We all new where we where being drafted too, that was defined right back at the beginning on that very nervous day in the Edinburgh recruitment centre. My test results were not good enough to let me join as an apprentice, but I had been offered to join at the dizzy height of Junior Electrical Mechanic Second Class, I can’t remember my response at the time, I suppose I was just glad to have been accepted.
HMS Collingswood was my destination, but not until after Friday Divisions, and, a two week period of leave, I was going home, two weeks seemed a long time, I was looking forward to seeing my family and friends for the first time in months.
Left, right, left, right, lefffft, the parade ground seamed more acceptable now, it wasn’t the alien territory any more. The GI’s all had personalities now and nobody had kissed the “Gunners Daughter”! It rained, it shined and it blew a gale no matter what the weather, the Chief GI was determined we would not to let ourselves down on Friday, what he really meant was we would not let him down!
Friday came and went so quickly, a lot of razzmatazz, a very poor quality Royal Marines band, the drummer of which must have been pissed as nobody was in step when the GI screamed “March on the Guard”, after a few marching passe's the beat was recognised and the echo from the surrounding buildings was filtered out. So there we were standing in the heat of the day for over two hours. We were inspected over and over again as if something might have changed in the time we were stood there.
The ceremonial salute went well, it was the local Mayor or something, elected from the ranks of the local round table no doubt. He was probably an ice cream man by day!My most lasting memory of the day was that my parents hadn’t managed to come to see me pass out, I promised myself that it was just a matter of fact, however, it was a solemn feeling.
The gunner daughter:
Naval slang for the gun to which men or boys were lashed for punishment.
