfield UK. Due being delayed for a few weeks in Singapore en-route as an enlisted soldier maybe I should have received the Malaysian Medal ( Harry got a gong for five minutes in Iraq) The Malaysian Government dished out medals in retrospect to all servicemen that served during that period of time in Malaya/Malaysia. I mustn’t have been in the right NAAFI queue.
The NAAFI was our only hope
our refuge from the storm
You could get a Bacon Butty
or mug of tea to keep you warm
At the Army Apprentice School/College in Arborfield UK I trained as a VM.. Vehicle mechanic / electrician. This preceded a military career spanning 25 years. I was fortunate enough to leave “Brats School” after three years training with enough educational qualifications (at 19 years old) for promotion through to Warrant Officer…
By the time I was 25 I had been promoted to Sergeant. Shortly after when I turned up for my “Tiffy Course” I was offered selection for a place at Sandhurst… No Way! Just about to start Tiffy Course (301b 1975) and on completion I would be on the equivalent pay of a six year Captain, ( band 7 Artificer Vehicles S/Sgt). I wasn’t interested in “starting over again” on Academy pay then have to spend more years working my way up. Had a wife and two kids….needed the extra money right away
The Tiffy is a funny beast
some would say overpaid
Then he knows the bloody lot
and all your skiving ways
The MOD looked after me very well, promoted me to WO1 (ASM)… Warrant Officer Class 1 Artificer Sergeant Major.. the pleasure being all mine. In 2005 I passed my “Sell by Date.” 55yrs old so I don't expect MOD to ask for any further active service. I quite liked Dad's Army on TV reminds me I started my Army Career in Battle Dress
Never lost the habit of moving….After my stint in the Army (REME) went on to work for the Civil Service / ESSO Petroleum / Commercial Coach and Bodybuilding / then on to RAC sales……With a couple of periods as a home carer in-between.
I am now living in W Vancouver BC (The Pacific Side) with my wife Jenny who is employed as a Beauty Advisor with La Mer Estee Lauder... I am hoping she can advise me how I can retain my youth…. some of her products are claimed to work miracles
Our second home is near Penrith (North Lakes) Cumbria.
Where we wander slowly in the crowd
as round The Lakes we go
My son calls Culgaith Inbredshire
they get locked in by snow.....
We have decided to stay in Canada at least until our youngest girl Phoebe finishes her studies at the University of British Columbia (UBC)… she has just completed her second year with two more to go.
Our next older older girl Natalie graduated from UBC and will complete her current studies as a radiologist in 2010
My Daughter Karen has settled in Marchwood Hampshire with Paul and has three children Brooke Georgia and Thomas. Karen works in a Veterinary practice in Southampton…… mending animals.
My son Stephen has settled in Hook Hampshire with Amanda and also has three children Jake Maddy and Archie. Stephen is an RAF Officer teaching pilots to fly Chinook Helicopters. He "Saw the Light" and swapped over uniforms from his job as Major in the Army Air Corps during the time he was attached to the RAF
Eric Davies
Posted by Eric on Apr 8, '09 1:06 PM for everyone | |
|
