deefadog said:
hi
just been on google earth the town you want is spelt oksböl the o having two dots above rather than a diagonal slash there are some photos of some tanks which although rusty look in reasonable nick ie they have nt been shot to feck .
was nt been a nob explaining about the dotts and slash cloubbuster as i found a town in another location spelt with the slash wh ich incidently has a photo of an air crew memorial from ww2 to the sw
B Sqn 15/19H did joint gunnery ranges with a Danish unit there in 1982 during the early stages of the Falklands War when we sank the Belgrano and then lost a ship a day for several days.
I remember a total lack of comms between us and them: I could speak Linguist German but the Danes really did not like that. When their papers showed the iconic picture of the Belgrano sinking, it was all thumbs up and rounds of applause. Then when they started sinking ours, the Danes' mood swung along with ours.
The Danes were all long-haired conscripts and gated about 0200. We were a bunch of British Army p!ssheads and despite our SSM gating us at 0200 so as not to antagonise the Danes, we were off down town every night (to Esbjerg?). Some of the lads had brought cars (it was a very unusual exercise: we later spent a few days in Copenhagen and were allowed to bring wives).
We worked out our own taxi service. Driver would take four lads down town, return and collect another four (they were charged for petrol cos we were racking up the miles). ISTR the driver would spend two hours between 2000 and 2200 shifting 24 mates into town, he got two hours drinking time (Cola of course orificer) then started ferrying them back over the two hours between midnight (0001 - I think 0000 finally became recognised as midnight by DCI on 1 July 1982) and 0200 in the same order - first in, first out so that they all got four hours' beer time.
We all used a big place that reminds me of a latter day Wetherspoon - thinking particularly of Thornton Heath South London opposite the station, serving Selhurst Park. Because after a few days me mukker decided he'd like a drink, I did taxi one night. Got the lads in, realised what an effort it was, especially after a day on exercise (the Danes weren't allowed to stay out at night) or on the ranges, sat and relaxed. looked across at the far wall and saw the clock reading 0130: Feck where did the hours go? I couldn't get all these people back to barracks by 0200! Then I realised the clock was back to front and it really was only 2230. It's funny what stays with you ...
I remember the sign at the entrance to the town being written Oksbøl, but I do also know that it equates exactly to the German Umlaut (ö) - Oksbøl rhymes with girl, or more exactly as they say at this God-forsaken end of the country gu-u-u-url.
Then again, in 1990 (I think) the French actually brought their language a little up to date and simplified it greatly: maybe the Danes have done the same?
Then again, I wonder if Kevin Wheatcroft does finder's fees? 
