Pablo- Registered: 21 Mar 2018
- Posts: 614
Vic I have always enjoyed your story, please keep it up and ignore the playground bullies.
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Guest 1385- Registered: 27 Oct 2014
- Posts: 322
Quote #280 Well said Mr Vic.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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Just before we moved off we were given GARMENTS TO CHANGE into and some Thermal under wear because of the cold weather in the highlands,as the witch DR,I was given a ex sackcloth dress to wear and a tribal head dress to be worn only in the mornings ,also were given a ground sheet which could be tuned into a tent each group was given a radio so we could talk to each other,and last a 48 hr ration pk. and a holdall to put it all in which was to be carriad on your back, some had a gun but not me ,all I had was a long knife . Well off we went towards the highlands by road ,sorry also we had a number each which was on our Garment ,this is what we called each by our number mine was 6 mr Vesty was no1 and the sgt was no2 and so on.after a bout two hours on the road I said to" no1 ,we will miss the ferry across the river if we do not go faster then we are doing,"That will not happen even if we were 24hours late after the sailing time 6""Can I ASKE why please no 1"
"iT IS BECAUSE I and my family own it." so it will wait for us even if we do not make the sailing time"
That put a smile on our faces I can tell you.
Anyway we did get there on time for the sailing.
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Reginald Barrington- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,201
Good to read your life story again Vic, reminded me of a 3 day route March my section was on in Belgium, when we came into the final checkpoint singing "working on the chain gang" with the dance steps! and the Bastard C.O. made us repeat the last 6 mile stage. Oh how we laughed!
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Arte et Marte
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Tonight will be about our first contact with the enemy
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,975
Most people will be watching football
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Well we got to where we was going it was raining and no chopper so in was a climb up the side of a mountain very wet when we got to the top No1(L/Vesty)said. "Ok lads this is to be our HQ so make your tents up ration pk out and make a meal for your self, after that I need to talk to you. That happen and we was called round for the talk."well it is like this the Guerrilla war fare starts at 0800hrs in the morning,but I have a plan we are going down to their HQ at the old shool before that time taking with us a bren gun with blanks rounds and most of us will carry sten guns again with blank rounds also some Thunder flashes and when set they go off it will make a very big bang and a flash with it, so heads down now for a few hrs then off we all go ,four men will stay behind ,no6(me)You will wear you head,dress and also carry your two poles which have a tin on the end of each one full up with small stones .
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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Well it was very dark in the morning about 0500hrs, we all got ready to make our way down the mountain it had stopped raining before we set off NO1 said"right one map for each group after the raid run away and make for your own area on each map you will see a grid reference that is where you head for when there, radio us back at HQ so we know you made it,you all have a small torch use it only when the need to,if they catch any of you .lets hope that does not happen, but if it does just talk rubbish ,there will be at times military observers do not talk to them they will have a white band round the arms.Do not forget when the raid is on make a lot of shouting etc."
This all sounded great fun and it was at times,
Anyway off we all went climbing down to their HQ ,when we got there NO1 said"Ok two of you with the bren gun set it up outside the school main door.Then when you hear me shout let off two thunder flashes in the door way others have ago at sabotaging the lorrys and land-rovers and the lads done just that they put mud all over the windsheens and a few wheels off and tyes let down.All good fun,after that was done we was ready to start the raid ,As the tribal witch doctor ,i had the job to start it all off by shouting and making a noise with my poles and bean tins.And that what happen,I started to shout and make a noise then the thunder flashes went off the guns open up with firing blank rounds and a light flashes was sendup by NO1.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
I am going to keep the heat turned up later today with the next part.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
In the morning it was very cold and wet,I had to get out of my very small tent put my sackcloth on and headdress and take my two poles to a high point and start to call out and raddle my tins,this was done to try get the guard units already out looking for us to help them find us.after I done it for about 5mins or so, NO 2(THE SGT)came up to me,"Ok no6 we now have got to make a run for it so it takes the guards away from our own HQ"so the 3 of us took off across the hills ,there was a path below us which had a unit of guards walking a long it ,so no 1 said we will set a ambush for them to run into,"But no1 there is only the 3 of us and I have no gun" We are still going to take them on hit and run" All fun to some but I did not feel the same,any way that is what we done.we set up to ambush it trees some way a head of them.
And as they came along no1 and no 3 open fired on them nothing I could do to help ,then we run for it with them after the 3 of us.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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But it was raining and running in mud is not easy, and then I slip over and before I could get to my feet the guards were on top of me,punching and hitting me and shouting out "We have got the witch doctor, the officer who was leading them ,told the men to let me up ,"Tell me where you was going"
But I was not allow to talk in English so I just talked rubbish making my own words up.
