Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Thank you for the nice remarks on my notification page,there is still two years work yet just to bring it up to date and life still going
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Well I put all my kit in the back of the car and headed for Dover after the couses,s I had done in Aldershot,over all I done very well with a high pass mark apart from the Malaria one but as I said before a pass mark is a pass mark.It was snowing and bad weather not good for driving in.
I was just coming up to West Malling when some thing hit my windscreen which in turn took my eye off the road and not looking I hit a very big lorry infact my car went under the back of it,but up till today I do not know how I got out of it,but ended outside the car but my right hand was trapped still in the door, I was in luck a Dr was following me in his car,they called the fire services out to cut off the door to get my hand out,must say I looked a mess with a lot of blood at first I was thinking I might die,then the ambulance turned up they put me in the back and was patching me up and the Dr said he has a lot of pain in his chest so we must get him to the Maidstone Hospital right a way."Sorry Dr that cannot be done because that Hospital do not treat the armed services.And we have been told to take him to the Chatham docks where they will treat him"Get him there fast then, as we do not know what damage he might have done to his chest. "So the Ambulance at top speed and the police as a escort I ended up in Chatham.
After test were done they found out it most bad bruising ,they done x-rays to.But my fingers were broken on my right hand.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
They put my hand in plaster, and after a few days when I was feeling some what better a officer from my regiment came to see me.
He told me that he was going to take all my kit back with him to the unit ,but because I was not fit for duties,he was to drive me to my home and will be under the care of my family GP and when he tells us you fit ,we will come back and pick you up and take you to the military Hospital at Colchester and a army dr will check you over to see if you are fit to return to duties.Must say the Army are on the ball with things like this and you do get looked after well.On getting me home in Westbury rd ,the officer came in had a meal etc and told my parents all what had happen,The army had already told them about the crash the day it happen and told them not to worry as I was being looked after well,And that is true I had been well looked after.So at last I got home still not feel that good but feel great to be home.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
My GP said you can go back to your unit now.there is nothing more I can do,they will take over now ,so I went out with my girl friend for the last time said my good bye,s to the family and the army came and picked me up ,taking me to the military Hospital at Colchester , on gettng there I was given a bed and meal and told me the Dr would come and see me in the morning next day.
When he came he asked how I was, I told him apart from pains to my legs and back which I have had for some two years before the crash ,I was feeling well,"OK Matcham we will get that plaster off your arm take some x rays and see what is what if all OK you can report back to your regiment by the end of the week."and off he went.
I was taken to the plaster room and they cut off my plaster, but I could not move my hand but they told me the feeling will come back after a day or two.Then I was take down for the x rays then told to go back to the ward and wait.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Well I waited and waited it was two days before the Dr came back to me."Sorry about the wait Matcham but we had to have a meeting about your right hand and how we was going to do it again"Sorry sir I do not know what you are talking about."Your fingers are going to have to be done again ,they have not set like should have done, so we are going to brake them again and reset them,but one finger we cannot do anything with, so you will have only some movement with it not full movement, and at this time it might be the same with the rest we do not know,"But it does mean you will have to be here longer then you was expecting it might even be over Xmas."
"When are you going to take me down then sir to do it"It will be next week it will not take long to do it but they might not kilt so well that means your arm will be in plaster a lot longer." They went ahead and done that and the plaster was on over Chistmas ,but I did return to my regiment before then,I was put on light duty and had to back to the hospital from time to time.I had to report back to "C"Company I was given back my kit, but had to pay for a new jacket because they had to cut the old one up to get my arm out after the crash.But the good news was that they were please with the marks I got on my course at Aldershot.I was called into the company office and told I was now the company medical orderly and No1 on the Brengun all that means is I had to carry the spare barrel and ammunition +all my medical kit when and if the need be.And later there was a need to do just that.
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Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
Vic are you ghosting the concluding chapter?
