My Father's National Service Photos 1950-2

[Bystander]

Elsewhere on this forum I have promised to post the photographs taken by my late father during his national service in Germany in 1950-2, accompanied extracts from the commentary of a video that he made of his reminiscences and family history that he made in the last few months of his life. I would think that a bit less than half the photos have MVs in them ranging from one of tanks down to an army VW Beetle, and army tractor and some bikes. But mostly they are of his radio trucks. Most of the rest are of army life, barracks, and photos of his comrades-in-arms (he used to sell the prints to subsidise his photography). To set them in context I would like to follow his narrative.

 

Dad had no previous experience of photography and so the quality of the photos improves as time goes on, as can be seen in the two sample photos that I attaché tonight. All the photos are 120 size and appear to be contact prints. Dad initially had a “cheap camera”, make unknown, which he put down in part exchange for the replacement Ziess Ikonta that he used for the rest of his life, which took pin sharp pictures.

 

I am afraid that the process will not be a rapid one as my time is quite limited, having two very young children, two businesses to run, two classic cars, a rambling house and garden that need a lot of upkeep, and a wife who is slightly more destructive to domestic appliances than Attila the Hun. However, if you stick with me we will get there in the end. Hopefully I should be posting the first part of the transcript up tomorrow night.

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Thanks BS it takes time but i can asure you it will be well recieved.

That hard top is interesting,new theme for Beltring.:cool2:CW

[Mark]

As CW says keep at it, we are are hungry for this type of information and a good story. :tup::

[Snapper]

These pix are bloody fantastic....we are a patient bunch here, just keep them coming at your own pace.

 

Many thanks

 

 

MB

[Bystander]

Herewith is the first part of my father's transcript, anything in square brackets is a comment that I have added. I don't currently hold all of the photographs discussed in the video commentary - I will try and dig these out when I am next at my mother's house in about three weeks time and add them retrospectively.

 

Video Title – “National Service 1950

 

[Group Photo of Intake – not to hand at present]

 

"Following a medical in February 1950, a rude shock awaited me on 11 May 1950 when I arrived at Catterick Camp in call-up group 50/09. Intakes were on alternate Thursdays. Abuse was screamed at us even before we got out of the train at Richmond Station, now a supermarket I believe. We finally arrived at the Basic Training Camp, to non-stop verbal abuse.

 

This photograph was taken after the first week or two. The drill sergeant in the centre was little short of a sadist and the corporal to his right little better. I am in the front row third from the left. The man two positions to the right of me was [unintelligible], called up from Gibraltar. Shortly after this photo was taken it was discovered on the rifle ranges that this man was blind in his right eye, his shooting eye: so much for army medicals. He received an immediate discharge and was sent home: I felt very envious.

 

[Circular red dog tag placed on photograph]

 

As soon as we joined we were given two dog tags to wear at all times. One was red and the other grey. I seem to recall that the grey one was rectangular with the corners chopped off. It was said that one was fireproof and the other waterproof. This was to make it easier to identify a body in the event of something nasty happening. In a time of war one tag stayed with the body so that it could be identified when exhumed for removal to a war cemetery to be buried. The other tag went to records with any personal effects.

 

[Photo of three men with Dad in the middle - not to hand at present]

 

After six weeks of hell in the basic training camp I moved to [unintelligible] Lines at Catterick for six months trade training as an operator, wireless and line. Whilst conditions were always harsh at Catterick, the new camp was less so than the previous one, and one was gradually hardened to the regime. A number of young lads cracked under the strain, however, and suicides were frequent, popular methods were: hanging on the last day of leave; shooting oneself on the rifle range; drinking Thawpit[?] (a spirit cleaner) or Brasso. By the time that we left Catterick we were made of sterner stuff. This photo dates from this time and shows Green on the left, a cockney, myself in the middle and Jock McCabe, a Glaswegian. Some very strong bonds were developed in National Service, and Green and Jock became inseparable; whenever they went to the Naffi together in the evenings they always marched in file with their bodies about 12” apart, Green leading and playing Lilly Bolero, the signallers’ march, on his mouth organ.

