life in the army

[pm007a8933]

AT THE AGE OF 18,I INLISTED INTO THE 1ST BATTALION  ROYAL FUSILIERS,IN THE YEAR OF 1957,MY FIRST REPORTING POST WAS THE H M TOWER OF LONDON,I WAS PUT INTO B COMPANY,AND FOR THE NEXT 10 WEEKS, I DID BASIC TRAINING,IN THE BATTALION THERE WERE NATIONALM SERVICE MEN,DOING 2 YEARS SERVICE,WE DID OUR DRILL PARADES BEYHIND THE TOWER ON A GRAVEL PARADE GROUND,THEN IN BETWEEN THE 10 WEEKS, WE WERE TAKEN TO PERFLEET ESSEX, FOR WEPON TRAINING,RIFEL,MACHINE GUN, GRENADE TRAINING,AFTER THE 10 WEEKS, WE WERE POSTED TO DOVER FOR 2 WEEKS,THEN GIVEN 2 WEEKS EMBARKATION LEAVE, BEFORE BORDING THE TROOPSHIP DUNERA,WE WERE BOUND FOR KENYA,BUT ON THE WAY DROPPING OFF TROOPS IN ADEN,,I WITH OTHER FUSILIERS WERE DROPPED OFF IN MOMBASSA, THEN BY TRAIN TO NIROBIA,THEN BY 3 TON TRUCK TO GILGIL ,NORTH AFRICA,I THEN WAS INLISTED INTO THE ASSAULT PIONEERS,THEN POSTED TO MUSCAT, OMAN,TO BLAST A PATH UP A JEBEL TO THE TOP, FOR THE SPECIAL AIR SERVICE,AS THEY WERE IN COMBAT WITH A REBEL GROUP OF ARABS,AFTER COMPLETING THE JOB,I WAS POSTED TO MURHARACK,THEN DURNA, THEN SHARJAH, THEN BAHRAIN,THEN TO CYPRUS TO PEACEKEEPING DUTY,THEN AFTER THAT TO MALTA,AFTER MALTA,THEN POSTED TO COLCHESTER UK,AND TO FINNISH OFF, THEN POSTED TO OSNABROOK GERMANY,SO FROM A BOY OF 18, TO A MAN OF 24, I SURE SAW  AND DID A LOT  IN MY ARMY  SERVICE.