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Over forty years have passed since my demob from the army and indeed since National Service was terminated. During those years, a lot of water has passed under the bridge of time, but time has not and will not douse my memories of yesteryear. After demob, I moved back in with my parents at 34 Hastings Street on Walney Island and resumed my trade in Vickers as a Fitter on Submarines. This of course meant money in my back pocket once again, which of course is the name of the game. Working back in the shipbuilding yard seemed strange after two years in the forces, but above all my confidence and outlook on life was very strong, with a take it as it comes attitude and certainly with plenty of humour thrown in for good measure. My parents Fred and Elsie are sadly now both deceased, my mam died after a short illness, in 1968, during which she was very brave, leaving the family quite devastated. I really did miss did miss my mam, as close knit family members usually do, because the loss of ones mother becomes a void in your life, which unfortunately never gets filled. My dad proved an absolute brick in keeping the family together and strangely enough, it was only after my mam died that I found my dad to be of such strong character. Over the next thirteen years before he died in 1982, he not only was my dad; he also became my friend. I am indeed truly grateful and proud to say, “That I was the youngest son of two wonderful parents, Fred and Elsie Parkinson.” I hope on the autumn of my life, that my own family will look on me with the same pride and affection. I settled down once again in civilian life and tried hard to pick up where I left off two year previously. I returned to my trade of being a Fitter, working on submarines and eventually moving up the ranks, I became a Foreman. During all the redundancies in 1992 and 1993, when 9000 workers were struck off the Vickers payroll, I took early retirement, but my working life is another story. My love life continued with Valerie, the girl with the lovely eyes, who became the love of my life. We courted, became engaged and finally married on the 14th September 1963 at St Mary’s Church, Walney Island. We have three children, Ian, Julie and Lynne and after having had a happy childhood, they are grown up, making their own way in life. My youngest daughter Lynne is happily married to Anthony Keen and they have two beautiful daughters named Abigail and Rebecca, which of course makes me a proud grandad. Let us all hope, for the future of this great country of ours, that not only my children, but also all our country’s children, will go through life without the strife and hardship of yesteryear. These days, I only occasionally see ex-comrades who served in the Kings Own Border Regiment at the same time as myself, such as Brian Dempster, Geoff Stubbs, Pete Maguire, Brian Sergeant, Brian Rook Bob Gilgrass, Derek Lydon, Ian Forsyth, Tommy Swann, Derek Greer, Jack Simmons, Tony Hird and George Day. I don’t know what happened to Les Lowther, because I haven’t seen him for over thirty years. I still send my old friend Eric Shaw from Ashton-under-Lyne, a calendar every year and although we have not met since demob, I will continue to keep in touch and probably our eventual meeting. While walking through the centre of Lancaster in 1996, I surprisingly bumped into the ever-smiling Brian Townson and do you know he was still smiling, nice going Brian. As for CSM Kershaw (The Screaming Skull) I heard when he retired from the army as an RSM, he took up residence in Preston. If we should ever meet, I would straighten up, smile and shake his hand, he had a job to do and there are now, no hard feelings whatsoever. Now, as I look back to those two years in the sixties, which only seems like a few years ago, I and probably all of my fellow National Servicemen, are now indeed thankful they had to do it. We all grumbled and groused our lives were turned upside down and inside out. What it did though, which was paramount to us all, was to turn boys into men, who were made to stand on there own two feet and be counted. Most of all and what can never be replaced, is the friendship and camaraderie we found among ourselves. I can only speak for myself, but I am sure it will be the voice of countless of others. That one never met anyone in their lives, with so much in common than their fellow comrades during National Service. Whether you liked it or liked it not, we were all united in one cause, to get in get out and get away. Postscript : I now have two grandsons Leon and Owen to add to my two grandaughters Postscript 2 - And another Grandaugher now Merissa
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