Recollections from Geoff Bushell

Having gained experience of sorting office and mail guard duties in the “kipper factory” I was ready for further adventure. I applied for a posting to Libya and was was summoned for an OC’s interview during which Major Dunkeld informed me that my application for posting was successful but that I was going to Aden not Libya, he added “they are virtually the same”. A party of six of us under the charge of Cpl Wally Moat departed via a BOAC flight from Gatwick via Tehran to Bahrain. We then boarded an RAF Britannia aircraft and arrived in Aden on 4th June. We were met at RAF Khormaksar by our new colleagues who wasted no time in introducing us to the delights of draught Tiger beer!

I was based at the main BFPO situated in RAF Khormaksar and employed on all sorting office duties, it was extremely busy with large volumes of LC/AO and parcels. Regular duties included acting as an armed mail guard to the FPO at Steamer Point, the civil post office at Tawahi and taking sea mails to Ma’alla Wharf. On some occasions, due to volume, we borrowed a 30 foot Scammell and trailer from 10 Fd Sqn RE with 3 of us riding shotgun on top of the bags. One of the highlights of the day was the arrival of Capt Francis and the 24 Bde PCCU RE convoy from Little Aden, always a guarantee of banter. Also present were Ron Davies and Jimmy Reed of detachment 16 Bde PCCU RE who provided a service to 1 and 2 Para Regt’s.

BFPO Aden was also a busy hub for FCS material, the regular Defence Courier was usually Mr Ron Gourlay (Ex WO1 APTC) and internal air courier duties to Salalah, Masirah and Mukeiras were undertaken by a team of SNCO’s who included SSgt’s Ron Ashton and Don Doig and Sgt’s Mick Picard, Terry Hughes and Bronco Lane. A SNCO also performed a daily run to provide a service to BFPO 90 (Habilayn) by an RAF Beaver aircraft. It was sometimes necessary to perform overnight courier runs to HQ MEC with important despatches which meant a nerve racking journey through Ma’alla strait which was by then an operational hot spot.

We lived 12 to a Banda in Singapore Lines and my bunk mates included among others Tommy Compson, Fred Toker, Vince Sutherland, Ken Regler, Jimmy Tuck, Joe Norwood, Fred Wright, Dave Price, Scouse Wright and Puggy Poole. The social life was hectic revolving around the various unit bars dotted around the lines, this included seeing the last performance of Tony Hancock in a CSE show. The climate was uncomfortable, at that time of year a cloud base hung over the peninsular and it was hot and humid. Also sand storms blew in from the desert and I was unfortunate to be stuck in one on a mail guard duty, a most unpleasant experience. On a couple of occasions it rained, when this happened we stripped off and ran outside the Banda to get a hot shower!

On the 20th June I was detailed to collect the airmails from the civilian air terminal at the northern end of Khormaksar and set off in a 4 tonner with a civilian driver. When I arrived at the terminal checkpoint I heard gunfire and was informed by the RAF policeman that the airfield was under fire and to proceed with caution! I duly collected the mails and on my return was advised that the South Arabian Army had mutinied. A hectic day culminated in the unit being on standby in the evening to supplement IS patrols in Crater, Major Eric Worthington, DADAPS, eventually standing us down at the eleventh hour! The atmosphere in Aden state changed after this and there were numerous operational incidents occurring on a daily basis and all personnel were confined to barracks..

I was sent as relief to FPO Steamer Point for a month and thoroughly enjoyed my stay in decent air conditioned barracks with access to a beach in the Mermaid Club and superior RAF catering. My colleagues here were Alan Dixon, Ken Dickson, Phil Norsden and Bob Moonie and I gained experience of RLE/FCO duties. During my stay I witnessed the arrival of 42 Commando from Singapore on HMS Bulwark and Fearless, to say that they livened up the garrison would be an understatement! Alas my sojourn would not last and I returned to Khormaksar to scenes of increasing chaos. The FPO at one point was completely full of sea mail up to the ceiling, it got to the point that we had run out of bags. On one occasion an officer of the RPC company arrived with a crestfallen Pte, apparently he had taken the order to send all his kit home too literally and had packed his SMG, Captain Jack Rous instructed us to open all the bags in an effort to locate the offending parcel. After much cursing we actually found it!

