Big ray

[Big ray]

Hi, my name is Ray, I am ex-REME, I served in West Germany 1956 /58 5.Armoured Workshops. Hamm.

I still meet with my army buddies each year ( Just had our 50th re-union.) I have been a member of the MVT for approximately 20 years. I own the following vehicles. 1944 GMC 353 CCKW (Rag Top) 1944 White M3 Halftrack, M201 Jeep, 1943 Harley Davidson WLC, 1943 Royal Enfield WD. CO. 350cc, I have never lost my love of all things green............. I am now 72 years old......... wish that I could do it all again!!!!!:cool2:

[fesm_ndt]

I think no-one has responded so far as they are sh$t jealous at your collection. G'Day and Welcome.

 

I was RAEME so the only difference was:

 

- RAEME Royal Australian Easy Money Earners

- REME Royal Easy Money Earners

 

:-D:cool2::-D

[Tony B]

Responding now! Welcome in Good Sir.

[Big ray]

Responding now! Welcome in Good Sir.

Thank you guy`s........... very nice of you to make me feel so welcome.:cool2:

[chevpol]

Hi Ray,

 

welcome

 

Mark

[Big ray]

Hi Ray,

 

welcome

 

Mark

Thank you Mark,

[Simon Daymond]

Hi Ray, welcome to the forums. Is it true that the REME were good at making tea? (as told by an ex-REME sergeant, blame him not me!)

[Big ray]

Hi Ray, welcome to the forums. Is it true that the REME were good at making tea? (as told by an ex-REME sergeant, blame him not me!)

I seem to remember that they were very good at getting someone else to make the tea, they tell me that it stems from a misplaced sense of superiority........... after all it was only Rough Engineering Made Easy. REME:cool2:

[Willyslancs]

welcome along mate ........

[Simon Daymond]

I seem to remember that they were very good at getting someone else to make the tea, they tell me that it stems from a misplaced sense of superiority........... after all it was only Rough Engineering Made Easy. REME:cool2:

 

come to think of it.. he was very good at getting me to make the tea, I used to get a row if the cup wasn't full to the top!

[Big ray]

come to think of it.. he was very good at getting me to make the tea, I used to get a row if the cup wasn't full to the top!

It`s very nice how people can communicate so easily now..... I still find all this technology very confusing. I must learn how to submit photographs onto the forum. I sit and think how fantastic this instant interaction with like minded people can have such a positive influence, I am truly enjoying it, infact it has broadened the scope within our hobby enormously........... superb stuff!!!!!:cool2:

[abn deuce]

Welcome Ray , You will have to tell us some of the interesting things you came across during your time in the Military .And about your collection of great HMV's !

[Simon Daymond]

http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?88-Uploading-pictures-tutorial.

 

basically you create an account (it's free) with an online storage site such as http://photobucket.com/

 

upload picture(s) from your computer to your account in photobucket, you then will see 'links' associated with each of your pictures on photobucket. You copy the link entitled 'IMG for bulletin boards & forums', then you paste the link into a new message that you create on here.

 

People viewing the message, can see your picture as this forum will automatically link to the picture on the photobucket site.

 

Probably made that sound far more complicated than it is, but it's simpler to just have a go.

 

People seem to struggle with finding the pictures on their own pc when looking to upload them through photobucket, so perhaps put a sample picture in a folder on your desktop to start, make sure you give it a name so you know it's the correct picture.

 

The next problem can be copying the image link and pasting it into a message on here:

 

on photobucket above each of your pictures it should say 'edit, share,delete'

 

click on 'share', a new window opens,

 

then click on 'get link code', then you want this one 'IMG for bulletin boards & forums'

 

in the box directly below 'IMG for bulletin boards & forums' is some script, you left click once on this script in the box(which should highlight it blue)

 

then right click once (which should open a drop down menu)

 

scroll down to 'copy' and left click once,

 

then in your new message, on here, right click once (opens a drop down menu),

 

scroll down to 'paste' and left click once, it should place the copied text into your message.