 

My troop in the training regiment was destined for Egypt; because my Morse was judged better than the rest I was put in for a trade test two weeks early, with the result that I went to Germany with an earlier intake, rather than going to Egypt. I was therefore separated from my new-found friends…

 

… taken shortly before going to Germany in November 1950; because I had passed my trade tests my pay jumped significantly, in fact significantly higher than at Bristow & Townsend [his employers]

 

[Photo of man lying on bed in barracks, with empty bed to his right – not currently to hand]

 

I travelled to Germany via the Hook of Holland and thence by train to Herford, where we spent a day or two, before some of us were sent to Luneburg for a few weeks and then to Hamburg (Hock[??] camp. I enjoyed my stay in Hamburg. After many weeks I was attached to Corporal Gibb[?], who had grown up in India: his father a Colonel of an Indian regiment. We roamed round Germany for a week or two trying to locate a spare wireless truck. 11 Armoured Division, disbanded after the War, was to be re-formed, we were part of the advance guard. Once we had a truck we were dispatched to Bad Lipspringer to form the signals contingent of HQ 33 Armoured Brigade, part of 11 Armoured Division. After some weeks further personnel arrived, until we were up to strength. This picture shows my barrack room in Bad Lipspringer, my bed is on the right, with the bed made up in day mode: blanket, sheet, blanket, sheet, all specially folded with square edges, ones webbing kit is laid out on the locker.

 

[Dad on horse “Up the airfield just after Christmas me on Atexes Dec-Jan 52” written on reverse]

 

After seeing a western film, a crowd of the lads decided to try horse riding, I was almost forcibly dragged along. The interest soon waned, however, except for me. I subsequently put in 10-15 hours a week on horses, when not on exercises. This photo was taken at Sennelager, near Bad Lipspringer.

 

[Photo of radio truck and trailer "Batemans CV during static working with Rolland + Severn" written on reverse]

 

Herewith a Bedford Light Command Vehicle, or LCV, a four wheel drive truck: a typical headquarters vehicle, with a centre compartment for the officers commanding the battle, and an electronics compartment squeezed into the rear compartment. Aerial poles were carried in racks on either side. The vehicle was grossly overloaded and therefore grossly underpowered, its maximum speed was around 45mph on the downhill stretches.. An American-built trailer carried a 240V petrol generator. The end of the barrack block is visible on the right, and the white building visible on the left is the battery charging room/stores. This building had sinister cells in the basement, which had all the appearance of gas chambers."

Edited March 12, 2009 by Bystander
typo

[abn deuce]

Most impressive , very good with all the details , and the photo's

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

:tup::Anothere great in service picture.

[Bystander]

Thanks very much for your kind words - it motivates me to carry on knowing that the my Dad's photo's are appreciated. Hopefully I will get a little bit further with the story this weekend.

[ArtistsRifles]

Looking forwards to that!!

[Enigma]

Keep it coming.

I like the Scout car campervan..

[Bystander]

Only time for a brief bit of transciption tonight I am afraid:

 

"[Photo of soldier digging a slit trench, “On Ex Wheel Spin Priest digging slit trench in area where it started. Sennelager Ranges* annotated on reverse]

 

We spent about nine months of the year on exercises, which lasted night and day for three to four weeks. The exercises always followed the same pattern, practicing tactical withdrawals from East to West. One very rarely moved in daylight hours, so you never got any sleep. Once daylight came the first priority was camouflaging and digging slit trenches, at which we became quite accomplished. [My father had a very dry sense of humour].

 

[Photo of three men in front of the Hindenburg Memorial, Dad in Centre, “In Herford as instructor on the upgrading course “Up the Hill” on the first Sunday afternoon Jan 52 Alsop Myself + Raucus” written on reverse]

 

After some months I was sent on a wireless operating upgrading course at Divisional Headquarters in Herford, which resulted in higher pay, and then again to attend a drill and duty course to become a Lance Corporal. From now on life became much tougher, because my troop sergeant from Bad Lipspringer had no time for young upstarts.

 

I also had further trips to Herford as an instructor for further upgrading courses, which allowed some respite from problems at Bad Lipspringer. This photograph dates from one of these trips to Herford, with the Hindenburg Memorial in the background.

 

[Photo of Herford MT Square, annotated on rear: “In Herford on OWL Upgrading Course from window of Instructors room Jan 52”]

 

The MT Square at Herford taken from the barrack room window in January 1952. The Hindenburg Memorial shown in the last photo sits on the skyline in the middle of the picture."

