Mortar platoon golden oldies

Message Board: The Royal Highland Fusiliers : Mortar platoon golden oldies

By Anonymous on Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 10:03 am:

any one any weeeeee golden oldies from the ANZUK DAYS ..... THAT THEY WANT TO SHARE

By anon on Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 12:21 pm:

Location,up the uloo,some where north east of the jungle warefare school.

Situation,ambush and anti ambush drills.

Time 1400hrs

Conditions,hot humid and bloody sweaty.

the platoon had been briefed by that well known fearless jungle fighter Harry "Boy" McGarva,on the dos and dont of ambush drills and on the I.A. required when being caught in the aforesaid prediciment, so the platoon was split into its three sections for training in the afore mention skills, sec 1 was lead by Big Helmut Ross and Ferret Ferguson, sec 2 by Sannie simpson and Ronnie Ewart (the swimmer and famous snake finder later story)sec 3 was reserved for the criminally insane and led by Jimmy Hanna and Jimmy Young and in overall control of 3 section was Wullie Yondo McGowan, who at the best of times was unstable and when sober was a nightmare, he just never got the hang of the pace of the mortar platoon in full speed, which has been likened to a tortoise on speed. Any way the other cpls and sgts who had decided to act the enemy for the benifit of the platoon drills diappeared in order that the ambushes may be set up. 3 sec set up on a small track leading to the basha area, Myself and Sump Somerville were placed in the cut off zone up the track Bruce Dickie and Paul Moses were the other cut off group, the kill zone consisted of the whos who from Castairs Hospital for the criminally insane,John Millar, Danny Mellon Tony Woods,Rab Coughtrie,Lenny Cole,Danny McWilliams. as we lay there waiting to spring the ambush, the mossies as usual had decided to have a wee feast, and we were eaten alive, we were just about to give up for scoff when we heard the "enemy" approach from the r/hand side off the trail and at the same time from the left hand side came the char wallah on his bike with a case of ice lollys and cold drinks,closely chased by Sgt Tam Gibson who had a bloody big butterfly net in his hands ,he was shouting at the char wallah to get out his way as he had spotted a rare grey ghost butterfly and was wanting it for his collection.Well that did it, thunderflashes were thrown smoke grenades were dropped by the enemy, the char wallah was rushed off his feet and to crown it all Harry McGarva rushed the ambush postion the wrong way and ran into a bloody big hornets nest,talk about a scatter we had lumps and bumps from hornet stings for days after that. The whole episode had been watched with dismay by Capt Harvie who was forced to conceed that 3 section couldnt orginize a pissup in the tiger brewery.The debrief was hilarious and it was decided that in future the mortar platoon was excused ambush drills and by the way the char wallah is still looking for the money for the stims that were taken under the cover of the smoke grenades.

By Kung-Fu on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 02:17 am:

By Billy Lamb on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 07:54 am:

Hi Kung-Fu,

You are right it was the amalgamation Parade with 1 R.N.Z.I.R in Singapore, The names are as follows, Left to right;

Yid Cooper,Danny O'Mellon,Willie Curle,Tam (T.C.) Campbell,Me,Tony Wood,Jimmy Douglas,John Wood,?,Jimmy Martin,?,George Devine,Eddie Bryce.

Not bad after 33 years, can anyone tell me the two I missed.

Billy

By Harry Morrow on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 10:28 am:

To Billy Lamb,

Billy, The guy beside Geordie Devine, is John

Menzies, he was a member of the mortar platoon.

Other guy, not got a clue. This website is pure

dead brilliant. Regards Harry Morrow

By Kung-Fu on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 11:43 am:

Excellent billy, well done, pity you can't remember me (Kung-Fu)? And yes I was in the Mortars too at the time....

By the way Harry, John Menzies transfered to the RMP and was based in Dortmund when we were in Hemer ! and you do remember me too, maybe not by Kung-Ku though....

Will post another couple of golden oldies shortly....

Wait, Out !

By Harry Morrow on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 01:18 pm:

Kung Fu, John Menzies & I left 1 RHF about the same time, we were neighbours in the same estate

in Antrim. Moved to Belfast, then I returned to Scotland. John,remained in Belfast for some time.

He is now in Australia, and tunes into this web

mail quite often.He couldnt have been in the RMP

and worked for Tibbet & Britton in Ulster at the

same time.Nice to hear from the past. Harry Morrow

By Kung-Fu on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 02:39 pm:

Must have been thinking of someone else Harry ! Anyway here as promised more pics, while at Butterworth who remembers the BBQ's complete with assault boats on Penang near the now famous Ferenghi Beach (circa May 73), some golden oldies here such as Sannie Simpson, Malky Laird, Ronnie Ewart on guitar, Willie Wood?, Tommy Ferguson and others, not great pics but memories never the less.

Was this the day when one of the boats tipped over on the way back ?

NB: As there are 8 pics I will do 4 pics here and another 4 in the next message, anyone who would like a larger scan sent for printing etc, email me !

By Kung-Fu on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 02:41 pm:

And 4 more.....

