Regimental Stories: Soldiering is Fun

A collection of stories about life in the British Army, King's African Rifles and Malaysia Rangers from 1944 to 1993 by Major Bob Smith

Sunday, 3 February 2008

POLES APART

›
Early in 1950 the 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers mounted its first large scale operation against the shifta (bandits) of Eritrea. Band...

STANDING PROUD

›
It's good to attend a wedding now and again. It makes you dig out your morning dress, check for moth holes and find if it's still i...

STRANGER IN PARADISE

›
Some say Pembrokeshire is the most beautiful county in Wales, but that does not mean it is the ideal location for an infantry battalion lik...

TERRA (IN) FIRMA

›
My last job in the Regular Army was Recruiting and Publicity Officer for the line infantry regiments of Wales (The Royal Welch Fusiliers and...

THE CASE OF THE RIGID BANANA

›
It is a little known fact that the fashion for 'flared' trousers ie. those that are wider at the bottom than they are at the knees, ...

THE RELUCTANT ASKARI

›
With less than a week to go before we embarked on Hired Transport (HT) 'DILWARA' at Singapore for the return journey to Kenya in Ju...

The Silver Screen

›
Tawau in the mid 60's was the centre of the pornographic film industry of Borneo. I cannot speak with personal experience, but I doubt ...
‹
›
Home
View web version

About Me

My photo
Major Bob Smith
These stories cover the 49 years I spent with The Welch Regiment (later to become part of The Royal Regiment of Wales), The South Wales Borderers, King’s African Rifles and Malaysia Rangers. In 1980, I became Assistant Secretary of my Regiment, Curator of the Royal Regiment of Wales Museum (South Wales Borderers and Monmouthshire Regiment) and editor of the regimental magazine, ‘Men of Harlech’. The stories are all true but I have concealed most identities. While light-hearted, others have a tinge of pathos and some might bring a tear to the eye. In the words of my old friend and brother officer Major General Lennox Napier (late of the South Wales Borderers and Royal Regiment of Wales) who wrote a foreword for an earlier compilation of my stories: ‘Read this book for a good laugh as well as for an insight into the sort of life in the British Army which no longer exists’. Major Bob Smith died on 18th November 2012, leaving his wonderful stories everywhere, from this blog to his book, 'Khaki Shorts' and in the hearts of his fellow officers, family and friends. If you need any information on him, please contact his daughter at gilly@gillysmith.com
View my complete profile
Powered by Blogger.