 

(If when you right click, you can't click on 'paste' because it's greyed out, it might be because you didn't copy the link, if you can't see the word 'paste' at all when you right click, it could be because your cursor isn't in the message you are attempting to compose, (if not, left click anywhere in your new message, you should see the flashing cursor appear, then try to 'paste' again.)

 

 

To test if the picture link works, click on 'preview post' further down the screen next to 'submit post', if successful you should see your picture in the post, if you can't something went wrong. You need all the brackets and other characters that are in the link you are posting, if you miss one, the link won't work.

 

This should get you started, it's easier when you know how, but if it doesn't gel make sure you ask, I've found everyone is very helpful on here, there's no such thing as a stupid question.

I'd be interested in any militant pics you might have? (perhaps paste those first? )

Most time consuming part is uploading them all onto the internet, you can do bulk uploads, but depending on the speed of your internet conection it can take a few minutes. Good luck!

[brinv8]

A cup???? all the REME guys I knew carried their own mugs about with them, at all times, so they didn't miss out on a brew.

 

By the way, Hi Big Ray, and welcome.

 

Brian.

[Big ray]

A cup???? all the REME guys I knew carried their own mugs about with them, at all times, so they didn't miss out on a brew.

 

By the way, Hi Big Ray, and welcome.

 

Brian.

Simon thank you for very comprhensive instructions on how to get my pic`s onto the forum, I have read it and I am still crying......... you could not find a bigger dummy on a computer than myself..... however, I do have some very computer literate friends, I know that they will come to my help...... like me they cannot stand to see a grown man crying. Seriously many many thanks for the time that you have spent helping me, I would like to get some pic`s onto the forum....... I really do have some very nice stuff... I have spent years getting my stuff to what I like to think is how it would have looked when it left the factory. My son Tony thinks that I am nuts...... but I do keep telling him that I am leaving him some nice stuff to take to shows. He has a nice Jeep and BSA M20 himself.:cool2:

[Big ray]

Welcome Ray , You will have to tell us some of the interesting things you came across during your time in the Military .And about your collection of great HMV's !

I was obviously extremely lucky, I had a thoroughly enjoyable time during my army service in the fifties. I still meet with my buddies, we have now been meeting each October for the last fiftyone years. I will be able to recall many things about my service time, including vehicles of the era.......... mostly WW2 stuff. I have infact written an article about my army service for our club magazine, it extended to eight pages, with eight pages you can only cover the fringes....... What I will say is that I would not have missed it for the world, great times great friends, no money ( It was the british army.) I remember that we were always in awe of the U.S. troops with their vastly better equipment, uniforms and good pay. Great times, I really wish that we could all do it again.:cool2:

[Big ray]

A cup???? all the REME guys I knew carried their own mugs about with them, at all times, so they didn't miss out on a brew.

 

By the way, Hi Big Ray, and welcome.

 

Brian.

Many thanks to the following people for making me feel very welcome to the site....... Mike, Tony, Mark, Simon, ABN Deuce, Brian............. cheer`s guy`s.

Ray.:cool2:

[Papav66]

Hello Ray,

About time you got on here. You've got a great MVT area, I'm always amazed at how many from your area always turn up together at shows. Very well organised and you all seem to put on great displays.

 

Here's a pic of Tony's French Cottage at Carentan. (Taken at the Victory Show 09)

 

See you soon.

[harry7134]

Hi Ray,

I also was posted to 5 Armd Wsps, but a lot later than you, and by my time they had moved to Soest.

My spiritual home though is 4 Armd Wksps in Detmold, from 63 until 70, then they started on with this Btn rubbish.

I see among your vehicles you have a Half Track, that was my mobile wksps and home for years, with the FRG. Is your one in its original state or the REME version? I would love to have one with all the gear on it that we had.

 

Nice to see you here , enjoy!

 

Harry.

( and no, I`m not going to tell you my regtl number!):-\

[Big ray]

Hi Ray,

I also was posted to 5 Armd Wsps, but a lot later than you, and by my time they had moved to Soest.

My spiritual home though is 4 Armd Wksps in Detmold, from 63 until 70, then they started on with this Btn rubbish.

I see among your vehicles you have a Half Track, that was my mobile wksps and home for years, with the FRG. Is your one in its original state or the REME version? I would love to have one with all the gear on it that we had.