By Harry Morrow on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 02:50 pm:

Them were the days!!!! Sanny Simpson stays along

the road from me. I stay in Livingston. Sanny stays in Fauldhouse, beleive he retired from the Polis as a Sgt. Harry M

By Billy Lamb on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 08:51 pm:

Great pictures Kung - Fu I recognise Ronnie Ewart and Willie Wood.Who are you? Do I know you.

By Davie Young on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 08:54 pm:

Billy

Nice photo of you!!

By Kung-Fu on Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 11:58 am:

Billy, here is a pic from around 83, now here are a couple of questions for you.

1. Do you remember where it was taken ?

2. What major city is it in ?

A correct answer will get you a free pic of you and the house owner !!! (and yes I know, I was there)

Kung Fu

(if you are really stumped email me)

By Kung-Fu on Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 05:59 pm:

A Support Company families day at the pool in Nee Soon, anyone remember it?

Kung-Fu

By Kung-Fu on Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 05:03 pm:

Stevie Sutherland with "hissing sid" this was taken if memory serves me well outside the entrance to Tiger Balm Gardens... - Anyone know where he is now?

By Ronnie Ewart on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 01:15 pm:

New to the site,Kaka Bledge told me about it,yes Percys widow.All of us enjoyed the tribute to Eddie and very well deserved.It is a pleasant change to be able to get the crack without having to attend the funeral of our good friends from the past.It is amasing how some of you guys remember names,places and times,If I remember rightly most of you from Singapore etc did not know where you were or who you were with then,thanks to the Duck brand and the Tiger.Nice to read about you all,I will keep in touch(who the hell is Kung Foo)

By Kung-Fu on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 01:47 pm:

Ronnie

Email on it's way....

By Anonymous on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 10:22 pm:

Ronnie Ewart It wasnt hard to figure out who Kung

Fu was .his photo had been shown his name had

been sussed. Ronnie you are just being your old

self again.

By Kung-Fu on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 11:52 pm:

@Ronnie Ewart

Remember this picture, we were about to board Sir Lancelot at Belfast docks 1974...

By Ronnie Wilkie on Sunday, January 15, 2006 - 08:30 pm:

I've been contacted by a guy who says he is the brother of George(Syd)Robertson from Maybole who possibly served with the Mortars late 60' early 70's, The guy is trying to trace him, can anybody help?

By Ronnie Wilkie on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 09:27 pm:

Sorry the previous message should read "does anyone remember him". He apparently is 52 now lives in Australia and is in a bad way. Any info would be appreciated

By Sandy Leishman (Sandy) on Thursday, January 19, 2006 - 11:56 am:

THE FORUM IS NOW A MEMBERS ONLY AREA. TO BECOME A MEMBER CONTACT; \mail{admin@rhf.org.uk,admin@rhf.org.uk} quoting your Username and Password two new moderators have also been appointed, one serving and one old and bold we hope this meets with everyones approval (it is YOUR website after all) in any events it should cut down on the wasters trying to ruin it for us all your comments(whether good or bad)and your suggestions would be most welcome and though I'm by no means a webmaster I'll do my best to improve our wee site Sandy Admin Officer RHQRHF

By John M (John) on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 02:19 pm:

just a test post ....

By John M (John) on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 - 12:05 am:

ALL ok Sandy well done ... ..from the land down under .....J ohn Menzies ..

By Steve L (Steviel) on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 04:59 pm:

By Steve L (Steviel) on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 05:30 pm:

By Steve L (Steviel) on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 06:08 pm:

By Steve L (Steviel) on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 06:13 pm:

A few old faces Stef,Tam, John, Rab, Bob, Inch

By Steve L (Steviel) on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 06:13 pm:

A few old faces Stef,Tam, John, Rab, Bob, Inch, Andy.

By Steve L (Steviel) on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 06:19 pm:

By Steve L (Steviel) on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 06:22 pm:

By Steve L (Steviel) on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 06:28 pm:

By Adam (Brogan) on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 09:08 pm:

your nearly as good as me stevie i posted about 30 dont know where they went

By soup (Soupcam70) on Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 10:57 am:

Stevie,

Hows tricks pal? Question for you! In your photos, is the guy sitting on Tam Lloyds right big Andy Hewitt who was attached for Kenya??

By Steve L (Steviel) on Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 03:44 pm:

Hi Soup

Yup thats Andy, last heard of in the TA as a trainer in Cavalry Bks Edinburgh (Andy if you are out there drop us a line.

Hope things are going good for you Soup.

Yours Aye

Cockeye

By Scott G (Scoash) on Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 04:59 pm:

hi

By Adam (Brogan) on Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 09:17 pm:

sandy

when are the performers coming out for willies do

By Wullie McK (Wulliemckechnie) on Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 09:57 pm:

Adam

Spoke to oakers yesterday said he was going to throw a sickie for willies do and have a few days off when you and ellen are up so we will catch up then, Just watched Rangers go out on goal differance what a performance.

Wullie

By Adam (Brogan) on Wednesday, March 08, 2006 - 06:40 am:

yes i watched bits of it say no more,yes spoke to him we travel up on the 1st,so prop meet him in glasgow see you there