Results 11 to 20 of 193
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21-09-2016, 07:05 #11
Re: Those were the days, we were soldiers!
Hi,
that's me in the centre, that's me in the spot ..... light (sounds like a song coming on) oh no I said too much. Sitting with my beloved Bren I am, love that weapon too bits. It was lubed with Johnson Baby Powder but I leave that for another story.
Ah, topping up with natural fresh water.
Will have to dig out some more.
1979 - 11th commando in Kimberly for basics.
1979 - Infantry School.
1980 - 5 S.A.I. for a week.
1980 - Special Ops in Rhodesia (one of the best times of my life, ever).
1980 - 84 Motorised Brigade (Natal Command or as some called it Hotel Command).
1980 - Sharp Point Brigade exercise in Lohatla, that was an eye opener.
1980 - Back to 5 S.A.I. (where I had to deal with the Bluff and 'Toti boys )
Various camps
Will dig out more pic's and start penning stories when I get the time.One too many wasted sunsets and one too many for the road .........
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21-09-2016, 10:07 #12
- Join Date
- Jul 2010
- Location
- Witbank
- Age
- 59
- Posts
- 4,126
Re: Those were the days, we were soldiers!
Andrew, thank you for participating, excellent photos...yes it was a life lived in another time..few South African citizens knew what those days happen in a Army camp... Please keep the photos coming...
We even had a splendid weigh less program in Infanterie , I lost twenty two kilograms during basics...
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21-09-2016, 10:43 #13
Re: Those were the days, we were soldiers!
Awesome times,
We had Colonel Witkop Badenhorst as the OC at Infantry school and WO1 Ben Vorster. We came off the parade ground after getting commissioned, I had just put my pips into my uniform when Ben Vorster walked past. I digress a little, he was a magnificent specimen of a man, bolt upright in stance, always perfectly neat (dunno how he did it) but he had an aura about him, a "don't f&^k with me kinda aura.
So any ways Ben walks past and salutes me, the first salute I got as an officer was from him. Man I hit a wobbly, I had practiced returning salutes but damn why did it have to be him. I "strekked" him like a real d^&s and then half saluted back. He just smiled, he probably did on purpose to f^&k me .One too many wasted sunsets and one too many for the road .........
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21-09-2016, 11:25 #14
- Join Date
- Jul 2010
- Location
- Witbank
- Age
- 59
- Posts
- 4,126
Re: Those were the days, we were soldiers!
While settling in , practicing how to salute , through out that week, two guys of our company went down to the administrative office to fetch a box with items, while returning , as expected you need to walk in "pas" with the person alongside you....so you have to "makeer die pas" if you and the persons you are walking/drill with is not "in pas".
These two guys walk past an officer, the one holding the box in both hands, so he was not in a position to salute the officer. The soldier alongside him notice they have a problem coming, so he decided the best solution to this problem is to salute with his right hand as usual and the same time use his left hand to salute for his buddy.... When they passed the officer...still in "pas " I might mention..the officer turned his head away and try to hide a smile turning into a laughter...
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21-09-2016, 12:12 #15
- Join Date
- Dec 2014
- Location
- New Zealand
- Posts
- 2,125
Re: Those were the days, we were soldiers!
Some of mine on basic in the New Zealand army - AARC 332 (All Arms Recruit Course) in 01/2005. We were the largest (at the time at least) intake since the Vietnam War. It was a very large company - almost two companies but not quite. Bear in mind that NZ's population at the time was barely 4 million. I was the second oldest recruit in the intake.
Seems I cannot embed images from DropBox here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/67ybyjdeglmkvug/002.jpg?dl=0
^Vehicle is a LAV III from RNZAC.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/lb9ab8zrfqnizcu/006.jpg?dl=0
^ Learning pairs fire pairs fire manoeuvre / moving as a platoon.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8sl1w5fkak...Steyr.png?dl=0
^ Field strip of the F88 Austeyr
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21-09-2016, 12:29 #16
- Join Date
- May 2012
- Location
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Posts
- 5,905
Re: Those were the days, we were soldiers!
There were fantastic times ... interesting how you remember them clearly, even today. A highlight for me was braaiing with "loodhout" at Mabalingwe base next to the Pafuri gate to the KNP. Just get the chef to kick the stump a few times in the morning and you have enough coals for the next session. And your "kamptoelaag" covered the bar bill quite nicely.
There were some bad times as well ... when I think back and concentrate, a few things come back that I do not want to remember today. And no 18-year-old kid should ever experience them. But such is life.
I think those two years have a lot to do with what I am today. The good and the bad.
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21-09-2016, 12:51 #17
- Join Date
- Oct 2008
- Location
- In the belltower behind you...
- Age
- 45
- Posts
- 9,268
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21-09-2016, 18:56 #18
- Join Date
- Jul 2010
- Location
- Witbank
- Age
- 59
- Posts
- 4,126
Re: Those were the days, we were soldiers!
Lesson learned the first night out:
The first day we arrived at our base camp, near Calueque , Sektor 10 we went out on patrol for two days. Looking at the photo, you will see a large tree in the back ground on the flats...when it was time to ready for the night watch we all take positions under that big tree, it seems to be the perfect place to sleep, no one will be able to see us in the shade of the tree, it was full moon as well..big mistake.....Not much later that evening the first cry rang out, following by a lot more...medic, medic, where is the bloody medic...!!!!! We were stung by a score of scorpions and whatever has teeth , claws and can sting , stung us,,...I have been stung for a second time by a scorpion before a medic attend to me..we took our bedding and move out at a great speed....this was the last time we would ever take in positions at dark under a tree....what we did not know was that all the crawlies stays under the trees to get away from the burning sun...lesson learned , never to forget....
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21-09-2016, 19:13 #19
- Join Date
- Feb 2011
- Location
- Western Cape
- Posts
- 3,410
Re: Those were the days, we were soldiers!
Gert did you meet a Johann 'lord' Kruger while in Oudtshoorn?
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21-09-2016, 19:26 #20
- Join Date
- Jul 2010
- Location
- Witbank
- Age
- 59
- Posts
- 4,126
Re: Those were the days, we were soldiers!
No, no-one by that name I can recall....was he with Bravo company?
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