The chairman, John Heaton welcomed members and the guest speaker Ivan Marner to the April meeting in the Expanse Hotel. Ivan was making a return appearance after a gap of three years and spoke of his further adventures in the Tank Regiment. He began his military career as a boy soldier at the age of fifteen and a half in 1956. His first trip overseas and the real initiation into military life was a three year tour of duty in Hong Kong. He was attached to a 4 man Gurkha team and involved in quelling riots and keeping peace between Chinese communists and nationalists.
He was promoted to Lance Corporal and sent to Munster in Germany and served in Centurion tanks, which he regarded as the best ever British tank. Ivan then moved on to Bergen-Belsen and was attached to the 7th Armoured Brigade and during this time he went on an outward bound course, canoeing in the fjords, abseiling and rock climbing and on a three day survival course. He was also involved in Escape and Evasion exercises that involved the civilian police.
These exercises were extremely strenuous and involved major deprivation. Ivan was in Germany during the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis and his company were put on “prepare for war conditions”. They were stationed only three miles from the East German border and bombarded by “Magdeburg Lil” and East German propaganda.
By 1965 his tour in Germany ended and after completing an instructor’s course at Bovington Ivan moved to Liverpool and was promoted to sergeant. In 1967 he moved to Catterick and was responsible for the training of tank drivers. Later he was back in Bergen-Belsen and did two three month tours in Northern Ireland. His last posting was to Woolwich and after another course he was involved in recruiting.
Ivan described all these adventures in an entertaining and graphic manner and produced some interesting illustrations which showed how confined a tank could be for its four occupants and how they could easily be involved in accidents!
The vote of thanks was given by Jim Hornsby.
The last meeting of the season is the A.G.M. and lunch on May 7th.
Thanks to Ken Tunstall
He was promoted to Lance Corporal and sent to Munster in Germany and served in Centurion tanks, which he regarded as the best ever British tank. Ivan then moved on to Bergen-Belsen and was attached to the 7th Armoured Brigade and during this time he went on an outward bound course, canoeing in the fjords, abseiling and rock climbing and on a three day survival course. He was also involved in Escape and Evasion exercises that involved the civilian police.
These exercises were extremely strenuous and involved major deprivation. Ivan was in Germany during the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis and his company were put on “prepare for war conditions”. They were stationed only three miles from the East German border and bombarded by “Magdeburg Lil” and East German propaganda.
By 1965 his tour in Germany ended and after completing an instructor’s course at Bovington Ivan moved to Liverpool and was promoted to sergeant. In 1967 he moved to Catterick and was responsible for the training of tank drivers. Later he was back in Bergen-Belsen and did two three month tours in Northern Ireland. His last posting was to Woolwich and after another course he was involved in recruiting.
Ivan described all these adventures in an entertaining and graphic manner and produced some interesting illustrations which showed how confined a tank could be for its four occupants and how they could easily be involved in accidents!
The vote of thanks was given by Jim Hornsby.
The last meeting of the season is the A.G.M. and lunch on May 7th.
Thanks to Ken Tunstall