 

Nice to see you here , enjoy!

 

Harry.

( and no, I`m not going to tell you my regtl number!):-\

Hi my Halftrack is in its original wartime configauration, Soest was a Canadian camp when I was stationed there, in fact I had two Canadian soldiers as friends. They used to spend Saturday night with us in our Workshops, we had no problem getting them into the camp for the night, including breakfast on Sunday morning. It was not easy for them to get back to Soest from Hamm. I spent a lot of my time prior to going into the REME working for my family, who were into war surplus, so I had spent a lot of time with things military before my call-up................ boy would`nt I like to do it all again, I was driving Diamont T`s, on site when I was only 16.......... I had a fantastic time, we sold Jeeps for about £35.00 each.... little did we know. My wife say`s that I should write a book.

[abn deuce]

Yes Ray you should start writting that book , Many veterans say oh I didnt do anything big , no one would want to read about what I did ........ First person accounts of the real life in the service help to document how things really were done , how the average soldier got through his service , I find that just as interesting , I m sure I m not the only one by far .

[Big ray]

Yes Ray you should start writting that book , Many veterans say oh I didnt do anything big , no one would want to read about what I did ........ First person accounts of the real life in the service help to document how things really were done , how the average soldier got through his service , I find that just as interesting , I m sure I m not the only one by far .

 

I could put something on here in installments, that would probably bore the pants off everyone. Of course if someone told me that enough is enough I can always stop......... There might be some bits that people would find interesting. There would be quite a lot to tell you about our initial training, (Boot Camp.) very different from todays army............ its nice to talk about it, it brings back many happy memories.:cool2:

[gritineye]

Hi ray, I'm sure a lot of us would be interested, maybe you could try putting a few extracts on here and if they go well you could use this method to publish.

 

http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?10874-Book&highlight=publish+book

[Big ray]

Hi ray, I'm sure a lot of us would be interested, maybe you could try putting a few extracts on here and if they go well you could use this method to publish.

 

http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?10874-Book&highlight=publish+book

I worked for my family in there war surplus / scrap business in 1954 / 55. We were cutting up stuff that looked almost new........ Shermans (25 Flails) plus all the other ex-wartime stuff. The Israelies were desperate for tanks, and I think that a lot of this stuff found its way to the Middle East, it went first to Holland, and then I believe that it went through several countries before arriving at its final destination....... We were instructed on how to cut this stuff so that it could be welded back together. The Israelies were at that time buying armour from US dumps in Italy and the Phillipines. Jeeps were in great demand by the French to cover their losses in French Indo China ( Vietnam ) so they were paying silly money, even for wrecks just for doner vehicles. I was conscripted into the army in the first week of January 1956.

[Big ray]

I worked for my family in there war surplus / scrap business in 1954 / 55. We were cutting up stuff that looked almost new........ Shermans (25 Flails) plus all the other ex-wartime stuff. The Israelies were desperate for tanks, and I think that a lot of this stuff found its way to the Middle East, it went first to Holland, and then I believe that it went through several countries before arriving at its final destination....... We were instructed on how to cut this stuff so that it could be welded back together. The Israelies were at that time buying armour from US dumps in Italy and the Phillipines. Jeeps were in great demand by the French to cover their losses in French Indo China ( Vietnam ) so they were paying silly money, even for wrecks just for doner vehicles. I was conscripted into the army in the first week of January 1956.

I left my local railway station at 10.30 am, bound for London, then change trains for Blandford in Dorset, on the south coast of England. Firstly you must understand that travel in the 1950s was a very limited activity for most people, including myself. I arrived at blandford station, a very small town, at 9.30pm. We were greeted by a lot of military personel, they were very brutal in their manner towards us, We were ordered onto the waiting trucks to take us to No1 training battalion, REME. (Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers.) It was a dark, cold, winters night, not a very auspicious beginning, in fact quite a frightening experience for a young man of 18 years. I can assure you that at this time my two years service seemed like an awful long time, I was to say the least very depressed.......... no internet or mobile phones in those days, you felt very isolated, and far from home.:cool2: