THE LANGELEBEN ‘FORUM’
IS VERY ACTIVE BUT HAS ONE MAJOR FAULT. CONTRIBUTORS ARE
INCAPABLE OF KEEPING TO THE SUBJECT IN QUESTION, THE
FOLLOWING EXTRACTS, RELATING IN THEORY TO ‘THE HISTORY
OF LANGELEBEN’, WILL GIVE YOU A FLAVOUR
I would not be put off about
the Langeleben project as I am sure you would
get stories to tell although in the main they
would be about nights out etc. as I do not think
there is too much to say about our work.
(This has proved to be
true. Ed)
CLICK TO ENLARGE
I was mainly on DF and the
only thing of note that I can remember is one
midnight shift at Räbke (the DF outstation)
being tasked with a particular group with five
outstations. However, I found another one. As
you know, all steerage was done by morse and I
told Langeleben of this via the One Time Pad and
steered it back to them but no one back there
could hear it. Anyway I got my bearings and
submitted them and that was that. Later next day
I was awoken from my sleep and told to report to
the Wagons and was grilled by Joe Makepeace and
the I Corps 2nd Lt whose name I forget and more
or less was told I had made it up as they could
not understand how I could hear something at
Räbke and that Langeleben could not pick up.
They seemingly did not appreciate skip distance
etc. A couple of days later I had to see them
again and they actually said they were sorry as
my outstation had been confirmed from other
sources. It was a unit that had been 'lost'.
On a lighter note I remember one night coming
back to camp in the 3 tonner and jumping off the
truck went straight into a dustbin which was
half full of rubbish so maybe that was the right
place for me.
T.N
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I was around Langeleben from the beginning of
1955 to Feb 56 and I cannot remember like you. I
think it must be the alcoholic blur. From the
photos, I do remember Sergeant Tommy (he was a
dog. Ed). He was quite a character. Chased the
deer, although they were ten times his size. How
long was he at Langeleben? I remember we took
him out with us on one occasion and lost him. He
turned up a couple of days later. Whilst on the
subject of people going missing, does anyone
remember the Water Wagon driver going AWOL? Have
been looking for some photos from Langy and came
across my pay statement from Feb 1956 issued by
Reading Pay Office. Pay was £2.11.0 per week
which was double what I started on in March,
2004, 25 bob. Not a bad increase over two years.
Double.
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I have just remembered another little story. One
Sunday afternoon, three or four of us were
having a drink (as usual) at a farmers home when
all of a sudden there was a thumping on the
door. The farmer went to see who it was and
there stood his brother, having just come from
East Germany with his family on a horse and
cart. What a party we had that night.
??
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There was a chap who went Awol after
going out with me to Braunsweig. I was questioned
furiously as to his possible whereabouts in case he had
gone over the border by the C.O Jim Prescott. He came
back 3 days later with an extraordinary story of being
locked up in a windmill by this girl we had met and with
whom he had gone off - the last I had seen of him. I now
believe that there was a windmill museum around so it
could have been true.
I had forgotten the dog but remembered the bloody deer
clattering around the place. Never completely tame, was
he/she. Did we ever know its sex or was that too
technical?
I was on B watch with Bob Wells. I recall hearing modern
jazz for the first time there. There was a Gerry
Mulligan record "Knights of the Turntable" and an MJQ
too. Best of all was a Dave Brubeck. ‘Jazz goes to
College’ perhaps. Pete Ellis was learning the trumpet at
the time too. And Elvis in the Deutsches Haus after
drinking at Schumanns where it was cheaper. A fellow
I.Corps chap Jeff Penney hung out there a lot with me
too and he was more than passingly friendly with the
landlady and, if I drank enough, I could fancy the girl
with the magnificent bust and the eyes that looked in
two different directions. However, very disconcerting if
drunk!
P.C
It was about June 56 when I got to Langeleben for the
first time .One thing does come to mind. Sitting in the
cookhouse one lunch time at a window overlooking the R
Vans Ernie Cooper suddenly shot out of his chair and we
saw him dashing down to the R Vans. When he got back we
asked what was wrong and he said one of the R Van
windows was open and he had been able to read the morse
as someone had put a speaker on. I do not remember who
the watch Cpl was but Ernie certainly gave him a b'ing.
T.N.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
Did anyone record or recall the
temperatures? I have this vague recollection of it
dropping to -30deg one day and some smartyboots saying
that when it reached 32 it was the same in centigrade
and fahrenheit 7
My first winter was when it was’ tents only’; we all
lived in our pyjamas with our BD's on top, arctic issue
sweaters and those 15th hand leather jackets. You only
forgot to tie your boots to the ridge pole of the tent
once. Otherwise you woke up to find them frozen to the
earth and the sweaty interior turned to ice. Oh those
lovely Canadian lumberjack boots!
This way of dressing went on for weeks - we NEVER
undressed and it needed to be a crisis before you used
the toilets otherwise you hung on until you got into K.
How many are there of us left who did the tent bit?
I remember carrying the ever- present brown bowl full of
'hot' water and finding it covered with a thin layer of
ice when I reached my tent.
The story in the blue book about the cracked engine
block rung a bell. There were some days when something
in the suspension just turned to lard.
P.C.
7 It is actually at -40deg
I only lived in a tent for a week
or so at Langeleben whilst waiting for a space to become
vacant in the accommodation block. As you know we only
had two buildings, one for admin, cookhouse etc and the
other for living in. At Dannenberg all we had was tents.
As far as I know Joe Makepeace (A very popular I Corps
Sgt. who unfortunately died) was married but I do not
know anything else regarding his service.
T.N
Yes I remember Pete Ellis, Bob
Wells and Mick Stubbings very well. I have a photo
somewhere about of Pete playing his trumpet. Talking
about all the music at that time I seem to remember
Charlie Parker as well. Also I was surprised to have
played for me on British Forces Network, 'Don't Roll
those Bloodshot Eyes at me'. Some of the guys arranged
it.
With regard to the temperature, I seem to remember that
vehicles had to be drained if they were left standing
over a certain length of time. I certainly remember
-20deg. Do you remember guys going out in civilian
clothes with pyjamas underneath which caused the local
lasses to scream when they showed below their trousers
whilst rocking and rolling.
Paul, I cannot remember the I Corps guy on my watch as I
was not too long on watch at Langy. Capt Jim Prescott
put me in charge of stores. This meant I went to
Braunsweig 5 times a week with a GSO driver, including
Saturdays. This was OK as I could play snooker. I met a
guy from the East Surreys who was a good player and we
had some good games, even though the cues had no tips.
You have really got me going!.
Incidentally, I have found my demob papers and my no.
was 5405 and I was demobbed on 9.3.56
K.K
CLICK TO ENLARGE
Did you ever play snooker with
the I corps chap who was a real hustler. He had played
his way through Uni and could take on just about anyone.
Am I dreaming or did we not get a snooker table in the
cookhouse when they built the first hut? That reminds me
of something else now. After the dreaded scouse another
cook arrived who was suddenly whisked away under escort.
He had TB and could have given it to all of us! At least
that's what they said. He could have given it to the
cockroaches and done us all a favour. The place was
infested with them.
Yes, Charlie Parker too, so there must have been at
least 4 records in the collection. There are several
pictures in the 55's with Ivor Whitton in them. He was
I. Corps and a good friend. I missed him when he went as
he was the only other tennis player on the Camp.
Those bloody pyjamas. Thinking back, we must have ponged
a bit, never taking them off and no baths. We tucked
them in to our socks under our BD’s or civvies when we
hit the ‘Town’, Did we ever take them off in the
freezing Winter???
Another good mate was Cpl Bill Taylor, he is in lots of
photos of the period too - again I Corps. How about
Eddie Potts? The worst drinker in history, I reckon, but
despite this handicap he still insisted on trying to
learn. Every Friday night when not on watch he'd go out
come back, go to his 'pit'; go to sleep; wake up and
puke his guts out. AND always in my bedspace. He was a
skinny chap dark hair and sallow - and married I think.
