Patrick was July 79 intake, then after his 2 years ended in July 81 he joined PF and went to Oudtshoorn, I'm pretty sure he was E coy there ie. July as well....we first met when I returned from Ovamboland in Jan 82.
Man, this is perking up my days
I remember the "rooi moere" Truter twins, I think it was Jan who became an officer, they were both sergeants/staffs when I knew them....we were not mates, corporals and PF staff sergeants never were
but old Jan wasn't a bad egg....he was in horses, so only knew him semi-socially.
Anybody remember sergeant NAGEL? You know....short, blonde, slope-shouldered, no neck, sloping forehead, blonde walrus moustache,dumb as a bag of hammers, lived to ass-creep the RSM?
I remember him fondly, shame he was SO easy to manipulate and confuse, not being a rocket surgeon and all.....I'd been assigned to horses at Oudtshoorn before we left there, but soon bitterly regretted my choice....I hate horses, one kicked at me when I was a lightie....and some quick thinking while checking in with Nagel landed me in bikes....talk about a life-changing moment
I actually saw his name somewhere, in later years he was some or other RSM.
Barnard's full handle was "Yati Spider" for a reason I'll tell some time.....must just refresh the memory with my mate in Joburg so I don't perpetuate the myth ..... it was NOT a complimentary nickname as you may guess
Jeff - as far as I know, platoon 14 was the last real Potch-trained bike squad platoon, around 1984 2 SWASPES was formed, made up purely of SWA locals, ie. mostly Ovanbos etc. They had bikes too, how and what they did I have no clue, but I know they had a fatality too, they went jaaging down the tar road out of some camp one night and one of the section leaders didn't put his helmet on, he hit something (donkey?) and crashed and smashed his skull.
Patrick trained some indigenii in Poth later, 85-87 when he was BS CO....will ask him the details, just remember some of his stories about riding around south of Joburg....hilarious
Topic: Bikesquad - Unit Nostalgia. Training Process to follow. (Read 59060 times)