Edited March 24, 2009 by Bystander
Minor corrections to transciption errors

[Mark]

Sennelager, was'nt that the famous german tank barracks/training ground during the war ?

[ferretfixer]

Only time for a brief bit of transciption tonight I am afraid:

 

"[Photo of soldier digging a slit trench, “On Ex Wheel Spin Priest digging slit trench in area where it started. Sennelager Ranges* annotated on reverse]

 

We spent about nine months of the year on exercises, which lasted night and day for three to four weeks. The exercises always followed the same pattern, practicing tactical withdrawals from East to West. One very rarely moved in daylight hours, so you never got any sleep. Once daylight came the first priority was camouflaging and digging slit trenches, at which we became quite accomplished. [My father had a very dry sense of humour].

 

[Photo of three men in front of the Hindenburg Memorial, Dad in Centre, “In Herford as instructor on the upgrading course “Up the Hill” on the first Sunday afternoon Jan 52 Alsop Myself + Raucus” written on reverse]

 

After some months I was sent on a wireless operating upgrading course at Divisional Headquarters in Herford, which resulted in higher pay, and then again to attend a drill and duty course to become a Lance Corporal. From now on life became much tougher, because my troop sergeant from Bad Lipspringer had no time for young upstarts.

 

I also had further trips to Herford as an instructor for further upgrading courses, which allowed some respite from problems at Bad Lipspringer. This photograph dates from one of these trips to Herford, with the Hindenburg Memorial in the background.

 

[Photo of Herford MV Square, annotated on rear: “In Herford on OWL Upgrading Course from window of Instructors room Jan 52”]

 

The MV Square at Herford taken from the barrack room window in January 1952. The Hindenburg Memorial shown in the last photo sits on the skyline in the middle of the photo."

 

Wow! That Takes me back! My Father was Regimental Armourer Sergeant with 7th Signal Regiment in Hereford in the late sixties. I was only about 8-9 then. But I have happy Memories of the place. One of the best Postings we ever accompanied him on! I remember also on Sundays, after lunch. We would walk up to the top of that hill & go up the Hindenburg Memmorial frequently. Lovely view on a clear day! I recently checked a site for Military Barracks in gemany. It was a sad time! 7 Sig's Barracks, & a Lot of similar ones all over Germany where I had served myself. ALL, handed BACK to the German Civil Authorities. Another slice of History lost! All in the Name of Progress??

Thanks for sharing your Pics. Mike :yay:

[ferretfixer]

Sennelager, was'nt that the famous german tank barracks/training ground during the war ?

 

Yes it was. It has been a German Military Training area since Prussian Times.

British Army Soldiers have/ are trained there after the war. And still do. A lot has been demolished & new Houses have been built on former Barrack Buildings. It is mainly a tarining area of live firing ranges for small arms, Mortars & light Artillery. The main gunnery ranges are located at Honne near Belsen. And Puttloss where they fire out to sea.

I have spent many days in MY Service career shooting & repairing Weapons there! I had some interesting finds there also. I speak German & always put myself out to be Friendly to the Civilian German Range staff.

I got given a Luftwaffe china plate, An Armband, Assorted Nazi Ordanance (Inert!) & actually saw a Horch Car mounted in a Concerete Bunker with one tyre removed froma wheel. A cable was wrapped around this wheel & it was used to tow Tank Targets via a steel cable back & forth across the Anti-Tank Range! I tried to do a deal with the Range Warden to replace said Horch with a Landrover. But, he didnt want to risk his job!! :sweat: Shame, It's a rare vehicle & I often wonder if it's still there. I found an Original Baketlite telephone with German Waffen Ampt stamp in one of the range boxes on a firing point. I couldnt belive it! Needless to say, it 'dissapeared' :cool2:

There are lots of interesting Wartime Bunkers scattered around the area for observation Etc. A huge one Reputed to have had Hitler watching a Manouver from. All the levers for the hatches & doors still intact, though VERY rusty!

Interesting times.

 

Mike. :yay:

[abn deuce]

Good to have these memories recorded .

[Bystander]

Next installment... Might be a couple of weeks before I can do any more after this.