The Government had announced the early withdrawal from Aden and everything was being run down. We had moved into accommodation in RAF Khormaksar where we continued to provide a service until the end and coped with the “parcels home”. The unit vehicles were parked up in a dump for local disposal and I and several others left for Bahrein on 14th November, 2 weeks before complete withdrawal. Looking back this was an interesting period in my life that included danger and comradeship and I would not have missed it for the world. I am obviously grateful to Major Dunkeld for not sending me to Libya!

Colonel Jim Anderson TD

In his excellent account of our Brigadiers, Doug Swanson starts the piece about Brigadier John Norris Drew by saying “The earliest that most of us will remember…” The whole article brought back many memories to me, particularly as I go back a bit further. But let’s start at the beginning. As a National Service Sapper, and one who had already completed a BIII Field Engineering Course, I reported to the Home Postal Depot at Gunsite Camp in June 1957. The Admin Inspection was due. I found that my new abode was picturesquely located on the edge of Wormwood Scrubs between the prison and Hammersmith Hospital. The OC was Lt Col Tubby Reading and the RSM was John Corrigan. The officer deputed to ensure my barrack room was up to scratch for the inspection was 2Lt Dennis Streatfield. I was told I would be there until the next Postal Training School (PTS) Course commenced at Mill Hill and, in the meantime I was assigned to the early shift at the sorting office which, at that time, was at Gorst Road in Acton, about fifteen minutes drive away. On the day of the Admin Inspection I was on packet sorting and was instructed to label up the fitting with the brightest coloured labels because “that would look good.” Just as well the inspecting officer didn’t look too closely!

A few weeks later I moved to Inglis Barracks to be trained at the PTS. At Mill Hill the Admin Inspection was due and Major John Long had been sent there to make sure all was well. He decided to interview someone from the PTS and Sapper Anderson was duly nominated and marched in by Staff Sgt McCabe. A couple of minutes later the ‘phone rang and John commenced what was obviously the start of a long personal conversation. I was still standing to attention and was relieved to hear a whisper in my ear that roughly said, “For xxxx sake faint or we will never get out of here.” I duly dropped to my knees, was carried out, and the interview never resumed.

Having completed PTS I was posted to the Directorate of Army Postal Services (DAPS) and spent the next eighteen months in Room 213 of the old Post Office Headquarters Building in St Martins le Grand. When I arrived the Admin Inspection was due – but that’s another story. But it does bring me back to Doug’s words because, at that time, the (part time) Director was Brigadier Kenneth Holmes CB, CBE, who coupled this with a full time Directorship in the Post Office. Brig Ken was a very astute operator who was never slow to tell his superiors they had got it wrong. He did not suffer fools gladly – indeed there were times when I don’t think he suffered anyone gladly. But those times were very much the exception and he sticks in my mind as a very approachable and amiable person who would take an interest in you and what you were doing no matter how lowly your position. For those interested he subsequently wrote a book “Operation Overlord: The sea-borne invasion of North-West Europe, 1944-1945: a history of the work of the British Army Postal Service.”

But back to DAPS. The senior full time officer (I use the term “full time” loosely) was Col Norris Drew and the other officers at that time were Lt Col Leslie Smith, Majors Alex Seaton and Joe Holmes and Captain Jack Ashworth. The Chief Clerk was WOII Eric Huxley and the other regular NCOs were Sgt Yorkie Hannan and Cpl. Arnold Jackson. They, in turn were supported by a number of National Service “volunteers” who were there to do as they were told. I was nominally locations clerk but was also co-opted to assist in project development. In that role I was involved in the planning for the first courier takeover from Royal Signals with the run to HQ BAOR. The route was from the War Office to Harwich by train from Liverpool Street, and then across the North Sea to the Hook of Holland with onward routing by train. Something tells me that on the first night the couriers missed the onward connection at the Hook but the detail escapes me. (OK but it was over fifty years ago.) But that was the start of Courier being added to our work and our title. One of my lesser successes was in connection with opening the first FPO at RAF Gan in the Maldives. Well, how was I to know it was so humid that stamps in books would all be stuck together before they could be sold?

