This site lets you have your say. I shall publish anything you send me on these pages (within the bounds of decency!)
So get out your old albums, and drag through that old grey matter and tell us some tales you want to share.
These have been sent in by Chris Trethowan. 7 Bty Singapore 1971, Cyprus 1974, Belize 1977, Belfast 1973
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Hi there Randy,
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5. Forced march in the Orkneys which turned into one huge banyan. L to R REME gunfitter name forgotten, A matelot who wanted to come along, Paddy Paul, Eric Stubbs, Paul (Crazy Cook) Hodson, Paddy Baker
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The following have been sent in by John (Spud) Goodall, think a few will remember these old days!
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1. Johnnie Noble & Spud Nee soon 1966 2. Causeway Singers. 3. Boot boy Nee Soon 1960s 4. Bulwark Aussie trip 1960s 5. Nee Soon Vehicle Park 1960s
6. Sooty Wilson Singers 1960s 7. Maggie Man Nee Soon 1960s
These sent in by Dave Pike. 8 Bty in Malta in the 70s should bring back some memories.
These are of the reunion in 1997. Sent in by Jack W
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Seems like time has stood still!!
Some more from Bob. 7 Bty in Cyprus 1974 + 1 other
7 Bty where on UK Spearhead with 40 Cdo in 1974, during the first few days of August the Turkish Army invaded Northern Cyprus. 40 Cdo and 7 Bty where on the ground in Cyprus within three days of the invasion and our task was to stop the Turks advancing in to the sovereign base areas. We were there for a month, all managed to get a tan and enjoyed the trip.
This was my section.
Another couple, taken in Glen Coe. Phil West was the BC.
This collection of photos covering several years of 7 Bty's history have been sent in by Bob Conlan. I think nearly everyone will recognise someone here.
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Here is a link some of you may remember back to the 1960's
Could you insert it into the web site,
Link to my site
http://jackw102.multiply.com/video/item/41/Punchy.avi
James Walton
For those that have served on HMS Intrepid during their time, will be saddened to see this photo.
Thanks to Brian Tilley for sending this one in.
For the full report from the Daily Mail follow this link Farewell-warrior-Falklands-veteran
Playing at being Jack. Black 8 and N01 Assault Det.RAOC lads,
Maggie your boys took one hell of a beating!
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1. Top photo Herbie with his harem! Bottom Bill Pinter, Archie Gemmel, Sandy Saunderson + 1 unknown.
2. Left Herbie +1 , Right Dave Pike on the back of Jeff Siemens HQ battery.
3. Left pic. Left to right Herbie unknown head! Pete Tulip, Janner Gorwyn? Tink in back ground. Right photo Archie Gemmel in middle, Neil Randall on Right, might be Tinknell on the right?
4. Neil Hennesy Vance Glennan, & Tony Daniels
These photos have been sent in by Bill (Herbie) Herbert. Do you recognised your self here. Would've been 8 Bty between 1974-1980
7 Bty "Old Grunts" down to see Fred Magee on the Barbican in the Dolphin Pub Friday 7 November 2008.
These ones sent in by Bill Dalziel, with the following message:
Don't we all remember those sticky photo albums. State of the art at the time, a bloody nuisance now!
Now you are definitely an old sweat if you recognised yourself in these ones sent in by John Goodall & Bunny Rabbits!
Christmas Dinner Nee Soon 1966. From left Spud Goodall, Lofty Bowden, Jacko & can anyone fill in the blanks?
The other people in the Christmas dinner photo - Nee Soon 1966 are: Sid Smith, Charlie Chalk and Jock Morgan.
Yours,
Harry (Jacko) Jackson
HERE ARE A SELECTION OF PHOTOS FROM THE LAST MOTN. THANKS TO JOHN BATHE FOR SENDING THESE IN.
Here is a selection of photo's sent in by Dave Matthews of the recent 7 Bty reunion.
So the rumours are true, J F has been in every reunion photo since the original painting of the battle of Alma!
