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A good Oppo of mine posted this up over on the Once a Marine Site.

In them days the PRMC did not exist, instead we joined at RMB Deal for 10 days. After the 10 days we went into a room and names were called out. When I was in that room come the end of the names we had gone from 50 odd to 23. As one, us still sitting in the room though we had failed, no, we had got though the first stage of RM Commando training.

Int the same now but........What the heck! Thought some of you may like to read it.

RM Barracks
Deal
Kent
18 October 1972

Dear Mum

I arrived at the station in Deal on-time, and there was a big green lorry with Royal Marines written on the side, I asked the man in a green uniform with a green hat if the lorry was for new Marines? He said “well it ain`t for the Dagenham girls choir” is it sunshine, he asked me what my name was, and then told me to stand over by the lorry with the other victims! I don’t think I like him very much as he is always shouting at us, as if we were deaf.

We got to the barracks, which are massive, and we all lined up in front of this big office, we were told to march over to this block and leave our cases next to a bed and then get back outside, when we got to the room with the case another man pointed out a bed to me, told me to leave my case and “ferking disappear rapid”, which I thought was strange as I had only just got there.

Every time you line up, you are not allowed to speak to anyone and have to stand up straight, even when it’s raining, one of the lads put his hood on and the boss man who I think is a Sgt, told one of the other men who I think are Cpl`s too“get little red riding hood sorted” and the Cpl took his anorak of him, the Cpl asked the Sgt if he was happy that the Royal Marines were recruiting girls? And the Sgt said he wasn’t, so we all were marched to another place and this man gave us all a haircut, one of the lads said he didn’t want a haircut and the Cpl took him away and we haven’t seen him since. I asked the barber if he would trim a little off the top and leave the sides as they are, he didn’t say anything and cut the lot off, the Cpl told me to “Shit innit and get outside”

We met our officer today, he talks really posh, he is a Lieutenant and he is called Ian Gardiner, he always says “ Her Majesty’s Royal Marines” when he is talking to us, he and the Sgt keep mentioning Oman as they have both been there, we went down to the beach, which is not a proper beach as it is full of shingle, the officer looked funny as he had a big pair of boots on, shorts and a battered old shirt with no sleeves, he and the Sgt ran into the sea and we had to follow them and then we had to crawl along the beach and run to the Cpls who kept getting further away, three lads said they didn’t want to do it anymore and they were taken away and we haven’t seen them since. Our Cpl who is called Mitchell has a dog with him all the time, and when we were on the beach and crawling the dog sneaks up on the lads and pisses on them, when the lads complained the Sgt told them to move faster as the dog only pisses on stationary objects.

We have another Sgt who is with us all the time, he is called our DI and teaches us everything about the Corps, it’s history, battle honours and famous Royal Marines, he is always coming up to you and forcing your shoulders back, making you stand correctly and pushing your arms into your sides, he showed us how to clean our teeth, how to shave and even how to shower, how to wash our clothes, how to iron them, how to clean our boots and shoes, everybody calls him Jimmy, but we have to call him Sgt Jewell.

We had our tea earlier and then were allowed into the NAAFI were we had to buy certain things, shoe polish, Blanco, soap etc, there was a Royal Marine in there, who was the one who was driving the big lorry, and he kept saying “ You’ll Be Sorry” and then laughing.

I’ll write off now, I’m very tired, we have to do some tests tomorrow, running and press ups, but I think it will be cancelled as it’s getting a bit cold and it’s raining, one of the lads was crying tonight and the Cpl took him away and we haven’t seen him since, funny this place, since I’ve been here people keep disappearing, both beds on either side of me are empty now!

Your Son

Andrew.

Artist

Cheers Artist, good insight into what it use to be like.
I think that bit about the dog is brilliant.

Excellent Dit Artiste

I read on here somewhere that not only is the PRC (PRMC) now in exsistence but that in comparison to when I did it they no longer do the Endurance course on day two??????

What do they do instead? Cwtch up and talk about shin splints and pressups?

Doc

Next letter home.

RM Barracks
Deal
Kent
24 October 1972

Dear Mum


I’m so tired I can hardly write, last week I mentioned that they may cancel the tests because of the bad weather, well they didn’t, pouring rain and wind, it was freezing, but they made us do all the tests outside in PE kit. I passed the tests and last Thursday we went into a Cinema and the Officer was joined by other officers and our Training Team, that’s what they call them. Anyway, we were all told about the Corps and what was expected of us, our duty to the Corps, the Queen and our Country. The senior officer asked us to remain seated and look to the front, he then asked us if we wanted to remain in the Royal Marines and that the names he calls out were to go through the door on the left side of the stage, if anybody wanted to leave they should get up now and walk through the door on the right of the stage. Four lads got up and went through the right door. After about five or six names were called, my name was called and I went through the door, an officer told me to sign an attestation form and then shook my hand and welcomed me to the Royal Marines.

My world has changed, the training team are with us all the time, it’s a never ending round of physical training, drill, getting measured for uniforms, you march everywhere with your arms stretched out and ramrod straight, the toilets have become the heads, washing is called dhobie, food is called scran. When the block lights come on in the morning, you have to shower in an instant and get changed into rig, which is green and looks like a two piece boiler suit, we also have these noddy hats which keep flapping apart, so you look like a French Man in a “Tale of Two Cities”. Sgt Jewell is a constant presence, he’s there every morning, all day and every evening checking that you have washed and ironed your kit, everything has to be cleaned and pressed and folded to the same size as a Magazine we were all given, it’s called the Globe and Buster, and Cpl Mitchell reckons it’s the best bit of kit that Pusser has, we have not yet met Pusser, Cpl Mitchell says he is Omnipresent and was put on the earth to fcuk up a Bootneck`s life.

We all had to stand up in front of the training team and the other lads and tell everybody what we had done before joining up, tell a joke or do a trick. LT Gardiner started it by standing on his hands with his legs in the air and recited “Ulysses address from the Battle of Gettysburg” he was very funny. Sgt Macintyre was next, and before he joined the Royal Marines he was a Tap Dancer in a Brothel in Glasgow. Benny, one of the lads from Birmingham did a thing that he learned in the Army cadets, where he pretended to be an officer in charge of a tank, and kept spinning around as if he was in a tank turret getting all the orders wrong, Cpl Bristow said “that Benny should boiled alive in a vat of boiling piss” and made him stand at the window with his arms outstretched saying “take me lord, I am not worthy”

Every part of my body is aching and I feel tired all the time, sleep is a sanctuary away from constant physical pain and the wet and the cold, I think I can get through it, Cpl Mitchell told me to grit my teeth, keep my mouth shut, ears open and move with the speed of a striking snake and I would be OK.

We are leaving Deal on Friday, to go to CTC in Devon,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Sgt Jewell said we have to switch on, but we can do it, LT Gardiner wished us luck and he would see us again at CTC, Sgt Macintyre, said that he would make us or break us, Cpl Mitchell said that we were to be “Rubber Ducks” and prove Sgt Macintyre wrong!!



Your Son

Andrew.

Artist

lol, the bit about the dog made me laugh

Excellent I've missed Artist's dits.

The thing is they ain't my dits they are me Oppos Speedy.

I never wrote home home during training as most of the time I couldn't afford the stamps!

Artist

The thing is they ain't my dits they are me Oppos Speedy.

I never wrote home home during training as most of the time I couldn't afford the stamps!

Haha well who ever's they are, keep 'em coming They're much appreciated.

Brilliant insight

Yeah what misterpurple said great to read

He talks bollocks ..... always.

He talks bollocks ..... always.

Moi? Never

Artist wrote:The thing is they ain't my dits they are me Oppos Speedy.

I never wrote home home during training as most of the time I couldn't afford the stamps!

Artist

I think I said this a while back... but what would you (and the other Mod's) say to a section/ sticky etc where old and current service men could post Dits such as these ... I’m sure you could fill a section on your own Artist

There great to read... and it beats "does lifting weight stop you growing" or "should I do press ups with my eyes open or slightly closed? “ etc

Just a thought (and i don't have many of those )

Stokey

Watch and shoot gentlemen.

As I said It int me.

Artist

Artist wrote: I couldn't afford the stamps!
Artist

Some things just don't change do they?
You tight owd git!