Has Nick Ravenhill taken Up The Pushbike? Answers on a postcard

Passed to me today by forum member Howie. By god, it does look like him. I'd almost feel sorry for the other competitors if it was.

A battalion legend. Everyone has their favourite "Nick" story. Lets hear them(nothing libelous).

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Alright, I'm sure Nick won't mind me telling this one.
After a rugby match and several beers in Andover a few of us, including Nick, came back to my place to grab a bite to eat. While I was hooking out the bread, ham, cheese etc for sandwiches I heard my dogs (two big Alsations) whimpering. I turned around to see Nick tucking into their food from the dog bowls with a huge grin on his face. Apparently he was starving and couln't wait. What a guy.

Couldnt believe it when Howie showed me the Pic in work today!! Definately him. Will think of an apt story in the meantime!!

Everyone know's how competitive he is. He would rather die than get beaten....in anything.

Late 90's Chepstow. Nick is QM, and still as fit as a butchers hook. Running every morning by himself at 06:00.

One morning my company(Fire SP) are about to exit the frontgate as we depart on our run. As we reach level with the gate Nick passes across our bows, already running on the road towards Chepstow. We turn left and follow him, so now we have Nick running by himself, followed at about 50 metres by 100 odd blokes from Fire Support Company. We start to close the gap on him, and its obvious to myself the OC Maj Ian Cave and the lead guys, that the QM is upping the pace. He's obviously determined that we will not catch him.........The game was on, and time to have some sport!!

We followed him for about a mile and a half, and then saw him turn into another road that loops back on itself, he then disappeared from view, obviously thrashing himself around the loop, trying to open the gap. We normally let the boys have a free run for about another mile on this part of the run, finishing where the loop rejoins the main road. A minute later we'd reached that same loop and halted the company. Quickly I told them....." Free Run make sure someone beats the QM to the junction.....GO!!!"

The young company racing snakes were off at a blistering pace, I knew it was cruel, but I just couldn't stop myself. I could almost imagine the look on Nicks face as he hammered along that road, thinking he had lost us, and then the realisation setting in, as the sound of footsteps gets closer and closer. You all know what he's like, and so can imagine what was going through his mind.

A few mins later the company regrouped back at the main road. The boys were in bits, but happy that they had managed to catch Nick a short distance from the finish point, about 5 of them had managed to close him down, and as they passed him, he had the look of the 100m world champion about to be beaten for the first time, saliva flying everywhere. ...........

It was easy to build up a mental picture of Nick giving himself a stiff bollocking as he jogged back to the Officers Mess that morning, and getting himself up an extra half hour early the next day, in order to improve on his speedwork and stamina!!

Great sport for the young guys, and testament to his fitness as a man in his 50's.

Being on the wrong side of Nick.

We were in Berlin and the wall had come down, we were off to the East to play the east germans in Rugby, cut a long story short we had a great squad of characters, we played hard and drank hard. We beat the Germans and had a great night on the ale, I cant remember going to bed that night, and when i woke up the following morning gibbering I found i was on the top floor asleep in the corridor with nothing more than a pillow case thrown over me. I trundled off to find my bed.

At Breakfast Shady Kent and the late John Whitehead RIP were giggling like school girls, Nick came in and pulled me to one side demanding to know what the fuc i was doing in his bed last night. Yes when i had flacked out Shady and John had taken me to bed not my own though. Apparently Nick had dragged me out of his room threw me in the corridor and threw a pillow case over me. All i can say is in those days i was partial to the occasional swamped bed syndrome, but lucky for me that night it didnt happen.

Still Nick wasnt best pleased.

Nick was my CSM in Deltas when I joined the Battalion in Warminster and when we were making a video in Brecon for SSVC I had an ND and shot Mike Carey with a blank from 3 millimetres away, pebble dashed his arm, 1 minute later we had a VIP visit from GOC Wales (At the time Gen Peter De la Billiere) and when Nick found out what I had done he took me behind the VIP chopper and picked me up by my throat, it was fair to say that his saliva was frothing from his mouth as he gave me the quietest bollocking I ever had, my legs were dangling in the air and when I started to go blue he let me go.

I made up for it a few years later when he was RSM and I was working in the Welfare Office, I was tasked to pick him up from BMH after he had been admitted, not too sure what he had done, it may of been the snip, anyway he wanted to get home quickly to Amina but I had only just passed my driving test and it was my first experience of driving at night time so I was driving at 50kmh all the way back to his house, he was not amused and was obvoiusly in pain but quietly I was giggling like mad thinking to myself I was getting even.

I remember that well Hammy, and when we got back to Sennybridge Nick had us on orders (me as a witness) but he did not bother to tell me,so as I was coming out of the shower with a little towel around me and wearing flip-flops I heard the voice "Carey get here" and sure enough there I was marching quick time into the OC's office in towel and flip-flops. I don't think I kept in step with Hammy!

Where do you start with stories of the great mad man?!!

1. Berlin- first time ever going into his office with him as RSM. I Had been detained at the West Berlin Police's pleasure for the evening.A slight altercation with the Kingo's down town I think.(Bear was there!!). Some of my fellow detainees had already been in to see him, so I was doubly petrified. As I halted, I began..."Sir, it was..."
"Shut up 75, I know what happened" (Gulp!!) he butted in.

"I've heard what happened, the Kingo's slagged off our Regiment and you and others defended its name. You then ran back to help some of the lads out, and got caught by the Police. Well done 75. March out!!" I was 7 feet tall walking out of that office. That same excuse wore pretty thin over the coming years though!!

