When I joined the army ......

**John Turner** · 21-11-2006, 22:38

OK - "When I joined the army" ....

My first pay packet was £1:14s and a bingo ticket. Should have been £1 14/6 but the sixpence was a compulsory bingo ticket. Don't remember if that was weekly or fortnightly either.

This was IJLB Oswestry May 1970 - age 15 and 4 months - ye Gods!

What a shock to the system - 2 pl Sgts - one a weathered-faced
Scots guardsman called 'Chisholm' the other - Queens Regt - Hammel.

We called them ' Hammer & Chisel' and man did they carve some men out of boys!

Chisholm called the time like this "EST ITE, EST ITE, EST ITE ERRRRR"

I remember my first CO's room inspection - everything perfect and gleaming - or so I thought.

The RSM - a Coldstream named Jan Hooper - about 6' 12" with no neck or hair - you could just see the outside of each eye under his slashed peak .... goes into my locker - brings out a button stick (for younger members - a device with a slit and shapes around the outside, for putting behind buttons etc to protect your uniform/belt/etc from the brasso/duraglit).

It was gleaming - on the front!

He smiled - sinisterly - flipped it over and said "What is this made of son?"

I was sure it was brass - but I thought maybe that was too obvious, maybe this was a test!

I examined it closely - no - I was sure it was brass - I would at least impress him with the conviction of my answer. I shouted "BRASS - SIR!"

I can't print what followed - I'm not sure I'm over it even now!

Smokeyjoe · 22-11-2006, 01:45

John,
I was posted from the 1st Bn to IJLB on the 29 Jan 1963 until 2 Feb 1966, Chan Hooper was the WO2 Drill Sgt then and the RSM was Dusty Smith who was also in the Coldstream Guards. Another RWF member who served there was Sgt Doc Fice as he was then, and was on the drill wing.
The Band and Drums visited IJLB either 1964 or 1965 for the passing out parade as i am sure you will remember it was a large and impressive parade.
Happy days.
Regards,
Joe.

**BennytheBall** · 22-11-2006, 15:31

John
When I joined the Army!, it was back in 69. JIB Schorncliffe, didn't quite make the grade to go to JLIB Oswestry (Perhaps I was plankton Tom 15?)

Lt "Scar on the eye" Perkins(Later Major Perkins) RWF was my Pln Comdr, he was then replaced by Lt De Bromhead ( Later Gen Bromhead) RRW, great grandson of Lt De Bromhead Rorkes Drift (Zulu).

richie264 · 22-11-2006, 19:09

In 75 we got £3.00 a week in your hand the rest went into your POSBY account, big bucks on leave, we still managed our fags, milkshakes, stickies & cleaning kit, windoline brasso etc. out of that 3 quid.

**Thom15** · 23-11-2006, 08:17

Bennytheball,
This is scary, did you know we were in the same platoon in the JIB. I had not clicked at all. As you say Perky was our platoon commander. I was originally in The Welch Regiment but Perky encouraged me to transfer before the passing out parade. I played rugby and hockey for the JIB so Perky wanted me to play for the RWF and not the newly formed regiment, the RRW.
Perky later became my platoon commander when I joined the Sigs.
What a small world, are there any photos of you in the gallery so that I can put a face to the name?
I used to date a chick called Sue Bell in Folkstone, I wonder whatever happened to her. She wrote to me for years when I was in Hong Kong.

Sorry Bob B, John T. I did not mean to go off on a tangent here but I'm very surprised to find out about myself and Benny.

Ciao
Dilwyn

**BennytheBall** · 23-11-2006, 15:17

Dilwyn
Its is great to here from you and I now realise who you are.
Sue was a "Belle". They were the good old days worked hard, played hard (Flirting etc). I'll have to dig out some old photos of JIB and post them on the forum. There is a link in the forum to the JIB and JLIB, its worth having a look perhaps you'll remember some names. It is a "Small world" you can keep in touch with me on my email address: IanBall841@aol.com Nice to talk again

Speak soon

Yours
Ex JPTE Ian Ball
D Coy
Junior Infantrymen's Battalion
Shorncliffe

**BennytheBall** · 23-11-2006, 15:24

Carl
I think you could be right that his son Steve had passed over to the other side? (drugs?). The person that will know is Blethyn Griffiths 04 he still lives in Shipton Bellinger and works on security over at the Army Aviation Centre Middle Wallop. I don't have any contact details for him I'm afraid.

**rob jones 60** · 26-11-2006, 18:38

When i joined the army was back in 1981, at the depot Crickhowell. Going to the QMs to get your new kit, knife,fork and sponne mess tins ichy KF shirt s DMS boots and putties.combats and light weights ,crow cap the list goes on . then having to dubble back to the block with it all , and not drop any kit or you lose it and have to buy it back from your tranning NCOs . your first army hair cut was free even if you had a skin head going in to short and you had to wear a tin hat till it grew back happy days ........

daibeer · 26-11-2006, 19:02

and the barber was a bald chap called Ginger

**dutchman** · 26-11-2006, 19:26

cwrt-y-gollen in 79 , the mad dash for the bus on friday night if you were lucky enough not to get a weekend duty , the sugar loaf run (put me on sweeteners for life). and what the hell was the monthly comp called where we had to fill our webiing with sand and even though my section won it every time , no salver for us (the training team got it) just some friggin cheap lager , happy days eh lol