Dagenham Darren Posted December 23, 2014 Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 I was reading the post Jo did on Retards Club about traffic to the forum being lower and in truth I have spent a long time on here but have not seen to many places I felt like I could jump in and ad anything to a topic so thought I would start one myself that is more about getting to know other members. I am a former soldier with the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment "The Vikings" served 7 years all over the world from N.Ireland to Afghanistan, was a L/CPL, served as a rifleman and then in D company reconnaissance, done everything from driving scimitar and sabres, wolfs, to ops and well, I wont go on to much.....yet lol. Any other ex or serving forces? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vista Posted December 23, 2014 Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 Yes there are a few, some more regular than others ans some ex and others still serving. I served about 16 years in the RN but left 12 years ago 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagenham Darren Posted December 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 I left 9 years ago now. Say left, it never leaves you does it but I left the big green machine haha. Id seen and done enough, this new chapter of my life is great however, own business, married, wonderful daughters, classic cars, so no regrets 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteRS8084 Posted December 23, 2014 Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 Signed on for 3 years in 1981, Royal Corps of signals, and left after 22 years in 2003, guess I must have liked it, miss it every day. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagenham Darren Posted December 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 I miss it too, but I miss friends mostly, still keep in touch with many, miss some badly that are no longer with us. It was a great time in my life. I also miss being so fit lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianb10 Posted December 23, 2014 Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 I did 6 years in the RAF, from 72 to 78, so a long time ago. Spent 2 and half years in Cyprus, that was great, hitching rides on all sorts of aircraft to and from England and also jollies with the Air Sea Rescue guys all over Cyprus. Then I returned to England and spent my last 18 months at RAF Cottesmore in Rutland, what a skive that was as the station was non-operational so we just dossed about keeping the radio equipment working. Had my second Angila while I was here and it turned out to be a right beast of a car with full bubble arches and a 1500gt engine in Monaco Red. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagenham Darren Posted December 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 I bet being based in Cyprus wasn't to bad! I was based in Ebrington barracks in Londonderry, Elizabeth barracks in Pirbright, and spent to much time in Salisbury, Dartmoor and Brecon in Wales as well as tours of N.Ireland and Afghanistan and exercises in other places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishtorag Posted December 23, 2014 Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 Dagenham Darren that's a bad word Londonderry !!! tis known as Derry by most or in a politically correct world its Derry/Londonderry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theloudboy Posted December 24, 2014 Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 And now your a WPE customer I bet your army training served u well dealing with wayne 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mk2Jo Posted December 24, 2014 Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 Thanks for starting this thread Darren following my post on FB. I'm not ex-services but I have lived in Bordon (Hampshire) for the past 25+ years and grew up near Bisley (where the national rifle range is) prior to that. My dad was a Grenadier and his father before him and he was killed in the line of duty in WWII and his grave is in Tunisia so I guess I'm familiar with the services 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagenham Darren Posted December 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 Irishtorag lol my mother says the same, she and that part of my family are from Limerick! Force of habit I guess, but yes, Derry it is. I joint the Army for a change of direction in my life at that time as things were not going to well, glad I did so, made me the guy I am today. No problem Jo, thought it would help me get to know a few more people. It's nice having family history of the forces, my grandad also served, used to live his stories of places like Korea. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmokeEm Posted December 24, 2014 Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 I did 6 years in the RAF, from 72 to 78, so a long time ago. Spent 2 and half years in Cyprus, that was great, hitching rides on all sorts of aircraft to and from England and also jollies with the Air Sea Rescue guys all over Cyprus. Then I returned to England and spent my last 18 months at RAF Cottesmore in Rutland, what a skive that was as the station was non-operational so we just dossed about keeping the radio equipment working. Had my second Angila while I was here and it turned out to be a right beast of a car with full bubble arches and a 1500gt engine in Monaco Red. I too was in Cyprus from 72... As a kid My Dad was RAF too. We lived in Limassol. Wouldn't it be funny if you knew my Dad! His name is Geoff and he worked in the MT I believe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianb10 Posted December 24, 2014 Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 Yeah would be funny if I knew your dad Smoke em. I was based at Episcopi and used to frequent Limmasol for shopping and the night life. Used to live in what they used to call BG for some time, can't remember how to spell Berengaria but I think your Dad would know. Knew many people from Episcopi and Akrotiri so its possible I have seen your dad. I loved my time there and have been back several time on holiday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JP. Posted December 24, 2014 Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 I served six years Royal Dutch Army. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vista Posted December 24, 2014 Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 I served six years Royal Dutch Army. Does the Netherlands still have National service? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmokeEm Posted December 24, 2014 Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 Yeah would be funny if I knew your dad Smoke em. I was based at Episcopi and used to frequent Limmasol for shopping and the night life. Used to live in what they used to call BG for some time, can't remember how to spell Berengaria but I think your Dad would know. Knew many people from Episcopi and Akrotiri so its possible I have seen your dad. I loved my time there and have been back several time on holiday. We have too. My Dad was based at Akrotiri if I recall correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JP. Posted December 24, 2014 Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 Does the Netherlands still have National service? Holland doesn't have national service since 1996. Officially it does exist but is not applied since. When I signed in ( '89-1 ), national service was 16 months. When I left in '95-1 ( cuts in armed forces ) it was down to 12 months national service. I never did national service. I was in for full from day one and never thought about leaving until I got a two months notice they would not extend my contract. They literally said there where not enough redeployment opportunities. Lots of my buddy's had to go also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vista Posted December 24, 2014 Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 Holland doesn't have national service since 1996. Officially it does exist but is not applied since. When I signed in ( '89-1 ), national service was 16 months. When I left in '95-1 ( cuts in armed forces ) it was down to 12 months national service. I never did national service. I was in for full from day one and never thought about leaving until I got a two months notice they would not extend my contract. They literally said there where not enough redeployment opportunities. Lots of my buddy's had to go also. There have been a lot of man power cuts in the UK's armed forces too, all through redundancies but none would have got as little as two months notice. I ask about Dutch national service as when I first left the RN I went straight back to sea on a Dutch owned reefer cargo ship. We would run backwards and forwards from the West Indies, shipping general cargo on the way out and bananas back to the UK. All the officers on there were Dutch (Bar me) and had done national service at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JP. Posted December 25, 2014 Report Share Posted December 25, 2014 Everybody had to do service in that time except the third son. He could only volunteer. I had signed contract even before my national service call came but had a probationary period as long as my national service time would be. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DT36 Posted December 25, 2014 Report Share Posted December 25, 2014 Did 12 years myself from 1986 in the REME. My Instructor in the Apprentice College at Arborfield helped me build my Crossflow for my first MK2, which we did out if the boot of my car in the car park. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NudgerSS Posted December 26, 2014 Report Share Posted December 26, 2014 Not done any time myself but my Gt Uncle Jack was RASC in WW2. He always says it was the best 7 years of his life. Started off despatch riding and then drove a Lt. Col. and a Major around. He tells me some great stories about it all and remembers everything despite being 93 top bloke! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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