My name is Derek Ormerod from Accrington, Lancashire, soon to be 23435361 Pte Ormerod, in the November 1957 intake, at the Border Regiment Depot, Carlisle Castle.

After ten weeks of training under C.M.S. Smalls, I was presented with a rifle-shooting cup, at the passing out parade.

After a few days leave, we all left for Berlin to join the Regiment, via the Port of Harwich, and that unforgettable North Sea trip, to the Hook of Holland on the T.S .Wansbeck, then the long slow train trip to Berlin.

On arrival at Wavell Barracks in Seeckt Str, Spandau, a western suburb of Berlin, I was put into ‘D’ Company and became a rifleman, and later that year was promoted to L/Cpl. Apart from the Rifle Training and Square Bashing, Main Gate guard duties and plenty of Bull, time spent in Berlin was mainly made up of, exercises in the Grunewald Forest, riot duty with the Berlin Police, and Train Guard duties, on the overnight train from Berlin to Hanover and back.

Also two Queen’s Birthday Parades, first with rehearsals at the R.A.F. Gatow Airstrip, then on the big day, at the Olympic Stadium Complex.

I also did Army Ski Training at St Andresburg, West Germany, but the most interesting job was Spandua Prison guard duties, prisoners held there at that time were --- Albert Speer, Hitler’s Armaments Minister ; Balder Von Schrach, head of the Hitler Youth ; and Rudolf Hess, Deputy Leader of the Nazi Party.

Free time was usually spent drinking with the lads in the Mess, dodging the M.P.s on the streets, travelling on the trams along the Herr Str to the NAAFI Club, and pictures at the Jabor Theatre. Also drinking at the clubs and bars on the Kurfusten Damm in the city.

I also took a few trips into East Berlin in civilian clothes (illegally) crossing at the Brandenburg Gate, and along the Unter Den Linden. At that time the currency was three East German Marks, to one West German Mark, but very little to spend it on, in the East. We were allowed in the East on official visits, in our military uniforms.

Our stint in Berlin soon came to an end, and the Border Regiment returned to England to be based at the Humbleton Camp, Barnard Castle.

Not long after arrival I was spotted by Colonel Gillen the C.O., doing a little sign writing for somebody, so I was made Battalion Sign Writer.

I had no choice, because they were looking for one, my first jobs were to paint all the Battalion Barrack signs, and all the new divisional signs on all the trucks in readiness for the amalgamation of the new named regiment “The Kings Own Royal Border Regiment”, I did not attend the Amalgamation Parade, because on completion of the painting, I was sent to the Army School of Civil Defence, at Millom for yet more training, and that’s where I spent my 21^st Birthday.

Then it was back to civilian life, I had a great time in the Army, and we were lucky to be based in Berlin. I often wish I were back in those times again.

Derek Ormerod