Enlisted 1 Royal Sussex in July 1963, joined the Battalion in Malta, did the 6 months in Aden and the trip to Libya. Then on to Lydd, bit late getting to Lemgo, as was on my first carpenter’s course (ended up doing 72 weeks at the R.S.M.E. Chatham, both trade and Combat Engineer). Did another trip to Libya from Lemgo, most of this time employed as a carpenter on the QM’s Pioneers, although I did do a few months with 7 Pln B Coy, with a little trip to Sardinia thrown in.
Next was the posting to Abercorn Bks, Northern Ireland, (the first of many tours) most of that time still with the QM’s department. After that Gibraltar where I was promoted Sgt and moved on to the Assault Pioneers, that’s when I first grew my beard (which I kept, on and off for the next 10 years). Couple more tours of Ulster saw us off to Catterick, 6 months in Belize, fire fighting, and then moved to Dover.
From Dover I was moved to the School of Infantry, did 2 years there as Assault Pioneer Sgt, then off to learn Arabic at Beaconsfield for a 2 year tour in the Oman (training Arab Officers in Arabic!)
Rejoined the battalion at North Howard St Mill (1983) then off the Fallingbostal for a few months, before finishing my service with the Multi National Force and Observers in Egypt/Israel in July 1985.
Now retired and living in Brighton (well Hove actually).