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We need your
help
Are YOU doing your bit to trace Old Comrades?
Don't just sit back and leave it to others.
Come help us find these guys.
Bill McCann |
Chris Mellor
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Taff
Shephard |
Do these faces look
familiar?
Despite the fact
that we have already managed to located over 200 former members of the
Squadron. The search continues to trace other missing members of the Squadron
and we need YOUR HELP in tracing these guys. 
You may be asking
yourself how can I help it's been thirty odd years since I saw them. Well it
may surprise you to learn that someone said that about YOU but here you are
reading this message and somehow we found you.
I now have a new
search tool which could help trace many more members of the Squadron but I need
your help to narrow the search. All I am asking you to do is to look through a
list of names and answer a few simple questions about those guys you knew and I
will try to locate them.
Please spend a
little time going through our list of names and try to remember where these
lads came from.
Were they
married?
What was their
wife's name?
What football team
did they support?
What were their
hobbies & interest's?
Did they play sport
for the Sqn?
Where were they
posted to when they left 260?
Did you serve with
them in another unit?
Who where their
friends?
Did you ever meet
them after leaving the army?
Believe it or not
this information could help me trace them even after all this time.
Then perhaps they
too can have an opportunity to participate in one of our reunions.
Click HERE
To view the list of
the guy's we are still searching for.
LIST UPDATED
(1 Oct 2006)
Who knows they could
be some of your old pals and what's more important you could be meeting them at
the next reunion in April... |
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654 Signal Troop
(SAGW)
Feb 1966 - 1st
May 1966 Pembroke Dock (Manorbier) - 654 Signal Troop formed here before moving
en-mass to Duisburg where we were attached to 36 Heavy Air Defence Regiment
Royal Artillery.
I was a Radio
Relay Techician and served in 654 Signal Troop at Pembroke Dock, Duisburg,
Dortmund and with 260 Signal Squadron at Shoebury before heading off to
Catterick on my T1. |
Corporals Mess Glamorgan Barracks
Duisburg
I think these
pictures were taken in the Corporals Mess in Glamorgan Barracks Duisburg. Top
Picture left to right :- Don Lodey, not known, Paddy Caldwell, Dave Simms,
Howard Loates and Ian Brown.
Bottom Picture
left to right:- Back Row - Paddy Caldwell and Don Lodey Second Row - Dave
Simms, Bob Bennie, Howard Loates and Sgt Bo Joglakar. Front Row - Ian Dolby,
Graham Hedges and Jack Frost. |
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Whisky Troop
was a mixture of Radio Relay and Line Technicians. As I recollect the FoS was
our OC and we had a Troop Sergeant the rest of the troop was made up with a
bunch of Cpls and L/Cpls. We manned the TEVs and were connected in a triangular
fashion by B70s so that the main RA Control data could be passed to the missile
battery's by a short route but no fail if a data leg was broken. I was a Radio
Relay Tech and on exercise did repairs on B70s and was crew commander of the
Commer ERV (Our mobile home) and also driver for FoS Spurgeon. Line techs were
crew commanders of the TEVs (K9 I think) and generally assisted by RR Techs who
were not employed in the ERV or mobile. We didn't seem to do a lot of duties
but we spent a great deal of time on exercise.
The following
is a breakdown of my time with the unit. Prepared to be wrong on the dates but
it is a pretty fair estimate. Feb 1966 - 1st May 1966 Pembroke Dock (Manorbier)
- 654 Signal Troop formed here before moving en-mass to Glamorgan Barracks
Duisburg where we were attached to 36 Heavy Air Defence Regiment Royal
Artillery. The RA had Thunderbird missiles and the Signal Troop also provided
mobile HF communications C42s and C45s as I recollect and microwave point to
point comms for missile control using B70 Radios and 1+4 No 2 Multiplex
Equipment (known as purple people eaters) 2nd May 1966 - 4th March 1968 OC Capt
J G Greatrix - 654 Signal Troop remained in Duisburg for about a year and then
moved to Napier Barracks Dortmund.
