Chapter 1: 1973 to 1979

Chapter 1 - ‘B’ Squadron

The Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry

1973 - 1979

Introduction

This narrative covers my time and experiences in the Territorial Army from March 1973 to March 1999. During this time I served in all three sabre squadrons and Regimental Headquarters of the Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry, 42 Infantry Brigade and 42 (NW) Brigade Headquarters and finally with Manchester & Salford Universities Officer Training Corps. My many photographs and documents have been digitised and are stored with this narrative. Several are included within the text. Eventually both digital and hard copy archives will be handed to our Regimental Museum.

Joining up

As a single, young teacher of 22 years of age I enquired about joining the TA at my closest barracks in Chorley. At the time I knew nothing of the scale of the TA but from what I understood it was an attractive pass-time with a real purpose and produced an income.  (The TAVR had been expanded in 1971. Part of this expansion was the DLOY cadre of 8 reforming the regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Norman Phillips; I was part of this expansion.)

I felt particularly welcome at Chorley drill hall and was impressed by the courtesy and consideration extended to me as a new face. The civilian clerk, Jim Tyson, an ex-RAF Warrant Officer, guided me through the paper work ready for my attestation with Squadron Leader Major John Ferguson. Subsequently, Cpl Meehan REME collected me from home and took me to RHQ at Clifton, Manchester to collect my kit. All went smoothly and I began to receive mail inviting me to attend training weekends. Tuesday night became “drill night.”

My father was familiar with the 38 pattern webbing and helped me to assemble the straps, pouches and packs. I was aware then that family members had served in WWII, WWI and South Africa and that there was a serious chance that my turn would come. So, at the back of mind there was a logical feeling that being prepared was sensible. I really had no concept of the type of unit I had joined just that the title was a bit of a mouthful – “The Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry.”

Early Days

It was all new to me, the food, the kit, the jargon; things like KFS and “4 bi 2” were examples of the coded world of the squaddie, but I was the only new recruit at that time at Chorley and people tended to look out for me. When a child, I had played with toy soldiers and dressed in my father’s uniform and we grew up with an encyclopaedia which displayed all the army badges of rank so I did have a feel for the hierarchy of the organisation if not the relationships between the ranks. I didn’t quite see how we were cavalry or spot the difference between appointment and rank but gradually the knowledge filtered down to me. The phrase “Home Defence Unit” was used to collectively describe us.

On my first weekend we paraded on Saturday morning 10th March 1973. We collected weapons from the armoury and climbed onto a truck destined for Holcombe Moor. It was a Squadron Training weekend and we were to dig in a defensive position and “live in the field.” It was a practice for the general’s visit two weeks later. When Major General Purdon came to visit, the trenches were pretty quickly re-established although the water table had risen since the initial dig. We were familiar with our arcs of fire, although I was still pretty unfamiliar with the SLR (self loading rifle). Individual 24 hour ration packs were fun; here again my fellow squaddies looked after me. The General’s visit must have gone reasonably well and an article appeared in “Lancashire Life.” The article did not feature our washing in the stream before walking the fair distance into Holcombe for a few drinks in the “Hare & Hounds.” By tea-time on Sunday we were all back home and a new chapter had opened in my life.

I was getting to know some of the guys as we moved into April. Cash bounties were paid out to those who had qualified over the last training year but with just two weekends under by belt I did not qualify; nevertheless I was quite happy with the £12 pay I had earned for 4 days in March. A Trooper’s pay, at £3 per day, was similar to that of a newly qualified teacher – but no holiday pay accrued in the TA.

First Annual Camp

When I applied for leave of absence, my headmaster Mr J.J. Close, an ex-sergeant in the Education Corps, found my position as Tpr Tustin somewhat amusing. Nevertheless, in the summer of 1973, I was away on a troop train from Manchester Railway Station down to Ely and then onwards, by coach, to Thetford. Living in a Nissen hut with a pot-bellied stove, washing in a metal bowl and feeding in a cookhouse, with plenty of fresh air, sunshine and exercise was all quite different from teaching physics in Farnworth.

Figure 1: ‘B’ Sqn Boat Race (over 50% of squadron at camp are featured here in this race)

Here, we met the Regiment; the other squadrons, A & D and RHQ all wearing the same cap badge with a few exceptions of attached personnel. The different sub-units were recognisable by their different coloured neck scarves: A- red, B – primrose (yellow), D – blue and RHQ – green. ‘B’ Squadron turned up with about 35 officers and other ranks in total – quite a small squadron and when out in the field, we were OK exercising up to section strength which was fine for me. Our rôle was dismounted infantry and only the ceremonial indicated cavalry – not that it mattered to me as the whole experience started with a blank canvas which was being filled in by all the different personalities in the DLOY.

