leigh kitchen

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A Gale & Polden Ltd, Aldershot, publication, presumably issued to recruits to the regiment?

Bedplate of The Green Howards.

"The Green Howards" (properly "The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment)", became the regiment's title on 1/1/1921, prior to that it had been "Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment)"

& "The Green Howards" was a nickname.

This plate has the word "DUTY" lightly stamped on the back.

It bears the manufacturer's mark "F.NARBOROUGH BIRMINGHAM"

Royal Fusiliers Bedplate:

George Parker MM.

A Brighton boy, he joined the army at Brighton on a half day off from the Co-Op & after service with training units served with The Sherwood Foresters (he is wearing the cap badge of the Bedfordshire Regiment in this photograph).

A corporal in charge of a Lewis Gun Section and holder of the Military Medal, he was wounded by a grenade thrown by a surrendering German. Later as a sergeant, still on Lewis Guns he was shot in the knee & hip. He tried to rejoin the army during the 1920's but was rejected because of his wounds.

"........the year was 1914, the First World War had begun and my mates and fellow workers were leaving one by one to join the Forces. I felt alone and somehow asshamed because I was too young to join...I suddenly made up my mind and went into a Recruiting Office that had been opened in Church Road. I do not think I can say that it was all patriotism, but my mates had gone and I had the feeling that I was regarded as a kid, too young to do what others were doing. Mind you, I had no idea what I was letting myself in for. Inside the office there was a recruiting seregeant and an officer, as well as a medical officer. I was really scared but the sergeant asked me what I wanted, I looked so young. Then I said that I wanted to join up and he looked at me as if I should still be in my cradle. I suppose he was not far wrong! He asked my age and I boldly said "18 yearts" He looked at me with a smile and said "Does your mother know that you are 18?" Then he said "Alright son, 18 it is" He took my name and passed me over the the MO who had me strip naked, and he examined and passed me. The officer then made me take the Oath of Allegiance and there I was - a soldier at 15 3/4."

George Parker "The Tale of a Boy Soldier A Great War Memoir" (QueenSpark Books, 2008)

"There was an Arab army camp living in tents and ours was next door same thing living in tents.

There was a big battle one night we were there as the town was just a few hundred yards away.But it didn't concern us or the Arab army".

"i think these are of Wadi North in Makarious.We had to spend three weeks on the border we flew up there in Beverly planes they had scorpions painted on the back end so i guess it was called scorpion squadron".

"Scenery, it was very beautiful but being in black and white it doesn't show it".

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"A ferret car which was used quite often".

"I have written on the back stating it's Halkot bay and were are waiting for the order to move out after the riots".

"It's a granade lighter i was hoping no one would shoot him as he was posing and they didn't

"Me and Gilespie with a local".

"A 250 fil note which was about 5shillings or 25p today".

"These are of Steamer point were it was safe for us to shop".

"A route into Crater which looks like main pass as it was higher up and there was a part of a castle there that looked like a large turret and we were told that some of the terroist hid on top.

We were also told that the terrorist on there were killed by the back blast from the Hawker Hunters but i don't know whether it was ever confirmed.

I can confirm that the Planes were flying over head because i saw them".

"The route into crater. You can just see top right hand corner what we used to call kutchie huts there were lots of them all over made out of lino and tin anything the poor could get their hands on to shelter.

One day i was on minute section and it rained it's the only time i can remember it raining it poured down all day so that it washed a lot of them away and our lads went and helped them clean up.I wasn't allowed to go being on minute section.

"The sand bags were on the three day riots and where the guy fell into the soup in my earlier post". (See post no. 131).

"Me looking down on the sand bags that we called check point Charlie in the riots". (See post no.144).

"The char wallah asking us what we wanted to eat and you would definatly get Aden gut".

"The two lads are protecting the Commissioner".

"The commissioners building from a distance".

"Me guarding the commissioner again with a sterling sub machine gun".

"This shows me sitting on a roof guarding the Commissioner during the 3 day riots i know this as i have written it on the back".

"The lads with the masts were setting up the range as we had to fire into the sea...my platoon nearly got wiped out by the Arab army". (See post no. 142 for description of the incident).

"The lads relaxing and the lad kneeling down with the bush cap and rifle was called Natrass".