Best film portrayal of Sergeant Major

Site Issues 2008 Archive Room
#21

Speaking of the Brecon Beacons.

http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/wm/bb/bb.html

One day, as a tiny little Junior Bleeder (as the grown ups used to refer to us) I was jogging up Pen y Fan (see picture in link) when this chap with a bloody great bergen on his back and carrying a Lee Enfield rifle went steaming on by. “All right kid?” says he, in what I considered a rather patronising tone and, so, replied “Sure mister!”. Twat! I thought ‘he’s only got a .303, who does he think he is?..I’m trained on the SLR and, I’m only fifteen - have some respect!’ :roll:

Being of a stroppy and competitive nature, I decided to give him a couple of hundred yards head start and take off after him, which I did, saying “Hello again, mister!” as I ran by (in me tracksuit and plimsoles). :wink:

I waited for him for a chat, at the top (and to show off that I’d beaten him to the top), but no sooner did he arrive than he had a quick word with some other chap and galloped off back down the hill. Well, thinks I, he must have been a messenger. At which point I continued on to complete the Fan Dance.

Later at the ice-cream van which always seems to be at the car park at the bottom of the main route up Pen y Fan, I saw yon chap queing for an ice-cream as he sweated his cods off, and chatted with a couple of other sweaty, Bergen-carrying types.
“Allright kid!” again. “Yeah, thanks…what were you doing running up and down Peny Fan, don’t you go over the other peaks?”
“I’m on selection!” Says he.
“Ugh?” :confused:

Nice ale: http://www.breconshirebrewery.com/Ales.asp?BeerID=7

Hey! look! … must be “Mister’s” grandson! :slight_smile:

http://www.stuff.themutual.net/bbec1.htm

#22

I don’t know who then is, and without knowing that I wouldn’t accuse PK of getting it up her. Or him. :smiley:

#23

Applause-icon! :smiley:

#24

How did you get to be doing that at 15?

Here full entry was 17 for real soldiering. 15 was only for apprentices who were trade trained for a few years while being carefully kept away from bang sticks, and most of the rest of the army.

#25

Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion functioned as a two year training unit for school leavers from 1952 - 1975

Found this:

http://www.centralcoastsports.com.au/j_leaders/index.htm

I’m not a member of the association nor am I in any of the pictures. :frowning:

The first Commanding Officer
was Major Sir Christopher Nixon M.C. the Royal Ulster Rifles.
It took in boys from the age of 15 to 171/2 years of age.
The Battalion was organised like a normal military unit
with special attention being given to educational instruction
and the encouragement of sport ,hobbies and other outdoor pursuits
to promote a healthy body and mind. They would hopefully go on to become
the future Warrant Officers and Senior NCO’S of the British Army.

The first boy to arrive, did so some three weeks early due to a
mistake by the recruiting office.
He was Oswald Michael Beckett,
who had made himself at home
and was helping with the kitting out of the NEW boys.
Their daily routine was morning parade with either weapon training ,
PT or Drill, followed by half a days educational instruction.
The remainder of their time was devoted to other activities while
each evening was set aside for hobbies and other recreational pursuits

The number of boys soon out grew the camp at Tuxford
and ‘A’ Company under the command of
Major M Lemon of the Wiltshire Regiment moved to Harrogate in Yorkshire.
In 1954 the Battalion then moved to Crownhill in Plymouth and Plumer Barracks.

It Remained here until 1960 when it moved to Oswestry in Shropshire,
were it remained until 1975 when the camp closed.

#26

Was this a full time regular enlistment or more in the nature of part time cadets?

#27

It was full time, run on similar lines as a boarding school. The year was broken down into three terms, reflecting the state school system. After two years there was a passing out parade and one then joined one’s chosen regiment. When I arrived there, there were ninety-five in my intake, but after about six months we were down to about twenty, and in the end there were fifteen of us. The instructors, all old hands, no one lower than sergeant, scared us fartless, at first. However, as we progressed and began to get enthusiastic, they treated us differently. It was very competitive and we, encouraged by our instructors, embraced it - as did they.

My actual service with the Colours didn’t count until I reached my eighteenth birthday, even though I’d been running about with various lethal weapons for three years, the last year of which was with my regular unit, and ready for active service etc.

We were taught all the infantry soldier skills, weapons tactics, map reading etc. etc. to the extent that by the time we ‘passed out’ we could quite easily qualify at the Infantry Small Arms School, or the Sennybridge Battle School. We were taught how to prepare lesson plans etc. as instructors.

On the other hand, there was some resentment from the soldiers in the units we joined as we were usually fast-tracked for promotion and this could end up with the odd broken lip etc. But even they grudgingly gave their respect once we began to perform as soldiers and show our quality.

What surprised me when I joined my regiment, was that we handed our weapons into the arms cote at the end of the day. As a boy, we drew them out on Monday morning and kept them with us until Friday evening. This was good, as when we were bored some evenings we would practise weapon training skills or rifle drill in our barrack rooms. We became real ‘tick-tock’ soldiers, even petitioned for drill to be introduced as a hobby in the evenings. We were devastated, if not totally disillusioned, when none of the drill instructors wanted to take us up on it. :confused: :smiley:

I have a couple of friends whom I first met there at the age of fifteen and we meet up regularly for one or two or even more. Next Friday being the date of our next foray into publand. :smiley: