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[Patternmaker]

Any ex national servicemen out there, where were you posted!

[Bradley]

Royal Marines 1952 - 54.  Initial training at RMITC, Lympstone (now Commando School), then to Eastney and Landing Craft Training Wing at Fort Cumberland.  Coronation and then to HMS Royal Prince, Royal Naval Rhine Squadron, Krefeld, Germany, as an LCA coxswain until demob.   
Seems like a long time ago now.   
Derek.   

[Patternmaker]

Hi Derek,
That's proper national service thanks for that, myself 3 para 1953-1955 training Blackdown posted to Egypt Tel Kabir until demob recalled AER October1956 Suez War Operation Musketeer in last operational drop by para's to take El Gamil air field and secure beachhead for Marines.28 jumps in total, got my medals in 2004 better late than never, yes is does seem a long time ago but you never forget your mates.
Mick

[Brian Roberts]

"Get your knees brown" as they used to say!

I was in the Royal Signals 1948-1950, nine months at Catterick, then the rest of the time was in Egypt, Nairobi and Mogadishu (formerly Italian Somaliland).

My strategy at the outset was to be a photographer based in the Deva section in Chester, but the army authorities, true to form, made me a Radio Mechanic and sent me to Africa!

Brian

[Ron1]

I was in the next to last batch, went in in September as it finished in the October, 

Bacis training , Bridge North

Trade training, Freckelton, near Blackpool

First camp, Rudlow Manor, Wiltshire , 10 months

On standby for ADEN,

Was posted to WEETON, near Blackpool till I came out

I was in the RAF as a nursing attendant and crash amblance medic.   

[tigertiger]

Hi Derek,
That's proper national service thanks for that, myself 3 para 1953-1955 training Blackdown ...

Not national service but trained at Blackdown in the 80s. I never realised it used to be Para.

[JayDee]

Hello,
 Got called up into the Army on a Thursday, the following Thursday National Service ENDED !!.
Posted to Germany, Royal Artillery as a Radar Operator.

Two months before De-mob got an extra 6 MONTHS, Russian Cuba Crisis !!.

Needless to say, I just LOVE Russians and Yanks.
Had three Sons since, warned them all, "Broken Legs" will stop you from joining the Forces !!.

It worked !.

John.     

[Patternmaker]

Not national service but trained at Blackdown in the 80s. I never realised it used to be Para.

Ron, basic training at Blackdown para training at Helles Barracks in Catterick North Yorkshire

[Patternmaker]

Thanks for you responses, what are your views on bringing back National Service?

[Arrow5]

Ist Battalion the Royal Scots, 1954/6 basic training Glencorse Barracks, Penicuick.  HQ signals platoon. 12 months Egypt, Canal Zone, 6 months Cyprus, Paphos/Ktima Coral Bay. Demob Pinefield Camp , Elgin.  Loved the pyramids and sphinx, watching ships on canal, Troodos mountains, Greek and Turkish food ,drink and music. Sailed on troopship  Empire Ken home and HMS Striker , Suez to Limassol.    Bring it back , made a man of me.  Bet you can still remember your service number !  23044212 was mine.

[Patternmaker]

22867464 reporting for duty, I sailed back on Dilwara 10 days from Port Said to Southhamton. Sounds like you had a good time bit different to when I was there, active service for 20 months garding Bridges to Ismailia and Tel Kabir.

[w3bby]

Thanks for you responses, what are your views on bringing back National Service?

Royal Marine in the 80's, still remember my service number I believe that a professional military with motivated members that have chosen the life is preferable to forced labour.
Sweden still has the draft! Conscientious objectors are sent to the Fire Brigade or similar I believe....http://www.mil.se/en/About-the-Armed-Forces/The-Swedish-military-service-system/

[w3bby]

double post.....

[regiment]

better not join in  topic.i was a regular RAF 22 yrs

[Arrow5]

W3bby, I was thinking more of the social problems with certain sections of the youth that would benefit from a sense of purpose, clean healthy education, good regular food, etc etc not the military aspect and the risks involved.

[Bradley]

Just a little extra to my original posting.  My service number was RM129714 and my initial training squad at Lympstone was 823.  I have searched Google Maps for my old base in Germany - Royal Naval Rhine Squadron - and it now appears to be just a derelict site.  I remember having to perform guard duty and the favourite posting was the 'Quarter Deck' which, in actual fact, was just a small area of tarmac with a sentry box and the flag pole where the Union Flag was raised and lowered at the appropriate times and the order 'All hands on the upper deck face aft and salute' was piped over the Tannoy.  The reason for the popularity was that it was right next to a German soap factory and the sentry was always treated to an exciting disply when the ladies showered at the end of their shift - didn't seem to matter that it was clear glass in the windows 
As mentioned previously, my base was HMS Royal Prince and our sister ship was HMS Black Prince at Hamburg.  Royal Prince was, in fact, a large motor cruiser used by the skipper and was rumoured to have been Goering's yacht.
The Royal Marines National Service numbers were prefixed with RM which differentiated you from the regulars.
Derek.   

[Patternmaker]

As only one has given views of bringing back conscription this is my opinion, it would be a good idea for young offenders to teach them respect and discipline but not to send them to combat zones. In our time we had no choice. Between 1948 and 1960 one in twelve served in an active theatre of operations. Approximately 1500 conscripts were killed in action; many more were lost in accidents in six campaigns in Malaya, Korea, Kenya, Cyprus, Suez and South Arabia.

They should also be reminded that the life we have today is due to those who paid the ultimate price in WW1 and WW2

[RickF]

There are two major problems with the re-introduction of National Service - three, if you include the fact that the country is broke and couldn't afford it anyway.

The first is the problem of discipline. Today's youngsters do not have the innate discipline that teenagers in the 50s and 60s had. It would take far too long to "train" them.

Second is the "professionalism" of today's armed forces. Even the humblest squaddy now need to have more skills that could be taught to the average no-hoper within the allotted period of compulsory service.

And apart from anything else, why should a professional, highly trained and currently overstretched force be tasked with picking up the failures generated by poor education and indifferent parenting?

Rick (22 years in the RAf)

[tigertiger]

National service is an interesting idea. But as suggested, who would pay for it.

In Germany (in the 80s, don't know about now) there were choices for national service. You could do 1 year military service or 2 years (I think) social service. The latter included hospital work and the postal service.
One benefit of any form of service is that it is a social leveller. Kids from many different social backgrounds are all in the same boat and have to pull together against a common enemy, the training staff. That can only be good for a society that is becoming more fragmented, as UK society is (IMHO).

As for professionalism and training levels, this was always a compliant of the regulars. But not all national service men went to front line units. ***offending reference removed***

As for lack of discipline, I wasn't prepared for military discipline, nobody is. It came as a screaming shock at 0600 on day two, along with the barbers parade at 0930.
Military discipline is a bit of a misnomer anyway. It is not about being a disciplined person, I never was and I still am not. It is about being regimented.
Disciplined is if I get up at 6am every morning and go for a run.
Regimented is if everybody gets up at 6am and goes for a run.

[Cklasse]

I would like to say something about National Service because I went through it for 2 and half years full time and subsequently for the next 13 times yearly ranging from a couple of days to 2 to 3 weeks.
National Service is a must here and I strongly agree and accept that it is good. It builds character in youth and brings people of all races together and train and fight together. It's a way of getting all kinds of people mixed in and make future generation live together in harmony.

Anyway, who gets to drive a 5 ton truck, drive a tank, fire an automatic rifle at the age of 18, 20? National service gave me an insight into the world of warfare, living it out in the open and I have never regretted getting into it (although I have no chioce really).

Btw, I am talking from Singapore.

[Patternmaker]

[quote author=tigertiger link=topic=18927

As for professionalism and training levels, this was always a compliant of the regulars. But not all national service men went to front line units. Many were REMFs.



Your reference to REMFs is very offensive to me personally and the next of kin of all those who were killed in Suez and Korea, many of 3 para who served in Operation Musketeer were national servicemen called up on reserve as we had previously served in Egypt on active service. Our training and commitment was no different to regulars Lt Col Paul Crook commander in chief said he preferred national servicemen with combat experience. 

[tigertiger]

I am sorry that you feel offended.

Having often been called a REMF myself, even though I never served in rear echelon units only field force units, I do not find it offensive.

I said 'many', not 'all' national service men ...
Para units are not rear echelon troops, never have been. So I don't think it applies.

[w3bby]

.... apart from anything else, why should a professional, highly trained and currently overstretched force be tasked with picking up the failures generated by poor education and indifferent parenting?

Rick you found the words I have been looking for the past few days without it being offensive. All my attempts seemed to be, possibly, that way inclined when finished and hence not posted.

[RaaArtyGunner]

Ain't life grand.
It is good to see that the age old argument that the regs are better than Nashos/reservists or vice versa is also alive in the UK. 
As for the argument that the Regs don't have time to train Nashos, garbarge. 
Nashos, reservists etc are equally as good because they all come from the same place initially. 
That is they were all civilians. 
It is the training that counts. 
Nashos are taught respect    but I wonder with political correctness and "civil rights"    if we are not producing namby pambies to the benefit of our foes.

[Patternmaker]

Totally agree with your comments.