A New Uniform,A New Haircut.
Date: 7th May 1971
After the chaos yesterday, we were abruptly woken at 6.30am this morning by a bugle playing over the tannoy, and Cpl Jones coming in kicking everybody out of bed. "Hands of cocks, on with socks," he bawled. " Everybody washed and shaved and outside by quarter to."
We were all lined up and marched off to the mess for breakfast. Not a bad spread. Sausage,bacon and greasy fried eggs with toast or cereals and porridge that would look better between some bricks.
After breakfast we were marched back to the barracks for instruction on the fine art of constructing a blanket block(bed box). Cpl Jones showed us how to do one and expected us all to be experts at it. He gave us 15mins to do our own, then he was going to inspect them. It basically means folding your sheets and all but one blanket to the same size and then wrapping the whole with the remaining blanket. The shape should resemble a box. I did mine alright but a couple of the lads were in a right state, so the rest of us helped them out. The Cpl came and took a look at our efforts and was'nt too pleased but told us that we would get better because we had to do one every day before breakfast in future, and also to lay our kit out on the bed.
As we did'nt have any kit yet, I wondered how this was going to be accomplished but I did'nt have to worry because within minutes we were marching off to stores to pick some up. When we got there it was like a production line. There was a long counter and you started at one end empty and finished at the other full. Heaven help you if you did'nt know what size, shoe, hat, waist, inside leg etc you were because the storeman would just eye you up and say, "36inch chest, sign here, next." as he thrust a couple of tunics at you. By the time I got to the end, I could hardly carry the stuff, there was so much. Thankfully, we each got a holdall and most of the stuff went in that.
Back at the block, we had half an hour to get into our new uniforms. Battle-dress tunics and trousers, shirt,tie and beret and black shoes. The shirts had seperate collars, so that was a lot of fun, messing about with collar studs. Back outside and lined up for the Cpl to check us out. One or two of the lads uniform did'nt fit, so they had to double to the stores to change it. When everybody was ready we were marched of to the Station barbers. It cost 30pence for a haircut. Now my hair was pretty short anyway but some of the lads with long hair were nearly crying when they came out.
After that it was pay-parade. We had to march in, salute the officer, say our name and number and then sign for the cash. Another salute, about turn and march out. I received £11.75. Not bad.
It was lunch time then. I had roast beef withall the trimmings and sponge pudding for afters. Who said forces food was rubbish?
After lunch we did some drill on the parade square. Left,right,left,right,abaaaarrrrt tun. Then it was back to the barracks to spit and polish our kit, the room and block ready for evening inspection.
I'm enjoying it so far. That might not last.
After the chaos yesterday, we were abruptly woken at 6.30am this morning by a bugle playing over the tannoy, and Cpl Jones coming in kicking everybody out of bed. "Hands of cocks, on with socks," he bawled. " Everybody washed and shaved and outside by quarter to."
We were all lined up and marched off to the mess for breakfast. Not a bad spread. Sausage,bacon and greasy fried eggs with toast or cereals and porridge that would look better between some bricks.
After breakfast we were marched back to the barracks for instruction on the fine art of constructing a blanket block(bed box). Cpl Jones showed us how to do one and expected us all to be experts at it. He gave us 15mins to do our own, then he was going to inspect them. It basically means folding your sheets and all but one blanket to the same size and then wrapping the whole with the remaining blanket. The shape should resemble a box. I did mine alright but a couple of the lads were in a right state, so the rest of us helped them out. The Cpl came and took a look at our efforts and was'nt too pleased but told us that we would get better because we had to do one every day before breakfast in future, and also to lay our kit out on the bed.
As we did'nt have any kit yet, I wondered how this was going to be accomplished but I did'nt have to worry because within minutes we were marching off to stores to pick some up. When we got there it was like a production line. There was a long counter and you started at one end empty and finished at the other full. Heaven help you if you did'nt know what size, shoe, hat, waist, inside leg etc you were because the storeman would just eye you up and say, "36inch chest, sign here, next." as he thrust a couple of tunics at you. By the time I got to the end, I could hardly carry the stuff, there was so much. Thankfully, we each got a holdall and most of the stuff went in that.
Back at the block, we had half an hour to get into our new uniforms. Battle-dress tunics and trousers, shirt,tie and beret and black shoes. The shirts had seperate collars, so that was a lot of fun, messing about with collar studs. Back outside and lined up for the Cpl to check us out. One or two of the lads uniform did'nt fit, so they had to double to the stores to change it. When everybody was ready we were marched of to the Station barbers. It cost 30pence for a haircut. Now my hair was pretty short anyway but some of the lads with long hair were nearly crying when they came out.
After that it was pay-parade. We had to march in, salute the officer, say our name and number and then sign for the cash. Another salute, about turn and march out. I received £11.75. Not bad.
It was lunch time then. I had roast beef withall the trimmings and sponge pudding for afters. Who said forces food was rubbish?
After lunch we did some drill on the parade square. Left,right,left,right,abaaaarrrrt tun. Then it was back to the barracks to spit and polish our kit, the room and block ready for evening inspection.
I'm enjoying it so far. That might not last.
posted by Freddy at 9:40 PM
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