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I remember BOOTS, ankle, black (Boots, AB)as the old studded 'ammo boots' we wore while we were apprentices but into man service, we slowly changed to BOOTS, DMS with rubber soles. In Australia
we wore studded boots until we got issued with BOOTS, combat, which were calf high and someone told me that they contained a steel or alloy plate moulded within the rubber sole (is this correct?) to prevent the VC and NVA pungee spikes!
Back in England we carried on using the old BOOTS DMS for ages until the mid 80's until the first BOOTS, Combat, High started to come on stream. After about a million tries at getting it right.............................
Boots............. a classic example of if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
I put a pair ammo boots, that I'd had re soled, heeled and studded in Australia before I left onto Ebay a couple of years ago and got the princely sum of £20. They went to a drill instructor at a recruit depot!
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06-08-2009 09:34 AM
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Picture of my friend's grandfather. He is the soldier on the left, Cpl (A.Sgt) Frank Shipperlee, Royal Engineers. The caption on the back says; "Cologne, April 1920".
All appear to be carrying SMLE Mark III*s, but the perculiar thing is they are sporting 1903 bayonets. I have been unable to get any background on that fact or the reason for it. They obviously did not trust Frank with a bayonet.
His medals - Pip, Squeak and Wilfred, are on display at his grandson's home
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Legacy Member
I remember BOOTS, ankle, black (Boots, AB)as the old studded 'ammo boots' we wore while we were apprentices but into man service, we slowly changed to BOOTS, DMS with rubber soles. In
Australia we wore studded boots until we got issued with BOOTS, combat, which were calf high and someone told me that they contained a steel or alloy plate moulded within the rubber sole (is this correct?) to prevent the VC and NVA pungee spikes!
Back in
England we carried on using the old BOOTS DMS for ages until the mid 80's until the first BOOTS, Combat, High started to come on stream. After about a million tries at getting it right.............................
Boots............. a classic example of if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
I put a pair ammo boots, that I'd had re soled, heeled and studded in Australia before I left onto Ebay a couple of years ago and got the princely sum of £20. They went to a drill instructor at a recruit depot!
Whilst at RMCS, Shrivenham, I fell in with some boffins from APRE Colchester, mainly because of the shaply lady scientist in the team. However, the subject of "The Boot" came up. There had been a lot of research and experimentation and they had come to the conclusion that the best solution for the European theatre was a Jack-Boot that gave the best NBC solution. However the Gen Staf and Politicos were never going to allow British squaddies to wear a "Nazi Jack Boot", so the miserable saga of the Brit boot continues almost to this day.
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I bet these blokes who were part of the British Occupation Army would have been very interesting to talk to. I think that the bayonets is all to do with the fact that they were Corps Troops. A bit like the REME where you wouldn't want to trust them with a big knife...... or even a REAL gun for that matter! I wouldn't let some blokes have a compass!
I used to know an ex RASC Warrant Officer, CQMS Read, who was responsible for demilitarising the German Fire Brigades in the Ruhr after the war. He used to tell me that they had to start at the very basics ground again. Even removing their original fire engines (generally worn out, due in part to the nocturnal arsonistic activities, a trait of the visiting RAF) and supplying old Bedford QL's fire-engines to let them know in no uncertain terms that thereafter, they were a civillian organisation. He said that the old militaristic hierachy was so ingrained in, even in the fire brigades, that it was like pulling teeth!
I got him to put it all on cassette
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I don't know if the GPs were spike proofed or not like the jungle boots the 'Septics' issued. I can tell you Dunlop made the soles I had on mine - and the ABs as well.
For me at least, the GPs were really comfortable to wear - even for days at a time.
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"from your affectionate brother Will" [grandma's brother]
Probably the 19th London Regt (St Pancras Rifles). The rifles appear in the original print to be Metfords with the cleaning rod and the eight-round magazine.
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Is there a Tadworth camp or is it actually TIDWORTH Camp. It's got to be Tidworth because of the thick mud....... MANY Centurions soon became mud-bound there. Totally bogged in. Only sheer brute strength from two recovery tanks...., one acting as a reserve ground anchor..., would drag them out. Tractive effort from the bogged in tracks just made matters worse.
I remember being out there on one occasion, with the two recovery tank crews. Fed up, been at it for a couple of hours, up to our waists in mud and sxxxe when the EME (he's in overall charge of the workshops) rolled up in his clean clothes, shiney shoes and land-rover and asked the recovery Sergeant why we weren't wearing our berets (hats) and as a bit of an afterthought, commented that we'd been out there since first light and '......aren't they making a bit of a meal of it?' Then suggested that we get ourselves cleaned up a bit...... The recovery Sergeant, Taffy Bills, a diplomat to the end mentioned that we were a few men short for the job really. Maybe the EME and the driver, Dave Findlay might like to lend a hand. He declined!
Oh yes, got sidelined thinking about the joys of Tidworth as a very young Craftsman on recovery duty. It MUST be Tidworth
Last edited by Peter Laidler; 06-10-2009 at 08:33 AM.
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There was a Tadworth camp, in Surrey
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Blimey Mk7, that was quick! Just remembered the EME's name too. Capt Hodgson. A week or so later, someone accidentally reversed the fitters old, clapped out Half Track into his land rover and crushed it against the wall of the workshop. Happy days
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PM
Originally Posted by 
