POSTAL RECOLLECTIONS - ALAN DAVIES

A POSTING TO BOAR
1959

Recollections of Alan Davies

February 1959, after trade training at Gunsite and Mill Hill I was posted to BAOR and departed for Harwich to catch the ferry from Parkeston Quay. As I was the senior sapper of the squad going to Germany I was given the dubious honour of carrying our travel docs and the responsibility of making sure we made it in one piece!

Needless to say I did a great job and lost no one,mind you we went by military train with no stops so that wasn't difficult....At the quay we were put in a holding area, a huge warehouse,to wait departure to the Hook of Holland around 2200 hrs. Our ship duly set sail! - Well we left the dock and chugged out into the channel unfortunately we collided with the wall at the entrance to the dock and had to return to the quayside for safety checks, all this in total darkness, talk about scary!!! The check took most of the night and we set off again early next morning, mostly praying to anyone to keep us safe. My abiding memory is of how cold and dark it was. I've never liked water....

On arrival at the Hook we were transferred to the Blue train to Dusseldorf, how the RE movements guys kept order etc still mystifies me! That was the longest train ride ever and we were bored rigid, you can only play 3 card brag for so long...Don't get me on the rations we got, sand and sardines with cold tea in tin mugs is not a preferred choice.

Duss was like paradise on earth to us raw, uncouth sprogs even the greeting from a RE Sgt of "get fell in you miserable shower" didn't detract from our collective joy at seeing our new home.

Three weeks later I was put on a German civvy train to Verden all alone with instructions where to get off and a packed sarni to help me survive, I got off several hours later, at the wrong station and had to await a truck sent to find me, luckily the station master was used to plonkers like me using his station and phoned my new unit.

Thanks to Captain Watson for his understanding and patience he was the best OC I ever served under.

Email: Alan Davies 1958 to 1964