Service Career

I trained as a Vehicle Mechanic and passed out of AAS Arborfield during April 1968. I then served with the REME in Sharjah (Persian Gulf), Barton Stacey, and Munster (BAOR) until 1975. During my time in Munster with 8 Regiment, Royal Corps of Transport, I can recall that a certain Captain Bill WEEDON was our OC for a time but I am not sure if he is the same Bill WEEDON often mentioned on the AOBA Website.

During my entire time in the REME I never reached higher than the dizzy heights of Craftsman, although I did achieve 1st Class everything (trade, education and military training). So, during early 1975 I became a turncoat and transferred to the Royal Military Police; if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. This career move did not go down too well with my father who was REME through and through, and took great pride in the fact that he completed 26 years in REME, retired as an ASM but was never awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. He would often say that he hoped that those who got the LS&GC Medal had as much fun earning it as he had losing his.

I served in the RMP in UK (two tours), Northern Ireland (two tours), Berlin, BAOR, and Hong Kong, during which time I was able to accelerate into the Special Investigation Branch and finally retired from the Service at the end of 1986 as a Staff Sergeant.

My last posting with the SIB was in Hong Kong where I met my present wife who is a Filipina, so I decided to settle in the Philippines where I have remained for the past fifteen years. We now have two wonderful children; a son aged 12 years, and a 5 years old daughter.

Civilian Employment

Life in the Philippines has had its ups and downs and has been hard at times, but I have no regrets. Work here has been very inconsistent in so far as I have even used my REME skills to run an auto repair workshop. However, I am now settled into a good job with an American-owned security consultancy here in Makati, Metro Manila, conducting and supervising a number of security-oriented projects. The Company I work for also has offices throughout Asia, and even one in Sydney, so I sometimes get the opportunity to travel. The work is hard but it pays well and can often be rewarding.

Arborfield Anecdotes

With regard to anecdotes from my time at 'Boys School', one personality I recall vividly, and I'm sure has never been forgotten by anybody who was in 'C' Company during the mid-to-early 1960s was our OC, Major J.A.N. Simms MC, Yorkshire and Lancashire Regiment. He earned his Military Cross in airborne operations during World War II, an account of which is ducumented in the book "The Red Beret". His favourite pastime was to relate everything to battle conditions whenever boys were marched in front of him on Company Orders. After pleading guilty to the offence (no other choice), the accused was then subjected to a ten-minute lecture on battle front conditions and possibilities, e.g. if charged with having 'long' hair, 'Jan' would go into great detail on the possibility that the accused person's helmet could get blown off during the course of battle, making it impossible for him to aim his rifle because his 'long hair' would fall in front of his eyes and obscure the rifle sights from view.

With these lectures 'Jan' always lulled the accused into a false belief that he was going to get off lightly with a lecture. The elation was always short-lived when 'Jan' gave the order: "March him out, Sergeant Major - seven days RPs".

Another of his 'quirks' was the much-dreaded Company road run. These normally took place on Wednesday afternoons during the winter when the weather was so bad that the sports fields were out of bounds. 'Jan' always hated the thought of us boys relaxing in the warmth of our barrack rooms, so would order the whole Company out on a road run, complete with boots and gaiters. He always led the run and invariably took us up to Farley Hill and through the ford at the top. Not content to run us through the freezing water of the ford he would also insist that we all sit down in the middle for a few seconds. Give him his due though, he was always the first into the water and would sit there until everybody had done the same. We hated him with a passion during those road runs, so did the Permanent Staff who had to accompany us; nobody was able to skive off.

**RSM 'Mac' McNally, Scots Guards**

Seeing the photograph of the late RSM 'Mac' McNally brought back numerous old memories of him. Not because he was ever my RSM but, up until his untimely death, he was an old and close friend of my father.

My father, the late 'Joe' CROWTHER, was one of the first intake Apprentice Fitter (Guns) at Arborfield. During the early 1950s he returned to AAS Arborfield as a REME Staff Sergeant Instructor; I cannot remember the exact year but he was there for two to three years. During that time it was common practice for me to accompany him to the Sergeants' Mess on Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes, which is where as a very young boy I first came to know 'Mac' and others such as Fred SILVERS and Tom DRURY (ex-Irish Guards). I can also recall in those days sitting on the stands at the side of the square watching the Saturday morning parades and dreaming of the day when I would also stand there on parade.

On his retirement from the Army 'Mac' and his family settled in Caversham, Reading, as did my father when he retired as a WOI (ASM) in 1965. During my time as an Apprentice I always went home to Reading every Sunday after Church Parade and it was a habit of my father and I to meet 'Mac' for a few lunchtime beers. It was during our lunchtime sessions that 'Mac' became my mentor and frequently offered me advice on getting through Boys Service with the least amount of problems. Frequently I followed this advice and, as a result, finished my three years at Arborfield with flying colours and many happy memories.

On his retirement from the Army ‘Mac’ and his family settled in Caversham, Reading, as did my father when he retired as a WO1 (ASM) in 1965.

I was out of the country when 'Mac' was killed, but I can recall my father informing me that 'Mac' was run over as a result of his poor eyesight.

I seem to recall that one of his daughters was married to an ‘Old Boy’. It is possible that I met him at some time during gatherings of family and friends at Mac’s house in Caversham.

Comments by Gordon BONNER (49B)

As I was initially a Gun ‘Tiffy’ (Armament Artificer Gun 26) I am fairly certain I knew Peter's father. My son-in-law Andy JONES was, I believe, a contemporary of Peter, 65A or 65B as I remember. Andy currently works for the Prison Service.

Peter's comments about RSM McNally remind me of an encounter I had with him one Saturday afternoon. As usual I was on jankers (322 days in 3 years, that was me; just could not resist having the last word). Anyway, after rodeo I was detailed off to sift sand at the 30-yards rifle range for salvage. I was smoking as I worked when suddenly 'Mac' appeared; "Are you smoking Boy, and do you have a smoking pass?" Well, yes I was and no, I did not. He then promptly doubled me down to his office, sat me down and gave me a Wills Passing Cloud (cigarette), oval in shape if I remember correctly. I was then instructed to commence smoking at a very fast rate and not stop until he told me to. I think I got through two-and-a half before I had a violent 'kit-check'. I never smoked again. To drive the lesson home 'Mac' also charged me 3d each for three cigarettes. This was harsh treatment indeed, particularly when one received only 4 shillings a week. Well, one can smile about it now, and I suppose in the long run he did me a favour.

First Published: 22nd September 2005.

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