Room 79 Howstrake Camp

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April 1946

John Bower 1 2

Click on Jim Mason and John ( Gunner ) Hargreaves to see...

The photo was taken in April 1946, and featured are ;

Back row left to right]

RMBx2352 Ivan Vickers (Cornet and Violin)
Ken Smith (The rooms "old soldier") (Oboe)
Archie Marshall (Alto Sax and Violin)
RMBx2349 Ray Watts (known as RG) (Clarinet and Viola)
RMBx2350 Gordon Silcox (Solo Cornet)
Peter Halliwell (Percussion)

Front row]

RMBx2353 Jim Mason (Solo Clarinet)
John (Gunner) Hargreaves (Section Leader) Euph and Cello)
RMBx 2345 Bert (Al) Bower (Flute and Piano)
RMBx 2351 Ray (Bash) Byard (Clarinet and Violin

Dear Rich

Thanks for the prompt reply to my photo of room 79 Howstrake. I feel it should have been George Orwells room 101!

You obviously recognised Jim Mason but I am the one sandwiched between the lad with his arm like a teapot handle and the one with his right hand on his knee, or to put it differently, the one looking skywards on the second row.

I have met up with a lot of old friends since I came across this website and sadly a lot of the mature oldies do not use a computer so memories from the old days are missed.

Once again thanks for all the work that goes into the site and long may your typing finger stay free from arthritis!

Regards

John

Hello Dickie

Congratulations on the new format, I have been "off the air" for a while, a fair bit of the year in Australia with the family and then problems with the PC (as we do!) All sorted now, and I have just received an e-mail from Bert Bower regarding the photo taken outside room 79 at Howstrake.

The photo was taken in April 1946, and featured are ;

Back row left to right]

RMBx2352 Ivan Vickers (Cornet and Violin)
Ken Smith (The rooms "old soldier") (Oboe)
Archie Marshall (Alto Sax and Violin)
RMBx2349 Ray Watts (known as RG) (Clarinet and Viola)
RMBx2350 Gordon Silcox (Solo Cornet)
Peter Halliwell (Percussion)

Front row]

RMBx2353 Jim Mason (Solo Clarinet)
John (Gunner) Hargreaves (Section Leader) Euph and Cello)
RMBx 2345 Bert (Al) Bower (Flute and Piano)
RMBx 2351 Ray (Bash) Byard (Clarinet and Violin

I had a ship with Ken Smith in later years and had a few memorable runs ashore with him. Al Bower and Ivan Vickers were my first "run ashore" companions in the Isle of Man. (Herb Beer at 1 penny a pint - life was exciting!) Al Bower and myself were the only two in the squad old enough to qualify for a cigarette ration card! As I did not smoke, this gave me a lot of bargaining power!

At the time of last years re-union we were in Egypt visiting friends there and it rather looks as if we may be in Italy/Sicily at the time of the next one, but if plans change, I will certainly attend.

A point of interest in the photograph - at that time new entries were issued with a lot of second hand kit! My uniform shirts were blue and white striped cotton and had been handed in by a musician who had been discharged in 1945! None had been issued new since 1936! Shirts did not have collars!

Happy days

Best wishes

Jim