2- Any Red Dragon function, any year- Nick would hunt me and Dale Williams 24 down on the day of the function and 'invite' us to be his drinking/cigar partners for the evening.How do you refuse him? Then, well into the early hours as you tried to sneak out, he would 'invite' you to stay longer!!
The next day, as was normal for Dale and I, we would be walking about like camp tramps with sore heads. Nick would see us and either lock us up or give us extras. When we tried to explain that he was 'sort of responsible' for our appearance. he would always say..."Oi, I was with you and look at me. No excuses!!". Great bloke!

Den Morris 18 often reminisces about the happy times he spent as a recruit at Cwrt Y Gollen. Nick and Ted Douche were 2 of the section commanders. On day the platoon had an Escape & Evasion Exercise. On capture, Den was interrogated by Ted and Nick. He doesn't say a lot about that bit, although the following words appear in the sentence:

"Ted, Clips, Crocodile, Hand Generator, Voltage, Nick."

Happy Days:yes:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ap1

Den Morris 18 often reminisces about the happy times he spent as a recruit at Cwrt Y Gollen. Nick and Ted Douche were 2 of the section commanders. On day the platoon had an Escape & Evasion Exercise. On capture, Den was interrogated by Bill and Nick. He doesn't say a lot about that bit, although the following words appear in the sentence:

"Ted, Clips, Crocodile, Hand Generator, Voltage, Nick."

Happy Days:yes:

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I believe I was on the same exercise as one of the sect comds with Nick and Ted. The other method of assisting communication consisted of an OG towel and a jerry can of water; I won’t go into the finer details. I served with Nick at the Welsh Bde Depot until he was RTU for fighting! We also served together as C/Sgt instructors at RMA Sandhurst instructing Officer Cadets. I can assure all members that they were treated with as much TLC by Nick and myself as the recruits but much worse. Nick was admired and respected by the RRW NCOs’ and Soldiers as much as he is by the former RWF.

I remember being in Fox Bay, Nick was CSM Deltas. 12 platoon were enjoying some down-time in the NAAFI bar (portacabin).

The senior ranks/officers mess was next door. Licensing hours were still quite strict although some discretion was used on special occasions. I was told that as it was my birthday I was to go and ask the CSM if we could have a bar extension. The NAAFI staff weren`t too keen as I think they wanted to get themselves to bed, I never did work out how they both managed to sleep in a single bunk? Anyway I digress. I went to the mess and knocked politely on the door, it was answered by the man himself! "Sir", I said nervously. "Parrot has reminded me that it`s my 21st birthday and he was wondering if it is OK with you, would it be at all possible for him to buy me a birthday drink, I know it`s late and all but he says he won`t be able to sleep knowing that I have not celebrated my 21st properly".

"Yes no probs 91, tell them to keep the bar open for an hour or so" came the unexpected reply.

I went back to the NAAFI and told the staff what the CSM had said, not happy with my word one of the barmen, and I use the term very loosly, told me that he wanted a written request signed by the CSM.

I explained to the lads that I had done my best but wasn`t going to push my luck. Boz and Alfie were having none of it, I was again politely requested to go and ask the CSM for his written permission. I knocked on the door which was again answered by the man himself, "Sir", I nervously stuttered, "The staff want it on a chitty",

"Wait there 91", he was gone about 30 seconds, he came back with a beer mat and wrote "KEEP THAT F*****G BAR OPEN", and signed it. Needless to say we drank into the wee small hours joined by the senior ranks and enjoyed several stirring renditions of RINGO. :winker:

Agree with Scouse; what can you say about the legend that is Nick Ravenhill. Well - two stories at least...

1. Offrs Mess used to call him the 'anti-christ'. It was one Friday morning after a particularly heavy session on the ale the night before, followed by the obligatory Battalion run when Nick thrashed himself around the 5 mile circuit, with the rest of us trying to keep up with that familiar stiff legged shuffle. We were still struggling to recover at lunch when Jim Rickard said to him "Nick, no offence and all that but the sooner you die, the safer we'll all be!"

2. The Bn was taking over from 1 Cheshire in Ballykelly. We were on the recce party and the Cheshires had a BBQ in the mess to welcome us. They had this pretty scabby cowboy hat hanging up on the wall in the bar, which Nick barely touched as went to get a beer. As soon as he had touched it, two young Cheshire subbies, sensing a victim, rounded on him and said that it was their regtl tradition to fill it with ale and down it in a oner - all from the hat. Nick - obviously completely unfazed by this agreed to the challenge and said he would do so if the agreed to have a 'couple of beers' with him afterwards. The RWF amongst us watched with bated breath, knowing that they had grabbed a 'tiger by the tail', and knowing all to well the carnage to come. We last saw the two subbies in question prostrate in the corridor, covered in each others vomit, barely 4 hours later. Nick carried on with us and was up at 6am to run around the airfield ... . I gather he did the same to the US Special Forces on Op Spartan; I wasn't there so someone who was will have to tell that one.

When we were in Warminster we (DELTA's) had a trip to London led by Nick, it was just after the Choir competition ( you know when Alpha's sung Bobby Shafto :no: ) from the moment we got to the station & waited on the platform, all the way to London we sang....Lil Ol wine Drinker..King of the road..Speed your Journey & many more.
A short time later the Bn recieved a letter from what I think may have been a retired high ranker commenting on the pleasant & uplifting journey he had that day.