new member
 

Hi all. I am a new member wishing you all good health and happiness. I joined the British Army as a boy soldier and served at Strensall camp York which was also, apart from being a training camp was also a demob depot. I completed two tours of Aden 1965/66/67.and N. Ireland 1969/70/ One of my many regrets is not being interested in militaria during my military service. One of my early memories of a boy soldier is while being on 'Jankers.' For having dull belt clasps.(They looked ok to me.') was helping the local scrap man load plywood tea chests full of brass cap badges onto the back of his lorry. Followed by tea chests full of Bullion badges because No 1 dress uniforms 'Blues.' were no longer being issued and were considered obsolete along with the bullion badges. A few No 1 uniforms were kept back to be Borrowed for soldiers weddings ect. Ten years after leaving the army i began collecting British military cap badges. Ah such is life. Kind Regards Army Vet.

badges
 

Welcome to the forum. Are you concentrating on a particular area ?

Mark

A similar tale.

I will never forget one of my great aunts who knew that I had am interest in all things Army telling me in the 60's about how she went'dressing up' in old army red jackets and spiked helmets on the local tip as a child.

I live in Ashton under Lyne the home to the Depot, Manchester Regiment as well as the HQ of the 9th (TA) Bn Manchester Regiment so no doubt the uniforms came from one of those sources.

She was born in 1903 so probably it was after the outbreak of war in 1914 when they disposed of unrequired full dress.

I have dug that tip in the 70's but never found anything military unfortunately. It has houses on it now.

regards

Welcome.

Marc

Welcome.
Andy

A slightly off topic "Stig of The Dump" tale.

In my early teens I used to explore our local dump, there are two things that I regret never having salvaged of which there were plenty of:

1. LP records with the labels on the wrong sides, nowadays worth a bob or two.

2. Spurs programmes by the boxload, that had been dumped because the fixture had been cancelled or postponed, worth very good money now.

Hindsight is a perfect science.

Regards.
Brian

dump
 

Hi Brian,

can't imagine any Spurs programmes being worth any money - now if they were 'mighty toon' ones....

Mark

Mark. :D

Nowadays I wouldn't give a penny piece for programmes, or in fact anything to do with football, let alone Spurs.

I detest everything to do with football.

I would rather slit my wrists than have to watch a game of over paid cheating wimps prancing about and complain they can't play twice in a week because they're too tired.

Regards.

Brian

new
 

Hi Brian,

have to agree with you on the modern game - I too miss the days of Billy Bremner and Francis Lee having a good punch up !

Mark

In my CCF days we still had 1937 pattern webbing. The Army gifted us a huge number of mint condition small packs , L braces and ammo pouches with 1950's date stamps. I spent a dat assembling 50 sets of webbing but there was a shortage of the brass buckles needed to attach the packs. The solution was to remove them from a box of other non 1937 pouches that had been in the corner of the store for decades. Quick cut with a razor blade and the buckle was a perfect match.

To my eternal regret I have t confess that these were in fact the 1908 ammunition pouches dating from the pre WW2 OTC days: currently retailing for £50+ each. I must have destroyed hundreds if not over a thousand pounds worth of 1908 webbing.........

Think its sad but inevitable that hobby of capbadge collecting has become so expensive, in the main. Funny thing is now restrikes are going up in price for badges that sold for two or three pounds in the 70-80's

Especially when sold as genuine.

Wow! Major gilt trip.

Reminds me of that dealer who admitted cutting up a Crimea War tunic to sell buttons.

As we’re having a group therapy session. As a teen I bought a pre 1937 Norfolk Regt badge at a boot fair. When I got it home doubt set in as I didn’t think it looked old enough on the back. I then decided it must be a restrike and snapped it in half.

Hindsight knowing what I know now, it was 100% genuine. The gilt lives with me to this day.