Someone else I had forgotten until now!
P.C
There was a snooker table in the
admin block at the opposite end to the cookhouse and it
only just managed to fit into the room which meant some
shots were very hard to play.
T.N
Funny thing memory! I can
vaguely remember coming in through the door of the new
Admin block. The bathroom less plumbing came first on
the left then the I corps office, the stores and then
the cookhouse. That, initially, was the only building.
Ignoring the old MT shed and cookhouse. Am I right in
thinking that the CO Jim Prescott had an office in there
too?
P.C
My memory is not half as good as
yours however your comments stir mine a little and
things come back to me. I was fortunate to get out of
tents and sleep in the stores. I remember my bed being
in the corner with the weekly cigarette ration and the
box of ammunition being under it. A further point,
people on sick parade had to come on the wagon with me
to Braunsweig. During the time under canvas, there were
very few who went to the MO, however, after the huts
were erected with heating, people went virtually every
day. I suppose the cold killed the bugs as well.
Did you ever play cards for cigs instead of money? In
our school, you were not allowed to play with woodbines
as the baccy used to come out during the game and
therefore only the paper was left at the end. Did you
never go on the bath run to Helmstedt on a Wednesday
afternoon?
I have read your memories particularly with regard to
the VW visit. I was on that trip too and was amazed at
the size of the place and the speed that the vehicles
came off the line and how they tested them inside the
building. Coming from Coventry, that was the car centre
for the UK at that time, I was very impressed.
K.K
CLICK TO ENLARGE
You are absolutely
right about being sick. In the 15 months there I didn't
have a day's sickness and to think we used to trot down
to town for a few beers all 5km of it and often back
again.
Funny you should mention the
bath run to Helmstedt. That
very nearly got me in to the most serious trouble. As
you know we I Corps always wore RS flashes and badges
Somehow, one of the MP's who became quite friendly had
been asking quite innocent questions and how, I don't
know he guessed that I wasn't R.Sigs and so I was left
with no alternative, as I saw it. but to tell him I
thought confidentially that I was I Corps. The bastard
went all ‘regimental’ and questions were asked and I
honestly thought that a trip to Bielefeld was on the cards. Fortunately it all
blew over.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
Re the VW trip we must have been together. Do you
remember the office corridor 1/3 mile long, I recall,
and dead straight, ideal for lovers of perspective. Did
you go on the Hannover Messe trip too? The size and
scope of that in a country said to have lost the War and
in
UK
, sweets had only just come off
rationing.
I don't know about you but the time in
Germany
opened my eyes to the possible truth
about Great (?)
Britain
.
I could draw you a picture of that store room with the
two pistols on a shelf next to the bed. I think they
were for the officers to fight off the Russians.
Woodbines? Can't recall anything
except Players Navy Cut and Senior Service. Am I
dreaming or did they also come in tins of 50?
P.C
I have
to say how really impressed I am at the stories and
memories you are managing to drag out, we ‘60s lads had
it cushy compared to you, but I have no doubt at all
that it is all true, it’s just the sort of thing you
just can’t make up. Also Tom touched on the snooker
table previously, undoubtedly it was the same table we
had in the NAAFI, albeit with a few more tears in the
baize. We have all been around long enough to know that
when the chips are down, you just have to get on with
it. We did in
Northern Ireland
, and in
Rhodesia
.
D.T
|
There you go again Paul, stirring up memories.
Yes I remember the pistols and that brings back
the time a fox, just outside the fence, was
sitting and not moving, we thought he must be
ill or something. Lt Jenkins, (do you remember
him), got one of the pistols and a couple of
rounds to put the poor mite out of his misery.
We must have been on the same trip to
VW, it was an amazing
place considering it was only 10 years after the
end of the War. Another thing I could not get my
head round was the fact that a butchers shop had
all its different meats on display whereas back
in 'blighty' you asked for some meat and the
butcher disappeared into the back and came out
with the piece cut. You had no choice.
K.K
|
The
English butcher would probably come back with a piece of
New Zealand
de-frosted lambs liver out of a tin!
Lt Jenkins. Do I remember him! I've already bored
everyone with the story of the sledge that we built,
mainly due to Jimmy Dean and which Jenkins drove around
the town whilst we threw out sweets to the kids. I have
the photos to prove this to our disbelieving youngsters.
I also litigiously suggested that he may well have been
responsible for the complete lack of coffee in the camp.
The ONLY thing the Germans did not have. Someone fairly
senior seemed to be involved or was it you as Storeman?
Do you remember bringing back a tin of Nescafe in the
forlorn hope of bribing yourself into some young
Fraulein's knickers. Or were
you one of those who got his hands on one of those five
girls who would go with a squaddie?
Oh, and Yes! I had the first steak of my life in
Germany
I couldn't believe it. It was bigger than some Sunday
joints our family of 6 had sat round.
The second was a disaster. I saw the word 'steak' (in
German of course) and ordered it. Hell’s Bells.
it turned up raw, AS WAS THE
EGG! That has just put me off my supper – just writing
about it..
P.C
Bloody
Hell Paul, we'll be here all night at this rate.
I remember the Reindeer at Xmas very well as I was
involved in its build.
Good PR exercise. I vaguely remember the coffee
problems.
Whilst hunting for the photos, I came across a Gala Bier
mat and on the back is the name and address of Margrit
Sukale.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
A funny thing happened
about 12 months after I had been demobbed. I had a visit
from an ex Langeleben driver (cannot remember his name
but he lived in Leicester) whilst I lived with my
parents in
Coventry. He turned up on the doorstep and guess
who he had with him. Yes
Margrit Sukale. What a lovely surprise.
K.K
Regarding cigarettes, although I never smoked I remember
that most brands came in round tins of 50 apart from
Balkan Sobrane which came in a flat tin of 25s.
T.N
Oh,
Tom, you've done it again.
Balkan Sobranies - with their black paper and gold tips,
no dinner dance at the tennis club or the youth club was
complete without a pack, UNLESS you wanted to cut a real
dash and be a bit a bit of a lad and then it was
Abdullah no 7's. You could get them in all different
colour papers and on top of that they were OVAL. Like
all Turkish ciggies they stank! When
I dare think back we must have looked King-sized prats
with our suede shoes, hair dripping with Brylcreem*,
yellow socks and white scarves.
But then the girls all tried to look like Tony Curtis'
first wife or Doris Day and had beehive hair do's (there
were stories of them having nests of fleas and God knows
what else in them), but worse were those pieces of body
armour that would cut off the circulation to your hands
should you ever get past 2nd base, I can't recall what
they were called - 'panty girdles'? At least they did
have the benefit of a glimpse of stocking and, hold your
breath, suspenders.
No more of this, Mike might get too excited and expire
on us and I can't afford a wreath this week.
* Have a look at Teddy Boy
Lee in the photos and you will see what I mean!
Wallowing in nostalgia and the subtle aroma of Balkan
Sobranies I had a look at the internet Ebay yesterday
and found a copy of Gerry Mulligan 'Nights at the
Turntable'. I HAD to buy it, supposedly in "a good
condition". I'll enjoy playing that when it arrives and
will be thinking of that little room in that hut. I
think the Brubeck was 'Jazz goes to College' but as for
the Charlie Parker
-
perhaps I didn't rate it, I certainly cannot
recall its name. There is no way I am going to buy those
awful early Presleys though, which we (not me!) must
have worn nearly smooth.
P.C
Gerry
Mulligan eh.
Now there's a name. Paul, you have a good memory. Which
hostelry had the juke box with a small dance
floor. Was it Deutsches Haus
or Schumanns? Also which one had the cupboard behind the
bar which contained more cigs than I had under my bed in
the stores. The only thing
was that they cost more than a bob for twenty.
Here is another question for you. Didn't we have a
courier service going to an American
base. I think it went in the jeep with driver,
corporal with bag and guard with empty
sten gun. The Yanks coming
back were a different kettle of fish they were armed to
the hilt. Did you go on any trip to the American Base
at ? I cannot remember where,
too drunk.
