Lincoln, John (Oral history)

British NCO served with Royal Army Dental Corps in GB, British Cameroons and Germany, 1959-1981; served as welfare warden with Army Families and Welfare Service, Germany, 1981-1984

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Chester-le-Street, 1939-1958: social circumstances; education; effects of war, 1939-1945, including German air raids, rationing and VE Day street party, 8/5/1945; work and qualifications as bank clerk, 1955-1958; background to call up for national service with Royal Army Dental Corps, 9/1958. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during training at RADC Depot, Connaught Barracks, Aldershot, ca 9/1958-2/1959: train journey; reception. REEL 2 Continues: hut accommodation; reception and first meal; kitting out; hair cut; morning routine including personal hygiene and making bed; food rations; preparing for kit inspections; drill; NAAFI canteen breaks; PT and assault course. REEL 3 Continues: weapons training including rifle, Sterling sub-machine gun, Bren gun and bayonet; NBC and gas chamber training; camouflage training; first aid; lectures; preparing for lit and room inspections; relationship with recruits and instructors; question of regional accents. REEL 4 Continues: passing out parade; move into barrack rooms; trade training as dental clerk and operating room assistant including documentation, making dentures and crown preparations; general medical training; denture repairs; question of level of training. Period with No 3 Coy, Royal Army Medical Corps at Army Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Hindhead, 2/1959-8/1959: role in dental section; prior vaccination; nursing training and mass evacuation procedure; neighbouring army camps; 2nd class trade examination; background to signing on as regular; prior promotion to lance corporal. Period with Surgical Section, No 2 Bde Medical Coy, Mobile Army Service Hospital, RAMC, Seaton Barracks, Crown Hill, Plymouth, 8/1959-10/1959. REEL 5 Continues: organisation, role and composition of unit; field dental laboratory and surgery training; preparations for Africa service. Conditions during voyage aboard HMT Devonshire to British Cameroons, 10/1959. Recollections of period British Cameroons, 10/1959-4/1961: situation; landing from lighters; first impressions of Victoria and Tiko; move to base hospital at Buea; hut accommodation; acclimatisation of tropical climate; tropical kit; anti-malaria and mosquito precautions; duties as dental and medical orderly; training as radiographer and question of X-Ray precautions. REEL 6 Continues: air portable role using twin Pioneer Short Take off aircraft based at Mafie airfield including parachute training, nature of flights to out stations, visiting and treating African civilians at mission hospitals and introducing Africans to oral hygiene and toothbrushes; accommodation; food rations; state of health and prevalence of skin disorders; role accompanying patrols of 1st Bn, King's Own Scottish Borderers including weapons, nature of tropical rain forest an faunae and checking African civilians encountered; political situation. REEK 7 Continues: political situation, including destabilising effect of independence on African states and problems over imminent Nigeria independence; internal security role as buffer force; stories illustrating tensions with African civilians; communications; patrols in border areas; arrival of replacement unit; climate and diseases. Voyage aboard Devonshire to GB, 4/1961. Period at RADC Depot, Connaught Barracks, Aldershot, 4/1961: disbandment of independent brigade; leave. Period with Dental Protection Team, 32 Coy, RAMC, British Military Hospital, Singapore, 7/1961-3/1962: flight out; prevailing smell; nature of hospital; composition of DPT and division between camps; duties as operating theatre technician and on post operative ward; duties on detachment to medical stores at Tanglin Barracks and supplying British bases in Malaya; conditions of service; role of Malayan servants including laundry. REEL 8 Continues: role of Malayan servants including 'banjo' boys; role as garrison staff in policing canteens and clubs; question of visiting out of bounds area; visits to temple festivals; question of change of trade to hospital administrator and general duties; flight back to GB. Period as ration storeman at RADC Depot, Connaught Barracks, Aldershot, 1962-1964: course with Royal Army Service Corps and Army Catering Corps; stores system and army rations scale; role collecting and distributing stores; use of hand carts to move stores around barracks; selling kitchen swill to supplement rations form cash account; move to clothing stores; training courses in accommodation stores and clothing; illustrations of fiddles to gain extra supplies for unit; move as acting sergeant to Medical Stores; nature of sergeants' accommodation and mess. REEL 9 Continues: nature of military promotion course for sergeants; relative role of senior NCOs and officers; promotion to sergeant. Period as instructor of dental clerks at RADC Depot, Connaught Barracks, Aldershot, 1964-1967: nature f course; improvements in dental equipment, crowns, bridges and surgical techniques; marriage and question of married quarters. Period as administrator with Dental Dept, 35 Coy, RAMC, Benghazi, Libya, 1967-1968: gaining experience in hospital administration; relationship with Libyan workers; effects of Arab-Israeli War, 1967; restrictions on movements; process of withdrawal from hospital and presence of Communist Chinese observers to Libyan government; flight via Malta to GB. Period with No 1 Dental Group, Medical Directorate, Rheindahling, Munchen Gladbach and Pederborn, Germany, 1968-1971: first impressions; office duties; effect of separation form family for 18 months; move to Pederborn; relationship with German civilians; education of children. REEL 10 Period as company quartermaster sergeant of Medical Stores, No 6 Dental Group, RADC, Satan Camp, Chester, 1971-1974: area covered; duties; attending warrant officers' course. Period running central stores at RADC Depot, Connaught Barracks, Aldershot, 1974-1977: nature of posting; accountancy skills; problems in dealing with civilian contractors. Period as administrative warrant officer with No 8 Dental Group, RADC, Headquarters, Army Scotland, Edinburgh Castle, 1977-1981: role monitoring work of NHS contracted dentists; location of military dental centres; duties; budget cuts; application to for post in welfare on long service list, 1981. Period as Estate Warden, Army Families and Welfare Service, Pedderborn Barracks, Germany, 1981-1984: prior training as welfare counsellor; dealing with soldiers marital problems; liaison with padres and SAFA counsellors; importance of welfare role illustrated by Iraq War, 1991; problems with homesick wives. REEL 11 Continues: role administering married quarters estates; problems with damage to policy of charging for repairs; story of severe damage caused by fire in block of flats; question of unfaithful wives; enjoyment of army service. Period as estate warden at Headquarters, Army Scotland, Edinburgh Castle, 1994: duties; procedure on leaving army. Post-service career: initial difficulties in getting work; career as church warden; question of problems adjusting to civilian lifestyle; service as district officer with Sea Cadet Corps, 1995-2005; value of Sea Cadet experience for children; enjoyment of army service.