Some of you may have seen photos by Dot (Dorothy) Stewart on my home page (F/book) about a return trip to Hong Kong of one of her family, our own daughter also went back there, not particularly on a military visit, more general sightseeing, many major changes obviously, over Christmas / New Year 2012/13 as a part of her 50th birthday celebrations. The "Asian" railway journeys on BBC 2 this past few evenings have brought back many memories: 2 x programmes from H/K, we took R & R at Penang – via KL in 1966, had 3 weeks in Singapore in Sep 1966 – waiting for a plane home, when the peace treaty was suddenly signed and 5 Inf Bde had to "get … [Read more...]
Hong Kong
60 years ago – by John Jackett
A large brown envelope arrived one spring day of 1959 that was to change my life dramatically. It contained details of my National Service call up - the recruiting office was at Redruth and I was to use the enclosed railway travel warrant for medical requirements at the DCLI barracks at Bodmin. I was nineteen and a half years of age, in regular employment at Perranporth sub-post office as a counter clerk. Over the past 18 months or so, firstly cycling the 30 or so miles round trip each day, then by moped and finally with my full motor cycle licence, I had progressed by that year to a Triumph tiger cub. I had met my future wife-to-be Marjorie, … [Read more...]