So how else did we spend our time at DAPS? Well a good part of the day for one of us would be spent on making and serving coffee and tea and washing up afterwards. Often there were glasses to be washed as well but that only happened about five times a week! I can confirm that what Doug wrote about Norris Drew’s daily routine was broadly accurate with one important exception. Unless he had a better offer, at noon he would have his lunch, which was soup and a roll that we were required to purchase from the restaurant (or was it a canteen in those days?) on the fifth floor. The way up and down was by lift that was operated by an attendant and controlled with a rope. Going up was always smooth but coming down the driver always managed to bounce the lift, which invariably caused soup spillage. I always suspected there was a competition amongst the liftmen to see who could bounce it the most. However, I had obviously had some hygiene training, even that long ago, because I don’t think I ever resorted to tipping what had spilt onto the tray back in the bowl even though this left a rather small portion on some occasions. I do confess, however, to carrying the roll in my pocket to stop it getting soggy.

Of course, at that time, all the officers were on short service commissions and there was always the possibility they would have to return to their parent office in their Post Office substantive rank. If my memory serves me correctly Norris Drew was an APC1, Joe Holmes an Overseer from Penrith, Jack Ashworth a Clerical Officer from the NW Regional Office and Alex Seaton a P&TO from Liverpool. It just happened that, at that time, my old Dad was Head Postmaster Liverpool which caused colleagues to claim I received certain privileges. Of course, I couldn’t possibly comment.

There is much more I could write about life at that time. The professional footballers who were called up for National Service, about Inglis Barracks when the Middlesex Regiment was still there with RSM Kendrick who regarded the whole complex of Middlesex, RE, and REME as coming within his domain. And just to whet appetites there were the WRAC dances at Richmond Park. But I think I should save that for another time – if the price is right.

Recollections from Cliff Hands

Arriving at HPCCD RE at almost 2100hrs on a Wednesday had to spend the night in the Guardroom and got bedding and a room space the next morning after a visit to see OC Admin and marched in by the Chief Clerk as if I was on a charge, was told I had missed the B3 course that had started on the Monday.

The next six weeks were spent sweeping leaves around the camp,even though there was a Civvy employed to do this, going to the Gym on a Thursday with a funny kind of paybook that you wrote out yourself for as much as you wanted providing you had the credits.

During this time some other members were arriving for the same course but most of them arrived just before the course started and escaped the leaf sweeping.

The B3 course was not what I or a few others expected (mainly classroom work with only a few hours in the sorting office). During this time visits to see Dennis (landlord) in the Railway a few nights a week and back up the hill for last one in the NAAFI before closing at 2230.

Others on the same course were, Carr Montgomery, Jez Hernandez, Larry Peacock, Johnny (Giz a Tap) Graham, Gus Meiklejohn and other names escape me, also a number of WRAC girls whose names I cannot remember (Sorry Ladies).

Once the B3 course was complete we were allocated sections and some were given postings straight away. I was allocated SO1 starting on the night shift, which was somewhat strange as I had never worked all night with the exception of the odd guard duty. It was a work hard, play hard environment, and play being finishing the shift and going to breakfast with a black face from the date stamp ink. I’m sure it happened to most of us.

I stayed on SO1 for about 18months and during that time I had an old record player and bought a great big speaker from Batty’s Removals linked the two together with a length of speaker wire and one Sunday night set it up just inside the NAFFI doors and blasted away with the stack of records I had. I repeated this again on the Wednesday night when the dancing started. This was a regular occurrence and I was pulled in front of Major Dunkeld to explain myself. He told me if there any hint of trouble it would be stopped. Later the PRI dug deep and bought a deck system and it was wired in properly, even if it was upstairs out of view and the discos even though we never had the flashing lights,just dancing in the dark.

There was a time when there was unsigned bands booked to perform in the NAAFI for a week but due to some trouble on the first night when an influx of Guardsmen turned up the remainder of the acts were cancelled as Major Dunkeld explained to me the next morning when I went in front of him with a black eye and bent nose.

After SO1, I was sent to HQ Admin on the Provost staff with Wally Moat and Geordie Baker (who only done the early shift so he could get a pint or two at lunch time). This became more leaf sweeping duties unless anyone was in the cells. Geordie finished his time and Wally went to work for the NAFFI. I was a Lance Corporal at the time and was doing the job of Provost Corporal working 0600 to 1800 with many visits to Major Dunkeld as escort for those on charges and a few escorts to Colchester until Paddy Simpson was given the job of Provost Corporal when another two staff were allocated. I remained on the Provost Staff for a further 18 months until I was posted to 3 Div Bulford where the focus was on fitness which was another eye opener.

Many happy times were had at Mill Hill by myself and I am sure by so many others. Sad to see the demolition of the whole place but must move on.