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
well only a few days till the Christmas brake, and I was given some very light duty,s to carry out not much more I could do with only one hand,so went back to see the Dr just before I was going home for Christmas, told the plaster will stay on till I come back in the new year,I think that was 1962.Had a good time at home and reported back in the new year , after a few days the whole of the regiment had to parade on the square one morning at 0800hrs where we was told by the R,S,M .a Mr Parker who was not a very nice person .We were told the CO of the regiment will be talking to us in about 10mins,Well they brought out the box he was to stand on to say what he had to.We was ordered to stand to attention when he came a long and it was very cold that morning" stand at ease men, I will not keep you long,it is just to tell you that this year the regiment will be the fire battalion, that means we are on stand by 24/7 in case there are problems anywhere in the world we will be the very first to go in.So that means there will be only a small amount of leave taken and some of you it will mean none at all.The regiment is down in numbers because of the last of the N/S/men and the 3 year men have gone.The numbers will be made up by me from other regiments in the home counties our number must go up around the 1200mark,also it means some of you will be given new jobs to do which might mean promotion with pay to you,the men picked out for the new positions will be told by their company over the next few days ,you all will be given a new badge to sew on your uniform showing that we are fire Battalion.And the last thing is be very careful what you put in letters send home,you must not put where we are if we are send away etc on any exercise or action service ,for the whole year you must wear what we call dog colors which have your name rank only on them.So if you are found unconscious or dead when on active service you can be tryst .
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
I was called to the company office and told I was to have a new job with HQ company so get all your kit and move to the HQ block and the company CO did say thank you to me before I moved.Having found the room which I was to sleep and keep my kit,I was told to go to the company office where I would be told about my new job.When I reported there I was taken to see the Adjutant I was marched into his office he was a major. I was told to stand at ease.
"Matcham when you have had your plaster removed and back to full duty,s your new job is to be in the regimental Medical centre,this is going to be your new permanent job,"Am I going to get promoted to c pl then sir?"No just be thankful that you are not going back to do your basic training and if you had not passed your course with the high mark you got ,that is where you would have gone."Now in the morning you are to go back to the hospital to have your plaster taken off and xrayed again, if you are then discharged report to the MC and see the cpl in charge who will give out details of your new job."Yes sir"
and then I was marched out of his office.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Read next time on the move yet again but where to and why?
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Mr Watkins I might have to but I hope that will be years off yet.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
When I went into the medical centre ,I reported to the cpl told him my name etc,I cannot give out his name he is a local man and still about today.
"YES Matcham we have been waiting some time for you to come I also know you still have the plaster on your arm, lets hope it does come off in the morning.But I will tell you your new job but first the Dr is still here so better take you in first to see him.He is not English he comes from Malta and lives in the officers marred homes which are by the Hospital, and some times he will phone up for you to pick him up because his wife has the car.Again I do not think I should give out his name.Any way the Cpl tap on the door,and we both went in."This is Matcham sir who is going to be with us now "The cpl then left me standing there and went out."I have not been told about my job yet sir"T he cpl will do all that later I have been reading your record and see you have been a round some time.But your marks from Aldershot are very high just the kind of person we need here.There is just four and myself working in the centre +a lady who comes in 5 days aweek to clean the place up it is part-time and she does her work about 18oohrs each day,and you will have to stay on duty till she goes.Lets hope you pick up what your dutys are over the next week.The cpl will talk to you LATER today.And I will see you again after that plaster is removed from your arm.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
I went back to the hospital in the morning they removed the plaster done a xray went to see the Dr was told movment will come back to my fingers with some exercises which I can do my self,bar the index finger which nothing can be done,you will get back about 90%movment ,there is no need to report back here unless there is a problem you will feel pain for some time but that will go with time, so you are discharged and can go on full duty,s as from today.I reported back to the cpl at the medical centre.
