RAOC Gazette - page 205
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1981 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1981 |
| Late date | 1981 |
| Transcription |
I THS PROBATION BROUGH LOOKS BACK , iarch 1959 I transferred to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps N>:/i the Coldstream Guards. I had just dismounted as Sergeant ,f Buckingham Palace Guard when I was called to the orderly oom. " Your transfer is through/ 1 said the Chief Clerk. " Get fito "change of quarter order' and report to Blackdown as oon as possible." 1 was very adept with a bianco brush in those days and in en minutes my entire issue of webbing was blancoed and dry- ng. Another five minutes and the brasses were gleaming. Two lours after dismounting guard I was in battledress, boots, gaiters, •2 pack on my back and small pack at my side, tired due to c 'of sleep but ready for any inspection* I carried my kit bag on to the square of Wellington barracks and felt quite nostalgic as I realised that never again vould I mount guard on this square. I pulled my joining nsiructions from my pocket I was to report to Blackdown 7amp on a three months probationary period as an RD NCO. rhe Land Rover arrived and we set off, destination Deepcut. I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked vhy I transferred. I suppose the main reason was that the 3rd ^LHalion Coldstream Guards were about to be disbanded. We : told at a lecture by the CO that promotion would come to At. I was very keen and had been informed by the Officer c RAOC Records that promotion prospects were wonderful. t opted to transfer, The Land Rover pulled up outside a row of green wooden huts joined together by a long veranda. I jumped down and suckled on my webbing. I knocked on the door, over which hung the sign RSM, and was told to enter by an amiable voice. fhis unnerved me as I was not used to cordiality on such x*cas ions. I made my first mistake. I strode into the office and made • impressive halt; crashing my feet down on the wooden floor, • naking every piece of furniture in the place. " Sergeant Brough reporting on transfer sir," I barked. The RSM, who I imagine on reflection, was day dream- ing about his forthcoming demob, jumped to his feet and offered me a cigarette. This was so unexpected a gesture that I found myself incapable of movement and became even more wooden. The wavelengths were completely out of tune. The RSM ordered a vehicle to convey me to the Sergeants M-^s. The Mess was an attractive, rather small building for a * 1 ss, facing the Married Quarters. It turned out to be the : L t Mess I have ever been in and that is still true. The Mess caterer was most apologetic because there was only the guest room available for that night. A permanent room would be ready next day. He led me up a wide, carpeted staircase, my boots sinking to my gaiter straps. He stopped before one of the many doors in the corridor and led me inside a room. Was this for real? For the past few months I had been living in a bunk which was immediately over the cookhouse in Wellington Barracks. My furniture was a bed, a boxes soldier and a steel ^ drobe, My bed was directly over a gigantic refrigerator, •zh sounded like a Centurian tank starting up every time the u anostat switched it on. 1 gazed around the room at the coloured curtains and bed- spread. The polished chest of drawers with the matching ward- robe and the carpet on the floor. I unbuckled my belt, let my webbing slip to the floor and gazed at the net curtain fluttering in the breeze, and half expected a beautiful maid to knock at the door. I still remember the first breakfast. We were four to a *aMc with the cutlery laid on a beautiful white table cloth, ' it juice, bacon and eggs, coffee and toast I was in a four- \ hotel. The conversation at the table was very foreign to me and apart from commenting on the weather I felt a bit lost. One of ihe fellows at my table said, '* 1 was only on BOS (Battalion Orderly Sergeant) six weeks ago and now I am on again to- W 2 Brough is presented w i t h the M S M by Lieutenant Colonel N. A. Robertson, A D W R A C London District. W 2 Brough is now the Long Service Recruiter at A C I O Newcastle-upon-Tyne. morrow, they are coming around a bit thick and heavy/* I nearly burst out laughing. For the past three months I had been doing two forty eight hour guards every week and when I was not on guard 1 was either * Picquet Sergeant' or * Sergeant in Waiting/ The first week passed fairly quietly but on the Saturday morning 1 had to report to the RSM as I was to be BOS over the weekend. 1 was still wearing my white hat and buff belt and would do so until my probationary period was over. " I want the whole of the camp cleaned up," said the RSM. " Every street around the quarters up to the gym and the thirty yard range," I noted it all down in my book. I was used to such. detail and of course I knew exactly where to get the men to do it. On Saturday morning I made my way to the Guardroom and told the Corporal of the Guard to have the drummer sound defaulters, I was met with a blank stare. I was not used to blank stares and told him in no uncertain terms to get a move on. A few minutes later it began to dawn on me that there was no drummer and there were no defaulters. (i Get the prisoners outside," I said. " There are no prisoners," replied the frustrated Corporal. Sunday morning dawned and I was still no further forward as to where to find the men to clean up the camp. I had to resort to the only method I knew. T went into the first block I came to which happened to be Headquarters Company. I went into the first room and, as expected, everyone was fast asleep. ,k Stand by your beds," I yelled. Sleepily, at different stages, they sat up and stared at me in amazement " Get your feet on the deck.'" 1 Grudgingly they began to move, not fully awake. I learned later that it was only the white hat that threw them. They were not sure who or what I was. " You are all in bed after reveille." I took all of their names. ** You will all parade at the guardroom in exactly thirty minutes with brushes and shovels." The next four hours were spent overseeing a most reluctant squad of fatigue men. "Any problems over the weekend?" asked the RSM when I reported to him on Monday morning. " No sir, no problems at all." The time was 08.00 hours. At 09.00 hours the tele- L phone rang in B ' Company office. Sergeant Major Patsy Fagin told me to get over to the RSM's office at the double, " What the hell have you been doing over the weekend? I've had every department head on to me. You've upset every- (Continued on page 196,) 169 — |
| Book number | R0250 |