K.K
I
think that I would rather like to follow up on our
friend8 who went over the wire. Under the freedom of
information Act they will have to tell me something. I
will also go to the Public records Office. The Stasi
records, I believe, are also open for investigation now
but I don't know if access is possible from the
UK
. Any ideas Can I have any information on him that you
might have or should we let him rest in peace IF he is
still alive?
P.C
Yes they were all voice ops (in
Gatow
,
Berlin
) as far as I am aware. I don't know what they were up
to as I couldn't speak their lingo or read their
newspapers (Pravda I think it was!)
Apart from the theory of an East German girl being
involved, I have no idea why Brian went over the wall. I
certainly had no suspicions about it happening. I was
having a beer with him only hours before he went.
D.B
8
Brian Patchett summer 1963
CLICK TO ENLARGE
One
of the few photos showing Brian Patchett before his
departure east.Ed
Hi Gerry,
Funny you talking about the
carved wooden eagle. I was just looking at a photo last
week with it in. I had forgotten just how large it was.
It must have weighed a ton. It would take more than a
handful of squaddies to shift that. I believe it was
hung on the wall when Gatow was a Luftwaffe station. The
photo was taken when Hughie Green (there's a name from
the past) came to record one of his television shows
there. If you remember he caused a stir because he flew
his own plane from the west and did not have flight
clearance from the East Germans and they sent up a
fighter to escort him down in
E Germany
. He went down into low cloud and lost them and Gatow
'talked him in' from their radar. We were listening in
to all this. He was sh**ing himself.
D.B
Paul:
yes, that's correct, the BStU normally only disclose
your personal files (if found), otherwise only bona-fide
researchers are allowed access to the files. You would
need a good reference or contact to get this permission.
The Germans are pretty hot on Data Protection.
J.R
Presumably Mr. P. received a new identity when he
defected, so it would be mighty difficult to trace him,
even if he has remained in the FRG. Details might be
contained in his Stasi file, if it has been found. The
reply to the question from Allason MP in Hansard is
interesting. What interest had Allason in Brian Patchett?
He might have some additional details if you contacted
him?
P.C
Interesting idea to contact Allason.
His interest is that he used to make a very good living
by writing on MI6 who used him as a conduit. He was also
closely connected to Chapman Pincher. He claimed, quite
rightly, to be an intelligence expert. He blotted his
copybook rather badly whilst an MP and has dropped out
of the public eye and has presumably lost his MI6
connections. I have met him - he was one of our
customers so I could try him.
Burgess,
Mclean
and so on did not adopt new names or personalities hence
my thought of the telephone directory.
I would genuinely like to follow this up, particularly
in view of the lie by ‘Fatty’ Nicholas Soames. I forgot
to mention that Allason wrote as Nigel West.
He sued and lost when described as "a conniving little
shit" The Judge deciding that this was NOT a slur on his
name. What a reputation!!!!!
P.C
|
Just returning after a long absence, jogged by
JR who I've met elsewhere and we swopped a story
or two. I'm so glad that Paul is still here, his
memories are mine.
I served from jan 1953 to jan 1956, mostly at
Munster
and Birgelen with a short cold winter spell at
Langeleben which I think was the winter of
1955/56, as a signalman, not the I Corps.
Yes it was the tented camp at this time, very
rarely getting undressed for a wash, putting
pyjamas over your work clothes to go to bed,
sleeping if your lucky with night temps I should
imagine down to -20F or less.
Duty shifts in the vans with electric foot
warmers, unless the generator broke down which
was often, all this meant was no lights, no
work, The food was cooked on solid fuel so we
did eat and drink.
I had my first and only taste of venison at
Langeleben, No it
didn't fall off the back of a lorry but was
knocked down by someone somewhere on the forest
road. The cook made a great job of it, he was
also very good with sauces,
I never did know his name. Our NAAFI was
the local pub, Frau Grahn I think ran it .I've
seen other interpretations of the name. She
served a wonderful Steak, mit Egg and chips.
Herr Schmidt rings a bell but..........
CLICK TO ENLARGE
We were often on the few pairs of ski's,
trekking through the forest, not many suitable
slopes, there was one, through the trees that
ended up at the track at the bottom with a
ditch, of course I tried jumping over the ditch,
just as well the snow was a couple of feet
thick, I was head first in it.
One pastime was following deer and wild boar
tracks but we never followed the wild boar ones
into the thickest and darkest parts, very scary.
The odd break was had in
Brunswick
rooms in a city barracks and we took trips into
the town, I remember the great steel gates
hiding off some streets, I often wondered why. (you
are not old enough. Ed)
We did have a very enjoyable night in a club,
listening to some great live Jazz I think it
was, I didn't drink much at the time but I think
as the entrance was free the drinks were
expensive.
Oh we had a bath/shower there!
No. not in the club, Back at the City
camp.
I remember very few names, only one, Harry
Kitson we went through the three years together,
not exactly as best mates as he was always on a
different shift both at Birgelen and Langy but I
kept in touch until his death some years ago.
Having said I remember few names, many mentioned
of the 1950's do sound familier. I also did
another short winter spell at Nordholtz, it
wasn't called that then, but
thats another story.
F.S.
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I remember the venison episode too, Fred. I
can't remember who was the
driver but I can tell you that the
butcher was the water cart driver who also did a
nice line in shoe repairs, using thorns instead
of nails. Those shoes I am wearing in the photo
to which Mr Dave takes un/reasonable exception
were repaired by him with this method and lasted
for years. He must have made the sauce as Scouse
the cook couldn't even make gravy.
I can almost feel the cold now. As you say, we
wore our pyjamas under our denims for literally
weeks (6?) and do you remember those Jungle
green underpants with those strings on?
CLICK TO ENLARGE
I recall being warned by an 'old soldier' not to
leave my boots on the tent floor. I soon found
out why. Overnight they simply froze to the
floor and I rapidly learned to hang them from
the ridge pole. It well beat -20deg. One night
the suspension or brake fluid (or something)
froze in the 3 tonner and was just like lard.
Carrying those brown basins full of hot water on
the ice and down the catwalk to the tent very
carefully meant that it was cold before you got
'home'. If you rushed you spilled the damned
stuff.
It was Frau Grahn who fed us. Everything was
with Kartoffeln und Speigel eier. (I apologise
for my German, I haven't used it for years and
will have to work on it a bit for next month.
Noch ein bier bitte,
is a good start). Herr Schmidt was the 'Herr
Ober' at the Deutscheshaus, the Friday and
Saturday haunt with the juke box. Elvis was just
making the big time.
Those bloody skis. There were 4 so-called pairs
I recall. We just about knew they needed waxing.
Trying to get the clips to stay on the welt of
our boots and around the heel was impossible.
That is why all the photos there are show us
stationary. I reckon! I know precisely where you
mean re the ditch. I ducked out and fell over
before reaching it. I retired from competitive
skiing then, swearing never to try them again.
Adding this to never ever sleeping in a tent and
never climbing a mountain for "fun". I have been
better at keeping these than my first wedding
vows.
I recall walking back one night, all alone, (and
broke) from Schumann's and hearing the boar
snuffling alongside. Scared? I was petrified. I
would have preferred it to have been the
Russkies.
Yes, we did have the use of the apartment in
Braunschweig/
Brunswick
for baths and, if you dig back, I wrote about
the walled street AND someone, believe it or
not, posted a photo of it. Worthy of a dig
around for it in the album.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
The jazz club
you mention was where I had the unfortunate
paybook episode which resulted in my military
career coming to an end before it had really
started!
P.C
|
On the
photo of the tent I am the one on the left wielding the
stick, the one on ski's. I
think my name is on there. There is also another I put
on with three/four of us at Braunswieg railway station,
again I think I am named, the smallest of the group, the
rest are now strangers. Hey, I was the good looking one.
True that we remember ‘certain happenings’ and ‘people’
but not ‘names’, well that is how it seems now; it was
always first name terms anyway.
