hooray, the marines are here

Hooray, the Marines are here!

Hi Peter, here's a brief resume of my service history. I Joined the Royal Marines in June 1953, passed out as Kings Squad May 1954. Posted to 45 Commando 3 Commando Brigade 2nd July 1954. Served all over the Middle East, Egypt, Cyprus etc etc, too many places to mention at this time. Good times, bad times and some sad times.

I met my future wife on foreign service leave, a Lady I have been happily married to for 46 years next Boxing day. We were due to go to Singapore together in August 1958, when out of the blue I was posted to H.M.S. Resolution, Christmas Island. At first I thought it was a ship, but soon found out it was a "Stone Frigate" bang in the middle of the Pacific. You can imagine the wife's reaction, not to mention mine, but that's the service for you.

I soon found myself on a Stratocruiser courtesy BOAC heading for New York via Shannon and Gander. After a one night stopover at the Governor Clinton Hotel in Manhattan it was back to Idlewild to board a Super Constellation for the next leg. Another stop in Tulsa Oklahoma (what a hot place) then on to San Francisco. After another stopover, we were off again, well you know the drill as well as me. The worst part of the whole trip was that last bit. From Hawaii to the Island. A flipping nightmare, I have been on a lot of flights in my 66 years but that one stands out as the worst ever. What was the plane?, A Dakota or What. The wings were not the only things flapping.

We all kissed the tarmac when we finally got to Christmas. We were picked up at Main Camp by Land Rover and taken to the Port, there to see our accommodation for the next eleven months. A bunch of ancient tents, just great I thought, I could be living it up in Singapore with my mates and here I am on an atoll in the middle of nowhere. I realised later that tents were just the ticket in that climate. My job on the island was driving the Port Commander, who's name escapes me at the minute, (mebe someone can put me in the picture?..) Drivers in the Port had a REALLY cushy time, the lads who did the real work were the Landing Craft boys, they really earned their tot. Well Peter this is turning into a book so Ill close for now. Keep up the good work..... Bryan