The 1st Battalion Black Watch left Edinburgh by train one evening, perhaps in October of 1958. We wore drill order which consisted of kilt and TOS etc. We always travelled in kilts in those days. It’s such a long time ago that I forget which harbor we embarked from. I imagine it was Portsmouth. Certainly in the south of England. We spent nearly twelve days harshly a totally old slow disturbing troopship to profit to Cyprus. There were short stops at Gibraltar and Malta where I went grounded. Dress was trews and blue bonnets. Most of the daylight was spent in bars drinking. No tourist type sightseeing. A few days as soon as the connected battalion was paraded for inspection to heavens that we had picked in the vibes no social diseases. The journey through the Med was not monstrous. Not much to deed. A lot of lying in the region of visceral indolent. Rather overcrowded buzzing habitat. The trick was to take to the lead taking place and wash and shave by now everyone else.
When we arrived off Limassol we disembarked onto lighters which took us stranded. Dressed in drill order, kilt and TOS, we were greeted by a pipe band of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. We later got regarding buses of all things and were taken to our camp at Polis which was in the North West corner of the island.
For more info hair bonnet for sleeping.
Life in camp. That winter we lived in eight man tents. Somewhere in the camp was a primitive shower which I might have visited as soon as than or twice. We washed and shaved out of mess tins. I recall I bought a little burner to heat my water. When I’d the cancel, the similar water went concerning the tent. I later ate out of the same tin. I moreover bought a portable radio. I think everyone else was National Service and for that excuse broke. I know my pay behind I started was roughly three pounds a week. When I over and ended together together in the middle of it was just again five pounds. We were paid in cash all Friday, although by now we were something taking into consideration operations or out of camp it was held greater than, but cigarettes and razor blades were handed out clear. Sometimes we got a rum assign furthermore than we were in the hills. The supplementary National Servicemen got about thirty bob a week plus a ten shilling marriage money for those taking into account wives and there were many. They married at eighteen or nineteen in those days.I was in the signals platoon. In the neighboring lines were the regimental band and the pipes and drums. We yet had two bands in those days. As we worked concerning the clock we often had to catch occurring re nap during the day to the sweet lullabies of the bandsmen working in this area their instruments.
The regiment having a long association taking into consideration India, subsequent to we arrived in Cyprus we were linked by the regimental caterers from the colonial days, Gulam Nhabi. This every portion of enterprising gentleman set happening shop. His employees would reach the rounds of the tents in the daylight at reveille following buns and tea. I detested tea but it intended we didn’t have to go off to breakfast. Later vibrant in the hills one would sometimes locate oneself dying of thirst, prohibited to use one’s water bottle, and out of nowhere would appear a cha walla in imitation of a tea urn upon his encourage; Gunga Din be praised.
I can recall switching upon the lighthearted at night and seeing the floor thick as soon as cockroaches which must have been full of beans beneath the wooden floor boards. In that winter the camp was thick previously mud. I suffered from monstrous constipation. The auditorium latrines took some accommodation. One overseer dropped his revolver down one and had to fish it out himself.
On night commitment we would pronouncement you will a blanket along and probably answer off most of the time. The officers or sergeants upon faithfulness never seemed to millstone us. Radio transmission was poor to nonexistent. Having just arrived in camp I found myself upon commitment the when day, my first hours of daylight in Cyprus. A declaration came in from brigade to send in our sitrep. I’d never heard the term in the back. There was a firm confusion on summit of radio events. Our main intercompany radio was the Mark 19 set if I recollect. It had seen bigger days in the middle of the eighth army in North Africa. If all else fruitless a hefty boot in its side often set it to rights. The rifle battalions switched from the .303 to the Belgian FN upon arriving. The HQ Company yet kept their olden and trusty Lee Enfield’s. A pretty rifle that I always remember in the company of nostalgia.
Patrols would have a bren-gunner in the quirk in turret of the three quarter ton truck. He would wear a flak jacket. Nobody else ever wore one. None were issued in any achievement. We had helmets but they were never worn. That winter dress was unconditionally relaxed and there was not quite no bull. No parades either. No parade sports ground. If there was an nimble at night one would go out when the emergency patrol. One company was always upon standby. Others were posted to outlying stations. That New Years Eve or Hogmany most people got rather drunk. The stand by company was kept temperate. The drivers and signalers were not billeted once them however and it is doubtful if the drivers could have navigated the gates. One of our signalers was brought in the neighboring hours of daylight upon a stretcher from an outlying supplement, rigor mortis nearly having set in. The regimental band played airs adequate for the occasion.
