Duped at beggining and end of service.

I joined the Army a nice fresh sixteen year old many moon's ago. I remember doing the careers office thing and then off to Deepcut for the selection process.
By the grace of god at the the end i was told i had qualifyed for anything, the world was my oyster. My ambition from a five year old was to be a tank driver, so this is what i asked for. the very nice sergeant explained that there was an eighteen month waiting list but he knew of a very old british army short cut. He told me to join the infantry and when i get to the training depot slap in a transfer request and that would be quicker, i thanked him for his kind assistance and went home to await my date.
Upon arriving at Lichfield all lined up with our bags and long hair were given a quick briefing of the days events and the end of which a very nice other sergeant asked if there was any question's. I piped up and of course put in my transfer request, i dont think i could hear anything for a week.
Years later in the regiment i was due to sign off but the company was away, i spoke to my sergeant major who said no problem, when we return to the battalion next month he will explain to the orderly room and they would back date it to the day i had mentioned it to him. Upon returning to the ballalion i reminded the very nice sergeant major of the conversation and low and behold he could not for the life of him remember, i served that extra month, cheers Nick.
My point to all this is i'm not alone out there, is there anyone else that has been duped in a similar fashion, i'm sure there is.

I joined in 1968 intending to be a VM in REME. The nice RCT recruiting sergeant at Cardiff ACIO also told me there was a waiting list but if I joined the infantry (Prince of Wales's Division) I could apply to transfer and get into the REME early. Never happened, but with 20/20 hindsight I wouldn't change a thing!

I'm not alone then, and like you i would not of changed it.

i'm still waiting my transfer and i've been out 19 years. never did understand why i never got to the salvation army...

When I was at the Depot in Wrexham I got a bit cheesed off, I asked the Sgt Maj if I could apply for a transfer to the RMP he said yes you can apply.
I duly appeared beforthe OC to apply, he asked me which corps or regiment did I wish to go to I replied the RMP, his answer was as follows "Hughes all you are good for is directing traffic, application refused now get out".
I think back now and wonder what my future would have been like if he had said yes, I am glad however that he said no.
Joe

The same as" Lofty", In 1964 I asked Sgt Hughes, the RWF recruiting Sgt in the Caernarfon Office if I could join up to be a Tank driver, he said "yes, sign here," After a "hard" test at the office, what is 2+2, Black and what, etc, with his help I passed, He even gave us (Tom Binfield and I) a lift home in a kaki minivan, A few weeks later I arrived at Cwrt Y Gollen with Tom Binfield and Harry Jones 66, as I was walking from the Guardroom to the Trg. Block a'n old soldier from Caernarfon, Sulvan "Jack Gin" who recognized me and was due for release said "Turn around now and f,,, off home you idiot, I was 17 and nearly burst out crying, never did see a Tank for Months, never regreted it either.

Was I duped – I’m not really sure! My father was a Chief Tech in the RAF and we had just returned to Tern Hill from Singapore, after a two and a half year posting!

During the posting to Singapore, (1961 – 1964) , I was influenced by the various Army personnel that I came into contact with (members of the R.SIGS and Ordinance Corps (RAOC)). To be honest, the soldiers always seemed to have much fun than their RAF counterparts and I expressed a wish to join the Army.

Nothing came of that until we returned to the UK in August 1964. Within a few weeks I was able to get a job as a greengrocer’s assistant in Market Drayton. (I was an errand boy and used to weigh the flour and potatoes etc).

Anyway, I remember returning home from work one night and my father, who had obviously retained the fact I wanted to join the Army, informed me that the next day we would be going to Shrewsbury where I would sign on. “Don’t worry son, we will only sign you on for six-years, just in case you don’t like it!”

So, at the tender age of fifteen, I accompanied my father to the Shrewsbury Recruiting Office. Once we got there, I wasn’t sure what was going. I was asked a lot of questions that I didn’t understand, such as did I have wet dreams, had I been in trouble with the local police, etc. That was followed by some kind of exam. Well, son, congratulations – you qualify for the Infantry! Wow, really! Yes. Sign here

No sooner had I signed on and accepted the King’s Shilling, I was dispatched by the Recruiting Sergeant to the local corner shop to purchase some tea-bags!

Having returned with his tea-bags he said ‘normally we would send you to the Light Infantry Depot in Shrewsbury, but there full – you’ll have to go to Crickhowell!’ Yikes, where’s that, I said?


I reported for duty on the date required and, thinking I would be clever, got a haircut in Shrewsbury before proceeding to Abergervenny. What a mistake! On walking through the Crickhowell Gates and finding the Junior Drummers accommodation,I was met by a shout of “Haircuts are cheap today, cheaper than yesterday, if you don’t get one today, you will be locked away!”<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

Robert did not know that David Jasons first roll as Granvell in open all hours could of been based on your good self lol, But all I can say is the Light Inf loss was our gain buddy!

Duped, Never ! but set up yes may be, but at the end of the day would not of change a thing, The Best Move I ever made!

PS My Dad was in the RAF and stationed at Tern Hill some years earlier I think Bob.

What fabulous memories you all have! Despite everything you all went on to become part of the best battalion in the world ~ The 1st RWF with heaps of more memories.
Take care all
Anita x

After just completing my battle camp with the junior leaders all the Prince of wales division recruits were told to report to the CSM . When we got there he told us that he needed 30 "volunteers" for a machine gun course , so me thinking i like the sound of that i said i would go , only after volunteering did we all find out that it was actually a six month Drummers course in Lichfield.

The CSM didn't exactly lie to us because part of the course was GMPG (SF) , but i was glad i had put my hand up that day because i ended up finishing my course and joining the corps of drums.