Sir David Thorne  Opening Tribute  Cathedral Memorial
4th Bn  Pte Alec Pike, sister Dolly and Dad's Army
Archives  A 'short soldier' shoots down a Junkers 88   MV Georgic 1947  The K Force Men by Maj Tom Styles
Beer Beer Warnings  Our Man in Bosnia   Thinking of Beer ...
Did you know 5573508 ES Collins
Len Brazier  Recalled by Capt John A Todd
Camp  Camping It Up!
Gillie Gilchrist  Recalled by Ray Segon
Harry Holliday  Hat
Helmond Helmond 1999
Letters  Dear George from Maj Bryan Coward obe
MV Georgic 1948 MV Georgic sails for England two days after the Independence of Indian A Todd
Woodpecker Woodpecker 1948  Woodpecker 1950  Woodpecker 1999  Crow's Nest Sauce with your Woodpecker?
More from B&C Jun 2000 to follow

Click photographs to enlarge

'Crow's nest sauce with your woodpecker Sir?
Norwich Branch Lunch 1999

THINKING OF BEER ….
Maj Reeve needs to post the above warnings in RHQ!
Does the Regimental Barber make House Calls?

Right: Supping his beer at the Regimental Dinner Sep 1999, a curly haired syrup is spotted!
Click here to see him in colour at the 2000 Dinner.

GILLY GILCHRIST
In B&C Dec 99 appeared Korean Odyssey 1999 by DJ Jerry Willmott CBE QFSM, an account of his visit to Korea in Apr 99 with John Denny, Gillie Gilchrist (died 2000) and Ray Raynor.
Ray Segon of the Norwich and District Branch was a National Serviceman working with RQMS Harwood in Korea.
Summoned to see the Adjutant, he met RSM Gillie Gilchrist, 'I was shaking and fearful because he radiated authority. Although a frightening man, you would follow him anywhere.'
The Adjt said: 'I hear you have some talent at signwriting. We need a new signwriter. Would you mind doing it? It's over the bridge in the American Sector.'
Ray hardly hesitated in his acceptance. It meant US rations!
There was a song about the RSM, who was on the Windrush when it burned out in the Med:

You haven't seen old Gilly for a hell of a time,
All along the line.
But if he's the RSM of the Norfolks,
He's no cousin of mine.

New pikes were made for the Coronation and the staves were to be stained alternate dark, light, dark. No varnish was available so light tan and ox blood boot polish was used. Somehow the staining went wrong and they ended up the wrong way round - light, dark, light.
In Hong Kong there were 44 gal oil drums on the Drill Square and the RSM wanted them painted in the Regimental colours. Procuring paint was difficult. Ray Segon managed to get some red gloss and yellow gloss but drew a blank with black gloss, managing however to get some matt black paint. He was on the square painting when he became aware of a presence. Standing up, level it seemed with the belt buckle of RSM Gilchrist, he heard the demanding question: 'Why is the black paint not shiny?'

For more, see:
Georgic Index
B&C 88 Jun 97 - The Norfolks leave India in Aug 1947 by Sydney Smith of The Daily Express
B&C 90 Jun 98 - Dutchie Holland by Gordon Spong
B&C 91 Dec 98 by Ron Phelps
B&C 93 Dec 99 by Gordon Spong
B&C 95 Dec 00 - Aug 00 Reunion by Gordon Spong
B&C 98 Jun 02 - Aug 01 Reunion by Jim Cameron

WITH THE MAGIC OF THE COMPUTER
A search in the computer files of the Norfolk Editor revealed the B&C 91 Dec 98 appeal, repeated below:

LEN BRAZIER
Mrs Eva Brazier wrote from Norfolk. After two strokes her husband, Captain Len Brazier, is now in the RBL Halsey House in Cromer. She is not too well herself.

MORE MAGIC - ABOUT LEN
A B&C 87 Dec 96 article was titled:
BURMA STAR ASSOCIATION - NORTH NORFOLK BRANCH
Major Rev Hugh M 'Dickie' Davies of Norfolk, ex-2nd Bn and retired hockey player, informs us of the closing in September 1996 of the North Norfolk Branch of the Burma Star Association. It was raised and kept going by the hard work of Captain Len Brazier and his wife Eva. They have done a good job.
After Note: Maj The Reverend Hugh 'Dickie' Davies died on 9 Apr 02 and Capt Len Brazier died on 10 Nov 2002.

CPL HARRY HOLLIDAY
Also resident with Capt Len Brazier at the RBL Home in Cromer is Cpl Harry Holliday who joined 4 Royal Norfolk from the 1st Bn in 1939. Fred Ayers and John Bilyard visited and report that despite a stroke, Harry is able to get about. Most POWs will recall that Harry always wore his bush hat while working on The Railway. Asked what happened to the hat, Harry led Fred and John to his room where he produced the famous item of headgear.

NOW WE KNOW WHO IT WASN’T!
Major Bryan B Coward, in Rutland, wrote in Dec 95 about The Earl of Leicester visiting Weybourn.
‘In early 1940 he paid a visit to the 5th Battalion in Weybourn. Lt Col Gus Scott-Chad invited the noble Lord to dinner in the mess and when I say mess it really was a bit disorderly. The Nissen huts were designed for the summer holiday weather but the January winds off the North Sea were enough to discourage the hardiest of brass monkeys. In any event the Earl, then over 90 and a veteran of Omdurman, regaled us with a few tales of soldiering in what I suppose he regarded as "the good old days’. The fact we were all wearing khaki seemed to worry the old warrior. After a while he said, ‘Simply can't understand why you chaps wear this khaki stuff. You know we used to beat 'em in scarlet!’
Bryan regrets there do not seem to be any ‘Holy Boys’ in his area. Do you know of any who could call him?

For a pearl from Bryan, see obe in B&C 96 Jun 01

And for a gem:
In Dec 1939, at Britannia Barracks, Bryan’s Company Commander was shown a letter by a soldier who wanted 4 days leave.
From 12 Oakham Road, Norwich, it said:.
Dear George,
Just a line to let you know the baby is not yours.
Yours faithfully,
Lilian

More to follow