I do remember a couple of older lads
(Corporals Fitt and Trebilcock. Ed) who stuck
together and had dodgy friends down in the village, well
maybe dodgy women, they spent a lot of time down there,
one of them was a bit "gross".
I think one of the reasons I didn't get out with folks
much, drinking and wenching etc was that I was married
and sending home spare cash or was it the other way
round I kept the spare cash but the bulk of it went
home. F.S
You
two are having a right old carry-on about the fifties.
Do you not recognise me standing on Fred's right in the
picture of the four skiers.
The dog’s name was Tommy. What about the guys who forgot
to tuck their 'jamas' in their socks when 'dancing' to
the juke box and giving the local lasses something to
laugh about? Fred, you have really started something.
K.K
|
I knew about the 7,10
and 12 Guards Divisions, all Armoured from
memory and all part of the 3rd shock. I can't
remember the 8th. Where did they fit in the
grand order of things (order of battle).
|
I
found an 8 Guards Army sitting in the Fulda Gap which
looks very much in the American zone. Is that the one?
P.C
Dewi,
I take exception to your reference to ‘drunken
ramblings’. Much to my disgust but a medical must, I am
as sober as a Methodist preacher! If I try hard I can
taste the beloved Laphroaig on my tongue but then
reality says, ' Pillock '. At times such as Birthdays or
Anniversaries or similar I confess to the occasional
pint of Titanic but that is all and very few and far
between. So, what ever my ramblings may be they ain't
drunken.
In hindsight, the last time I was drunk was to celebrate
Keith Robinson's promotion to Sgt at Birgelin,
Circa 1969, when someone who
shall remain nameless, spiked my drinks.
M.H
I must
have missed the original mention of 8 Guards as over the
last few days thinking of 3 Shock and 24 Guards etc I
thought why has no one mentioned 8 Guards and it seems
as though someone did but looking back I still cannot
see where. Age?
M.H
Now
Mike I thought in the past you said you only reached the
rank of Cpl so how did you celebrate the promotion of
Keith Robinson?
He was one of my troop who I had put up for Sgt and the
day he got promoted we were on morning shift so went
straight down to the Sgt's Mess at lunch time where I
introduced him to the mess and he got the obligatory
rounds etc. I did however make sure that he did not
drink much himself and made sure that he left the Mess
in a sober state did you then hijack him for another
session?
The last I heard from Keith was many years ago when he
sent me photographs etc from the time he was part of the
Royal Signals who provided the Guard at
Buckingham
Palace
.
I may be wrong but I think it was Val his wife who was I
Corps who persuaded him to leave the Army. If you know
where he is would like to get in touch with him again.
T.N
|
I applaud your sobriety, but your reference to
Methodist preachers, Mike, is a bit out of date.
Relatively few of my brother and sister
Methodist preachers are teetotal. Like you, we
enjoy the odd tipple!
G.S
Sorry to take so long to reply but have had a
hectic time as my 94 year old mother in law is
not too well at the moment. No I am not a
Geordie, I got
transferred up here by Courtaulds in 1976 to
sort out a computer installation. Ended up
marrying a Geordie Lass so had to stay here.
Never regreted it. Do not worry, my memory is
just the same, cannot remember names from 50+
years ago. Can you remember when you went to
Langeleben (not Langy), it must have been winter
of end 54/begin of 55. Skiing was just across
the road from GUARD ROOM, I remember my first
time was at midnight under a full moon. Keep in
touch, Keith. P.S. I am from
Coventry
originally, when I did NS 54/6.
K.K
|
Did
you have trouble keeping those damned skis on your boots
as I did Keith? I went to Langeleben in April 1955 so
you seriously outrank me.
P.C
Apart
from "Skiing" we used to walk those woods following deer
and wild boar tracks and I seem to remember getting to a
point where we could see over the border, without
looking at a map I think it was Manhiem and tanks on
manouvres over there.
F.S
THE FORUM
As you
have now see, the
range of subjects covered and digressed from is
formidable. The great mystery though is why there were
more than 5000 visits to the site when someone asked
“who remembered the I.Corps?” The answer was “A lot of
us”, judging from the 153 messages to date from members
and several hundred names mentioned.
Long
may it give pleasure and amusement but, above all,
enable us, as we sink into our dotage, to keep in touch.
Sadly for many reasons, not least health and old age we
cannot all get to the re-unions.
JOHN FORTEY’S RECOLLECTIONS
I was a police cadet (office boy)
in the traffic branch at Scotland Yard before I joined
up. Cadets could then apply to be called up at 17 1/2 to
come out at 19 1/2 to rejoin the police. I decided to do
this but signed on for 3 years so that I could have some
choice of regiment. I chose the I Corps or the
Worcestershire Regt. My interview was at the Arsenal in
Hyde Park, a brick hut, where I was met by an officer in
blazer and tie and a sergeant who was shouting at a ‘squaddie’
who was sweeping. The Officer explained that the ‘squaddie’
had only a few days left ‘to do’ and wasn't very
interested in military matters.
Even at 17 I could see the questions coming, ie ‘do you
play sport; hockey?’, ‘do you speak a language?’ I had
spent a month with a family in France and failed O level
French. Have you travelled abroad much?’ I had. With the
school, twice, and I had spent my10th birthday in
Rotterdam, I was in! I then went to go through the
formalities at a recruiting office in Croydon. A very
fat Brigadier, obviously retired and wanting to enhance
his pension, signed me up. On my return, my police boss,
a Welsh PC demanded to see the forms. He was a natural
Welsh rebel, one of Owen Glendower's finest, but a
smashing fellow. A shout of disgust! The Brigadier had
spelt Intelligence with only one ‘l’. I hadn't noticed -
English not being my strong subject, (along with all the
other academic subjects). I still have the form. I was
in, and at 17years and six months I arrived at
Maresfield. Why should England tremble for its safety?
My squad in basic training ended in X. It was a mixed
National Service and regular squad. We started on 20th
Dec 54. Jo Adams and Bill Taylor were about 4 squads
ahead of us. We did 4 weeks basic training; 6 weeks
Corps training; 4 weeks FS (Field Security.ed) training
and then we went to GCHQ for our final ‘Sigint’
training. I and our group went to GCHQ and stayed at the
Milverton Hotel. We had to wear civvies the whole time
and were paid £7 per week during our months stay. It was
great. We tried to get to every pub in Cheltenham but
after a week, Ray Hornabrook and I found girlfriends
instead. We had completed the FS course before going to
GCHQ. We, as I expect you (correct ed.), were classified
as B1 trade, which brought in extra cash, but those who
later went to Loughborough did 6 weeks and came out as
B3 with less money. Whilst having breakfast each morning
in the hotel we used to quietly take the ‘micky’ out of
a group on the next table, one was RAF, the tie and
blazer gave that away, and the other two seemed a bit ‘boffinish’.
On arrival in Germany, there he was, Rex Evanson, our
Captain was one of the two boffins. Fortunately, I don't
think he had noticed.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
We spent 4 weeks there, a rail strike held us up and we
finally arrived in Germany the 2nd week in June 55 I had
applied for, Austria, Cyprus, GCHQ and lastly Germany.
Well I should have known better. Germany it was! We were
told that we were going to Munster and it may even have
been in transit that we were actually sent to Birgelen.
I was still 17 when I arrived in Germany. I would never
have gone to Langeleben had it not been that I had gone
on leave with a friend in Austria, didn't want to hand
my kit into stores and had put it in the attic on top of
a beer barrel that Taffy Price and Bob Jones had left
there. No one EVER went up there, except that on this
occasion a Major Stuart did whilst on a ‘CO's
Inspection’.
I got back to Birgelen late at night from leave to be
greeted with, ‘Oh you have 3 guard duties in the next
week, you're on a charge because of your kit and Rex
wants to see you first thing’. Dear Rex gave me the
option of staying and facing the charges or going to
Langeleben the next day. Langy got it and I am so
pleased that it did.
