GEOFF RANSOME - GARGLING PARADES - B&C 87 Dec 96
5784472 Geoff B Ransome of Norwich enlisted on 18 June 1942 and trained under Capt William Gaymer. Posted to Algeria in 1943 then to Italy, drafts of the 70th Bn went to the East Surreys and the Northants. With Stan Seago he went to the 5th Northants then when someone discovered he knew about ciphers he was rebadged Royal Signals, serving in the wilds of Calabria and Sardinia. Returning in recent years he found the Commonwealth cemeteries at Sangro River and Florence (Girone) extremely well cared for. He has a number of photographs of headstones bearing regimental numbers and the Royal Norfolk badge.
Geoff likes his music and a favourite is the William Tell overture. It features a gargling phrase and reminds him of the "Gargling Parades" in the Young Soldiers' Bn in the winter of 1942/3 in Old Sulehay Forest, Wansford. An influenza epidemic was forecast and the MO decreed that all ranks would gargle. It was very muddy and wellington boots were issued. A small company sized concrete parade ground had been laid and on that they paraded with mugs enamel. The MO's staff ladled out permanganate of potash from tea buckets. Observed by RSM Swingler, a much respected and liked man, on the first occasion CSM Futter of HQ Coy ordered, "At Ease. On the command "Gargle" - GARGLE. On the command "Spit - EXPECTORATE! And do not spit on the concrete but on the surrounding ground."

60 YEARS AGO WITH THE 70th BN - B&C 93 Dec 99
Tony Moody, of West Sussex, remembers 1940.
"If you had said to me on 22 Aug 1940 that I would be in the army on Fri 23 Aug, I would have strongly said "No way!" But at the age of 16 years and 8 months I was enlisted. Like many of my age, I had added to my age as 18 was the minimum.
Following recruitment in Whitehall, a medical at Stonecote Hill in Sutton and a rail warrant to Norwich, I found myself at Chapelfield, a somewhat antiquated building just outside Chapelfield Gardens. In a civvy billet at 11 Essex Street, Unthank Road, Norwich, I met Ron Sprigg (5781303), Ted Askey and Bill Morris. "Dad’s Army" was there to the fore!
On the Saturday morning we were equipped as follows: a Canadian Ross rifle and Battle Dress etc but no gaiters. I got the only service respirator. The others were issued with gas masks in cardboard boxes, complete with a string for carrying. What a motley crew we must have seemed!
After a couple of weeks at Chapelfield it was on to Aylsham to join the "Unique" 70th Bn. It was called the "Young Soldiers Bn" but we joined F Coy with a number of WW1 Veterans, wearing their campaign medals. The OC was Capt Drudge, the CSM was WO2 Bumpstead and others were Sgt Wallace, Capt Ian MacGillivray (d 1998) and Capt Parker. Our Coy HQ was in the Aylsham Drill Hall (now used by Aylsham Det, Britannia Coy, Norfolk ACF. Ed.). Again, we were accommodated in civvy billets. wonder how many "boys" were sent home when it was discovered they were too young to be in the army?
We were out on a route march late in Sep 1940 and I am not exaggerating when I say that although we were a few miles from the Aylsham Drill Hall, we heard for the first time the booming voice of RSM "Reggie" Swingler. (See another reference to this fearsome RSM in the article below by Cyril W Crain. Ed.)
I could write more about the 70th Bn. I called it "Unique" because it was almost a supply depot for all units, including the RAF, The Parachute Regt, Glider Pilots and, though just a few, even The Royal Navy."

