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George Spenceley relives his army training days in the 1950's and the many friends and memories he recalls
I'd completed my army training and was now a real soldier. I was posted to the 48th Field Regiment. The barracks at Colchester were very modern and a civilian road ran through the centre.
I was to be a signaller in the Battery Headquarters (BHQ). The regiment had in the previous two weeks returned from the Middle East and the lads were full of it.
In most of their conversations they used sayings that they'd picked up while serving out there and they fed them to us new lads, we soon got used to it. Some of the stories they told about the Arabs were good but others were terrible, they gave us advice on what to do if we were posted there.
I got a rude awakening on the following morning when on Parade, we were inspected by the Troop Sergeant. 'What's your name gunner' he asked to which I replied, 'Spenceley Sergeant'.
'You need a haircut, when did you last have it cut?' he retorted. 'Two days ago for passing out parade Sergeant' I said, 'Well get the blinking thing cut again gunner' and he walked on to the next lad.
Coming back to me he said 'Immediately after parade' and he nudged me in the back with his baton. I went straight to the regimental barber and had my hair cut again. It cost me a shilling. Next morning I was on parade again.
When the Sergeant got to me he said out of the side of his mouth, 'I thought I told you to get your hair cut Spenceley'. 'I did yesterday morning straight after parade Sergeant' I stammered. 'Well its not good enough get it cut again'.
I've always hated having my hair cut and it was already a basin cut from my training days but I made my way back to the barber. He was surprised to see me and very amused. 'Take no notice of him your hair is very short. You seem to have drawn the short straw, he's the Sergeant and he's showing you that he's on the ball, sit over there for a while before you go back to him'.
I sat reading for a few minutes and then reported back to the Sergeant who took one look at my hair and said, 'That's better, why didn't you get it cut like that in the first place!'
George Spenceley, 2002
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