Page 166 - RAPTC Mind, Body & Spirit

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called Connie at the local picture house in Kidderminster and there started a courtship that would last for 66 years.
Shortly after passing P Company in July 1951, he found himself aboard a ship en route to Egypt and the Canal Zone, which was in the midst of an anti-British, insurgency campaign – reminiscent of more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Living in the desert in tented accommodation, it was here that his love of sport came to the fore and he competed across a range of athletic events, football and boxing.
As a virtual teetotal, he used to recall taking great delight in evading drunken comrades as they returned to the tented accommodation swaying and knocking over their beds as he lay there giggling out of sight. Indeed, when it wasn’t ‘Taffy’ another nickname was ‘The Vicar’ because of his unwavering will to do things the right way, his compassion and concern for other people before himself and his unwillingness to follow the crowd.
It was in Egypt where he also first properly encountered his second great love, the Royal Army Physical Training Corps (RAPTC) and he completed his initial instructors course at the Middle East Command School of Physical Training in August 1953. He returned to the UK in 1954 after a 3 year deployment to the Canal Zone, joining the RAPTC in December 1954, becoming a member of the RAPTC Display team at the Royal Tournament in 1958.
I often thought his personality was extremely well suited for the role of a Physical Training Instructor. He wanted everyone to succeed, to feel fulfilled, to be happy. That positivity and the idea that nothing was impossible with hard work, will always stay with me. He derived a real and very genuine satisfaction from helping people throughout his life – comrades and latterly his daughters, his grandchildren, his friends. Even in his final few weeks when I asked him what he would like to do, his response reflected that selflessness, ‘whatever’s best for your Nan’.
In his years in the RAPTC he would make many great friends over many deployments with the BAOR in Germany and Singapore. He was a man without envy or jealousy and he used to take great pride in talking up the achievements of his Army friends, family or acquaintances.
The names and stories of his comrades still echo now in my mind... Nik Stewart, Pete Bartlett, Bert Dooley, Harry Welch, Micky Munn, Jack Pancott, Ralph Wills, Dick Gradley and many more. He used to relish ‘Corps reunions’ and would drive to all ends of the UK
to join up with his mates, to experience that camaraderie and reminisce often returning hoarse. He spoke of them like brothers, family.
Extracts from his reports serve to capture him well as a soldier and a man.
“A quiet and reserved Warrant Officer who possesses a pleasant manner and likable personality which makes his instruction enjoyable and he gets the utmost co-operation form his classes.”
“An absolutely first class Warrant Officer and a most pleasant personality. He is not afraid to voice an opinion and I have learnt to respect and appreciate his judgement and advice.”
All that said, there was some devil in the man. He could be stubborn, perhaps a reflection of his Welsh roots. That hardness and competitiveness served him well throughout his time. Not least, when he marked a young REME basketball protégé called Terry Goulding out of a critical game in 1962 and subsequently never let him forget it. I found his determination and apparent refusal to be cowed or intimidated by any situation or person inspirational, as I know others did.
My Grandad left the Army in December 1972, becoming the Assistant Manager at the new Hatfield Sports and Leisure Centre in Hertfordshire working with his old RAPTC colleague, Vic Hart. Soon after he took a new position at Rugby Sports and Leisure Centre, moving our family to the Midlands where he finally settled.
Over the years, he made many friends and continued to help others wherever possible right up to his final years and months. In the words of a former comrade, “... he was a great man, a gentleman, a man that listened before acting and a good friend.”
He was my mentor, my guide and my hero and I will always miss him desperately.
Montgomery once said of members of the Parachute Regiment, “what manner of men are these that wear the maroon beret? They have the highest standards in all things whether it be skill in battle or smartness in the execution of all peace time duties. They are in fact – men apart – every man an emperor.”
That was my Grandad, John Baker. A true gentleman and a man apart.
MEMORIES OF THE ARMY AND GYMNASTICS BERNARD W THOMAS
My first regiment was the Gloucester Regiment, for which I was sent to do an ACI course, Eastern Command.
Following this course, I was sent to Belgium to join the BLA. After VE day I went on to Louvain to do my pre-advance course – I think this was the first course of the then new PE school. The CO was Captain Powell (a high jumper). This was followed by my advanced course at Aldershot, and whilst at Hammersley Barracks we saw VJ day – I was on duty at the time.
I was then posted to the PT school (now the BAOR) – which had by then moved to Paderborn – most likely among the first members of staff. We had a gymnastic team which did numerous displays in around the school area, with the policy of impressing the Germans with our high British standards. The display team was under the command of SMI ‘Ginger’ Fountain, with a very high standard of ‘clowning’ performed by Major Slade.
Whilst at the School I was involved with the making of an Army film, as shown in the Soldier Magazine of 1947, which included a photo of our CO, Lt Col Tresawna. He was keen on all activities and took a party of the staff on a trip into the Harz Mountains, with the purpose of running short ski-ing courses – this I am sure contributed to the re-establishing of the resort as a ski area.
Also enclosed is a copy of the photo of the first APTC convention held at the BAOR P and RT School. The front three rows, including the officers, were School staff.
My next posting was to Dortmund, when I was given the task of training the clowns for the tattoos. This gave me the opportunity to get back to basics and have some fun, vaulting from side to side on a horse at full gallop, using pommels instead of a saddle. Col Gilman, RHA, later told me that the Army Commander had