Remembering, a changed man and always ready for a laugh

9 November

Remembrance Sunday today; a time to stand still and think of those who died in the service of their country. I suppose I must be one the lucky few who didn’t know anyone who lost their lives during their service. While serving with 3LI in Belfast, three of our battalion died on foot patrol, shot by snipers. Even so, I didn’t know them personally. However, the thought that we had lost three men hit hard on us all.

I have always liked photography since being introduced to it when I was about 13 years old. In Belfast I had a camera with me as usual. It was a Pentax KM 35mm and produced so excellent shots. My company commander knew of all this of course. So when one man from the company volunteered to be a company photographer, he was sent to me with another Pentax, a Spotmatic 1000, so I could show him how to use it.

This young lad, around 19 at the time, was a really nice, fun-loving lad, always laughing and joking and seeing the funny side of things. Two weeks later he was also on foot patrol when he got shot. He was lucky in that he had just got up when the shot hit and instead of being hit in the head, he was shot in the arm.

Next time I saw him was back in Catterick after he had supposedly ‘recovered’. Yet he hadn’t fully recovered; he was snappy, miserable and had turned quite nasty with a tendency to quick violence. His injury hit me harder than the three deaths, simply because I had known the lad personally. Even so, I remember them all at this time year.

Today’s photo then … 

During training; I’m second from left.

A squaddie is usually always up for joke, so here we go then …

 Mick & Paddy, are in the Army and have just been promoted from Privates to Lance Corporals. Not long afterward, they are out for a walk and Mick says, "Hey, Paddy, there’s the NCO Club; let’s you and me step in."
"But we’re only privates," protests Paddy.
"We’re Lance Corporals now," says Mick, pointing to his stripe and pulling him inside. "Now, Paddy, I’m a-gonna sit down and have me a drink."
"But we’re privates," says Paddy.
"You blind, boy?" asks Mick, pointing again at his stripe. "We’re Lance Corporals now!"
So they have their drink, and petty soon one of the Army lasses comes up to Mick.
"You’re cute," she says, "and I’d like to date you, but I’ve got a bad case of gonorrhoea."
Mick pulls his friend to the side and whispers, "Paddy, go look in the dictionary and see what gonorrhoea means. If it’s okay, give me the thumbs up."
So Paddy goes to look it up, comes back, and gives Mick the big Thumbs Up.
Three weeks later Mick is laid up in the infirmary with a terrible case of gonorrhoea.
Mick says to Paddy, "Why did you give me the thumbs up?"
"Well Mick, in the dictionary it says "gonorrhoea affects the privates" and we’re Lance Corporals now.""