70th Bn at WANSFORD 1943 - B&C 95 Dec 00
Geoff B Ransome of Norwich, enlisted on 18 Jun 1942 and trained under Capt William Gaymer. He gave us the 1942/3 Wansford Gargling Parades account in B&C 87 Dec 96 p N17. (Bill G Brown lives at Gargle Hill in Norfolk!   Ed)
Geoff says it brought amused comments from those who remembered. He mentioned the mud of the winter of 1942/3 in Old Sulehay Forest, Wansford when wellington boots were issued.
"We had to lump, hump and lay heavy concrete blocks - hundreds of ‘em - once the mud dried and the wellies withdrawn. Helping harvest sugar beet was another chore. A few times RSM Swingler organised and escorted small parties of us to Peterborough Repertory Theatre, which we enjoyed.
My best memory is winning the Motor Cycle Short Cross Country event.
Thinking of Britannia Barracks I remember kindly Sgt Newton who did so much to turn us into useful soldiers. On our route marches he kept us going in the Jun 1942 heat with a chant: ‘We’re going to build a house!’
Us: ‘Boooo!’
Him: ‘A Public House!’
Us: ‘Hooray!’
Him: ‘There’ll be only one bar!’
Us: ‘Boooo!’
Him: ‘A mile long!’Us: ‘Hooray!’
Him: ‘And only one barmaid!’
Us: ‘Boooo!’
Him: ‘For each soldier!’
Us: ‘Hooray!’
We all yelled at the top of our voices and I winder if there was more anyone can remember?
After Wansford we went to Leighton Buzzard tented camp where a midnight storm snapped our bell tent pole. We strapped on 3 rifles as splints and went back to sleep.
Then it was on to Liverpool to board a Dutch liner. 4000 of us were on the lower deck, on the waterline. At dawn we found we were on the Clyde. On 19 May 1942 we sailed in convoy with 12 other such ships, anchoring on 27 May in Algiers. It was several years alter I discovered we had been the first convoy to escape attack by U Boat.
Before we went ashore the Tannoy announced the surrender of the Germans at Cap Bon.
We cheered, thinking we were in for a cushy number! Those who went on to Sicily and Italy were not to be so lucky. Most of us from the 70th Bn joined the East Surrey or Northants Regts.
Stan Seago and I stayed in Algeria until we joined 5 Northants in time for the taking of Vasto Ridge on 4 Nov 1943. The CO was awarded a DSO and a posthumous MC for Lt David Morgan.
See below for more on 70th Bn by EG Allison and B&C 87 Dec 96, 88 Jun 97, 89 Dec 97, 93 Dec 99, 94 Jun 00, 91 Dec 98 and Britannia Feb 46.

70th Bn - EG ALLISON - B&C 95 DEC 00
EG Allison, of Norfolk, writes of his service with the 70th Bn.
"I enlisted in Jul 1941 and like many others, added a month or two to my age.
(Is that all? One officer in these pages added a year!  Ed.)
I was directed to Nelson Bks and also trained at Britannia Bks. After about 6 weeks we went to Taverham Hall (see B&C 93 Dec 99 about this in a piece by Cyril W Crain.  Ed.) I think Col Thistleton-Smith was the CO. RSM Swingler sent us for a bath and haircut one day after deciding someone in the Pl was scruffy. The barber was Ben Ripper. The Provost Sgt was J Chamberlain and the Cpl was W Webb, sadly deceased..
After Taverham we went to Bodney Camp where Cpl Peck was in the Orderly Room. I think Sgt Rump was my Pl Sgt. At Gorleston I think we were based at the "Blind School". At a camp near Reepham I had tonsil trouble and spent some time in the RMC Station. It was then on to Wisbech and a tented camp near Nassington and Wansford. Peterborough wasn’t far away and some of us worked in the sugar beet factory. There followed a spell in the East End of London at a Street Fighting School with billets in West Ham. After returning to Nassington I had my tonsils removed at Hatfield House. On my return I was posted to 1 Suffolk at Folkestone and then to Normandy. And so ended my time with the 70th. B&C Dec 95 p S15 published my poem "A Journey with Kings".

(See above for an account by Geoff Ransome of 70th Bn and B&C 87 Dec 96, 88 Jun 97, 89 Dec 97, 93 Dec 99, 94 Jun 00, 91 Dec 98 and Britannia Feb 46. Ed.)

SURVIVORS OF THE 70TH - B&C 95 DEC 00
A search through our database reveals 64 Royal Norfolk names, apparently surviving, who served with the 70th Bn. 17 subscribe, 13 lapsed and 34 never subscribed. R Nurse, Waltham Abbey; Arthur C King, Burnley; LG Friston, Lowestoft and Ray Corston, Wymondham have moved away, address unknown. If you know of any who do not subscribe why not get them to send the subs?
Obituaries for B&C 98 Jun 02 reported:
Ray Corston, formerly of Wymondham. He served with 70th Bn The Royal Norfolk Regiment.     Alan Solomon
Herbert Page, of Lowestoft. He served with 70th Bn The Royal Norfolk Regiment.    Alan Solomon

Editorial Rule
To qualify for inclusion there is only one rule - something described must have been said to have happened.
The authority is the Editor, British Army Review No 114 Dec 96, `If the facts don`t fit the legend, print the legend’.