NATIONAL SERVICE, ELVIS & ME! is a serious but light-hearted look at the 13 years of peacetime National Service which led to the call-up of around 2.3 million men in their late teenage years. Most men served for 2 years between 1949 and 1961 with the last intakes being demobbed in 1963.
Every alternate Thursday for 13 years 6,000 men were called-up and allocated to either the Army, the RAF or the Royal Navy, with the majority joining the Army. Elvis Presley was on manoeuvres in Germany with the US Forces when he entered the story, and Sir Alan Ayckbourn CBE, Harry Corbett, Brian Clough OBE, Kenny Lynch, Bill Wyman and other personalities also feature.
As in David Fowler’s previous book God Bless the Prince of Wales, memories are used abundantly, in this case from many of those who were called up for National Service. Serious in some parts, and hilariously funny in others, there are tales of training in the UK; square bashing and ’bulling’, the somewhat crude ways the forces used to instil discipline into its recruits; war games; the antics many of the testosterone charged men got up to; humour; and the camaraderie which arose from men being thrown into a massive pond and having to sink or swim. Overseas postings are mentioned with some men being sent on active service and nearly 400 making the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
With 512 pages and many photographs this book is a fascinating read for anyone, be they ex-National Service, Forces or ex-Forces, relatives of someone who served, or anyone interested in this period of our history.
Every alternate Thursday for 13 years 6,000 men were called-up and allocated to either the Army, the RAF or the Royal Navy, with the majority joining the Army. Elvis Presley was on manoeuvres in Germany with the US Forces when he entered the story, and Sir Alan Ayckbourn CBE, Harry Corbett, Brian Clough OBE, Kenny Lynch, Bill Wyman and other personalities also feature.
As in David Fowler’s previous book God Bless the Prince of Wales, memories are used abundantly, in this case from many of those who were called up for National Service. Serious in some parts, and hilariously funny in others, there are tales of training in the UK; square bashing and ’bulling’, the somewhat crude ways the forces used to instil discipline into its recruits; war games; the antics many of the testosterone charged men got up to; humour; and the camaraderie which arose from men being thrown into a massive pond and having to sink or swim. Overseas postings are mentioned with some men being sent on active service and nearly 400 making the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
With 512 pages and many photographs this book is a fascinating read for anyone, be they ex-National Service, Forces or ex-Forces, relatives of someone who served, or anyone interested in this period of our history.
(my numbered and author signed copies arrived today; scroll back to earlier blogs to read my contribution)
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