The middle weekend arrived with a regimental parade on Saturday morning and coaches were arranged for the afternoon to take us to Great Yarmouth. L/Cpl Frank Turner and the Golds brothers took me off to find a B&B for the night and once sorted, we were off into town. The Doctor, Major O’Neil, had advised me to bathe my feet in salt water following the rigours of my first week with the army. The sea was a perfect solution – I was off for a paddle.

Figure 2: 'B' Sqn Thetford 1973

Promotion

'B' Sqn clerk, L/Cpl Benson – a smart soldier with a side hat, was leaving the squadron and I was considered for training as his replacement. This seemed an attractive prospect, moving into squadron headquarters, a pay rise and my first tape.

Again Jim Tyson, our clerical officer, was very supportive and encouraged me to go into the office during the day occasionally when I could familiarise myself with squadron administration under Jim’s watchful eye. I was enrolled onto a clerk’s B3 correspondence course, having to submit work by post to a Captain Chipperfield. My submissions were duly marked and returned. The course included the “GAQ” filing system (precursor to the NATO system) and typing to what seemed a very high standard of accuracy. Little did I know how useful the keyboard skills would be especially with the advent of computers a decade later. I successfully completed the course and my position was secure. By the time of Regimental Camp at Belerby in 1974 I was settled in the squadron office serving Major Hewitt and Sergeant Major Gorton. As well as maintaining a tidy office my daily routine included typing up Squadron Orders and publishing copies in the office window and troop billets. I also liaised with RHQ and my link and guide there was Sgt John Richardson, orderly room sergeant, for whom I had the greatest respect.

Words of encouragement came one day from our Sgt Alan Wilbraham who confided in me that if I stayed out of trouble and worked hard I could make it to the rank of sergeant! By the end of Belerby camp Major Hewitt was arranging my promotion to corporal.

Corps of Trumpets

Trumpet Major Don Bateman, recently retired from 14/20th Kings Hussars, arrived to develop a DLOY Corps of Trumpeters. A “potential talent competition” was held which produced very little talent but a small cadre was selected and training started. With some careful management of individual skills we were eventually able to produce a reasonable fanfare and appeared at various prestigious events including Lancaster Priory.

At the Bellerby camp, in 1974, the trumpeters sported scarlet uniforms. (John Tustin & TM Don Bateman left, Bob Lane right). Life in ‘B’ Squadron Headquarters was always interesting.

Figure 3: 'B' Squadron at Bellerby Camp 1974

Figure 4: Trumpeters at Meols Hall (Bateman, Norburn, Tustin, Wilding + RQMS Thistlethwaite

First Visit To Warminster

In 1977, in my privileged place in the squadron office, I could see that annual camp this year was going to be centred around digging in a defensive position in Wales. I thought that an alternative course might suit me better and asked if I might do a signallers course over the same fortnight. Indeed there was one available for the T&AVR to be held at the Signals Wing at the School of Infantry, Warminster. Perfect – I thought! When the joining instruction arrived it clearly stated that it was a Signals Instructors Course oh oh!

This was my first time away from the Regiment with a whole mix of cap badges, including several UDR. I thought a couple of weeks in the Sergeants’ Mess might soften the blow. As clerk I drafted my movement order in the rank of Sergeant, explaining to my OC that the rank was required for the Instructors’ Course. With a wry smile, Captain Greenwood kindly signed the chit and the ploy worked.

Figure 5: Signals Instructors' Course

The first week was a nightmare. Larkspur radio sets were in use at the school – I was only familiar with Pye Westminsters. Our two main instructors had the broadest of Scottish and Irish accents – which I found almost unintelligible and I found myself under intense pressure.

During the second week each student had to deliver three lessons; two on voice procedure and one practical lesson. We students made and shared our visual aids and provided an audience for each other under the direction of the staff. Having completed my preparation during a stressful middle weekend I was then in my element delivering three exemplar lessons. The instructors must have thought that they had done a really good job on me, taking a very shaky student through to top of the cadre. They never asked what I did for my civilian job (teaching and training physics teachers.)

Returning home, I was in a good position to deliver Signals instruction and organise communications within the squadron and my second tape was now secure. Reports from annual camp indicated that the Regiment had dug some pretty impressive trenches in Wales without my assistance!

