Life as a Metalsmith in REME

Article from The Blue Beret

Scribe: Mike Warren

Ijoined REME in 1963. Initially I started a Reccy Mechs course but after driving a Scammel up and down the Devils Punchbowl and a 3-tonner round and round the Compass roundabout at Portsmouth it soon transpired that I was no driver! Years later, I rectified that by passing my test in Brunei.

Whilst considering my not too glittering future, I was asked if I fancied welding and the like. The outcome was that I started on the very first Metalsmith course on the 26th March 1964. The new trade was made up of 3 main trades which would be phased out, namely, Welder, Sheet Metal Worker and Blacksmith. The course itself was daunting as it was almost a year long and covered all aspects of the aforementioned trades such as welding armour plating, all electric and gas welding on such diverse materials like mild steel, aluminum, brass and many more. We even attempted magnesium suitably surrounded with sandbags! Oxy Acetylene Gas cutting and soldering was also on the list. The final test included examples of most of these materials and equipment.

Pattern Development was covered amongst other skills under Sheet Metal work. Final tests included the manufacture of a funnel and small toolbox, both in tin plate with wired edges and soldered joints. A copper bowl was also on the list again with a wire edge. Blacksmith equipment included the traditional Forge and a Power Hammer. Final tests included making a cold chisel, a pair of Blacksmith’s tongs and a screwdriver amongst other items. All were tested to destruction or at least it seemed that way to me!

I passed out a Metalsmith B3 on the 3rd of February 1965. The trade was upgraded to A class in 1967 but was downgraded again to B class a couple of years later. The upper echelon who decided that had obviously never picked up a welding torch and had no idea of the skill required to manufacture items from scratch!

It is also interesting to note that when I finally left REME in the mid 70’s no Metalsmith could go higher than Corporal, there were no Sergeants!! I am glad to see that situation

Craftsman Warren on the welding bench

has been rectified in recent years with the trade being recognized for the skills undoubtedly required.

My first posting was to the newly designated United Nations Forces In Cyprus (UNFICYP) Workshops in Cyprus made up of 58 Officers and men; our OC was Captain Reg Stripling. There were two of us in the Welding/Metalsmith Section, me, and Cpl Ted Baston who was predominantly a Welder. During our busy tour, the workshop was joined by 25 REME TAVR (Reservist) Vehicle Mechanics and Electricians from Liverpool who took over roles that were left vacant through the early rotation of Regular Craftsmen. There were a few unsavory incidents involving the Greek National Guard with shots fired but apart from this the tour, which was the UN Forces longest rotation up to then, went well.

The photo below was taken on Wednesday the 4th August 1965 as part of an article on the REME Workshop during a visit by ‘The Blue Beret’ magazine, which came out every two weeks and was distributed to all UN forces on the island. The caption reads ‘Craftsman Warren on the welding bench’.

After a brief period on the Bordon Permanent Staff and SEE where I worked on the frame of a full-size Dr Who ‘Dalek’ which was going to be used around the country for recruitment purposes, I was posted to 69 Station Workshops which was later designated Det. 9 (Borneo) Infantry Workshop.

The workshop area was cleared and covered in tank tracking so that 3 large tents could be erected. One for administration plus a sleeping area seen behind the unit sign, as we were required to have someone there 24/7, another was for the vehicles and the last one was the Metalsmith tent where I worked with a Malaysian Army Private.

During my time in Borneo I was introduced to one of the most distressing duties of the Metalsmith and of my personal service. One afternoon I was taken to one side by ASM Taylor who explained that

Workshop tent in Borneo

Metalsmiths tent in Borneo Another article from The Blue Beret

all service personnel who died in the Ulu (jungle) were taken to RAF Labuan to be soldered into their coffins before being repatriated to Singapore, and my first job was waiting for me.

The ASM and I proceeded to the RAF base with my gas welding equipment, soldering iron and solder. The ASM was both sympathetic and supportive but would not be assisting me as the job could take some time.

I was taken to the outer limits of the camp where there was a small brick building, measuring no more than 15 x 20 feet and I can’t remember there being any windows although they may have been shuttered because it had to be a secure area. In the middle of the room was a wooden coffin on trestles and inside that was a tinplate zinced coffin with a half inch lip all the way round, the lid was on the floor and there was someone in the coffin. I was young and somewhat apprehensive but I had to treat this person with respect and do my best for them.

Before I went in, I was made to drink 3 bottles of Tiger beer! I think this was to both fortify me and to combat the smell because we were in a very hot climate and because there was no air conditioning or refrigeration in those days. That smell never leaves you. I had to heat the soldering iron and then ‘tin’ the lip of the zinc dipped tin plate and then do the same to the lid. The lid was then placed on top and fused with the lip to create an airtight seal.

A few months later I was joined by another Metalsmith called Joe (Jock) Platt who was on the 4th Metalsmith course and from then on, we took it in turns. I saw Joe many years later when I was involved with the Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) Medal presentations and he, at that time, lived in the Aberdeen area. ASM Taylor went back to Singapore later and we were all sad to learn that he had been killed in a road accident.