"Ok Matcham lets get you sorted out .YOU are to have your own office to work from"Why is that then"?When we are on our own in here we use our first names "So Vic not only are you going to be a medic you also are going to be our new medical regimental documents Clark,which is a very responsible job you will have to look after and keep up to date about 1000 medical documents that is with the officers ones to, each one of us have a folder with our medical documents inside them,you also have the responsibility of making sure that all personnel have their inoculations on the same date each year and that all personnel have the right ones for where the regiment is going to serve in that part of the world.This is going to be a big job for you because the last clark we had doing it,was a 3year man and he left the army a year go and sorry to say when we needed to look at them we just put them back in the set of draws without putting any of them in order so they are all in one big mess and you have to sort them out and them in file order."Cpl I have never done that kind of work in my life and would not know how to start."That A easy one to answer you start here and now,we will do our best to help you by not calling on you to do other medical work till you have done this most import and work but there will be times when we need help in the centre with patience,s and dressing wounded personnel.And one more thing you will have 3no keys one for the outside door to the center,one for your office and the last one is for your new filing cabinets, I will have a set to.When you leave the centre at night times you must hand in your keys to the guard room and pick them up again in the morning you must sigh the key book with the times you put them in and time you take them out."
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
I went to my office pulled the chair and sat on it for a bout 30mins just thinking how and what I should do next,Anyway I could not write well with my right hand so used my left one and that was not much better,I wrote down a list for what I would need to help me with this job.First I needed was pens,and note paper, also a lot of files and pages in them for all the military personal in the regiment some 1200in number +ex ones, A big writing book with lines, for each company ,brown and white envelopes,and list of names of all the personal +one of n.c.o. and officers and what company they were all in and their rank and jobs.+ a big spelling dictionary because my spelling was and still is not that good,I also need to know in writing where the regiment is to serve over the next year + and over seas posting, So I know what jabs they will need,And there was a lot more on that list but cannot remember them,and I took this list over to HQ ORDERLY OFFICE ,because they are the one that dealt with all this kind of thing,I went in to see the sergeant major who was running the orderly room.
"That is a very big list Matcham and some of it is secret and confidential and must be under lock and key at all times,"I know all that sir but if I am to make a good job of all this I need that information"Yes you are right Matcham and must say you sound like you know what you are doing but one thing to remember you must not talk about it to anyone unless it is the Dr or this office.At times you will be send over memos which you must sigh for then act on what they tell you. You must NEVER take any of it out of your office and keep all under lock and key."Sir do you not think with all what you telling me and what I must do, I need some rank like a full cpl which would be a help to me +more pay.?"Promotion is out of my hands even if I agree with you,that will be up to the DR and CO and at this time they have not said anything.We will bring this list over within 24hours and sigh for it."What you all must remember at that time in the 1960s there was no PC,No lap tops nothing on you phone bar numbers
All had to be done by hand writing and keeping of books .
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
What NIGHTMARE this job is turning out to be, not only do I have all this catching up to do with the books etc,I have a Dr to look after who cannot not even do his own boots upI have to take his wife to do the shopping and look after his garden at times,, pick him up bring him into work before 0800hrs, that is the time the sick men had to line up to see the Dr.+I had find all their documents and them in with the sick person so the Dr to look at them and write notes in them.99% of the cases the treatment was medicine and dutys,in fact I ended up calling him the M@D Dr they would march in to see him,tell the Dr what is wrong and how they feel."Yes you need medicine but you are fit for duty,s
.After they had all gone I had to put their Med/documents away in order. then carry on sorting out all the regiment documents.
A cpl came over from the orderly room with all what was on list I left them."Matcham I have been told by my S/MAJOR if you would like any help with all this we will let you have some one to help you for two days."No thank you the last thing I need is that I will be better on my own." The S/MAJOR said you would say that anyway best of luck".
