20 years ago

**EX_STAB** · 30-01-2008, 10:01

Third Fantasian army more like. Certainly was in every ex I recall!

**B_AND_T** · 30-01-2008, 10:11

Turning up for work without a hangover and without stinking of alcohol was frowned upon.

**k13eod** · 30-01-2008, 10:25

No poncy sandwiches or hot wraps on the ranges ...

... all in stew with two slices of bread ... proper ballast in your belly for a proper mans rifle!

:D K13

**oldnotbold** · 30-01-2008, 10:31

The magical D11/R234 radio set - never worked, but at least you stayed warm in the trucks. A mast field so big it took a weekend to build.

Cooks who could cook, PSIs who enjoyed their jobs rather than spending their time looking for another one.

A troop of 2+65 and being told off at a TAVRA meeting for being 200% recruited.

Spetznaz and the HSF.

Being chidded for doing fewer than 80MTD.

Regimental parties which finished when the beer ran out, rather than when the NAAFI manageress got bored

**hairyhandbag** · 30-01-2008, 10:38

Battalion and Regimental names everyone knew. (Gordons/Queens/Hampshires etc)

Coversely found these little gems:

TV
Red Dwarf
Alexei Sayle's Stuff
Chelmsford 123
NEWS
Ben Johnson loses his Olympic gold in Seoul after a positive drugs test
George Bush Senior becomes President of the USA
British Pubs introduced all day opening
The Lockerbie air disaster killed 281 after terrorist attack
FILMS
Rain Man (Best Film Oscar)
Die Hard (Yipee ki ayyyyyyyyyyy)
Beetlejuice

**kjokkenjokken** · 30-01-2008, 10:39

People thought whites socks were cool!!!

**Tribune** · 30-01-2008, 10:40

Bed blocks (and blanket shaking to rid the blankets of bugs and to wreck the block!) , shining parades and getting you character built!!!!!!

**Pluvia_Plumbum** · 30-01-2008, 10:52

Turning Potential recruits away cos you were fully manned.

**brucewillis** · 30-01-2008, 10:53

Norwegian shirt, when you bought it yourself and it was considered Gucci!

**Boxy** · 30-01-2008, 10:58

When my secondary position was 300m to the front, we were gonna advance towards 3rd Shock Army!!

**OldSnowy** · 30-01-2008, 11:00

Crappy cardboard suitcases, flasher macs, exercises with tens of thousands involved (Brave Defender anyone? I still have the badge!), annual Colours Parades, 84mm Charlie Gs, Series 2 LR, Mk1 NBC Suits with separate hoods (when you could get them at all.....).

**Chef** · 30-01-2008, 11:06

Radio messages from Fox CVR(W) on Lionheart

"Hello 0 this is C23 CONTACT! 3x T72 gr 12345678 engaged 2 destroyed
third withdrawn out"

Orange handbags for breakfast

Happy days

**freedomman** · 30-01-2008, 11:07

Everything you'd ever need in two kidney-pouches and one 'large' (snigger) pack.
Uniform and webbing that doubled your weight when wet.
Trench-foot, hypothermia and heat-stroke. Often on the same Welsh mid-summers' day.
Spike-holes in your napper.
Shaving your shirt more than your face.
Getting out of your gonk-bag looking like you'd been chicken-molesting all night.
Scrim-scarves.
Trying to make sparks on parade.
Boots, Combat High were about the Gucci-est thing on the planet.
Spending a fortnights' exercise pay in an hour and not caring.
Being invited to eighteenth birthday do's and the occasional engagement party.
The Septic's were going to save us from the Red Horde.
The N in NBC scared everyone sh1tless.
Badgers and Bears were the heralds of doom.
Convincing the unit plank that Spetsnaz had been seen parachuting into the training area. In Otterburn.
Lugging the Charlie G or LMG was something you looked forward to.
Hanging off the back gate of a 4 tonner with the stock of your SMG folded up and leering at all the girls.
Girls leering back.
Ration-packs like school dinners.

Ahh. Kids today don't know they're born.