1st ROYAL TANK REGT 1953-54
'COARSE WHITE HAIRY STRING JUST WON'T DO!'
As Remembered By Anthony Unwin
Reading the account of Alan Rose and the mention of a Sten gun reminded me of an incident in the Zone.
First, I should perhaps make it clear that, although I was a regular and not a conscript, I could not find it in me to take it all very seriously so I was perhaps the worst of soldiers in an otherwise good army.
This happened just as we arrived in the Zone from Korea which will make everything clear to those lads of my time, familiar with the organisation of the period. We arrived in the camp at Kabrit Point and on that first day my CO had a call from my father, who was already stationed in Fayid, to ask if he could arrange a weekend pass to allow me to visit him. I also asked my CO to allow me to take my pal, Bob Wainwright with me which was granted. On the next morning we turned up at the stores to draw weapons as required for personnel leaving the compound. As tank crew our personal weapon was a .38 revolver. Alas, none had been unpacked and the only thing the store had available was a Sten gun. We took it but then need ammo. Bullets he had but no magazines as yet. So we took the guns and stuffed a handful of bullets into our pockets. We then asked for slings but they too were missing but we did manage to scrounge some of that coarse hairy white string from the store. We were also short of desert kit and still had our dark green combat kit on.
Thus equipped, we set off for the Pay Corps barracks where my father was. When we arrived we saw a spotless and highly polished guardroom with a highly polished sentry on the veranda. We had turned up in scruffy battle kit with hairy string holding a useless Sten gun over our shoulders and the guard commander nearly had a fit when we asked for my father who was, at that time, either Captain or Major. Somewhat dubiously he rang through and my father turned up. He almost had a duck fit too when he saw us. He hurried us out behind the Guard Room and gave strict instructions that we were not to move until he got back. When he returned he had two friends in tow who looked at us. They had obviously be chosen for being much of a size with us. They said they could help after looking us over and went away, returning with complete civvy outfits for us.
We had to change in the guardroom and only then were we taken in to the camp,
later on dining in the officers mess as guests. It was a bit off putting to
see how much more like soldiers the Pay Corps were than we were.