National Service Remembered

John Harvey left school at 14 and went to work on a farm. As a farm worker he could have been made exempt from National Service, but although John hated the idea of being conscripted he was determined that ‘nobody was going to call me a coward for not putting on a Queens uniform.’ Once his papers arrived John travelled to Gobowen by Oswestry for his initial training. Initially John was to become a lorry driver but instead was trained to be a radar operator and was posted to North Wales.

Michael Goodey was conscripted in June 1959 at the age 20, having deferred to complete his training in journalism. After passing his initial training Michael joined the signals branch of the Navy and was posted to The Royal Naval Signal School at St. Budeaux, Plymouth for signals training. At the end of his training he, along with his whole class, were posted to the Far East. Looking back Michael wished that he had chosen to join up as a regular for 3 years as he had enjoyed his National Service so much.

Brian Dorgan asked to be called up in 1953. He had a provisional acceptance at the University of London but needed to complete his service to be ready to enrol in September 1955. For Brain National Service was to be two years in the army based in Kent. Initially Brian felt that National Service was an unwelcome interruption to his life but in retrospect felt that the army was a broadening experience.

Ivan Russ was conscripted in 1954 when he was 20, following the completion of his 5 year apprenticeship as a cabinet maker. After his initial training Ivan was sent down to Yatesbury to train as a radar operator, and was eventually posted to Portsmouth which re-remembers as a very nice posting. Ivan’s National Service experience was one he’d not have ‘missed for the world’, a positive and formative experience.

Don Cutler’s National Service was deferred for two years because of his apprenticeship, he was conscripted in 1958. After his initial training Don joined the Royal Hampshire Regiment in Winchester, an infantry battalion which later became the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment. Don was posted to Germany, travelling over in a flat bottom troop ship which had been sunk three times during the war and re-floated. Before he was demobbed Don spent his final few weeks of service on the North Sea, learning about civil defence.

Mike Turner was nearly 19½ years old when he reported to the 65th Training Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps, Catterick Camp to start his National Service in 1953. Mike had started an Engineering Apprenticeship at 16 which meant that he was deferred from National Service. Once enlisted Mike chose to join the Army, and went on to be the only National Service Sergeant in his Regiment.

Geoff Clayton had only just turned 18 when he was enlisted in September 1947. After his six weeks of basic training, and having been issued with his uniform and equipment, Geoff was sent to train at the Signals School in Catterick. Geoff went on to complete his service in Lisburn in Northern Ireland in a large Signals establishment.