I was at Langeleben from Feb 57 until June 57. Peter
Wright, of our group was also there for a very short
time.
Photos, I did send some to Fred Searle (he Birgelen website ed) and they were published, but then some were
taken off, I don't know why. I can give you some names,
I am in the front on the 1st of the group with the
bottle and I am with Colin Davidson coming up from the
truck after a ‘midty’ Back to the photo of ‘A’ Watch l
to r, Bill Bowles,Peter Stewart, Jock Cummins, Gordon
Cooper, "Brad???" Brian Thompson.With the bottle to the
front, l to r, Dave Packer, Dave Everitt, Jack Hesketh,
Martin (Lower??) aka Screwball
Bill Taylor, Frank Wyman, Tris England .
Bottle in Packer's untrustworthy hand, me, Dave Packer, Dave
Everitt, Screwball, Frank Wyman, Bill Taylor, Tris
England. I do have more photos of
people but mainly in Birgelen, Ray Hornabrook, Guy
Peters, Dereck James, Jock Duncan, Alan Lawson, and a
group of, Keith Richardson, Jimmy Cardle, Ian McGhee,
Ian Willock, Dereck James and Brian Harrington. As
well as a few others. I don't know if
you knew them but Bob Jones and Roy Smith have died
The ones I am on, unrecognisable, are the 57 Admin.
Inspection. I was in the jeep with Scouse Nolan when
Co.l Lonnan was inspecting the MSO guard. I was really
miffed because the Captain, I forget his name, wouldn't
let me have a gun and I knew there was a revolver around
somewhere and I had got a holster. When we, Scouse and
I, stopped in Little Schumanns before escorting the
unshaven Brig to the camp, the locals were horrified
that, as escorts, we were not allowed guns. I do have
photos of a group of I Corps at the Gasthouse when Joe
Adams sent us a bottle of Whisky with his replacement,
Jonnie Reece. On this occasion, for the first, and last,
time he offered to stand in for whoever was on duty that
we could all enjoy yourselves. After a few beers and the whisky most
of us caught the truck into 'Slutter. The duty man was
not up to it and failed to return to duty. His
replacement at 4.00am also found himself unable to participate in military
duties. I was on at 8am next morning, and did turn up to find Bill Taylor and
Jonnie in the ops truck. Jonnie was in a bad temper as
he had been on duty from about 5.30 the previous evening
until I turned up at 8.
Please give my kindest regards to Bill Taylor when you next
chat. I was also a regular but only made corporal, but
then I had "coaxed" the orderly room clerk into showing
me my confidential report held by the RSM. It read "An
individualist, not a leader of men."
CLICK TO ENLARGE
CHRIS GREGORY’S RECOLLECTIONS
I arrived at Langeleben about October 1954 in time to
see an Officer having a snowball. What a change!
Next thing, I was ordered by Sgt Taylor to be an escort
for a driver who had lost a tyre. Sgt Taylor was a
regular who mustered out shortly after Xmas 54.
He was a Catholic like me and married a lady who
had a fish and chip shop in Kemptown,
Brighton
, which is my home town.
I find the following photograph fascinating for a number
of reasons. The chap on the left is Cpl Mike Bailey. We
shared a tent until his unfortunate departure
accompanied by Military and Civil Police. I think it is
Ernie Cooper with the pickaxe on his shoulder. Next to
him, looking an absolute pillock, I am embarrassed to
say, is me and then it is Chris Gregory doing his well
known rendition of "I am a teapot short and stout". I
asked Chris if he could remember what we were doing but
he could not! Is that possibly an ammunition box that we
were burying or dis-interring. Ed

Other names I still recall are Captain Prescott who was
the OC. He was followed by Capt. Sedden who became OC in
the summer 1955. I also recall Jim Middleton, he was the
Company Clerk. Later he was to become the editor of the
Scottish Daily Express. I can remember John Rogers. He
was in the party that set up the camp sometime in1951. I
met up with him again in the 90's.
Living conditions were basic under canvas but it was a
healthy life. In winter temperatures would drop to 28
deg of frost. Once a week we would go into Königslutter
to have our showers. It was nice to stay in
Brunswick
on our time off 9.
9
Langeleben were allocated a room in the infantry
barracks there so that they could have a bath, play
tennis and see a bit of night-life.
I recall the Christmas Midnight Mass in 1954. We
Catholics were ushered up to the front. Then, following
the service, I was on the 4-8 shift
and Sgt Taylor came round with rum at about 0730 hours.
Everybody had their Christmas lunch - unlike
Munster
where there was an epidemic of barrack room damages.I
went on leave some time around March but was lucky to
come back again for the rest of my time until Oct 1955.

I saw a guard mounting at the barracks, possibly in
Wolfenbuttel, (I am not sure that is where it was), by
the SWABS (South Wales Borderers). They were very smart,
unlike the
East Surreys
who replaced them. The reason we went there was for a
Naafi, shop and cinema.
There was a regular truck in the evening if I
remember correctly. I recall Corporal
Trebilcock, he was a long
serving regular. Camp gossip was that he had been court
martialled for running naked round the married quarters
in
Cyprus
and that he had undergone punishment detail on the
infamous Hill in the Military Prison therel. There was
an unknown officer who wore ‘Green Howard’ shoulder
flashes. The talk was that he went over the East German
border regularly. In those days it was relatively easy
to cross over.
Yes, I too remember the venison in the summer -a driver
had knocked it down and had been persuaded to go back
and pick it up. One of the D.Ps (Displaced Persons) cut
it up and cooked it. It was very nice!
I was
to meet up with John Rogers, who had first set up the
Camp in 1951, in the 90's. I was working at
Brooklands and, when going up to the bar for lunch one
Thursday, for some unknown reason came out with some
Russian morse -QSA imi or Guhor (I did not learn
Russian and only ever had one live message which, when
translated, meant that an operator had dropped his
pencil). John picked it up (the
morse not the pencil) and started questioning me
and it all came out.
As an officer, he remembered being hailed with
"good night Sir" from the various haystacks in the field
where various members of the unit were with their
girlfriends, as he went to his billet at Frau Grahn’s.
In the early days the camp was buzzed by a MIG jet
fighter I also recall.
(No one else has mentioned this! Ed.)

Whilst
on DF work, one night I spent an entire 5pm -12 shift
without a single bearing even on BFN (British Forces
Network Radio Service) - the same thing happened at
Dannenburg about a day later, Why, I don’t know. In
summer 55 there was a camp trip to the VW factory in
Wolfburg. We learned, from memory, that some workers
were on £ 20 per week, more than a
UK
car worker at that time; an illustration of the German
economic miracle.
SOME PERSONAL MEMORIES OF LANGELEBEN
Geoff Buckley 1958
I must admit to having
pondered long and hard as to whether I would or even
should participate in the “History of Langeleben”, for a
number of reasons.
National Servicemen may have been in the majority
for the first ten or twelve years, but after that it was
an entirely Regular Army.
Certainly National Service was an entirely
different culture, and perhaps we were amateurs, but
that was the nature of the business.
The Regular Army brought something very
different, and at a camp like Langeleben, it would have
been a stark change from those early years.Nevertheless, we also witnessed and contributed
to a significant number of changes, but we saw it from
an entirely different perspective, and the time scale
made it that way.
My posting to 101Wireless
Troop (latterly 2 Squadron), lasted for some
fourteen/fifteen months, February ’58 to May ’59, during
which time I was a member of ‘D’ Watch throughout.
I did play for the Troop & Squadron football
team, as regularly as shifts would allow.
On the ‘lighter’ side I also enjoyed playing for
‘D’ Watch Dynamos, but having said that there were some
of those games I was glad to even survive!
However, I was a ‘730 day’
National Serviceman, and I probably had the reputation
of being a ‘days to do’ fanatic, of simply waiting for
23.59 each night, in order to cross yet another day off
the calendar! It might have been so different, but
that’s life.
I was the third member of the
family to join the Signals.
