Training

[richie264]

John I didn't sign the dotted line/take the shilling until approx Nov74, Breslin & Nick had moved on when I got there, in 75 but I heard many a scary story.
Where does Misfit fit into this for some reason I've got him in my mind from this era??
I didn't recognise him at all at the reunion despite talking to him, with Dai Beer (sorry mate) I only knew it was him from the photo's posted later.

[Chris Sanders 98]

I was at Crickhowell in 1964, the centre block, in Chilinwalla!! pln, junior Soldiers band I think was in the top block, the other pln was Minden, I think Carter was one of the Cpl Instructors, hated running around the square then in to the gym for more trg, I remember for punishment, having my bullied boots thrown out of the second floor window many a time, plus half my kit, the bull came off like egg shell and having to report to the guard room every half hour on saturday night with PT kit then working denims, No 2 dress etc. untill 10.00pm, it happened to most of the lads, made us respectfull, bet they would face a Court Martial today for that kind of behaviour or even a letter from Claims Direct. Cant say I loved the trg, but it was the proudest moment I can remember passing out, when we where eventually allowed in to Abergavenny our watering hole was The Vine Tree, great days.

could have been in crickhowell same time june i was there

[bennyball2]

Hi I was in Korea 10 platoon 78-79,

Pl Cmdr was CSGT Snouty Roberts
Pl Sgt, Sgt Bates D&D
Pl Cpls, Von-Beck RWF, Cpl Williams (Twin) RRW, Cpl Garland, Glosters (my section Cpl),

Other Instructers:

The late Cpl Bodger Hughes, Cpl Mouse Terry (did I suffer in the gas chamber)

I think the old MTO from the battalion was the RSM, Williams ??

Arms storeman Lcpl Jimmy Barton (Crow), My first next door neighbour when arrived in Germany

As you can see from above, when they found out I was the brother of Cpl Ball 54, (Bennyball 1) My life changed dramaticaly and not for the best I can assure you.

Who can remeber that Cpl from the D&D who chopped the guardroom up with an axe.

and the Provo Sgt from the RRW who used to spy on the guard.

4 of us were badged RWF Ken Hewer, Skelly, Williams ?? and myself

Dont know where 16 weeks came from in an earlier post for recruit training ours lasted for 20 weeks

We were on the top floor of the centre block.

Cracking time though wouldent have changed it for the world.

Why was the decission made to take the training companys away from there, it has all the fscilities close to hand for training recruits???

[britaylor49]

Thanks Led

Some memorable times and names mentioned there mate. It was Sid Price from Anglesey top bloke wonder if anyone has comms with him.

Bri

[led9750]

Hi All
past Crickhowell today , so i got out the car and took a couple of pics , the camp area expect for the square and the gym is fenced off , the square is overgrown so a lot of Sgts / CSMs will be turning in there beds / graves .
It looks really sad the camp but as i stood in the middle of the square i felt a shiver down my spine and it felt good , almost like coming home . the ghosts of old lay in this camp and you can still feel the buzz of anticipation when you get on the camp , for most of us that 1st day in the army will never leave us , but i loved this place.
i posted some pics hope you all like them ,

cheers
led

[Richards 47]

Cyprus 4 Platoon 1976 with Jones 20 Porpoise {Price} etc
Plt Commander was S/Sgt Bellamy. Other Instructors were Ianto 10, Mackenna Glosters and the other I cant remember, Help me out 20.
What a great place Crick was. I think the feelings you got there Led is because it was a place where Boys became Men {Especially after a few pints in the Chevron Club} Which is still going they have a page on facebook.

[Guvs]

Thanks Richie264,

I was Orderly Room Sergeant in the Depot at the time the Twynham Hut burned down and yes, my wife, myself and our 4 year old son (now 38 year old son) lived in one of the portacabins for many months before being allocated 35 MSQ. Though small, those portacabins were comfortable and VERY warm. Always better to be together in a portacabin rather than having to commute to Sully, where I could have had a quarter immediately, of course! Somebody earlier mentioned QM R H Davies and his dogs. His wife was a breeder of bull mastiffs and he had two huge ones with him at Crickhowell. The first time my son saw them he ran away telling his mother the bears were coming after him! Wonderful memories of a wonderful place.

Hi Keith.
I'm sure them dogs the QM had were grate danes, I always said "I'm going to get one of them dogs one day" I did then I was posted there as a Cpl. in 81, Them were good days to, had to go to the guard room to collect my dog a few times after she got out of the back garden, not mine she would see a gate open about 6 houses down and off she would go over every parition fence between all the houses, you can just see it now, someone taking a drill lesson on that square, and a grate dane comes pounding across and wants to play with all the young boys, that were by now running for there lives and my dog thinking "Ho this is good they want to play chase me" not a happy drill Sgt. good days. I might be wrong about the QM's dogs they would of been bloody big bull mastitts.

[Paul Hinge]

Hi Steve
I'm trying to ring my memory as you, Dai Beer, Robin Cadwallader and others were very young lads compared to me who was nearly 15 months your senior on joining. I agree with you Danny Donavan was a brilliant bloke and Plt Sgt. There were two Cpls, Lewis36 and another guy, both RRW.The last one was at the end of his service..that's it his name was Cpl Barclay. Plt Commander was Lt Doug Shaw a famous RRW rugby player and my recollection of those days were that Cwrt-y-Gollen was still the Welsh Depot and there were no other Regt's permenant staff there. The Bandmaster was Don Price RWF another gent ended his service as Director of Music of the Royal Engineers. Sadly he's left this mortal world. Ken Fennesy RWF was the was the woodwind instructor and a Young Cpl (cornet player)who found religion later in life from the RRW was the Brass instructor (name escapes me). Those first 2 terms really saw us moulded from a ramshackle bunch to passable soldiers even if we were all under 18 and most not even 16 years old. An intake that was 58 in number to 22 of us who past off the square. I remember 4 lads left on day 2 as they had to have their haircut. Dai Beer and myself won the bulling boots competition (Ammo Boots) and got excused muster parades for 2 weeks at the end of training. Can you remember that one Dai?

Thanks for bringing back those memories

Hwyl

Paul (Buck) Hinge

[keith Jones 14]

I walked through the gates of Cwrt Y Gollen on 4th October 1974 and joined Korea 1 Platoon. The first persons i came across was Bob Bohana and Mark Ethel.
My platoon Sgt was John Webb (RRW) Ianto 10 and Mick Salaway (RWF)were the Instructors. Names within the platoon. Eifion Jones 80 (my brother) Terry Bower who got coached from joining the Gloucesters to RWF,Tony Patten, Kevin Zowitcz,Dave Tarren,Charlie Williams 41. Please update me on the others in the platoon.
My one main memory of the good old days was when Eifion my brother had this plan to trash the new intake, we all got dressed and wearing our resperator, on return we had to enter via the back window, only to find out that Eifion had locked the window and was the first back into the block and into bed. At this time the B.O.S wasnt far away and heard all the racket it was then marching orders to the Guard room. Two hours later still outside with no one admitting that they were involved. So a decision was made to take the platoon to the river at the back of camp for a beasting from a CSM who was in the Gloucesters my it was a beasting especially with the river in its full flow.
Ive got a platoon photo somewher so i will dig it out and post it on the forum.
The good old days of Cwrt-Y-Gollen

[Ianto 10]

Keith,
I remember my passing out parade, when your dear old dad 'Jackie' brought a load of lads from the 6/7 Bn RWF to see me passing out, Billy Pritchard and Jeffery Camal (hope he dont mind me calling him that) there were more but names escape me now. Good Old 'Jackie Bach'