Page 74 - RADC Bulletin 2018

HISTORICAL
Memories
Wally Happy RADC
1954 saw me finish my apprenticeship as a Dental Technician and commence my National Service when all I learned disappeared during my two years as a TPO/TRO, a job I hated and wasn’t very good at.
The lame, lazy and dodgy had all the hospital jobs when I was demobbed in 1956. My dental skills had been curtailed and I struggled to earn a living. Due to be married in 1957 I asked my old Unit RAFSO London to call me up for my 2 weeks reserve training, because I’d get 4 weeks pay for 2 weeks work, the Suez crisis had begun. They did and I met Cpl Les Prescott R. Aux AF who suggested I join them as
I needed to earn more money. I was still serving with him, now an acting Sgt, in 3604 FCU in Jan 1959 when I transferred to the Regular Army for a career in my own trade, in the Royal Army Dental Corps, intending
to take advantage of the excellent advanced training they offered, and then opt out at
the 9 year point and emigrate to join uncle Bob Happy in NZ. However, I settled down and within two years I found myself buying
a house near Aldershot. I was posted as
a Corporal to man the Maxillo-Facial Lab
at the Queen Alexandra Military Hospital in Millbank London. I was totally content – it was a brilliant job with plenty of sport and further education. There was a successful cycling club at 18 Coy RAMC and I even ran Army cycling as a caretaker for a short while. From there I was posted to SHAPE Paris between 1964 – 1969 and in 1974 I was in Cyprus on ‘active’ service. I retired from HM Forces in 1981.
72 RADC BULLETIN 2018