My uncle (he had lost his father at the beginning
of Passchendaele in 1917) served with the Corps in WW2.
He had taken a signals van (maybe even a 1942
QLR) across to
Normandy on ‘D’ Day+1, and gained a sudden and growing respect
for the RMP when they were narrowly prevented from
driving straight into a German Panzer roadblock. He was in the same van when they were crossing
the Rhine the following March and again
I understand all the crew survived. Six years later he was advising my elder brother
to try for the Royal Signals, and he finished up as a
Wireless Technician in Egypt
By 1956 my brother was giving me similar advice, and
look where it took me!
Actually, what happened was
that a young, gorgeous looking gal arrived in the office
soon after I passed the NS medical.
A little time later and I was taking that gal
out, and, just three months after that, I received my
calling up papers for Catterick!
My personal feelings as to National Service could
only be described as ‘rock bottom’.
The transfer from Catterick to
the newly opened camp at Garats Hay was brilliant – a
quick run down to the A6 when ‘hitching’ was still safe
and I was in Derby in no-time at all.
The regular London/Manchester ‘blood-wagon’ on a
Monday evening was absolutely superb.
With a little more planning I avoided the
December posting and spent Christmas at home with Father
Christmas, the kind of Father Christmas you cannot
imagine!
Come January 1958 and it was
time for the rock-and–roll Vienna from Harwich to the Hook of Holland
and the Blue Train!
There was only time to lay my kit out in the locker, and I was on Orders – a posting
to 101 Wireless Troop.
Another quick run down to the WRVS to order some
flowers for my ‘Father Christmas’ on Valentines Day and
I was back on the train again.
The journey was unforgettable, and I was in the
company of a couple of ‘old soldiers’ who had obviously
taken advice from other even ‘older soldiers’.
I was made privy to parts of Hanover that I would certainly have never seen otherwise and I
very quickly became used to those “Out of Bounds” and
“Strictly out of Bounds to British Armed Services” signs
that flashed by. I will admit to being somewhat “stressed”, but I just
hung-on for dear life!
Our arrival at Hanover Station and the platform for the Berlin
train did not improve my sense of well being in any way.
This was especially the case when we were ordered to
stand back for the PBI (Poor Bloody Infantry) marching
on to the train, armed to the teeth with every kind of
weapon I had only seen before at the cinema. There was no let-up when we endeavoured to get
off (or should I say, fall-off) the train at some
‘middle-of-nowhere’ station I was informed was
Konigslutter. Yet another nightmare! Mountains, and
mountains of snow being blown in a terrifying blizzard,
the like of which I had not seen since the High Peak of
Derbyshire in 1947.That was all before we somehow got
off the station and by some piece of amazing luck, found
that 3 tonner waiting for us.
The only good thing on the journey to the Camp
was that we simply could not see anything outside. And
this was only my introduction to Langeleben, and NOTHING
could have prepared me for what was to follow.
The date was 6th February 1958 and the first words spoken to us were that
Manchester United had crashed at Munich Airport
and many of football’s legends had been killed or
seriously injured.
Duncan Edwards and Roger Byrne, these were young
footballers I idolised, and so many, many more.
Glum faces greeted us everywhere when we walked
down the top corridor for the first time that night.
The second words spoken to us
told us that there was no running water on camp, it was
frozen solid.
However, they had kindly collected some snow in
mess tins on the radiators that were still working. Our
new colleagues told us that we were on OC’s Parade at
09.00 hours, and that best BD’s will be worn!
I was to become a member of
‘D’ Watch, and ‘Rusty’ Rosson was Watch Corporal.
Our billets were the last two rooms either side
at the end of the top corridor. The remainder of 6th
February and the first hours of the 7th can
only be described as a nightmare, but it was still only
the beginning. The induction programme, starting with
the harrowing ritual of “Gripping”, began the following
morning when my ‘new colleagues’ presented me to the
camp and breakfast.
My uniform could have been 1942 vintage, but I was obviously the ‘newest’,
‘reddest’ ‘thing’, ever to be unearthed at Langeleben.
The newest of newboys; the joskin of all joskins,
a “5710”.
Such a high group number was unheard of; could such a
‘red-a.se’ existed.
Indeed, in such a ‘white-hot’ unit I could
immediately be used to thaw out the whole camp. Fifty
years ago next month, and I remember it as if it were
yesterday. I suffered for what seemed to be an eternity. It could
only have been for a few days but it was painful.
However, I was already planning; planning for the
arrival of a ‘thing’ newer than a 5710!
There may well have been a
case for thinking that was sufficient an introduction to
‘D’ Watch and the vans, but my first ‘midty’, was also
something special.I was on Watch, and that was exactly
what I was doing, sitting in a corner of the van,
watching, listening and hopefully, learning. Everything
was going great until, suddenly, the whole Watch was in
uproar.
Derek Hill at the Rabke Outstation was reporting that
there were possible movements and then came huge flashes
of light and the sound of guns - big guns.
And this was my very first ‘midty’, and, yes, I
had already been told where the trenches had been dug
last time, and, yes, they had told me it was a totally
useless exercise, and yes, the word was ‘expendable'!
I had never before heard the sound of genuine
heavy artillery or seen the sky light up the horizon
above trees – it was terrifying, at least for me!
Suddenly this was the 3RD SHOCK ARMY and I was remembering much of what the Garats
Hay Instructors and ‘I’ Corps had told us about
Hungary and Budapest and the word ‘annihilation’ sprang to mind!
Despite the excitement I was
informed that, as the new boy, I should learn the
location and layout of the Cookhouse as it had been
decided that 3rd Shock Army had merely begun
Winter Manoeuvres and that I should be ready to feel the
world move. What they did not tell me was that it meant
that I would see the Cookhouse floor, tables and
hotplates move, or rather the Langeleben carpet of
cockroaches’ move!
It was a sight not to be missed and once seen,
never forgotten.
Actually, standing on the hotplate, lifting the
boiler lid and then scooping the cockroaches off the top
of the hot water with a huge ladle was another gem.
And the Lord protect any cook who forgot to cover
the food left out for us!
Sad to say, it did happen occasionally.
Amazingly, settling down to do
the normal job for which we had been trained, seemed to
be the major relaxation at Langeleben.
Once inside either the vans or (later) the Set
Room and we were in a quiet, calm and orderly
environment that seemed entirely at odds with the rest
of the camp. However, when the Groups went down at 23.59
and the search for them began, the competition to find
them and see them all up and running was, to put it
mildly, exhilarating.
Now and again should another Operator report “Did
you know your Group is up and running, strength 5,
on….”, then there was either blood on the wall or total
humiliation, or both.
By the time we came off that
first midty shift, bless ‘em, the British Army had
responded by going on manoeuvres and the surrounding
woods were alive with British armour and artillery.
And that continued for the next week as REME
Recovery vehicles were put to the test of trying to pull
them out. An afternoon watching those guys at work was really
something and the language made Langeleben sound more
like a monastery than an army camp.
Langeleben’s greatest assets,
which could never be ignored at this time, were the Camp
ablutions and latrines. These magnificent examples of
BAOR peace time civil engineering construction, have
already been the subject of many descriptions and one
can only look back and wonder that we survived.
The architect was obviously early First World
War, probably 1915, and the builders followed the plans
to the letter. If that assumption is incorrect, I can
only guess it was a throw back from the Second Boer War!
A visit to the ‘honey buckets’
was a genuine test of speed and ingenuity, particularly
in summer. Then speed was the key.
The ‘poetry’ on the walls and doors, may not have
been the work of future Poet Laureates but it had to be
seen to be believed, although I could never quite
understand how anyone could ever have stood the
conditions long enough to write all that verse in that
environment.
For the majority it was an achievement just to read one
short verse, very quickly, and flee. As it said, “It’s
no good standing on the seat, the crabs in here can jump
six feet”.
The watchful eyes at the
windows facing the road, awaited the arrival of Honey
Bucket Joe and his horse and cart, as around 09.00 every
weekday morning it was every man for himself, each time
a honey bucket was changed.