 

[Photo of signal at Leamington Spa station – not scanned in]

 

"In February 1952 I got my second and final leave from Germany. Whilst I was on leave the King died, which meant big ceremonial parades: I was relieved to be on leave… [more family stuff]… this photo was taken out of the carriage window at Leamington Spa.

 

[Photo of Empire Wansbeck inscribed on rear ”Returned off last leave

on the Empire Wansbeck. Here is the hulk Feb ‘52”]

 

On my way back off this leave the troopship Empire Wansbeck awaits us at Harwich. The accommodation on these ships made them death traps for ordinary ratings, that is probably why so many of them chose to do the crossing of the North Sea on deck.

 

....

 

[Photo of cargo ship “Merchantman moving towards the Hook of Holland Feb 52” inscribed on rear]

 

The troopship arrived at the Hook of Holland about 06.30h, and by about 07.30h we were on the train to take us to Germany. The rail line to Rotterdam runs along the shipping canal to Rotterdam.

 

[Group of four men, Dad to right “After the NAAFI break one morning Feb ‘52” inscribed on rear]

 

This photo shows Bad Lipspringer in the grounds of the Kurpark[?], with the sinister stores building, known as “The Summerhouse”, in the background. I am seated on the right.

 

[Photo of three men in front of White Scout Car, inscribed on back: “’Slasher’ Price, Morton & Sgt Rae. Waiting to be taken to our location Feb ‘52 Ex Endurance”]

 

The commander of 33rd Armoured Brigade was Brigadier Beltram, one of Montgomery’s right hand men during the war. He was quite a character: one Christmas when completely sloshed, not an unknown event, he challenged a junior subaltern, who had just bought an old Amilcar, to race around the Kurpark, himself on one of motor cycle dispatch riders motorcycles. He subsequently came off and broke an arm. He was married to Greta [unclear]’s sister: quite a dish. However, he seemed to be more interested in his vast model railway layout. I had been his wireless operator for some time; this vehicle was his main means of transport on exercises, an American White Scout car fitted with a wireless body. The Brigadier occupied the rear compartment, and the wireless compartment was an extension of the driver’s cab. This fantastic 9 ton four wheel drive vehicle could manage 70 mph on the Autobahn.

 

This photograph was taken on Exercise Endurance in February 1952. In the centre in Lance Corporal Morton, the driver, with whom I got on famously. He had seen the tail end of the War in Germany, had married a local girl, and was still stationed there at the time."

[Bystander]

Apologies for the delay, but have managed to get a bit more done this evening. Only a little more relevant material to transcribe from the VT now then I will post up all the other MV pictures in the album that were not a part of Dad's narrative.

 

[Photo of Bad Lipspringer Barack Block]

 

"Herewith the Barrack Block at Bad Lipspringer.

 

[Photo of Officers NAAFI at Bad Lipspringer]

 

The most unfortunate thing about Bad Lipspringer was the absence of facilities for other ranks, in other words no NAAFI. The officers, however, had a fine NAAFI building shown here on the right, which featured the occasional ‘orgy’. Our barrack block is visible on the left.

 

[Photo of battery charging room]

 

Herewith the battery charging room in ‘The Summerhouse’, where I spent most of my time whilst not on exercises. The batteries shown are 6 Volt 170 Amp Hour, two of which were used in series to power the vehicles transceiver equipment. A container of dilute sulphuric acid stands in the left foreground.

 

[Photo of two soldiers, Dad on right]

 

By now I had a new Zeiss Ikonta camera that produced photos of remarkable clarity when developed by Hans Pilsen [?] from whom I purchased the camera. I am standing on the right.

 

[Photo of Autobahn inscribed on reverse: “Same place looking towards Hamburg temperature in the 90’s”]

 

On the conclusion of my last exercise (Black Swan) we were travelling down the Autobahn towards Hamburg, seen through the windscreen of the White Scout Car.

 

For long point-to-point journeys the Brigadier usually left us and went by his personal Jeep instead. Sometimes, tanked up to the eyeballs, he would tell his personal driver Trooper Phillips[??] to move aside to allow him to drive, leaving the poor lad terrified.

 

We have now moved into May and the temperatures are in the nineties.

 

This roll of film was developed by Boots, and the drop in print quality is immediately obvious.