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This photo has been sent in by Steve Irons
I'll let Steve explain the photo:
I hope this picture of Elvis finds you. It was taken in The Gambia just a few months before he passed away. I'm the other half with him. We had a good time together after what was a surprise meeting at the same hotel. As you can see he shows no sign of being ill and it came as a shock to hear of his death. I did attend his funeral in Plymouth together with most of Ex 8 battery.
Regards
Steve Irons
Ex 8 bty 66to70
Here is a link to a heap of mixed photos from Op Corporate. No explanation but I think you will recognise quite a few guys here.
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The following photos have been sent in by John ( Spud) Goodall, do you recognise yourself here?
The first photo is Spud & Smudge Smith Hele training HMS Albion 1960s. No names for the other one so if you can fill in the blanks let me know.
John Goodall posted two pictures here of 7 Bty embarked on HMS Albion off UK in 1964. Of the unidentified in the right hand photo waiting on the flight deck is one obvious officer (second from left, wearing officers Foxs putties and leather gloves!) He is 2Lt or possibly (just) Lt JNG Starmer-Smith (Julian). He was one of three 2Lts fresh from RMAS Intake 31 and No 60 YOs Course at Larkhill who joined 95 Cdo Lt Regt RA on formation in January 1964. I was one of those three (seen below, visiting neighbouring fire base at Gunan Gajak, Sarawak from my hill at Plaman Mapu.). The third was Robin Middlemas also featured on this site somewhere at Christmas lunch at Gunan Gajak I think.
Mike Jackson
Here follows some photos of the ski trip sent in by Ken Rae. Don't forget Ken is hoping to make this an annual event, so if you fancy a bit of skiing next January let me know & I'll forward your details to Ken.
Well done to Ken for the idea & organizing what's looks like a cracking time, even if Asda thought he was at an audition for the new stage show of Dads army!
One for the site at a small get together in Worcester.
Present on the photo are Terry Wright, Me, Nick Naico, Ravu and Dixon.
Regards
James
This has been sent in by Andy Urquhart. Reme Tels Tech., 8 Alma and 148/95 FOU (1968 - 1971)
The the photo sent in by Andy Urquart was taken a FAFB Sembawang, Singapore.
From the left are Perks, Scouse Smith (I think), Yorkshire lad not sure of
his name (Dave Boco Bennet From Willie Mac), Able Seaman (sat on Landi), Ravu and Mick Campbell.
James Walton
This one has been sent in by John Goodall, hope it brings back some memories.
From Left to Right
Bunny Rabbits, Yorky Crawforth, Brian Astell & Jim (Ticker) Pere
Looks a bit like a catalogue pose! Love the knitwear.
Lee Marvin never looked so good!!
Photo shows members of Black Eight waiting to land on the Falklands, most thoughts are. "Just get us off this bloody ship."
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gun park which is now flats. The rugby club door is still clearly visable (I
wonder if the arse prints are still on the roof?)
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gut, how many of you recognise it in day light?
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club which appears to have been gutted by fire not long after we left leaving it
much as it was.
This picture was taken in 79's rugby club at St George's Barracks shows from left to right:-
Zeb (Ashton), Dustbin (Mitchell), Greg (Gregory - looking like he has had one 'Kirkee Shandy' too many!), Toddy (Houghton), Jock (Adams), Sneck (Mitchell).
Sent in by Dave Tylcoat (aka 'Tutty')
The rugby club in Malta seems to have stirred some memories Paul Beech sent this in to explain the decorations on the ceiling
Just to say that the ceiling in the rugby club, Malta, didn't just have arses. Ask P. W. and his lovely wife M. During their leaving party from 3 Troop, not sure whether it was in '73 or '74, they had the distinguished honour of having certain other parts of their anatomy emblazoned on the ceiling. I should know because I had the whitewash brush and the pleasure of daubing the paint on M's upper torso. The pleasure has never been forgotten. As for P's 'parts' - well, I nearly ran out of paint. Interesting to note though that he subsequently became a contender in the television programme, 'The British Meat Challenge'. Prophetic eh!
