Brown Knees 1953 and Association Life Membership
by DJ "Jerry" Willmott CBE QFSM

Whose knees?


Norfolk Section
The Britannia and Castle

      
It is not the policy of this site to display telephone numbers, home or e-mail addresses
of contributors but the webmaster is quite willing to do so if you wish
Association Membership Card Brown Knees in Oz 1953
BROWN KNEES IN OZ 1953

DJ "Jerry" Willmott CBE QFSM wrote:

After Maj David Clarke’s mention in B&C 97 Dec 01 of Commanding C Coy in the Radfan in 1964 I wish it to be known that I knew him before his knees were brown.

To prove it, here is a photograph of the two of us at RAAF Williamstown New South Wales Australia (No. 10 Airportability Course Nov - Dec 1953).

David is in the front row attempting to conceal his nude knees, and I am hiding my nether regions by standing immediately behind him.

Click photograph to enlarge

Click a name or near a face marked with a yellow spot for a close-up
or click a corner of the picture for a whole-screen view of everyone

RAAF Williamstown New South Wales Australia (No. 10 Airportability Course Nov - Dec 1953

Front, 6th from left: Maj David Clarke
Middle, 5th from left: Jerry Willmott
RAAF Williamstown, New South Wales Australia
No 10 Airportability Course Nov - Dec 1953

ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP
Below is a copy of my 'Life membership' of the Royal Norfolk Association. No, I am not asking why I still receive demands to pay my B&C subscription. I believe that the cost of the B&C is excellent value for money. I simply ask you to ponder upon the date and ask yourselves whether or not The Administrators of The Association in 1951 were shrewd operators.
I remember that I was a naïve (was I ever that?) 19 year old Corporal on board The Empire Orwell heading for Korea when a gnarled old Sergeant Major (probably in his thirties) extolled to me the virtues of The Association and promptly relieved me of ten shillings (one third of my weekly pay). The 'Life Membership' is dated 29 Jan 1952, I was on The Samichon, in the depths of a Korean winter on this date. January 1952 was a time when I confidently expected that if Frostbite didn’t get me Chinky would. Do you think that such an eventuality ever crossed the mind of the then Treasurer of The Association or was his timing really a coincidence?
Membership card cover

Association branches 1952

Association branches 1952

 

 Membership card inside

Association subs

Association subs

Association objects

Association objects

Regimental journal

Regimental journal

Comment by B&C Editor/Webmaster: We need more such archive gems!
Click to see a choice of identity for the as-yet-unknown Sgt Major who conned Jerry into parting with 10 bob in 1952!

Click photographs to enlarge

Editorial Rule
 To qualify for inclusion in the B&C 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’.
However, the rules of good taste, respect and confidentiality are always applied.

Rule Britannia!

Site edited and maintained by Major JL Raybould TD
Editor, Norfolk Section, The Britannia and Castle
 B&C Norfolk Editor