Other National Service Story by Brian Owen – Royal Signals

Hello Alan
Your Story was very good and engrossing for an ex N/S man. I will spend many an hour reading it through and the other stories.
Do you know I could write a book on the many experiences I had in my 2 years in the royal signals.
If only only I had expertise and know how.
I was defered from military service until I was 21&6months. Now because I had just served my apprenticeship at a steel heavy fabrication works has a plater ( boilermaker ) I thought I had been forgotten, but I was looking foreward to doing it. Many a time I would listen to the older lads talking about their experiences abroad in the different mobs and be disappointed I coudn’t join.

So I got my brown envelope at last .I reported to I think it was Zion St. in Liverpool along with
hundreds of others and had a full M.O.T. that we all passed.
There must have been at least 5 or 6 Doctors including a lady doctor,she of course was the drop your trousers cough expert.
Then it was the selection board for us, I think that was in the same vicinty. The Royal Navy was on the
top floor,The RAF was on the middle floor,and the Army was on the bottom floor.
So I headed for the top floor and the Royal Navy. There was no chance of becoming a jolly jack tar.
unless you had been a member of the sea cadets or the sea scouts or your dad was an ex rear
admiral, or you signed on for at least 3 years. So I headed for the middle floor and the RAF. I thought
people were joking when they said the officers had handlebar moustaches like Jimmy Edwards, but the
one I saw did.
He said in a very posh accent. “Why do you want to join the RAF ” and I said .”because I can’t get in the Navy.” His face went crimson .”GET DOWN STAIRS TO THE ARMY”.
So I went down stairs to the Army. They asked what mob I wanted to be in. I said The Royal Amoured Corps.Or The Royal Tank Corps.
On June 4th 1959 I was summoned to Catterick in North Yorkshire to do my squarebashing in the Royal Corps of Signals.

All the best Brian Owen. Northwich Cheshire.