In the Summer of 1962, at the age of 14, I travelled to Germany, with the Combined Cadet Force from my school, for a Summer Camp.
It was quite an adventure to get there. We travelled by military steam train, with the carriages being loaded onto the ferry for the channel crossing. It must have been very nearly the last such journey.
We eventually arrived at 2 Division Signal Regiment, in Bünde, West Germany, a Regiment I was later to be posted to as a regular soldier.
The Crossed Keys of 2 Division
There were still National Servicemen who had been conscripted into the forces for 2 years. These were the last of a dying breed as the last National Servicemen left the armed forces in May 1963.
I well remember that the soldiers took great delight in plying us with beer, probably at our own expense. That Summer, far from home, was the first time that I became extremely drunk, and extremely unwell.
We obviously overdid the cigarettes too. When I returned home I suffered, for a few days, with what was diagnosed as nicotine poisoning!
During our 10 days there we went out on exercise with the Regiment and did all sorts of, what was to us young boys, very exciting things. We helped camouflage vehicles, laid large capacity cables, helped put up radio masts, slept in abandoned barns and spent a day with the German Army.
It was during this “exchange day” that I encountered the DUKW (duck) that was to transport us down the river. (For the technically minded, more information here)
Ten very excited teenagers squeezed into the restricted space at the back and were driven down a ramp, into the water, where we progressed at a very sedate pace for 20 minutes or so, driving back up another ramp to dry land.
To be honest it was a bit disappointing, certainly not as exciting as the next half hour when we were transported at some considerable speed back up river, sirens wailing, in a fast patrol craft.
We then experienced a German Army lunch, for many, the first ever taste of “foreign” food. Tepid cabbage soup, cold würst, sauerkraut, black bread, and a strange pudding of yogurt. A new experience that was not repeated until it became more commonplace in the UK.
Postscript
In fact the river in question may not have been the Rhine. Memory being what it is, it could have been the Mösel, or even the Wëser. I have travelled on all of these, but, at the time, it seemed to be a very wide, and busy, river.
Part of the series Some things I’ve done that you probably haven’t!
A wonderfully interesting article Peter, looking forward to the rest your story series.
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Thank you Ivor.
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How fun to remember. Though probably not as fun living that nicotine poisoning! And you are correct, I have NOT done this. 🙂
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I can remember the Doctor (it was a home visit because I was so unwell) looking quizzically and pondering, saying “I don’t know how, but it looks very much like nicotine poisoning!”
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Did you quizzed about this ????
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I think I blushed, and stammered enough to give the game away!
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Hahahahaha. Parents are on to that kind of thing. 😉
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So very interesting!
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Thank you.
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That is amazing Peter! This is something I would never have heard of or imagined! What a great thing to share.
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Bah. I had a mental image of you going down a river on a giant inflatable duck as some sort of university Rag Week jape 🙂
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That was another time!
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Making a splash even when a sprig!
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Really enjoyed this, Peter! What an exciting experience for a young man! Can’t wait to hear about your other adventures!
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You’re waiting for the Queen, I know!
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Yes I am!!! 😀
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Yay I got one right, I knew the Duck one! Looking forward to reading the others!
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A great memory and no, I have not done! Thank you for sharing!
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Oh my to be so young and soooo far away from home….what fun….thanks for sharing…kat
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Good details of your experience. I now know what a duck is. I’m looking forward to the whole series.
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On my bucket list since childhood has been to ride a duck … not one of the reconstituted ones you find in Boston and New York and doubtless lots of other places but a real one. Like yours. I loved this with a passion and I am still afired to ride one down a real river myself. Quack 🦆
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While I was doing a bit of research I found one for sale!
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Buy it …I’ll go halves!!!
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Pingback: Some things I’ve done that you probably haven’t. – Peter's pondering
Sounds like a great adventure. Happy for you that you got to have that experience.
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Hmm… the food doesn’t sound great, but military rations rarely are. We have these horrible MRE things in the US–always includes bread rolls you could nail to the bottom of your shoe for more support.
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We had Compo (composite rations) similar to MRE. WE would gladly swap with GI’s in Germany when doing joint exercises!
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Reblogged this on Peter's pondering.
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Well worth a re-blog. You were one of the heroes who kept us safe in the cold war. and german rivers were always bloody cold.
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I don’t think we had heroes in those days John!
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