Korean Tales – Part 1

We sailed on the "Empire Pride", nearly everybody was sea sick twice, in the Bay of Biscay and then in the South China Sea. We were billeted in Mess Decks, which were basically long-ish tables seating about 12-14 soldiers. Hammocks were issued and we were expected to find our own spot to sling them, but most of the lads just lay on top of the folded hammocks on the decks. Myself and some others chose the open decks until we found out the hard way that the Indian crewmen hosed the decks down at about 0500 every morning.

Food was collected from the Galley by reps from each Mess Deck and, during squally periods, it was a common sight to see soldiers lurching all over the place and the contents of the dixies going in every direction. The sight of the food was enough to bring on a spate of retching from those suffering the mal-de-mer.

Prior to shore leave at our first port of call at Port Said, we were treated to a horrifically graphic film about VD, and strongly advised not to indulge but, if we felt we had to, to be sure to use a condom, available from the Sick Bay an hour before disembarking. Of course, those foolish enough to ask for one found themselves on jankers in the Galley for the duration of the visit.

A feature of the Middle Eastern ports of call was the Bum Boat, small craft manned by salesmen trying to get us to buy souvenirs, this effected by them throwing up a small bag attached to a rope, you put your money in (after a good deal of haggling), they'd pull it down and put your goods in the bag for you to pull aboard. The occasional seller was dragged into the water by playful squaddies.
One of the sellers at Aden had a strong Scottish accent and claimed to be "McGregor from the Gorbals" in Glasgow. We were leaning on the rails enjoying the banter when a big Jock RMP sergeant shouted at us to stand clear, whereupon he rushed to the side with a bucketful of slops and dumped it all over the hapless McGregor.

The dry bar was pretty much open most of the evening, where you could buy fags, snacks and the like, but the wet bar only opened for half-an-hour for the sale of beer. As a consequence, the boozers used to queue up with all sorts of buckets and other receptacles to see them through the evening. A small detachment of Royal Navy matelots ran a Crown & Anchor school most evenings, but I don't remember any squaddie ever winning. There was a film show on the open deck every night, weather permitting. They only had the one film, "Shane" and the only bit the squaddies were interested in was the fist fight between Alan Ladd and Jack Palance, near the end of the film. About five minutes before the fight was due, someone would announce the fact and we'd all pile up on deck and loudly cheer Alan on, then back to our beer as soon as the fight was over.

We shared the troopship with a contingent of Royal Scots (I think), and there was a delightful story of one of the Jocks failing to salute the Ship's Captain, who pulled him up, pointed to his gold braid and asked the Jock what he thought it was. The Jock had a look, then said "Ye might be a sergeant but yer no' in the Royal Scots!" As a matter of interest, our NCOs were advised not to get involved with any of the Jocks, but to contact a Jock NCO on any disciplinary matter.

Our arrival at Pusan was livened by the presence of a US Military Band (all black, as I recall), their marching and counter-marching being a great source of ridicule and hilarity. We'd left Blighty with BDs and OGs only, and were issued with winter kit at the base camp in Pusan. This was hilarious, a huge queue of squaddies filed into a marquee Q Stores, from where they emerged with an armful of kit, no signature required as we were on Active Service. At the exit, we were confronted by Korean entrepreneurs willing to buy our goodies - I know I went through at least three times before someone cottoned on.

Here are a list of names that come to memory and the Batteries they served with......

RHQ -
CO Lt Col Drought
RSM Crouch
Svy Sgt Dougie Cater
Chief clerk Norman Woodall
Sgts / Roy Kinsey - Bill Dennison RAEC - Bill Bliss RAMC
Ken Hughes R,Sigs - Taylor ACC

68Bty -
BSM Bill Baldwin / Sgts Digger Watson / Bob Lloyd

87Bty -
BSM Scouse Clancy
Fred Amison

179Bty -
BSM Buck Taylor
TSM,s Crasher Hayes / George Page MM
Sgts / Johnny Walker / Jock Gibson / Taff Williams / Tom Hewitt
Pongo Perks / Geoff Ferguson - Pete Barber -

To be continued…………………..