And to 'Tutty', I think that was my gun on your photo (F Sub). Isn't that J.B. at No.2 and Carney at No.3? Were's the number 1?
Nice one Paul. We here at Commando Gunner Regroup wonder
if PW and his lovely wife M would like to re-enact this scene at the next
reunion?
From Left to Right: Frank Kerns, (never did like to be called Sarg.) Arthur (king of Camelot) Perks.Tony ( Cocker) Goodwin, Scouse Smith, and just through the window is Steve ( Able ) Seaman. F... Knows who the Pilot is.
I am the little fellow in the black Jacko, Big H, George Brown,Twink, John Franny,Albert Smith.,and Steve. Bet you haven't seen Franny looking that slim for a while.
Taken in Cyprus (Lefkoniko, mid '70s) of live firing the 105 (none of your namby pamby wooftah light guns - we had to carry that mother up a hill!).
It look's like a desert location, but no. It was 145 bty in Northern Ireland before the troubles in 1966. We came ashore and suddenly all the pubs opened, just getting on the piss and some one called us away to West Africa.
145 Bty on HMS Albion 66 deployment to West Africa to kick arse. I believe
this was the first time a field gun had been fired from a naval vessel. We kept
it down to charge 4 so not to frighten Jack.
Mind you in Borneo in 64 -65 when 145 Bty was the first Bty to fire in action for the regiment. It was also the first time supercharge was used but that was in the days of 25pounders.
Well it would appear we have an expert on Maiwand, here follows Tom Browne's version of the Maiwand saga.
Wrong in both cases the first photo is Cape Wrath 1967 prior to being called off an exercise and embarking on Albion for West Africa - the second was taken either in the Far East or on its way there in 1962.
Maiwand first fired the 105 Pack Howitzer in anger in 1962 in support of the Royal Marines in the Brunei revolution.
Also note there are five guns in view firing from the flight deck of Albion we became 4 Gun Batteries with the formation of 95 Commando in 63/64 both 79 and 145 lost two guns per Battery to form a second Gun Battery for 95 29 and 95 had a compliment of 2 x 4 Gun Batteries each and AO Battery each 20 for 29 and 148 for 95.
Maiwand were the first Commando Battery into the Far East in 1962 housed with 40 Commando RM in Burma Camp (Jungle Warfare School) the first to fire live from the flight deck of Albion - the first to fire the Italian 105 in anger in Brunei 1962 the first into Aden in support of 2nd Para 1966 the first Battery of 29 to return to the Far East in 1968 and housed with the Life Guards in Selerang Barracks - the first into Northern Ireland in 1970 not the first to be placed in suspended animation, 79 had that honour and were reprieved some years later suspended animation caught up with Maiwand in 1976 and being hanging in there ever since it will remain there until the Brush and his peers reappear to redeem the finest Commando Battery ever to grace 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery. Maiwand became a legend in the 14 years as Commando Battery not all of it could bear scrutiny there was time at Larkhill on a Regimental Practice Camp when Maiwand paraded with 7x105s 7th RHA temporally lost one of theirs during the night. There was the intrigue of the Sgt Major whose door came alight, he was secured inside cause he left his key in outside of the door it was not by the grace of God that he got out it was by the grace of Jock Harrison who came to his rescue. There was film set of the Virgin Soldiers next to the Battery Office Taff Keenan wrote a song about Maiwand when I find it I will publish on the web.
Sorry Tom youve a lot to learn about Maiwand.
Tom Browne
Anyone want to challenge any of Tom's claim's?
HERE'S THE FIRST ONE TO REFUTE TOM BROWNS RATHER CONFIDENT OVER STATED CLAIM
NOW TO EXPAND ON MY COMMENTS REF THE TOM BROWNE AND TOM STRAKERS VIEW OF EVENTS FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS ALSO THERE AND IS IN THE PHOTO.
BOTH TOMS ARE CORRECT ABOUT THE FIRST PHOTO, AND TOM STRAKER IS CORRECT ABOUT THE SECOND, TOM BROWNE IS 100% INCORRECT ABOUT THE SECOND.
THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENED.
WE HAD LANDED IN IRELAND FOR A LITTLE EXERCISE HENCE THE PHOTO WITH US ALL BY THE GUN. WE WERE THEN ALL ORDERED TO GET BACK ON BOARD THE SHIP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. (WE DIDN'T KNOW WHY). AS YOU CAN IMAGINE SPECULATION WAS RIFE AND THE RUMOUR MILL WAS IN FULL SWING AND THE BETTING WAS STARTED AS TO WHERE WE WERE HEADING.
ONCE ON BOARD THE FUN STARTED HEADING OUT TO WHERE, WE DIDN'T KNOW. WE DID WORK OUT WE WERE HEADING SOUTH. NOW AS YOU KNOW AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER IS NOT THE MOST STABLE OF SHIPS, AND THE IRISH SEA NOT THE FLATTEST OF SEAS. THE SHIP ROLLED AND LURCHED FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS, AND THE SPEW WAS FLOWING. THE SEA WAS SO ROUGH THAT EVEN THE MATELOTS ON BOARD WERE THROWING UP. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE FOOD WAS NOT THE FOREMOST THOUGHT ON OUR MINDS. HOWEVER WE ALL GOT OUR SEA LEGS AFTER A FEW DAYS. PREPARATION WAS SOON IN FULL SWING, CLEANING THE GUNS PREPPING ALL THE EQUIPMENT, VEHICLES, RADIO'S ETC. THE BOOTIES ON BOARD WERE WEAPONS TRAINING ETC. SOON WE WERE RUNNING AROUND THE DECK (THEY SAY TO BE PREPARED) WE STILL DIDN'T KNOW WHERE WE WERE GOING. WE WERE RAZZED AT SEA WHILE ON THE MOVE REFUELLED, AND REPLENISHED WITH FOOD ETC. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT WE WERE ALSO HANDED A RATION OF NAVY GROG EVERY DAY. THIS WAS ONE OF THE LAST TIMES THIS WAS CARRIED OUT AS THE OLD TRADITION WAS SOON TO END.
APART FROM KEEPING FIT AND AND CONSTANT TRAINING ON WEAPONS ETC LIFE STARTED TO BECOME BLOODY BORING, AND WE STILL HAD NO IDEA WHERE WE WERE HEADING. TO PASS THE TIME WE PLAYED CARDS IT STARTED OFF AS A FEW CIGGIES HERE A FEW CIGGIES THERE, IN THE END PACKETS WERE THE NORMAL BET FOLLOWED BY CARTONS, SOON WE HAD A FEW MILLIONAIRES, (CIGARETTE WISE) ON BOARD, STILL WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE WE WERE GOING AND WE HAD BEEN AT SEA FOR NEARLY A WEEK.
SOON WE WERE TO BE PUT OUT OF OUR MISERY. WE WERE HEADING FOR THE COAST OF NIGERIA TO HELP OUT THE CIVVIES IN A PLACE CALLED BIAFRA. IT HAD BEEN IN THE NEWS BUT NOT SOMETHING THAT US LOT HAD THOUGHT MUCH ABOUT. TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT WE WERE TO GO IN WITH THE MARINES IF DIPLOMACY DIDNT WORK. SO THE NEXT THING WAS THE LONG LONG LONG WAIT .
FOR THE NEXT SIX WEEKS WE SAILED ROUND IN CIRCLES IN A PLACE CALLED THE DOLDRUMS, SOMETIMES THE SEA WAS LIKE GLASS OTHER DAYS NOT SO SMOOTH. TO PASS THE TIME WE DID SMALL ARMS TRAINING OFF THE END OF THE SHIP, WE SET UP AND PLAYED DECK HOCKEY ON BOARD, AGAINST ALL COMERS. WE THREW GRENADES OFF THE BACK ETC ETC.
