"In Remembrance
of
Fusilier Brian James Hood"

Brian Hood	Brian is on Far Right	Brother Tony, Mother,Father,sister Marjorie,sister Beryl,brother Fred,sister Brenda,brother John. Girl at bottom of pic is Brian's Neice,Bubbles.
	Brian is on Right	Brian with younger brother Tony

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by
Anthony Bramham
of
his time in Osnabruck

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Lancashire Fusiliers
Trooping the Colours
sent in by
Dennis Robinson

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John Brophy's
Osnabruck Photos

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Roy Pennington's
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Bill Eddleston's
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1st Battalion XXth The Lancashire Fusiliers

British Army of The Rhine

Quebec Barracks, Osnabruck

1960 to 1964

Before we all forget about life as an infantry soldier in B.A.O.R. during the Cold War I thought I would just jot down a few memories of those far off days.

When the Battalion last serve in Germany we were stationed in Iserlohn from 1953 to 1956 and the Second World War was fresh in our minds. Then we were not even allowed to speak to, or fraternize with, the local inhabitants. Houses were still requisitioned for use as married quarters and each town had a Town Major to run civil affairs. Osnabruck some four years later was not quite like that but we still kept the Germans at a distance and this was not helped by the reputation the locals had throughout the country. The saying was that you had to eat a hundredweight of salt with someone from that town before you were accepted.

Lt Col Jimmy Grover was our Commanding Officer and “Big Jim” Martlew our Second in Command. We had the usual 4 Rifle Companies plus Support and Headquarter Companies. One of the first things to strike home was the run down of National Servicemen as my Company, C Company rapidly decrease in strength from 105 to 87 All Ranks. This caused many problems for duties and leave as we had to maintain a definate level of strength and high degree of readiness at all times.

The Cold War was at it’s peak. Berlin was still a running sore and we fully expected the Russians to do something drastic and start another conflict. It was the neuclear deterent which kept them at bay in Europe. Life seemed to be one long exercise or should we say rehearsal for the real thing. Ours was a defensive role and as we had few ideas about the route the Russian Army might take should they invade. We had to be prepared to contain them and if necessary use tactical neuclear weapons to destroy them when they concentrated to attack

C Company was a Container Company which meant exercises always started with digging in upto four defensive positions and a Hide from which we could deploy once the Screen Company gave us intelligence about the route the hostile forces were taking on their approach. Digging went on day and night non stop for days. The North German Plain is littered with slit trenches dug by Fusiliers in pouring rain, snow, sunshine and pitch black nights. Who would be in the PBI? It was only the thought that Colour Sergeant ” Ben” would soon be up with the “All In Stew” that kept us going.

When we weren’t exercising, Field Firing and Range Work were the order of the day. The 200 square mile area of Senelager was our home for weeks at a time and Haltern was another favourite spot. It really made one appreciate how expensive it was to have a highly trained battalion and how difficult it was to be so committed particularly for families. I certainly used to pack my wife and daughter back home to UK for four weeks at a time when we were busy.

Notwithstanding the commitments we had a great time; sports , C Company ran the Army Ski Center at Winterburg one winter for three months, socialising with all the other Nations involved in N.A.T.O.; American, French, Belgian, Canadian, Dutch, Danish etc. We would travel far and wide even upto Odense in Denmark to form links and alliances. We weren’t big on Belgian rations whenever we had to join up with their troops I remember. On the parade ground we were as smart as ever when we received our new Colours from Field Marshal Franky Festing on Gallipoli Day 1961. Each year on this special day I used to receive a letter from a previous OC C Coy, Major Richard Willis V.C sending his best wishes to his old Gallipoli command.

As always it was the Fusiliers that added joy to life. Many friends were made in those years and I hope some still continue. Sergeant Joe Brooks who had been awarded the American Silver Star was a pillar of strength in the Company and Company Sergeant Major Harry Houghton kept us all together with his great sense of humour. Colour Sergeant Bennet’s recipies still feature in my family’life.

Busy and active days when we became a solid fighting unit in Rhine Army but fortunately our presence helped keep the peace and the Russians never came to test us.