Some of the
names that spring to mind are: Bob Mackie - FoS Duisburg, Alan Spurgeon - FoS
Dortmund I believe he joined the Australian Army after serving in KL, Ron
Stringer - FoS Shoeburyness, Ian Forbes, Ted Willaims - Communicate by
Christmas card, Don Lodey, Dave Simms, Bob Bennie - Bumped into him in a pub in
central London about 6 years ago, Ian Dolby - Served with him again in Shetland
in 1971 - 1973, Ian Brown - Now a successful business man in Lagos, Bo
Joglacar, Paddy Cauldwell - Irish International hockey player.
I am still in
touch with Ted Williams, Don Lodey and Dave Simms. Will ask them if they have
any info that might be of interest. As it happens when I served with 259 and
262 Signals Squadrons in Cyprus the HM314/3125 was a B70 strapped onto a lot of
other sophisticated gubbins. I did manage to disconnect all the extra stuff and
carried traffic on the B70 section just to see if it would work OK and it did.
Actually used it when we had a fault and managed with the stripped down bit
from Olympus to Nicosia and it was fine. |
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THE
CHANGING FACE OF NAPIER BARRACKS
The political restructuring of Europe brought to an end
a period in history we knew as the Cold War. It was a time when we all lived in
fear of the Nuclear Holocaust. A time when our small Squadron performed it's
role in the overall air defence of Europe.
The collapse of the USSR, the fall of the Berlin Wall
and the reunification of Germany have spurred on the closure and removal of
many of the old barracks and military garrison's which provided a home for us
and the thousands of other soldiers and their families based in
B.A.O.R.
These 'NEW' open spaces
represent outstanding opportunities for the redevelopment of these areas for
new trade and industry as well as new housing developments and for leisure and
sports facilities. But I have to confess to feeling just a little bit sad to
see it all go.
I have many fond
memories of my time in Dortmund the friend's I met whilst I was based there,
our married quarter's at Massen, the parties we had and the Squadron Bar which
was the envy of every Gunner on camp.
As a 'Married Pad' I never had an opportunity to sample
the food in the cookhouse but I do remember rushing to get to the front of the
queue in the 'Cloud Puncher' and the Church of Jock's van that came to the
Squadron compound every day at break time.
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Small
pleasures they may be but it is nice to know that other's share these memories.
I have learned that not every landmark on camp will disappear. Some of the
original buildings in Napier Barracks are to remain completely intact and are
already in use by their new tenants.
The old layout of the camp provided an immediate
infastructure making the transformation of the barracks into an industrial
complex that much easier. The location of the old Napier Barracks in relation
to the autobahn infrastructure which in turn links North Rhine-Westphalia with
the rest of Germany and Europe makes it a highly desirable location for new
business opportunities.
From a
personal viewpoint I don't really think the departure of the NATO forces from
the Federal Republic of Germany and in particular from North Rhine-Westphalia
has been totally welcomed by the German people and must have come as a bitter
blow to the countries economy when we all stopped drinking bier and eating
bratwurst und pommie frites.
There
will of course be others who do not share these nostalgic views, who's time in
Napier Barracks were viewed through a different shade of tinted glass and who
perhaps hold bitter memories but they must be missing something if they have
taken the time to read thus far.
Whatever memories you have of Napier Barracks and the
Garrison at Dortmund why not share them with us.
Auf Wiedersehen! |
Alec Johnstone
Alec served with 217 Signal Squadron from Aug 1963
until 1966 when he joined 654 Signal Troop (SAGW) at Duisburg.
217 Signal Squadron was the
Signal Squadron which supported 7th Army Group Royal Artillery and was based at
Lainden Essex in the early 1960s.
In 1960 a small Royal Signals detachment from 217 in
support of the newly formed 36 Heavy GW Regt RA was deployed to Sundern
Barracks Gütersloh in response to the construction of the Berlin Wall.