Where we were extremely
fortunate were the truly different characters of the
lads with whom we shared the job and the billets. Derek
(Shag) Hill who made me a Frank Sinatra fan in a matter
of weeks and even had me listening to Julie London and
Benny Goodman (remember Sing, Sing, Sing?). There was
John Whittaker, who was totally inseparable from
a golf club anywhere outside the vans, but also played
Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Strauss and was to
introduce us to Anna Maria Alberghetti, the beautiful young opera star
singing modern love songs.
Big Jim Hazeldine, the old soldier of the billet
who possessed such a dry sense of humour in the vans,
but was full of chat and fun when, with Mick Hatton and
Johnny Cash we walked through the woods, climbing trees
and just as quick falling out of them, especially in the
snow.
Perhaps we were not always laughing, but wherever we
were there was always remarkably good humour.
I remember we even put ‘D’
Watch “on Parade”, for fun, as can be seen in the
‘Gallery 1958/59’ (along with many other photos relating
to this article).
Derek Hill ‘borrowed’ Bob Graham’s ‘blue’s’ and
we had a great time, although I guess Bob did not
appreciate either the commands or the drill, never mind
the turnout.
‘Watch Corporals’ were key men, and we were lucky
with Rusty Rosson and Bob Graham, or perhaps it was just
me that was lucky. Rusty was I/C when I first arrived and I am sure
it is obvious it was a very happy and amiable group of
lads.
Neither NCO’s had to shout or rave to get the job done, they
clearly had the respect of the lads, discipline appeared
to be self imposed and everyone seemed happy to get on
with the job in hand.
Rusty was great on Watch, but he did not seem to
appreciate my lack of enthusiasm for the Konigslutter
night air, or the beer. I was a disappointment. Of
course, if it was just for effect, and for the benefit
of the lads on the Watch, he was one helluva guy.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
Christmas 1958 was a real
belter! We
worked hard to build the ‘D’ Watch Bar,
There was absolutely no doubt
- ‘D’ Watch had the Christmas Eve midty.
Bob Graham was I/C now and he laid down the
rules. There
was to be misunderstanding all operators would be ‘fit
for purpose’. Christmas Eve arrived and everything was
going splendidly.
I really was never much of a drinker at any time,
so when the football team joined the Catering Corps,
REME and Drivers element of the team, I happily went
along with Bill Griffiths of the Pay Corps, and we all
had a fine evening. Inevitably Bob did the rounds for
supper, I was missing, and he came looking. I must admit
it was the first and last time I have ever taken an ice
cold shower, fully dressed, on Christmas Eve or any
other Eve for that matter.
But, I did report for Watch, on time and ‘fit for
purpose’, if anything, more fit for purpose than usual!
Thanks Bob, you were certainly a good friend that night
and did me a great favour – typical of that Langeleben
character again.
I enjoyed the best football of
my life in 58/59, and quite remarkably trained and
stayed fit in spite of the shifts.
And Yes, I too was (and still am) immensely proud
to have played in front of
England’s
finest goalkeeper, Gordon Banks.
I was also thrilled with the team’s performance
and we certainly showed the locals that the Langeleben
lads could certainly play.
I was sorry to miss the Hartz
weekends, but I desperately wanted to play football.
I was sorry to be so unsociable and not go down
town in an evening unless it was a celebration, but I
did have to write to my Father Christmas every day, and
that included getting up early at 14.00 on Sleeping
Day.Sleeping Day was fine in winter, dreadful in summer,
‘cos like many of the lads, I got eaten alive by those
damned Horse Flies – I swear they were as big as Wasps,
at least they felt like that.
The original Cinema, I think,
was upgraded sometime in 1958, and while a significant
improvement, it did not make any difference in winter
when fog in the
UK
prevented the movement of all films.
The US Army stepped in to loan us some of theirs,
and with much anticipation we thought we were in for a
good night. To say it was a disappointment was the
understatement of the year as reflected in the
gesticulations in the light of the projector.
One personal memory I have is
missing a 1 to 5 shift before going on leave, and
bumping into Jack Hesketh who was about to run the new
film through to make sure all was well.
As the truck was not due till 16.00, and I was
ready, he suggested I join him – “Gunfight at the OK
Corral”. When I arrived back from leave the film had
become a ‘Langeleben Legend’.
The Incineration Area had been transformed and
re-named the ‘OK Corral’.
Instead of Parades, ‘D’ Watch was now staging
gunfights.
And if it had not been for Jack, I would not have seen
it. Trivial,
of course, but like all of it, it was timeless, it was
harmless, it was National Service (for many of us), and
it was certainly LANGELEBEN.
Where does one begin or end,
with so many memories? After we lost Spanner we went to
the Dogs home at Helmstedt and came back with Prinz.
We were custodians of Prinz for quite some time,
and the stories of that super little dog and the SSM’s
inspections would need a book on its own.There was the
trip to Celle and an old Luftwaffe Airfield to collect
the new aerial and then the saga of its erection which
would I am sure bring forth tears of mirth, frustration
and sheer fear for life and limb. Then there was the
transfer of two Cooks (?) from
Cyprus
and the total change of menu to Curry with everything at
every meal.
There were those of us reduced to bread and jam and
beans, and the threats of revenge emerging were truly
vicious.
What about our mates on the other Watch’s, what on earth
could we do with a ‘curry sarni’ from the midty supper.
Fortunately, someone whispered words of
endearment, just in time, and the ‘chip butty’ and
‘fried egg sarni’ were saved.
While I see from other items
that the little Eddystone receiver was not rated very
highly, some of the equipment it replaced in the vans in
1958, was really becoming old and worn out.
I think that for a number of us it was considered
a great step forward from WW2.
There were sad times of
course.
There were some serious road accidents, one in
particular where the driver was not found until the
morning and his injuries were quite horrific.
Dreadful as it seems but we actually lost one
member of the Catering Corps to Diabetes, and that did
cause considerable reaction from everyone on the Camp,
before reassurance was given.
The annual trip to the range
in1958 was more a trip to the Music Hall, it was a
laugh, or to put it in context, it was a scream from
start to finish.
I honestly believe we were more a threat to each
other, than the targets at which we were supposed to be
aiming. They
were left safe and ready for use in 1959.
3rd Shock Army, think yourself
remarkably lucky!
And I never did find the back sight that fell off
my rifle half way through the afternoon!
Nevertheless, we were at
Langeleben to do a job, and I sincerely hope and trust
we did a good job.
We certainly took it very seriously – in the
place and position we were in, we would have been
foolish to do otherwise.
I was lucky in that I received my ‘wake-up call’
on my very first midty at Langeleben, the sound of the
big guns and continuous flashes of light that lit up the
night sky. I
very quickly understood why we were there, and I never
needed a second reminder.
But it was a very young team
that would never let the worries of the world take away
their love of life!
There were not many facilities in camp at that
time, so we made our own and from where I was they were
in keeping with the time and the culture.
The lads had a drink down town to let off steam,
but nothing more.
We had a basic camp in a
wonderful area and environment and we enjoyed what we
had. Perhaps because it was small and there were not
many of us, with Signals Operators/Drivers, REME,
Catering Corps, and even Pay Corps, we were all billeted
together and we shared what little we possessed. While I
was there I certainly made the most of what we had.
I enjoyed the job, the company, the woods, the
walks, and the football.
I had 730 days to cross off, and cross’em off I
did. Every
last one.
I was demobbed, went home, and
fourteen months later I married my very own, special,
Father Christmas.
I really did have the best of
both worlds, and still do, but I never forgot the lads
of Langeleben, or Langeleben Camp.
Then, one evening five years ago I had a
tremendous surprise when my youngest son rang and said
he had found Langeleben on the Internet. I spent fifteen
months there waiting to get away, and fifty years
remembering – there must have been something very
special to make that kind of impression!
And of all people, I am truly grateful for that
opportunity.
THANK YOU GENTLEMEN, ONE AND
ALL.
