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Stories
Stories
Each month we’ll update this page and reward the senders of the best story, our ‘star story’, with a magnum of Champagne or a luxury food hamper.
If you would like your story to be considered for this page, please send an email to sam@who-remembers-me.com
We look forward to hearing from you soon!!
If you would like your story to be considered for this page, please send an email to sam@who-remembers-me.com
We look forward to hearing from you soon!!
Ex-Army engineers reunited!
This month’s STAR STORY comes from Bob Paylor in Newcastle, who with a little help from Who-Remembers-Me.com, managed to trace and meet up with several ex-Army buddies from the Royal Scots Greys.
Bob, 74, explains:
“I joined the Army in 1956, aged 21. I was a member of the Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers or REME for short, which were attached to the Royal Scots Greys.
It was our job to repair the tanks and equipment of the armoured regiments and in those days Prince Edward the Duke of Kent was in the Scots Greys; I looked after his tank! Admiral Ramsay’s son was also a junior lieutenant at the time.
We knew each other to say hello to but didn’t really socialise together. No, my friends were Alan, Don, Roland and John.
We all signed up more or less at the same time and first met while stationed at Catterick in Yorkshire. Like me, they too were electrical and mechanical engineers and if they weren’t busy repairing tanks, they’d be fitting guns or fixing radios.
Then in 1958 our regiment moved to Münster in Germany. In those days we were frightened of the Russians and so much of our time was spent on practice drills. We were often called out at 2 o’clock in the morning, only to be told to stand down again!
Still, we had some fun. I remember on one occasion I was supposed to be in charge of a gang of chaps going out for a drink to a pub in Lüneberg. Unfortunately I had one too many that night and spent most of the evening fast asleep!
Alan, Don, Roland, John and I stayed in Germany for a few years and then one by one we left the Army. John was the first to go and I followed shortly after. We last saw each other in 1959.
I went back to mechanics, bought my own garage and repaired military vehicles under contract. I also married shortly after leaving the Army; Margaret and I met in 1960 and we’ve been together ever since.
I suppose nostalgia more than anything prompted me to look for John and the others.
Shortly after registering with WRM I found Alan in Ramsbottom, Roly in Newbury and Don in Manchester. However the real surprise came when I found John through the site – with a surname like Smith I didn’t think I stood a chance, but within days I received an email from John’s son!
I’ve since met up with Alan and John, which was wonderful after all this time, and I now hope to organise a proper reunion involving all five of us. Thanks again to WRM for putting us in touch – the site really does work!”
Bob, 74, explains:
“I joined the Army in 1956, aged 21. I was a member of the Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers or REME for short, which were attached to the Royal Scots Greys.
It was our job to repair the tanks and equipment of the armoured regiments and in those days Prince Edward the Duke of Kent was in the Scots Greys; I looked after his tank! Admiral Ramsay’s son was also a junior lieutenant at the time.
We knew each other to say hello to but didn’t really socialise together. No, my friends were Alan, Don, Roland and John.
We all signed up more or less at the same time and first met while stationed at Catterick in Yorkshire. Like me, they too were electrical and mechanical engineers and if they weren’t busy repairing tanks, they’d be fitting guns or fixing radios.
Then in 1958 our regiment moved to Münster in Germany. In those days we were frightened of the Russians and so much of our time was spent on practice drills. We were often called out at 2 o’clock in the morning, only to be told to stand down again!
Still, we had some fun. I remember on one occasion I was supposed to be in charge of a gang of chaps going out for a drink to a pub in Lüneberg. Unfortunately I had one too many that night and spent most of the evening fast asleep!
Alan, Don, Roland, John and I stayed in Germany for a few years and then one by one we left the Army. John was the first to go and I followed shortly after. We last saw each other in 1959.
I went back to mechanics, bought my own garage and repaired military vehicles under contract. I also married shortly after leaving the Army; Margaret and I met in 1960 and we’ve been together ever since.
I suppose nostalgia more than anything prompted me to look for John and the others.
Shortly after registering with WRM I found Alan in Ramsbottom, Roly in Newbury and Don in Manchester. However the real surprise came when I found John through the site – with a surname like Smith I didn’t think I stood a chance, but within days I received an email from John’s son!
I’ve since met up with Alan and John, which was wonderful after all this time, and I now hope to organise a proper reunion involving all five of us. Thanks again to WRM for putting us in touch – the site really does work!”