3rd Btn GRENADIER GUARDS, 1 Coy DEVERSOIR 1953-54
As Remembered By Dave Branson
One of my first memories of Deversoir was the state of our Parade Ground. Apart from Ceremonial Duties, the ‘Big Parade’was always the daily duties mounting parade which we were supposed to take seriously. The parade ground was light, dry sand which was difficult to walk on in bare feet, let alone dressed in boots and parade kit! You can picture the scene – the company all loitering around the edges, waiting for the command “Get on Parade” from the CSM who’s name I think was Sharpe, although we called him ‘Flash’. When he gave the command and called out the time, it was one mad dash on sinking, slipping feet, to get to our positions. It was impossible to keep to the time he called out and the scene was a bit like Piccadilly Circus in the rush hour. It was a good thing we were good friends because there were bodies everywhere. Looking back, we regarded the chaos as a light-hearted way to start the day and I think the ‘powers that be’ regarded it in the same way!
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Self |
Roy, Self & Gilly |
Self & Gilly Burton |
Roy Cocup & Self |
Roy & Gilly |
At Xmas 1953, we put on the obligatory concert and I wrote several verses of a song to the music of “Much Binding in the Marsh” which was a very popular radio show of the time. Most of the verses referred to local events and time has eroded most of them, but the first verse was relevant to the parade ground story and goes:
At the 3rd Battalion
Deversoir
The Adjutant is getting very worried
At the 3rd Battalion Deversoir
The getting on parade is much too hurried
At duties mounting one fine day
You ought to take a peep
We find the time that Flash calls out
Is very hard to keep
We order arms and get out dressing
Piled up in a heap
At the 3rd Battalion Deversoir
I was lucky enough to be a member of the four man team which won the 440 and
880 yds gold medals in the 1953 MELF Athletics Championships held at the Arena
in Fayid. I ran the first leg in both races and I would like to think they
considered I could give them lead that the other three could maintain. However,
it is more likely that they put me out first so that they would be able to
make up the ground that I had lost!
Winning team 440 & 880yds Relay 1953 (I’m on left)
Another strong memory I have was the lack of female company.
There were a couple of girls working in the NAAFI but their time was monopolized
by the various ‘Don Juans’ that are always present in any male
group. Us lesser mortals never got a look in! Our Brigade consisted of the
Grenadiers, the Scots Guards and the Durham Light Infantry. A dance was arranged
and a group of females were invited from one of the local camps. We were all
looking forward to an evening of female company and assembled in the hall
with our hair nicely combed and smelling of ‘Brut’. However, girls
being girls, they were late arriving and what started as friendly banter influenced
somewhat with the Stella input, a mighty punch-up followed. The girls arrived
in their coaches and, on surveying the scene, went straight back!! Who could
blame them?! Whilst we did regret missing out on the female company, I think
we did quite enjoy the little ‘rumble’ – in fact loosing
the female presence brought us to our senses and the rest of the evening passed
without further problems – but unfortunately without the girls!