Royal Leicestershire Regd

[Alan]

  Kael. You should have seen the Magazine in its day. The barracks were there just behind it. The Parade ground was surrounded but small two up two down cottages as I recall. The whole area was steeped in history. All destroyed by the council. The house at the side of Rupert’s gateway was hit by a bomb now part of the museum . The Blue Boar just up the road. All long gone. 

[jazzaroo]

I don't live in the area these days but the last time i came over i went to the new walk museum to view the tigers exhibits only to be told that everything had all been moved to the newarke,  but it was not open to the public at that time, this was about eighteen months ago , could anyone tell me if the exhibits are now on display and where, my dad was a regular soldier with the tigers for about 13 years and survived dunkirk, his medals pass book, cap badge etc are still with my family so we have a keen interest in the regimental history.

[Alan]

  jazzaroo
Yes it is all on display not a bad set up really. Anyone remember a training Sargent Sprayson? at Glen Parva late 50s blight of my life.

[David]

Don't remember a Sergeant Sprayson, but I remember a Sergeant Lunt he was a right B*****
 
During my time there, he rubbed someone up the wrong way, and he got a right beating.
 
Never did found out who did it, he was then posted from Glen Parva.
 
 

[Johned]

The names of Sgts Sprayson and Lunt are both familiar but I think they were both in the 1st Battalion in BAOR whilst I was at the Depot.  Our No 4 training platoon Sgt Buxton seemed pretty ferocious on first encountering him but beneath the tough exterior was a decent man.
On retirement he kept a pub in town but sadly is now deceased according to the R Anglian Regt website.  No 3 platoon Sgt Jack Moore was a local man and also fair and tolerant.  With the benefit of hindsight many senior NCOs at that time had seen action in WW2 and Korea  and it must have been pretty galling for them to train and wetnurse unwilling young conscripts who themselves must have felt like Borstal boys with practically shaven heads,
wondering just what had hit them after their first days in the Army.  Our platoon Commander was Lieutenant Tetley who after the army became Chairman of the famous family brewery!

[David]

Hi Johned
 
Sorry none of the names mean anything, if fact Lunt is the only name I remember.
 
One of his games in training was, to check your bootlace and if there was any twists in them he would have you cleaning the bogs.
 
 

[jazzaroo]

no wonder i was glad when i missed the call up for national service although my dad was dissapointed, i think that i would have spent my time in the glass house,its bad enough in civvy street with inferior little men wielding their power over you knowing that you can't retaliate, army life must have been hell unless of course like rugby players  male bonding is your thing, all those chaps taking a bath together, singing bawdy songs and dick measuring, yuk, not for me, rather share a bath with a few wrens, now that would have been
interesting !!!

[flyer]

I see you were in 'C' company David with the 1st Battalion. If you so wish, please advise me your e-mail address, I would like to compare notes with you about those days and any mutual acquaintances we may have had although my service ended in May 1955.

what company was in Germany around that time 53-54 55 my brother  spent most of his time in the glass house there, my mother had to write to the C.O and explain he had always marched to a different drummer he was out in a week

[David]

I enjoyed parts of my time in Cyprus, when I first went out, I spent 2 months guarding a holiday camp at Golden Sands which was for the married pads. We were allowed to use the beach there. I spent a lot of my time off duty on that beach.  That was the best part of my National Service.
 
I wanted to go in the RAF as a sheet metal worker, which I was told that I could for 2 years. But when I got in that changed from 2 to 5 years, I said I was not signing on for 5 years, so they discharge me. Couple of month later I was in the army.
 Don't know anything about the Leicesters before or after.

[Alan]

  Beauty of the British Army. What do you do son? I am an Engineer, right Infantry for you. Had some laughs at Glen Parva. A born rebel. Got stewed in the guard room. They never did find out how. I got 7 days for a dispute with a Corporal. Premier Drum were invited to a party. My brother and some mates passed drinks to me. Captain Crumbie Signal Platoon. should ring a few bells a real nice guy. It taught me one thing. Have no respect for anyone. To this day I never call anyone Sir. I recall a Afro soldier doing about three years national service. All ways in nick Anyone remember him. . 

[Johned]

Remember Capt Crombie when he was a recruit and he ended up as Lt Col commanding the 1st Battalion; now sadly deceased.  The system mucked me about and I had two medicals; at the second I put down first choice RAF or RAOC because someone had told me the latter were a good scive.  However this Brigade of Guards recruiting sergeant there said "you need'nt express any preference, you are all infantry cannon fodder for Korea!"  Being the kind of ingenuous clot who believes everything anyone tells him, I put down the Leicesters as it was my Dad's old mob and that's what I got!  A couple of other lads I knew also at the same medical got what they wanted for NS, the RAF which we were told was a no-no.  Another lad put down RASC as he was a Butcher's cutter and got what he wanted.  I'll never learn!
The Korean war fizzled out in any event and so we did'nt go there.  A laugh a minute (I don't think!).

[Alan]

I think it was how you looked at it.  You were in and that was that.  Yes you had bad times but you remember the few good times.   I felt sorry for mummy’s boys who had never been away from home crying themselves to sleep.   Throwing a thunder flash down the COs thunder box.   Then as demob drew near leaping out of bed shouting 55 days to do and crossing another day off the sheet.  The poor buggers who had just arrived at Battalion must have been right peed off.  Do some young one a bit of good today, maybe.     

[Johned]

Alan I don't believe in conscription unless the country is about to be attacked!  Even in the last war Australia and Canada relied on volunteers. However I think conscription in general is immoral. This country had conscription in WW1 and it was introduced again in 1939 where you had to serve 6 months full time in the Militia or join the TA for a similar period.  Of course, during the ensueing WW2 we had conscription.  I still can't really take in what possessed our post war Labour government with it's party history of pacifism to introduce National Service in 1948.  We know they did so, however to all our costs!  18 months to start with and then increased to 24 months and the last poor sods did 30 months.  A mate of mine who was looking forward to demob within his last couple of months in BAOR was gobsmacked to say the least, when his RASC CO got all the unit's NS men together and said the government of the day had decreed that 30 months had to be served as the expected influx of better paid regulars had not been forthcoming as expected!  But, there you go?

[Alan]

Johned   Our second son joined the Royal Marines at nearly 18.  Very tough training. Two weeks after passing out he was on his way to the Falklands.   Never thought he would do it, he was heading for trouble but stopped turned round and never looked back.  He did 27 years and finished a warrant officer.  His last years he taught officer training in public schools.  Not bad for a Braunstone kid.   Now lives in Plymouth he says the only thing changed in Braunstone is the date.  No need for conscription now, we have no forces to speak of.   Maybe it is me, but I think the enemy is already here.   The next war will be a civil war. 

[jazzaroo]

Well said alan, the enemy is not already here but are being helped by the cowards that our supposed to be our government, not the mention the judicial system,what about that muslim fanatic that burned poppies on  rememberance day and picked up a fifty pound fine which will pobably be paid by us when he draws benefit for his kids here and his non existant family in pakistan, the likes of us have paid parking fines for more than that amount,we must be the laughing stock of the world. seems that those poor sods gave their lives for nothing after all.