THE COOKS ON BOARD CAME UP WITH A SPOT OF FISHING TO SUPPLEMENT THE DIET. IT SOON FINISHED WITH FISHING FOR SHARKS. AND A FEW WERE CAUGHT, ON THE MENU WAS SHARK FIN SOUP.
THEN SOME BRIGHT SPARK CAME UP WITH IDEA OF FIRING THE GUNS FROM THE DECK OF THE SHIP. AND THIS IS THE PICTURE YOU SEE ON OUR WEB SITE. THE FIRST GUN IS "A" SUB THE FASTEST GUN IN 145. I AM SITTING ON THE RIGHT PEERING AROUND THE SHIELD LOOKING AT THE FALL OF SHOT, JOE HASTINGS IS TO MY LEFT. AND GINGE CHALLENOR IS KNEELING BEHIND ME AND THE NUMBER ONE IS BEHIND JOE. (NELLY WELLS WAS NOT NUMBER ONE THEN OF OUR GUN)
THE OBJECT WE WERE FIRING AT WAS A CONSTRUCTION OF OIL DRUMS ANGLE IRON IN THE SHAPE OF A DIAMOND POINT WITH A FLAG ON TOP. WE CAME CLOSE BUT NO DIRECT HITS. HOWEVER AS WE WERE THE FASTEST GUN IN THE WEST WE WERE ASKED TO FIRE A ROUND AT FULL ELEVATION THEN TO FIRE ANOTHER ROUND AT LOW DEPRESSION AT THE TARGET TO TRY AND GET THE SHELLS TO HIT THE TARGET AT THE SAME TIME, THIS WAS ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES BUT NO DIRECT HITS ALTHOUGH WE DID GET THE SHELLS TO LAND AT THE SAME TIME. THAT MY FRIENDS IS HOW IT HAPPENED. SO TOM BROWNE YOU ARE WRONG, I WAS THERE AND JOE HASTING WILL ALSO RATIFY THESE EVENTS.
IN THE END WE NEVER DID GO ASHORE, AND HEADED BACK HOME. HOWEVER THERE IS A TWIST TO THE TALE.
ON THE WAY BACK WE STOPPED OF AT GIB FOR A SPOT OF R&R. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH A COMPLIMENT OF OVER 2000 MEN ON BOARD WE WERE CHAMPING AT THE BIT TO GET AT THE BOOZE AND WOMEN. IT WAS A DISASTER. WE DRANK THE PLACE DRY, MEN WERE SENT BACK ACROSS THE BORDER FROM SPAIN AT GUNPOINT, THE GIRLS WERE LOCKED UP AT HOME BY THEIR MOTHERS , AND SOME OF US WERE LOCKED UP BY THE LOCAL CONSTABULARY. THINGS GOT SO BAD WE WERE ALL ORDERED BACK ON BOARD AND LEFT EARLY FOR HOME.
I DID HEAR A RUMOUR THAT THE CAPTAIN GOT IN SO MUCH TROUBLE ABOUT HIS DECISION TO LET US LOOSE, THAT HE WAS SEVERELY REPRIMANDED AND LOST COMMAND OF ALBION. BUT THAT'S ANOTHER STORY. OH YES IF YOUR THINKING WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THOSE MILLIONS OF CIGARETTES?????. THERE WERE MORE WAYS THOUGHT OF TO SMUGGLE THEM ASHORE IN PLYMOUTH THAN YOU COULD SHAKE A STICK AT.
THAT IS HOW IT HAPPENED ALL THOSE YEARS AGO FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS THERE. I CAN STILL REMEMBER IT AS IF IT WERE YESTERDAY.
REGARDS TO ALL.
WELL TOM IT APPEARS YOU ALSO HAVE A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT MAIWAND!
OVER TO YOU.
SEEMS LIKE THIS HAS STRUCK A CORD, HERE IS ANOTHER OBSERVATION
HI
ALL,
WELL IS THE THE DEFINITIVE ANSWER?
IT WOULD SEEM NOT BILL IS HERE TO CLEAR THINGS UP (MAYBE)
Think we have done this one to death now chaps, no more PLEASE!
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