New Community Page

[Arnie]

Hi Yall and Bill,
That photo, Bob put in, of the front of the Staatsoper reminded me that I was parked there between the 2 white signs in the centre of the edifice. I only ever got out once to relieve myself. The area to the right with a dome showing over the buildings I think now has an open air Ice Rink or might only have it in the winter. When I was doing the hush-hush bit there was a mobile Herrn and Frauen toilet there. Did not know it but it was manned by a civilian who greeted me with perfect English. He said he had spent some years in Croydon in London. Ain't it a small world?

Like you, the army could not put a shine on me either. No, the city was divided when I was there, so like Pinky and Bob, said we had a rate of exchange. Harry Lyons our major paid for the night at the Staatsoper, including the drinkies at half-time. As they both said, you could get a superb meal in any of the restaurants for a very, reasonable price. The Chateau Briand in the Ganymede cost only 10 West Marks, in my day.
Despite the very rough edges on me, I too am an avid lover of Opera and some of the Classics. My favourite pianists are Lang Lang and Khatia Brunitischvili, can never get past the sight of her looks to remember how to spell her last name! Shut up Arnie, you are far too old for that sort of thing.
On your last para about helliday, both Brenda and I have vowed that this was our last trip from Ozzie. We will pay for Willow to come here in the future.

Arnie

[BobH]

Arnie (n all)
Change in location, but whilst in Hong Kong I was given the task of supervising a PolMil exercise. This is where the military, in a joint exercise with the local police, visit the remote outlying districts of the New Territories in order to provide any medical aid (we take a Medic), and any political/law advice or assistance. Often these locations are visited by chopper, but on this one it was by police motor launch. After a long day we approached a jetty close to which was a small fishing boat. Our Police Corporal hailed the fisherman and asked what he had. He came up with a large squid which was soon handed over on payment of a couple of dollars.

On arrival at the Chiefs' (Village Chief) village we were offered accommodation in the school house, which was just large enough for a ping pong table. Whilst setting up our beds and making a start on our compo meal I was called by the Corporal to visit the Chiefs' hut. Amazingly I was greeted with the sight of a large table spread out with any manner of Chinese dishes - the centre-piece of which was our previously purchased squid.

It was a delightful meal. If anyone now tells me they like a good Chinese meal then I feel obliged to correct them and say "you haven't really had one!".

It turned out that the 'chef' (one of the villagers) spoke fluent English, and I learned that yes, he used to work in a Chinese Restaurant in Leicester Square !!!

NewTerritories.jpg (79.73 KiB) Viewed 1084 times

[Arnie]

Hi Bob and Y' All,

seem to be following you around the world. Correct that preceding you around the world, cos I was there in 1971/72.

I was in Hong Kong, with another guy in the Int Corps called Paddy Wilson, who seems to have been known by most of the NCOs of the 14/20H who were there in Sek Kong at the time and shared the 48 Gurkha Bde Sgts Mess.

We were in a peculiar appointment, called FINCO (Field Intelligence NCOs). Our brief was to become experts on the HK/Chinese Border. I have to say it was the most interesting job I have EVER had. We spent our days on the border briefing the people who were manning the border lookouts in what to look out for , from CHOP (Crest Hill OP) overlooking the crossing at Lo Wu, and all the others to the end of the border at Sha To Kok.

We too accompanied the Polmil parols on occasions when we needed to check various anomalies seen by patrols such as yours. (as soon as I master the art of sharing photos onto the site like your canoe ones I will put a couple of photos of me standing on the jetty on the island of Ping Chau), this was an island only 1500mtrs from the shore of China, in Mirs Bay Having been dropped off by the Police Patrol boat it, came back in 3 days. We had finished our task within 2 hours but then had to wait till the boat returned.

The island, because of its close proximity to the mainland, was a tempting target for defectors from the Regime. Poor desperate wretches used to cycle up the mountain facing Ping Chau, hide for sometime days till they got the routine of the patrols off 'pat', then using the inner tubes of the bike swim to the island, and freedom!!!

The job of FINCO, as I said, was the best I ever had. Paddy and I wore a uniform of sorts; boots DMS, Jungle Green trousers, Dacron shirt with only our badge of rank on, and a bush hat. On the belt, we carried a 9mm Browning (with 4 rounds in the magazine, a full magazine is quite heavy you know). We Each had a L/R and about 10,000 pounds worth of optical and photographic equipment. We did not have to report to anyone unless it was of an intelligence nature.

I was just getting to know the border when I got a phone call from the Int Unit in Kowloon. You know its bad news when they start the conversation "Are you sitting down?" The OC of the Coy there then continued, "Emergency 2 year posting to NI, flying out from here on 28 Feb". This was 2 Feb.
Not least among my arguments about not having to go was 'that I had already done a 2 year posting there'. Dismissed out of hand, "It is an emergency and they need a FINCO and you are a FINCO, plus when you were there before it was a piece of cake because the Troubles were just 'starting'.

