2007 ............................ In the grand scheme of things perhaps, family history/family tree/genealogy count for very little. For me, it began in the 70s and became something of a passion that lasted some 10 years. Then the rule of diminishing returns began to take effect. New facts became harder to find and the work became more expensive and more time consuming (I wonder how many Atlantic crossings I made and how much time and money and energy I devoted to the pursuit) In time the hobby, for me, tapered off. All the paperwork, and there's a lot, ended up put aside and all but forgotten.

The steady advance of the computer and the fact that more genealogical data is finding its way thereon has, in many ways, cut the cost and the legwork. From time to time I still dabbled, rather half-heartedly. Recently, I started entering what I'd learned into a website, suggested, oddly enough, by cousin Paul.

I'm trying to enter all the data I have. There are two reasons for this:
a) It will give me a base to begin again if the fancy takes me (and it likely will).
b) This will provide a useful and "complete" view of all that I have accumulated for "those that might follow after."

I suppose there's a slightly morbid aspect to all this. I'm getting on in years and, despite my best efforts, I'll not last for ever. I sincerely hope that somewhere among the tribe someone will want to "get into the hobby" and carry on my efforts.

It is a satisfying and interesting and, yes! an exciting journey.

The point of this blog entry is really to give "YOU", whoever you are, access to the website where all the data is being entered.

It's called: Genes Reunited
My password: I've sent it to Andrea, Martin, Mitchell, Paul, Sherri.

I do ask that you make no alterations but tell me of omissions and errors, if you see any, and I'll fix 'em. It's by no means complete yet, so whole slabs of detail are missing.

The site's capacity seems vast and it does seem well thought out and very user friendly.

Please .... family members, and that means all of you, do pay "the tree" a visit.

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I'm also trying to get the "family album" picture collection into some sort of chronological order and onto disc for promulgation the interested masses.

And then there's this blog ................... "prewarmodel". It's intended to be "my era from my point of view."

So there you are ................ "me and us" being presented for "your and my" entertainment.

1957 Squarebashing (or boot-camp to North Americans).............................



This is the follow-on to my joining the R.A.F. After kitting out at RAF Cardington (see earlier entry) "we" travelled to R.A.F. West Kirby in Cheshire for our squarebashing or basic training. It takes its name I suppose from all the marching in big boots on the parade 'square.' .........

I began to write my memories of my 'basic training' in the R.A.F. when I chanced on an article written about the same subject, at the same place and in the same time frame. It is so well written and in such excellent detail I can do no better than give the website here and send you hence. Do read it ... it is a wonderful slice of "then".


http://www.ventnorradar.co.uk/WK01.htm


Differences between "his" experiences and mine? Not that many.

I was at West kirby in the winter. I seem to remember it as a very cold winter in a cold part of England. The coke stoves he mentions were used in the evenings but there was much conflict over this because the stoves had to be polished and gleaming for morning inspections. Using them at night got them very hot of course which meant that they had to be 're-blackleaded' in the morning. How stupid it all seems now.

I was in Churchill Squadron. We had red discs behind our cap badges.

I remember we applied soap to the inside of pants creases before ironing to make the creases sharper and last longer. The blanket-like fabric didn't hold a crease at all well.

Our group go through the gas chamber at West Kirby. For me, that waited until I was in Singapore, but the experience was every bit as harrowing as he describes it!

Finally, because I was an ex-ATC cadet my squarebashing was six weeks and not eight. So there was some benefit to all that marching with the cadets!



Below is a little of what I wrote before I chanced on the above website:

A very traumatic time for some of the lads who'd led more sheltered lives. Perhaps that included me but, having been in Army and Air Cadets at two schools I was blessed with more knowledge and proficiency than most. I could march and drill, knew a fair bit about weapons and had a love of aeroplanes - so perhaps I was lucky.

The whole process seems, in retrospect, to be aimed at turning us into infantrymen first and airmen a distant second.

This just fifty years ago. Fifty years ... February and March of 1957 ... I was just shy of my 18th birthday when I arrived. As I write, the CBC is making much of the 90th anniversary of the Battle for Vimy Ridge ... only two veterans of WW1 still survive in Canada ... when I was at West Kirby the survivors of the Great War were little more than middle aged. Tempus fugit indeed.

We were bussed into North Wales on what must have been a survival course. It rained when we got there and pitched our tents and it rained heavy and non-stop until we boarded buses three days later. We got very wet and very cold and very hungry and apparently survived. For years I was convinced the only life form in Wales was sheep.

After passing out at West Kirby, it was time for me to move on to R.A.F. Kirkham for twelve weeks of trade training.