Ex Armed Forces

G1BB0

G1BB0

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so how many have been/currently are in the Armed Forces?

please state service, regiment/corps/role, time served & maybe date joined/left, best posting/worst posting

how did you find rejoining civvy street?

me -

Army, Army Catering Corps (now the RLC), 7 years 1988-1995, best was Germany from 1990 - end of 1992, worst was the Falklands/Bosnia

took me years to readjust since I joined at 16 y/o and still remember rifle drill (SLR & SA80) and a lot of the sayings.

ahhh them where the days :)
 
RAF Music services (french horn and trumpet)
1978-2000
Worst posting....Catterick, too close to the Army peasants
Best Posting...JHQ Germany 86-94
Adapted to civy life ok. couldn't wait to get out to be honest
 
For some reason this makes me think of Only Fools and Horses - though I might actually be mistaken about the series!:D
 
Royal Navy Oct 89- Jun 2004 (17trs)
Served on HMS GLOUCESTER - GULF WAR DESERT STORM 1991
HMS FEARLESS
HMS ENDURANCE
HMS SOUTHAMPTON

Best ship endurance down the antartic twice for 7 months
 
Ex Royal Corps of Signals.
Joined as an apprentice (AAC Harrogate) in Sep 79 age 16 - 2 year apprenticeship. Left in Aug 2003 having completed my 22 years colour service.

Loved Germany and spent just over 9 years there. 4 years in total in NI. Hated serving in mainland UK
Saw most of Europe plus tours of Falklands, Bosnia, Cyprus.
Favourite posting was one I am unable to say anything about!!!

Glad to leave in the end as I had had enough but was stuck in the pension trap - still like a total fish out of water when I left (for ages too)
 
Recently I've been having a look at the armed forces, their make up, their postings and their history.From what I've gathered, it's a terrific life choice ( less so the army imo).

Kinda makes me wish I could be 17 again making choices.
 
Gee you guys are so young!,,
I enrolled for 3 years in 1957,I was 17 years and 6 months old.As 3 year Regular I could choose my Regiment and I got £3.3 shillings a week.If I had waited to be called up it would have been any Regiment and 30 bob a week.
I joined the Royal Engineers.Trained at Aldershot and Taunton,posted 38 Corps Engineer Regiment Ripon
Best posting 1958 Christmas Island for some A bomb tests.4 days R&R in Honolulu.
Demobbed Feb 1960,best thing ,two mates had just been called up,get some in guys!!
Good times ,great mates and world travel,never regretted my choice .
 
87 - 01 RAF Aircraft Propulsion Technician

Best: RAF Butlins (St Mawgan) 1st posting and I'm a late teen in Newquay during the summer!!!!!!

Worst: St Athan - made me make up my mind that I would not extend my service, an absolute dump despite having a tricky little 9 hole track.

I never really got too involved in a proper service lifestyle - always lived away from base and kept civvy mates so the transition back was easy. Although stuff like paying for dentists came as a shock, used to go every 3 mths for a polish - now haven't been to the dentist for 7 years!!!
 
Royal Navy, Air Engineering Artificer; 1969 - 1978 (Chief petty Officer)
Royal Naval Reservist: 1978 - 1998. Lieutenant RNR.

Fantastic times and experiences.
 
G1BB0 said:
seriously James?
Click to expand...

Yep. I was supposed to go for an interview but didn't go. It was only 6 o-levels required at the time so I only sat 6 exams as any more was irrelevant (didn't bother going to the other 4 exams) :mad: I consider myself fortunate that I didn't go as 2-3yrs later the Gulf war kicked off and tornados were falling like flies.

Then passed the police entry exam and didn't go to that either despite being offered a place in the Met after passing the test :mad:
 
Last edited:
a waste of talent James.

Tornado's may have been falling but you were the RAF's equivalent of Tom Cruise!

top_gun_cruise_t658.jpg
 
stevie_r said:
Army Chef? hardest course in the army Gibbo

There is a book about the Black Watch from D Day to Berlin. [My late fathers shift]
I was amazed to learn that the troops only had one day without a hot evening meal.
The German gunners used to try and target the catering camps and food runs as they knew how important they were to the troops
Click to expand...
 
You don't choose what you fly pre entry.

Every trainee pilot starts on the same and get streamed into stuff that suits their capabilities during training. You could have been flying Fat Alberts around instead.
 
Doon frae Troon said:
stevie_r said:
Army Chef? hardest course in the army Gibbo

There is a book about the Black Watch from D Day to Berlin. [My late fathers shift]
I was amazed to learn that the troops only had one day without a hot evening meal.
The German gunners used to try and target the catering camps and food runs as they knew how important they were to the troops
Click to expand...

The moral factor of decent hot scoff simply can't be overstated. On an operational tour or when living on top of an armoured vehicle on exercise for a few weeks at a time it is one of the few highlights. What the slop jockeys could produce from their trailer mounted cooksets was amazing.

In Bosnia word got around a bit too much and we were inundated with yanks, they were only getting one hot meal per day and the rest was MRE packs (garbage)
Click to expand...
 
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