Course Certificate

Amusing event: During weekend training our OC, Capt Barry Greenwood had left his car, a Rover, at SHQ in the field. WOII (SSM) Roy Gorton sat in the passenger seat out of the cold wind, listening to the civilian radio, while the boss was away. I could see from my Land Rover that the SSM was mouthing something. As I approached the car he was clearly singing along to the radio “Whispering Grass” with Don Estelle and Windsor Davies. SSM Gorton looked remarkably like Windsor Davies – I was deeply amused and the picture has stayed with me since.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10dmK7O-KSY

Shooting

Shooting was a key skill and something which we did on a regular basis. Never having actually undergone a basic recruits’ course my weapon handling skills developed as a steady progression. The SLR (self loading rifle) was my main weapon although, as a signaller in the field I often carried the SMG (sub machine gun)  as depicted below deplaning from a Puma helicopter at Holcombe Moor during Exercise Inside Right, 21 October 1975. During that flight I had passed over the Lancashire countryside enjoying aerial views over my home territory.

Corporal John Tustin (far right)

Figure 6: Holcombe Moor during Exercise Inside Right

Occasionally we exercised on the LMG (light machine gun or Bren gun) and the pistol. Later in my service I also fired the GPMG (general purpose machine gun) 66 mm rocket and the 84 mm Carl Gustav anti-tank rocket. We also threw grenades and used various pyrotechnics such as trip flares, thunderflashes and smoke grenades. The SA80 and LSW gradually replaced the SLR and LMG although the sniper rifle remained in use with its 7.62 mm calibre round. The sniper rifle on its bipod allowed an impressive degree of accuracy and was great for building a sense of achievement in shooting. In my 26 years of service I only once won a prize for shooting; this was in 1977 with ‘B’ Squadron SHQ team in a regimental .22 competition.

In January 1978 a wind of change blew through the Regiment with the arrival of our new CO Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Cable-Alexander. Colonel Patrick looked within the Regiment for potential officers. With nearly five years’ service and a steadily expanding military CV I was mentioned in discussion and subsequently approached by my OC to consider becoming an officer cadet. In March 1978 Diane & I married and my focus briefly left the TA. Major Greenwood kindly pointed out that my initial response to the cadetship offer was not the right one and I was to reconsider. After discussing the issue with my new wife and considering the alternative of probably doing the Sergeants’ Course at Brecon I saw my error and graciously accepted Col Patrick’s offer. I have never looked back. With white tabs on my uniform the message was clear and “Grammar School Boys” were welcome in the mess.  I found much support from both my squadron colleagues and my fellow officers but, inevitably, the next eighteen months were going to be a steep climb.

Gradually, I found myself moving further out of SHQ and the office and into leading patrols on exercise and finding my way in the social environment of a Yeomanry Mess. My first Yeomanry Ball was at Heaton Hall where I was thanked by the CO for arriving early and taking photos of the officers and their guests. My first written correspondence from our Honorary Colonel and Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire came in the form of a thank you note for the “jolly photograph” from his first ball as Hon Col.

Major Greenwood kept up the tactical pressure sending three of the new officer cadets down to Brecon for a pre-Sandhurst training weekend. Andrew Evans, Tony Glaister and I met up after work and we travelled down to Sennybridge on a Friday evening. Officer Cadets from across the country were assembling to be put through their paces starting with a written test at 22.00 on Friday evening. 06.00hrs on Saturday morning set us off for a few laps of camp and from there we never really stopped. As midnight approached on our return from a night patrol in the back of a truck I felt I had known those guys around me all my life and momentarily remembered it was my 29th birthday!

In September 1979 ’B’ Sqn fielded a strength of 28 all ranks (photo in Chorley Guardian) for annual camp at Fremmington. I attended the first week only which included an exercise on Saunton Sands where we were visited by the Mayor of Chorley Cllr Jim Glynn. This week provided me with an ideal opportunity to practise command & control in the field and producing platoon battle orders.  This was my last real chance before attending RMAS commissioning course TA6 in October 1979 and the pressure was on. The remaining month was spent in personal preparation with early morning runs in boots and theory covering the 9 principles of war, section & platoon battle drills    and assembling my kit for my course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Rear: Sgt Bill Bell, Sgt Dave Webster, 2Lt Andrew Evans, Sgt John Sinclair, Maj Barry Greenwood, Cpl Norman Turner, Andy Parkinson, WO2(SSM) Dave Newton, SSgt (PSI) Bill Woodcock, Sgt Jimmy Sutton, SSgt Geoff Heald, ?, OCdt John Tustin, Capt Martin Steiger, Middle: SSgt Dave Malley, Cpl Roy Rogers, Cpl Jim Lake, ?, Cpl Larry Sutton, LCpl Geoff Kendall, Front: Gerry Dimmock, LCpl Derek Gallery, Cpl Glyn Gaskell, Tpr Hyde, LCpl Steve Schofield, Cpl Bob Everett

Figure 8: Ex Terrier RMAS

 Continue to:- Chapter 1a: Life in 'B' Squadron (Photos) 

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