Hello
Everyone, My name is Steve Haydock and nearly 52 years ago I
met Paul in September 1972.
We had
Both joined the army at the tender age of 15 years young, as
you could do back then. We were part of an intake of 350
junior leaders to be. It was a larger intake that year as
we were the last 15 year olds, the Army could recruit. After
our year the school leaving age went up to 16. We were about
to get a rude awakening to army life. We were both put into
Harding Platoon of Z recruit company this Leaders Battalion
in Oswestry, Shropshire. Then shown to our 16 man
rooms consisting solely of 16 grey lockers and beds! It was
day 1 and sooner that first day and week. Streams of young
lads were running in all directions, collecting bedding,
uniforms and equipment etc. And receiving our honorary Army
haircuts!
Myself and
Paul were among the smaller and younger looking of the lads,
and at barely 15,
Then
looked about 12 after our hair had had been stolen from us.
I still have the photo of us all, taken after 12 weeks basic
training. We were just kids, with a lot to learn. The early
5am starts, of PT, training and drill. Followed in the
evenings by cleaning and preparing your kit for the next
day, a lot of those young lads decided the Army was not for
them. I can never ever remember him (Paul) even thinking of
jacking it in tho. He was tougher than he looked and always
very determined.
We both
got through basic training, snd went into D Company - Kings
Division of the IJLB, in the January of 1973, to begin our 2
years of military training. Those days were often long and
physically hard, but there was still some time to be boys.
Paul or Sherlock as he was known then, was a highly skilled
wind up merchant, with a wicked sense of humour. Much of our
down time was spent annoying the older lads or permanent
staff with our pranks. We got away with loads of stuff
honestly! But sometimes we got busted, and I can still hear
those haunting words echoing down the corridors! HOLMES -
HAYDOCK Sgt Major’s office! We would then spend a few hours
painting stones or fence posts WHITE, around the drill
square or Guardroom. It was always his fault! The Army as it
usually does though, got it’s own way and after those 2
years in December of 1974 we passed as fully trained
Infantry Junior Leaders! We were now 17 1/2, taller,
stronger and much fitter. They had turned us from those 15
year old little sods, into young soldiers, who could
strip/assemble, load and fire and hit targets we aimed at,
on every infantry weapon from rifles to machine guns and
anti tank weapons.
All of us
had qualified on radio procedures and knew the call signs
and codes used. They could give us a map and compass, 3 days
rations and tell us where to be on day 4, and we would be
there! Back in camp the next day we would have cleaned our
weapons, washed and ironed our kit, ready to go again! The
permanent staff instructors had done their jobs well. It was
time for us to join the regiments wherever they were around
the world …. But not for the King’s & QLR’s. Our regiments
were on 18 month or 2 year extended tours of Northern
Ireland. We couldn’t join them until we were 18. So they
sent us all to the Rangers based in Warminister. It was with
them that we perfected the Irish accent along with the
skills of drinking in pubs, which got us into more trouble.
However, the time came to say goodbye.
At 18
years of age I went off to join the 1st Bn of the Queen’s
Lanashire Regiment in Ballykinler, Paul went to the 1st Bn
The Kings Regiment at Ebrington Barracks, London-Derry! I
never saw him again for 35 years, although I’d often thought
about how he had got on. Then Facebook and that interweb
thingy was reaching out to us all and he found me. I was
still in Lytham, St Annes. He was still massively into
football. He followed some team called UTD. They play near
here I believe? I was still following the mighty Pool!
Blackpool.
We traded
text messages and phone calls. One of which he told me he
was taking Ann to Olu
Doniz
in Turkey. By
coincidence I was going to be there for two days of that
time. So we arranged to meet. It nearly didn’t happen.
Somehow he took poor Ann to the wrong airport, missed his
flight and had to come out a day later? He got some stick
for that one. But it was great to see him again. He hadn’t
changed the 30+ years gap dissolved immediately and we
enjoyed hours of banter and sank a few beers. We have met up
many times since.
I saw him
and Ann in
St. Annes
and we have been to several reunions together in Blackpool,
Teeside and Oswestry. We have always laughed a lot and
shared a few more beers or Sherbets as he called
them. He has always been a great friend and I knew he was a
good man and a proud husband, father and family man.
I also
know he was, as expected, a good soldier among the ranks of
1 Kings and later with 5/8 Kings. He was very proud of his
service to his country, and his Regiment, and rightly so.
So I am
here today to say goodbye to him, from all of us who served
with him, and to pass on our respect for him to his family
and friends. Especially from those of us who met him DAY 1.
Many of those are here today via the link from around the
world. So this is from all of us.
STAND DOWN MY GOOD FRIEND,
YOUR DUTY ID DONE.
Thank You
Transcribed from notes of Steve
Haydock
delivered at Paul Holmes celebration of life service May 10,
2024.