 

[Photo of Bridge Portal, inscribed on reverse: “Some hours later resuming the journey just about tpo go over the bridge over the Lubeck”]

 

Later in the same journey: the river bridge on the northern outskirts of Hamburg. Quite spectacular in design, it appears in the occasional movie or TV shot.

 

[Photo of rear of White Scout Car, inscribed on reverse: “after finish of the exercise just after cleaning up the White Scout Car - Taylor”]

 

After the exercise, instead of returning all the way back to home, we moved to a grassy plain on the outskirts of Hamburg for a rest, probably so that the officers could visit the fleshpots of Hamburg. This shot shows the rear view of the Brigadier’s White Scout Car, with an interloper standing in front. Battery charging engines for the wireless batteries hung on a special framework on the rear of the vehicle.

 

[Photo of trailer, inscribed on reverse: “Squadron Officer Barnes + myself leaning on the Coventry Climax”]

 

An interesting shot of a battery charging vehicle. The batteries were fitted in racks in the vehicle, controlled by a rheostat fitted above the batteries. The charging power came from a petrol powered Coventry-Climax engine, later developed to become on of the foremost racing engines of the 1960s [surely the late 50’s/very early 60’s as far as FI racing is concerned]. I am on the left, verging on the demob-happy.

 

[Further photo of Bad Lipspringer, inscribed on reverse: “NAAFI Officers Club in the camp in Bad Lipspringer”]

 

A last shot of the NAAFI Officers Club in Bad Lipspringer, with bathing houses barely visible through the trees in the background.

 

[Photo of soldier sitting on rear of VW Beetle, inscribed on reverse: “Jock Warren taken on the same Sunday morning as the other pictures cleaning out his Volkswagen after going out shooting with Captain Irving at 3AM”]

 

A final shot in Bad Lipspringer: a driver cleaning one of the staff cars. The shot is included to show that the Beetle was being used by the Army in large quantities at this stage. Note the charging bull symbol of the 11th Armoured Div, which also can be seen on my old battledress. "

[abn deuce]

Great photo's all . Thanks for sharing them .

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

:tup::I just love that scout car,

[les freathy]

Have to agree the scout car conversion is something else i have quite a bit on halftrack signals conversions but this is the first scout car conversion i have seen in BAOR, did your father take more of the truck based wirless vehicles. Thanks for sharing them with us all and the quality of the photos is pretty good, its getting me fired up to build a model of it to go with my early 50s british models

thanks

Les

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Never mind a model about a life size:cool2::cool2::cool2::-D

[Bystander]

Have to agree the scout car conversion is something else i have quite a bit on halftrack signals conversions but this is the first scout car conversion i have seen in BAOR, did your father take more of the truck based wirless vehicles. Thanks for sharing them with us all and the quality of the photos is pretty good, its getting me fired up to build a model of it to go with my early 50s british models

thanks

Les

 

Yes Les, I have quite a few photos of it, although unfortunately all of the vehicle interior shots that I have, seem to be of LCVs. I will post them in due course (not this weekend though).

[les freathy]

Are you volunteering then Catweazle, interesting to see the Ben Hur trailer behind the QL i have a few BAOR shots from this period with this trailer in British servivce it wouldbe interesting to find out where the stocks originated from

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Are you volunteering then Catweazle, interesting to see the Ben Hur trailer behind the QL i have a few BAOR shots from this period with this trailer in British servivce it wouldbe interesting to find out where the stocks originated from

Its the sort of crazy idea that apeals to me:cool2:,good job the moneys tied up in the boat.:-DHave you got any champ pics for the registry Les.

[Bystander]

Apologies for the delay - been pretty busy recently. Have finally transcribed the last minute or so of Dad's video, which follows. Hereafter I will be posting the most interesting of teh remaining photos.

 

[Photo of Herford Barracks from window, inscribed on rear: “Hammersmith Barracks at Herford. Taken when on the D&D. Plenty of bull**** here”]

 

"On my way to England and demob via Divisional Headquarters Barracks at Herford. A BBC colleague placed an almost identical photograph in front of me, so we compared notes and discovered that we had overlapped at Herford by about a month so many years before.

 

[Group photo of men against a shed, with Dad on right]

 

On arrival in England we were dispatched to Newton Abbott for gardening fatigues before demob: the army’s last chance to bugger you about. I am the wally on the right."