I will not bor you by telling all about the book work etc, but it did take time but got there in the end ,all the book work was up to date and all a file made out also up to date for all the troops and what company they were in and their jobs,and medical records ,I worked on it day and night with not much sleep but got there.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
I was working at my desk when the Dr rushed in "Matcham in the morning the whole of the regiment must parade in full battle dress on the square you will need to get my battle dress out and ready to put on .because I have never done it before."
Well I was getting fed up having to look after him like a baby,so it was time to get my own back.
.So I done what he asked and in the morning he said"you will have to put it all on me Matcham because I do not know how it all goes on."Yes sir"so I put his belt on upside down and his ammunition pouches upside down fix them to his belt,then put his gaiters on over is trousers again upside down.
This all true.
I said" sir you are ready now to go on parade.." so off he went swinging his swagger cane most officers had them, well he was a captain.I could not see the whole of the Square but I could see all the troops lined up and the R.S.M who was standing out in front of them all,and then out marched the officers to each of their companys, then it was the turn of the Dr, And then I heard the R,S,M,shout out "Dr-------by name,do you know you have come on to the CO PARADE with all your kit on upside down sir will you go and put it all on again this time the right way up
and you only 5mins to do it before the CO gets here.
He rushed over to me,"I will deal with you later now get it off and do it right this time"He was mad and his face was very red because it made him look a fool in front of the whole regiment.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Well what comes next will make you all smile apart from myself,all my storys are true .I have not had anyone saying they would like to make it into a book,but you never know ,anyway I like doing it if you are reading it.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Well it all happen to me,the next thing was the cpl from the orderly room came over to see me he was a very nice chap,"how are you getting on Matcham with this work/?
I am getting there but taking a long time because the Dr keeps stopping me and putting me on other work."Well you might not be please then with the news I have for you.As you know we are on a 24hour stand by to go anywhere,so all depts have to be ready and all documents up to date so they are coming round to do a check on all depts and it is done by a team of officers and n.c.o. who are not in our unit."thats good news then and can I asked how long do I have to check on my 1200 documents before this happens."Sorry to tell you vic but it is tomorrow morning, how they will do it is at 0900hrs one of them will come to your office and check all documents you have,this might take one day or even more penning on what they find. You must stay with them but you may carry on with any duty you have to do in the medical centre,"thanks alot for that news cpl I am still learning the job and you spring that on me."
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
"There is some other news for you Vic it is a memo form the CO OFFICE to the staff of the medical centre and it is sealed,but I think I know what it is because we have had one in all depts," I open it and it said the regiment is on stand by but we have to go down to Salisbury Plain to do some military exercises,but we have to start off in poole harbour and learn how to jump off moving landing craft we will spend two days there then using the landing craft we will move round to Salisbury plain and land and move inland and set up camp.We will have two types of landing craft small for troops only and the next size up to put vehicles on all crafts will have their own crews who you must carry out their orders to the T,We DO NOT WANT ANY accidents and injuries.All medical staff bar one well go to, and must have with them medical supplies ,stretches,the Dr will come and the padre will be with them. we move off in convoy ten days from now and full parade with kit and supplies will be done 48 hrs before that.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
It was all kicking off at the same time.In the morning in they came" Pte Matcham we are to look over all your book work and documents" .And that is what both of them done,I moved to the other room and carred out other duty,s .Well it must have been about 1400hrs and I was called back into the office."Pte Matcham did you check all the all documents of all the men and officers of the regiment "I did sgt"Well why are there two missing then the medical documents one is a officer and one a n.c.o. their names are on you list and when we went to the draws of the desk and found all the company,s from A.TO HQ and looking in them we found that one officer had no documents in his file and in B company we found that a N.C.O documents were missing to from his file,and we need to know now where they are,we are off for a meal please have them ready for us on our return please.After they had gone I looked every where for the missing one.s but no I could not find them and even up till today I do not know what happen to them,they were not booked out by anyone the Dr did not know.So I know then I was for it,I would get the blame for it as I was a key holder of all the draws etc.
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