"We will have to take him back to our HQ and get some one who can talk his Kongo Language.
Any way we was making our way down the mountain when they spotted a group who was on my side. they were below us and did not see us."Right we will stop them to, and take back with us.The officer turn to me and was pointing in away to ,to not make a noise .but us they got close to us I got up shouting to them to make a run for it.That was not a good plan they got hold of me and THE PAIN is still with me today.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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But the good thing was they did get away,apart from me.when we got to their camp I was taken into see their CO ,,and he told them to get the person who can talk in the language I talked in.When he came I then could talk in English ,but had to make out we was talking in my own Language .the funny side of it was the CO sitting there looking at the map and asking where our groups base,s was ,but he was talking to person who came in to talk in my own language .so I could understand what he was saying, but we was all talking in English
and this is a true story,At the time he was talking to me CO was eating a bar of kit cat."Aske him pointing to me ,does he need some thing to eat?I said yes "Well show me on the map where your groups are hid up,so I showed him and pointing them out on the map.He went mad "You have just told us where your group is hid up for a bar of Kitcat what kind of man are you."?to give way that to us and we are your enemy."When we get back to England I will deal with this matter."Take him away, put him in the compound outside in the rain and do not feed him only water." And that is what they done.But must tell you in fact I did not show them where the groups were I just pointed anywhere on the map, just to get the bar of Kitcat,which I did not get anyway.
Next time see how I got away .this will be the last part of this story in Scotland
or will it.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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I have been and done so much in my short life only be 76 in a few weeks time
but I do not have the time to tell all story and there is some I have forgot ,but I am doing my best to put in parts that you all like to hear,so it will be on later tonight but going to have to cut short the story I am writing now about Scotland ,but Scotland will be be back because it has and still is paying a very big part in my life.Thank you for reading it.
Pablo- Registered: 21 Mar 2018
- Posts: 614
I look forward to it Vic.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Well they let me out of the compound and told me to go."now why would they do that,"I said to myself, I know it is to follow me to see if I take them to our HQ in the hills. So I could not go back there for the night and I had to be care full I did not want to get lost.So I stayed on the road,like Scotland it started to rain again ,I could see A OLD GOAT house in the lower part of a hill, so I made for it.well half had a roof so I could keep out of the rain till the morning .As I sat down on some bricks, a voice said "is that you no6" on turning round I could just about make out it was no2(the sgt) "Am I glad to see you what are you doing down here"?
"I came down to try and get you out and a way from the enemy"and he also had some food with him which we both had.Well They could not have followed me because when it came daylight we made our get away back up the hills.
On the way up we came to a farm house so no1 went and got some eggs,"thats good" he said we can have boil eggs when we get back to camp."
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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Well was getting near our tent and they open fire on us,what had happen they had found where we was sleeping down and was waiting for us to come back." Run for it "!no1 called out so we both done just that he dropped the eggs so the enemy could not have them, he then fell over and I could see he had broken or done some thing to his arm but he told me to keep running.After wards I found out they had to take him to hos/ because he had broke his arm and he was in a lot of pain when he fell over but still wanted me to get a way.Which I did .Well this is where I end this part of my story only to say at the end of the war games the Scotguards officer who was Lord Sterling thanked all of us for doing a very good job and he give us some bottles of Whiskey.
.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Thank you all for your kind remarks about my life story next will be my mess up doing my Bren gun and small arms etc training.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Well it took about two days to get back to the Queens Own Buffs at Colchester this was a new posting of me,As I left them at Folkestone.When I got there I went to the main office of HQ company to book in and find out what was going to happen to me now.I was told to report to C company office ,which I done on getting there I was call over by the company C,S..M "We have been waiting for you Matcham there are things you have to do ,but first you have been Confined to Barracks with a restrictions of privileges for 7days."Already sir but I have only just got hear ,what have I already done wrong?to get that"
Its not what you done hear matcham but what you done in Scotland ,in the report of you in front of me ,It tells me you do well in carrying out your part up there ,but you did one major thing wrong and that was to give a way your own men on the map to the C.O. of the enemy for a bar of KIT-CAT, "Thats not true sir yes I showed him where on the map they were but I made it up I did not tell him where they were in real life sir."That may be true or not but their C.O.has told us to Confined to barracks for 7 days ."
On hearing this made me mad and upset because I was looking forward to getting home for a few days but that is the army for you or was.
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