Many years later some of these memories together with

Vehicle workshop in Borneo

some from N.I. came back to bite me on the backside as I am sure it has for so many.

After the Confrontation, we no longer had any units to support the Workshop so we took up the tank tracking, pulled down the tents and decamped to Singapore. Two of us however did not go straight to Singers. The Reccy Mech, Vic Winslet and I were to take our Scammel down to the port and board a Port of London registered LCT which took us to Jesselton so that we could then travel inland to recover a 3 tonner which had crashed coming over from Tawau and had been left halfway up Kota Kinabalu. Having taken the vehicle in tow we went back to the LCT and spent a welcome 5-day cruise to Singapore, where after dropping both vehicles of at 40 Base Wksps, we joined the rest of the lads who were waiting for new postings mainly to the UK or BAOR. We were therefore probably the last operational troops to leave Borneo after the Confrontation.

A few days later I was asked if I would do a full 2 and a half year Far East tour. I asked where and was told Brunei, I thought for a millisecond and a few days later found myself at Bolkiah Camp with Det. 10 Inf. Wksps. in support of 1/2nd Gurkha Rifles and at times the Royal Brunei Regiment. There were only about 15 of us there and between work and trips up the Limbang river in the Wksps boat, an acceptable time was had by all. I supplied the brass shear pins for the outboard motors and when they sheared I was often over the side to fit a new one. We each had a room to ourselves which was great. There was also time to play rugby for Brunei Town, sometimes on the Padang and sometimes down at Seria playing the Shell Oil team followed by a social get together at the Panaga Club which was for the Shell Oil expats and their families.

Whilst in Brunei I fell into another task which somehow became the Metalsmiths responsibility. Because we had rooms to ourselves several guys kept dogs, the problem was that when they moved on nobody took on their pets so in order for them not to roam free and perhaps form packs they were shot. I remember on one occasion the dog played up and I almost put the shot through my hand!! I felt that dogs should not be kept because of the eventual outcome which was not pleasant for all concerned.

I am still in touch with several of those who served in Brunei such

as John King and Vic Wells, I also remember seeing an article in the Craftsman a few years ago by Pete Bottley who was our OBM expert. Another episode of note for me personally was that I was sent on a Metalsmith course to 40 Base Wksps in Singapore to upgrade from B3 to B2 but as I was on the course with 3 others who were going from B2 to B1 and I came top I went straight to class 1. After Brunei it was back to the UK and 24 Inf Brigade in Devon which was made up of 3 Commando Brigade, an RCT Squadron and a Field Ambulance unit. The 24th was the UKs Spearhead Brigade and on the morning of the 18th of August 1969 we found ourselves in Belfast. We were the second unit to go into Northern Ireland from mainland Britain. Billeted at Magilligan Point near Limavady, a camp of Nissan huts only half a mile from the Republic of Ireland by ferry! We, including REME soldiers, immediately took up infantry duties on the two-tiered Craigavon Bridge over the river Foyle in Londonderry. The unit did 4 days on and 3 off, rotating with the Queen’s Company Grenadier Guards. During that tour we often slept on the bank of the Foyle and used the public toilets for our ablutions. Towards the end of 1969 we had a photographer visit us from ‘The Craftsman’. He took a picture of a friend of mine called Cfn Gus Hawkes next to a small dog on the sanger at the Derry end of the bridge, I know because I was stood next to him but was not thought photogenic obviously! The photo made the front page of the Craftsman magazine! That first tour was what was called the honeymoon period because we were welcomed and feted with cups of tea and sandwiches. My second tour was taken up by putting the fiberglass cladding on all the unit’s vehicles, someone thought that fiberglass would stop a bomb blast! On subsequent tours the cladding was discarded and because vehicles were often damaged by stones and rocks etc. it was a waste of time repairing their looks and as long as they were roadworthy they were used and I was largely redundant. Most of the time we found ourselves either on the streets or out riding shotgun whilst the VMs tested vehicles they had repaired. I was also in Palace Barracks on ‘Bloody Sunday’ and witnessed 1 Para’s departure and return on that fateful day in 1972. After my military service I moved to Corby with a view to getting a job with the steel plant. Imagine my surprise and disappointment when the unions told me that my Army qualifications were not recognized in industry! I then looked further afield and travelled extensively throughout Africa and the Middle East. I was with Lonrho in Nigeria as the manager in charge of a specialist welding division visiting mainly Mike in Brunei in 1966 oil companies advising on repair rather than replacing vital and costly equipment such a cast iron pumps and high tensile steel gear wheels/teeth and shafts. Next, I spent some time living and working in Tavistock, Devon where I served on the Town Council and became the deputy and Town Mayor. I also served as a Special Constable with Devon and Cornwall Constabulary. Later I worked in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Egypt so I am grateful that my REME training stood me in good stead. Returning to the UK in 2000 we settled in Blackpool where I became heavily involved in local Veterans issues as well as being the Secretary/contact for the Lancashire REME Branch and the national roll out of the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal, but that’s another story.

The front cover from The Craftsman