Elements of this unit later formed the foundations of 260 Signal Squadron
(SAM).
Alec joined 217 Signal
Squadron at Mansergh Barracks Gütersloh where the unit shared the camp
with 22 Light Air Defence Regt RA
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217
Signal Squadron provided communications for 36 Regt on a regular basis when
they were in the field, providing a rear link for target allocation and radar
control.
Alex writes. "Our
equipment at that time was Antrack Radio and 1+4 No1, A great big lump of a
thing it was I can tell you. The Squadron then moved with 22 Lt AD Regt to
''Hubelrath' Düsseldorf, around 1965. It was from there that the unit was
disbanded if I remember correctly. I was posted to 654 Signal Troop in Duisburg
where myself and others from 217 joined 36 Heavy AD Regt for the first time.
The Regiment moved to Napier
Barracks Dortmund shortly afterwards and we started to play with B70´s.
After a few exercises in BAOR we carried out major exercise moving back to
England and then on to Angelsey in Wales for the live firing of the Thunderbird
II Surface to Air Missile."
Alec
was with 654 Signal Troop when it moved to Shoebury in 1968 for the
amalgamation and remembers the following from 654 Signal Troop: Jock Mahony RR,
Tony Dryhurst RR , Titterington RR, Mack McKigney RR, Cuts Cunningham RR, Sgt
Tom Olney RR, Jock King RR, Mich Michel ED, Lewenden RR, Bony Graves RR, Alec
Forbes ED, Pete Radley RR , Lt Lewis, Capt Graytrix, SSM Burrows, Lt Stevens,
Sgt Thomas Line Sgt ,
Alec was Y Tp
RR Sgt in 260 Sigs from formation to late 1969 and remembers SSgt Tom Kerr X
TP, SQMS Donavon , Terry Munford RR Sgt X, Mick Best Tech, Ted Williams Sgt
Tech, Steve Barron RR, Howard Loates Tech, Jock Bains Line Sgt X, Jolacar Sgt
Tech, Sgt Thomas Line Sgt Y, SSgt Frank Rogers Y TP, Sgt Ted Hutchman Sgn
Office, SSM Burrows & Pete Radley RR.
Alec would like to hear from anyone to remembers him.
You can reach by CLICKING HERE
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According to Geoff's
predecessor 'Roy Andrews' the first gathering of ex-members of 260 was held in
the Corporal's Club at Blandford Camp on the Friday afternoon prior to the 1997
RSA Reunion. It was at this point the 'Famous Four' decided to form an
association. It seems the group didn't meet up with Geoff until the Saturday at
which point Geoff intimated his interest in joining and they all met together
and spent several hour's pouring over the finer details on the Saturday evening
at the Sgt's Mess hic! By Sunday morning as expected, they achieved precious
little and true to the spirit of our Squadron they were all suffering a major
hangover.
I take this opportunity
to highlight the fact that when I took over as Webmaster I did ask how many
Founder Members there were and I was told that there were four. Since that time
and up until April 2005 no one had suggested otherwise. Please understand it is
not my intention to provoke a debate on this subject far from it. I just wanted
to display this fine photogragh of Geoff & Beryl taken at Blandford in
1997. But I would ask members if they should see any inaccuracies on this
website please notify the Webmaster. |
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Why
so much interest in a little blue box. Members of 260 Signal Squadron (SAM)
present Corps RSM Simon Hadley with a 260 Signal Squadron Plaque for the WO
& Sgts Mess Blandford Camp.
CLICK
HERE
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On
the eve of the Corps Reunion members of 260 Signal Squadron met for dinner in
the Crown Hotel Blandford Forum
This event which was
organised by Pete and Lis Thomas has now become a firm fixture and it is hoped
that more members may join us in the future.
CLICK HERE |
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Over
600 members of the Royal Signals Association, plus around 300 of their guests,
attended this years RSA Annual Reunion at Blandford.
Amongst the 600 a
handful of diehards from 260 Sig Sqn (SAM).
CLICK
HERE |
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