-  148 Battery-68th Regiment / Royal Regiment of Artillery  -

"WE'RE IN THE ARMY NOW"

"MOVE YOURSELVES YOU LOT!"  I couldn't believe it, this chap with two stripes on his arm wasn't yelling at us was he?"  You bet your life he was!  "MOVE YOURSELVES AND CLIMB INTO THOSE VEHICLES." We all ran and helped each other to climb aboard. The one with the voice and two stripes on his arm was a Bombardier (Corporal in other Regiments) One stripe is a Lance Bombardier. We were driven at speed to the Camp, which was Park Hall Camp. At speed, because I'm sure they thought some of us would jump off!

We arrived without incident and we were all ready for something to eat...

When we arrived at Park Hall we were taken to the cookhouse where we had a meal and then taken to the Quarter Masters Stores to be issued with our kit. Two uniforms: (Best Battledress and Second Best Battledress) Two pairs of boots: (Best and Second best) Three Shirts, two pairs of underpants, three pairs of thick grey socks; P.T. (Physical Training  shorts -Two pairs) Two vests Red and White. Also plimsoles. Two Berets and two pairs of gaiters. An Overcoat, two webbing belts. We were loaded down with gear! One interesting episode, I was asked what size boots I took. I said size nine. He gave me a nine and half, saying the extra half would come in handy when my feet swelled up with all the square bashing! ( Marching)

What had I let myself in for? I was beginning to wish I’d gone to work down the pit! We were then taken to a large hall where we were given an Army number and sworn in. My number was 22629797. Mine was quite easy to remember, whenever we were asked for our number we always gave the last three. The man after me was 798. I  tried to find out who ‘number one man’ might be? I wrote to different organisations but could never find out. I was the  22millionth, Six Hundred and Twenty Nine Thousandth, Seven Hundred and Ninety Seventh  soldier to have joined the Army! I’m sure that’s how it worked.

After we were issued with our kit we were formed up and marched to our barrack room (or our idea of marching anyway!)  Did I say marched? We all had two left feet, and we were stumbling and bumping into each other. The NCO (Bombardier ) who was marching us was blue in the face with yelling at us. We had only been in the army a couple of hours, and he expected us to be like the guards at Buckingham Palace!

“What A F*****G  Shower of S**T you lot are!”  he roared.  ”KEEP IN F****** STEP FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!” Somehow we made it to the Hut, and that’s all it was... A HUT.

No carpets, no curtains , no central heating. There was a large black stove at one end of the room which was obviously never lit, it was gleaming black.

We were each allocated to a bed, a metal thing with a mattress about two inches thick. I could feel the springs through mine. Of course there was more kit laid out on each bed for us which would need Blancoeing. This was a green block, which when water was added, would be brushed into the webbing, as it was called. I remember we were told to ask for Blanco Green No. 3 when buying it at the NAAFI (Navy Army Air Force Institute) Oh Yes,we had to buy our own cleaning gear! Blanco for the webbing, large packs, small packs, and Brasso for the brasses. My Pay at the Sickle W orks where I was on piece work (I was paid for each piece I did, grinding sickles) was 4 Pounds 10 Shillings per week. Army pay in 1952 for a private soldier (Gunner in the Artillery) was 1 pound 8 shillings per week.

OUR FIRST EVENING

That evening, we were told to start work at ‘Bulling’ our kit. The main object of our attention were our boots. Someone who had been in the army cadets told us to use an electric iron to smooth out the 'bubbles’ on our boots, which we did. After this we would use a cloth and dip it in the ‘Kiwi’ polish, and using this and our spit work, we would then vigorously polish this into the boots in a circular motion. The NCO said he wanted them to shine good enough to shave in them! This 'spit and polish' certainly worked, for after a few days our boots absolutely ‘shone’.

Lights out was ten o clock, and at five minutes to ten we were told we had five minutes to get into bed. We were also told that we would be called at 4:30 am the following morning. I recall that surprisingly we were issued with pyjamas! We rushed around and got into our beds. It was absolutely freezing, as the windows were open! “Close these windows, or I’ll have your guts for garters!”  That was told to us by 'God'... oh yes, God was in the shape of a Lance Bombardier whose name I will change in case he sues me! "My name is Smithson... and you spell it, B-A-S * * *-D"... he yelled at us. And he was!

I think each of us fell into a fitful sleep, for many of us, being the first time away from home. I heard one lad further down the room sobbing. I dozed off...