IT COULD ONLY HAPPEN AT LANGELEBEN
I was
posted to Langeleben following a three year stint at
Berlin Gatow around 1963 into the MT Section, the MT
then, was about ten persons strong of which maybe five
were junior NCOs The MTO was
the SSM which was a grand arrangement and everything
worked like clockwork, but, like a lot of things,
somebody on the outside down at the Regiment was
wondering how they could upset the apple cart. So ‘Lo
and Behold’ the next thing we knew at Langeleben was the
arrival of not one but two SNCOs; one being Royal
Signals and the other REME (both
sergeants). This was a good recipe for a disaster! They
hadn’t been there very long before the fun and games
started with both of them trying to assert their
authority on how the section should be run. This
eventually ended up with school boy type arguments with
caps on (this sort of made it official) and this sort of
behaviour went on for a couple of weeks and it wasn’t
going unnoticed by the drivers and junior NCOs or the
SSM. The morale of the MT Section was quickly going
downhill and something finally had to give when the two
sergeants nearly came to blows. Somehow, this incident
got back to the notice of the MTO who then decided that
enough was enough. The REME sergeant was sent back to
the Regiment as surplus to requirement and the Royal
Signals sergeant was taken out of MT and told to find
something to keep himself ‘occupied’. In effect, he
didn’t have a job and so what he did (and this is a true
story which can be verified by other MT members) he went
and built an aviary for budgies next to the JRs club
and, apart from the odd officer/sergeants’ duties, that
was how he filled in his time. In the meantime the MT
Section returned to its normal self with everybody once
again going about their daily chores quite happily.
I
finished at Langeleben in 1966 and returned to civvy
street all the better for my
experience in the army and even more so for my
experience at Langeleben. The people that I met - most
of them became friends for life. One can’t put a price
on that sort of friendship.
Ken Vipond.
KEITH KERBY’S RECOLLECTIONS
A FEW MEMORIES OF A NATIONALSERVICEMAN
My
name is Keith Kerby .I was born in 1935, and, as a
result, I had to do 2 years National Service when I
reached the age of eighteen. Not being a miner nor
having any other reason to delay my conscription, I was
'called up' on the 4th March, 1954 and given the Army
Number of 23010244 and the Rank of Signalman. My demob
number was 5405 which meant I was in till 9th March,
1956.
INITIAL TRAINING.
At the
beginning of March, 1954, I travelled by train to
Catterick. This in itself was an adventure as I had
not
travelled further north than Burton on
Trent on my own. I remember arriving at Ripon and being
collected by 'lorry' and taken to Catterick. The
following day we were 'kitted out'. Then started the
routine of 'square bashing' and the process of learning
to polish one’s boots, press your uniform and make your
bed. This was no problem for me as I had been taught
these tasks from an early age, by my
parents, however, some guys had a problem as they
had never had to do such tasks for themselves. A lot of
time was spent learning to march together. Our Drill
Sergeant had been reported on in the National Press due
to his 'strictness' and therefore had something to
'live' up to. On one occasion I happened to laugh whilst
'stood to attention' and as a result I was made to stand
in front of the squad and give a laughing demonstration.
During this period of training I was selected to attend
Trade Training, at Loughborough, for an Operator
Special. The only thing I knew about that trade was it
had something to do with the receiving of high speed
morse. After the 'passing out
parade', I was sent off down to Loughborough to complete
6 months trade training. Still, it was a lot nearer my
home in
Coventry
.
TRADE TRAINING.
I do
not remember too much about Garats Hay however I do
remember the Nissan Huts which we had to live with the
paving slab floors and central stove.
It was
here that I had to learn all about
morse code and learn to receive it at high speed
- over twenty words a minute I think. I was fortunate to
meet up with a guy from
Coventry
who was based at Garats Hay. He used to go home to
Coventry
most week-ends, on his motor cycle. The only problem was
that he was a speedway rider and it was quite hair
raising being a pillon
passenger with him. Still it was worth a free lift now
and again as I couldn't afford public transport on 25
shillings a week. Upon completing the Trade Training, I
was posted to
Munster
,
West Germany
at the beginning of October, 1954.
After
a home leave, I travelled down to Harwich and embarked
on the troopship Empire Parkstone to the Hook of Holland
from where we caught the train to
Munster
. I do not remember to much
about my life at Nelson Barracks in
Munster
however I do remember playing scrum half to John Brown,
on one occasion, only
to be changed at half time. John was an excellent rugby
player who played for the British Lions. During my time
at
Munster
, I remember that we were not looked on favourably by
some of the locals, this was evident when one looked in
a shop window whilst a local was there, they would
glance at you and walk
away.
I was told this was due to the Allies bombing a number
of churches in the area10 . This is rather ironic as my
home town of
Coventry
was flattened by the Luftwaffe and the Cathedral was
made derelict, and remains so today. I had sat on my
bedroom window sill and counted over 400 German Planes
during the blitz raid.
My
duties at
Munster
included a spell in the office which I found a bit
boring. I then went on to Operating doing shift work on
a four day cycle. Day 1 was 8am to 1pm followed by
midnight to 8am. Day 2 was
5pm to midnight. Day 3 was 8am to 1pm general duties
followed by going back Operating
1pm to 5pm. After the day 3 shift, the time was your own
through day 4 until starting again at 8am day 1.
Sometimes we would get caught with a practice fire alarm
on our sleeping day 2, which was rather annoying.
10
. There was another version.
It seems that Hitler was made less than welcome
when he paid his first visit to Munster -
a very Catholic City.
Concerned about security, he built a large number
of barracks in the town as we well knew. This attracted
a great deal of Allied bombing, hence the poor reception
we later received.
On one
midnight to eight shift, at the beginning of 1955, there
was a major panic due to the groups we were observing,
changing their 'call signs' from three characters to
four. (the
famous change from B type to E type callsigns. Ed).
After some hours, one of the Operators recognised the
group he usually followed,
however it had a four character call sign. This was the
lead for others
to
look for their group with a similar call sign.
At the
beginning of 1955, I had two weeks leave back home before
being posted to Langeleben. I always remember when we
had a leave or was getting
demobbed from
Munster
, breakfast was at an early 6am instead of
the
later time. One image that I have remembered about the
leave was, upon travelling through
Holland
on my way back to
Munster
, the train passed a frozen lake which had lights in the
trees and people in National Costume were skating on the
lake. It was picture postcard stuff.
I
travelled down to Langeleben with a few other guys via
Braunswieg and arrived at the camp to find that our
accommodation was tents. Just imagine having to spend
winter in a tent. The floors were 'duck' boards and
there was no running water so we had to get our shaving
water in a bowl from the cook house. This was the only
‘building’ on the site and all water was stored there
after being collected from Konigslutter by tanker a
number of times a week. The toilet was some planks over
a hole with a tin roof and a piece of sacking to
separate each compartment.
This
was Langeleben, with a group of 90 guys on a very important
mission living in such conditions, in a field surrounded
by trees. The spirit of all concerned was great and I
never came across any conflict. The wireless room was
two
wagons
back to back with four shifts providing 24 hour cover.
What
social life there was consisted of either going by bus
to a cinema in Braunsweig or going into Konigslutter and
spending the evening 'supping' at one of the local beer
houses. A truck would call late evening at all of the
bars to collect those that wished to return to camp by
23.59 that evening. The people of Konigslutter were very
friendly and made us very welcome.
I
remember on one occasion a number of us were invited to
a farmer’s home one Sunday afternoon to have a couple of
drinks. During the afternoon, there was a sudden banging
on the farm door and the farmer went and opened the door
to
find
his brother on the doorstep, with his family in a cart
drawn by a horse. They had just crossed the Border from
East Germany
. What a party we had that day. Another recreation was
skiing in the fields opposite the camp.
During
mid '55, a wooden building was erected to house various
services the camp needed, such as canteen and stores.
This was the start of constructing a more permanent camp
and led on to the building of huts for living
accommodation
in readiness for the winter of 55/6.
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