Had some good memories of the place though and will treasure them!!!

[BobH]

Paddy Wilson - great character. He introduced me to the bars of Kam Tin I also recall Len who was learning Chinese from a huge pack of character cards and others who's names evade me.

Here's one I took earlier Paddy, Alf Angel, Phil Midgley, Dick Sherrington, ?

hk.jpg (70.01 KiB) Viewed 1017 times

[Arnie]

Hi Bob,

I took over from Len Fordham in the summer of 71. Only did 6 months as a FINCO in Hong Kong before the next best job I ever had, working with RUC Special Branch in Dungannon. Both were fantastic and exciting jobs. Do miss the excitement!!!! I had seen the photo of Paddy, Alfie, Phil abd Dick when it was first posted on the Gallery.

[Bill Bentley]

Bob,
that last but one photo looks remarkably like the Magellan Straights, which I navigated on a post ship many years ago when exploring Patagonia, a wonderful land with wonderful people.
Arnie & all,
I never had the good fortune to visit HK whilst serving but stopped over there on some of my many visits to Taiwan. My best friend Paddy O', who lived for about 25 years in Asia, married a local girl ... who's mother worked in a local restaurant. I had the pleasure and privilege of being their guest on many an occasion, luvly grub ! Schu Ning now lives in the UK with Paddy and their kids and she always cooks a traditional meal for us when ever we meet. She wrecked my illusion some years ago when, after cooking a fabulous Chinese meal she suffocated her bowl in ketchup. There's no accounting for taste !

Coincidentally just recently an old friend that I met in Taipei visited us here in Spain. He is the only member of the Taipei Red Lions football club still actively playing. Back then we celebrated their 20 year anniversary (1983-2003) which again coincidentally is 20 years ago ... how time flys

[Arnie]

Hi Yall,

Bill, how far did you get into that book of mine before you got too bored with it? Your comment about it being good example of 'a normal soldiers life' put me off distributing it further.

[Bill Bentley]

Don't let a fool like me put you off anything !
l read it to the end, l just gave up on the editing as towards the end there were ever more errors and l'm so very busy myself. l know this problem from my own writings ... you become blind upon rereading it for the 10th time.
l recognise many of the tales you tell on here from having read your book.
l don't recall discribing your service as "a normal soldiers life", but being the nasty old bastard that l am ... sorry if l did say that !

Get it out, spread it around, what have you got to loose ?

[Pinky]

Howdy,
How was Tripoli perceived as a posting? How did the families do out there? NAAFI shop with UK goodies available? Were the locals friendly? Did you get a good overseas allowance etc?

Pinky

[Arnie]

Hi Yall,

Bill, know what you mean, I have continually gone through mine, and even with the help of Grammarly, I still get punctuation errors.

Did you go to a publisher after you finished your excellent telling of the Falklands War? If so, who was the publisher? If not, how did you get it onto the Internet?

Pinky,

is that barrage of questions for anyone on the site who served in Tripoli?

My service in Tripoli was only 4/5 months from 9 May to Sept 1964. I married Ellen my first wife there in May 64 and that was only till Sept when I was posted to 7 Armoured Bde, in Soltau. I didn't get to do shopping too much in the NAAFI and don't know where it is, or was. I do know where the US Airbase, Wheelus was because I took Ellen, and my 2 Witnesses (legal requirement) from B Sqn, there for Drinks and a meal after. Knew them both but can't remember their names. We occupied a 'hiring' so I don't know the ins and outs of married quarters in Libya. I do know stories about M/Qs in Benghazi. Chief Clerk, WO2 John Justin, apparently moved into a brand new quarter just outside Wavell Barracks (our camp in Benghazi). First time he or someone from the family went to the toilet they discovered to their horror that the toilet bowl had just been fitted to the tiles in the bathroom. No holes or drainage had been fitted, just cemented to the tiles.

Remember Wheelus Airbase well, area-wise it was bigger than the Island of Malta. Clubs and Messes everywhere. Brit Cpls and below were only allowed in the Airmens Club. The biggest problem for the Senior Staff of the US Airforce was alcoholism. Don't know whether they eventually curbed it but they tried. In the clubs "Happy Hour" (1700hrs to 1800hrs, strictly enforced) in the clubs were the best and only times to go. 10cents (US) per drink, the mixes Coke, etc., were free. So just before close of HH, everyone ordered 20 Bourbon, put them in a crate and when they were ready to drink it they just passed it back over the bar for the ice and mixer. $2 to get nice and jolly, so what if you could not finish them all, at those prices?

My experience with locals (majority Muslims) have clouded my thinking about Muslims ever since. Enough said!!!