(Since 1966) - Found this site and found a good friend (Cliff Lofty Lowe) from the old days in Sek Kong.

Went through the usual program. Cardington for kit out. Half did not fit due to my 6ft 5inch tall, and as skinny as a rake.

Padgate for basic, and was it basic, first time firing the old Lee Enfield nearly broke my collar bone, soon learnt to pad my shirt.

Weeton for trade training. Ah Blackpool during the holidays for the mill workers. Place was alive with young ladies.

Then to North Coates near Grimsby . Had a laugh there, found out that you can put the diff back together upside down on a Chevy ambulance. The crown wheel and gears go in from the front but there is nothing marked to show which way is up.  The crown wheel is on the other side. All went back fine, started the motor and put it in gear and planted the boot. Crunch - there was a wall in the way and Sgt Hall said a few nice words to a very bruised  LAC.  4 reverse gears and 1 forward. I learnt that the hard way.

A certain Cpl there took a Leyland Matador to do a job at another unit. When he returned we could hear him from about two miles away, the noise from the motor made the ground shake, upon asking how long it had been doing it he said just after I left the other unit, so checked it over and then we said did you refuel it he said yes, we said well next time use bloody diesel, these motors don't like petrol. He got charges and copped a weeks jankers plus lose of pay to cover some of the cost. His wife came to the camp and stormed into the C.O's office and shouted at the C.O, I can't live on that sort of money, give him his pay back. I would not have believed it but sure enough back on full pay,(Never doubt the strength of a woman).
Had my first unofficial drive there, on the old abandoned air strip with a 3 ton Bedford.

Stayed at North Coates till Sept 56 during the first winter made a few bob cleaning roads to farmers houses with the snow plough The best one was when we were clearing the road from camp to the main highway, about 3 miles and a few farms along the way, had Sgt Hall with me, said he was checking to see if I was okay as I had no licence at that time and we were really short staffed, said as long as I stayed on the camp road it would be fine. Ho ho. Get a wave from a local farmer standing at the end of the path to his property, and him with a pound note in his hand, Sgt shouts stop, I did. The snow was about 2/3 feet deep at the time, and I was not sure where the road edge was. Door opens Sgt hops out to collect his money (Note the his money bit ) and steps straight into a bloody deep ditch full of frozen icy water with snow on the top. Again this LAC  was not popular. Never got the chance again. ah but the memory of the scream and the look of him all wet and cold was worth it. Enjoyed North Coates but silly bugger me volunteered for the far East, so off to Hong Kong.

Arrived at Kai Tak and was told you're off to Causeway Bay on the island. Found out it was a cream posting. No camp just a yard with a long hut at one end sleeps around 12/14, one caravan for the night picket, one very small hut for the OIC a workshop open at the front could hold one vehicle at a time. A few photo's to show what I mean. If anyone can identify any of the personnel let me know please. My memory is going fast.

This is the only photo I have of the old MT Mechs

As you can just make out behind us was a wire fence between us and a Army RASC unit, we used to eat at their place.  Me on the left with hat on

........................................and as a prize twat showing my 
new tattoo off, boy did I think I was great. 
On the right next to me with the silly face is Cecil Dray

As you can see the yard was small, this was taken from in front of the accommodation hut. The old Bedford bus was our transport to Sheko beach on Sundays. Damn thing was called the kettle. It boiled all the way there and back. Went to Singapore for driving course, and later that year we were told under the new system we were either driver or mech, not both. I took a long look at the grease under my nails and said driving for me. (Did I make a small mistake there) never regretted it. After a while I was asked to do messenger boy at AHQs , nice job, plenty of tea. Clean clothes all the time. Thought I was the bees knees, and could drive the same, oh how the point gets driven home. Was told to take some papers up to the Officer's Mess then I could knock off till Monday, wow this was at 2pm on a Friday, off I go flat out up Magazine Gap road. Some little local plodding along 5 mile an hour up the road, me in a gutsy (For its day) Vanguard, come on come on move it I'm in a hurry, bugger it I will overtake, so what if there is a right hand corner coming up. Its funny when you come to, you really have no idea where you are. Though the brand new Super Snipe I had hit looked a right mess. So off to court, driving in a manner dangerous to other road users, speeding, (27 foot skid mark up hill 6 foot of it was where I pushed the snipe backwards), etc etc I mean to say what can you plead (I never thought of insanity) so the RAF in there wisdom transferred me to Sek Kong in the New Territories, great the open road, no cramped up streets, a man has room to zoom. As I said before, what a Nutter. Made some very good friends at Sek Kong.

 A groups of Drivers, 
Stan ?, me, and ?

Our luxury Nissan hut
You actually had room to walk down the middle

Another group of Drivers who's 
names escape me

A nice place to stop on the way from us to Kowloon
and back along the Castle Peak road was the dairy farm.

This came from a nice little bar at Fanling. We had a driver called Farreli, Farrely or Farelli, anyway the owner of the better ole was also called by that name, no relation but paddy played it for all it was worth.

This next one is a classic, Cliff (Lofty) Lowe and me, had enough of Sek Kong and was rowing home on a box. The red cap in the background was a little Sek Kong crazy as well, but that's Lofty's story

Had a lot of laughs up there. Especially at Christmas time. Could build your own bar in your hut as a competition.  The guy in the suit was transport O/C

Dinner is served, having the officers serve lunch.

 3 of us, sort of at work

Venom, noisy little buggers

The Peninsular Hotel in Kowloon , used to park the bus in  the compound in the front of the picture while the boys  had a day on the town, (Had to stay sober to drive them back)

Some people might remember Happy Valley race course,  also a rather large Cemetery

Me and Brian Fawcett