Hi Ian.

My name is Ron Hackett, I was in 327 squad, a national serviceman who decided to sign on at the age of 17 and a half for the extra year, for the magnificent sum of ten bob extra in wages, I think.

I arrived at the D and TE, Woking in October 1952, and on pass-out in 1953 was susequently posted to BAOR, arriving at Bad Oyenhausen, before eventually arriving in 1 (BR) Corps. Do I remember Major Crombie, RSM Davies and Sgt. Sieboth!!!!

Yes, I experienced the 'sin-spots' of Bad Rothenfelde, the frozen fountain at Ripon Barracks, chasing SOXMIS vehicles around the country, the Soviet boundary, exercises in the bush on a motor bike, visiting Bad Harzburg, Hameln and Hanover, being bollocked so many times by RSM Davies, being charged for some minor infringement by Sgt.Sieboth, but I was certainly a very immature "just 18 years old" nitwit, straight out of his mother's arms!

I recall my first patrol, a call-out to a fight in a German Gaststatte*, jumping out on arrival, dashing in, being knocked to the ground by a Canadian, finding no one behind me, walking out whilst the fight raged, walking back rather dazed and bleeding to the patrol vehicle where the sergeant and driver were still sitting quite at ease. The sergeant smiled and said, "Right L/Cpl. Hackett, you have just learned your first lesson. In future, you will sit in the vehicle with us upon arrival and wait until they have all punched the shit out of each other, before moving in...."! I still have the scar from that incident.

RSM Davies told me to do a courtesy road patrol to try to reduce the road toll. I stopped an army vehicle and after asking permission from a guy in civies in the back, described in graphic detail the terrors of that particular road to the driver. Weeks later I was summoned to the RSM who told me that the guy in the back was the local Divisional Commander who had ordered that I be promoted to corporal. The RSM said, "I know it's not your fault but we have to promote you, you bloody twit, so watch yourself"! What a way to get a second stripe!

After being posted to Hanover for a short while I was then sent back to Bielefeld. There I met my wife of 50 years-Erika. When I returned to the UK for discharge in 1955, I took Erika with me.

Re-enlisting in 1960, I was in squad 783. After passing out I spent some time with 20 Armoured Brigade, BAOR and the DTE Woking as an Instructor. Then HQ SIB(UK), SIB Det.Salisbury, SIB Singapore for Borneo and Malaya, SIB Aldershot and SIB Bielefeld.

Transferring from BAOR I helped set up the SIB HQ in Australia in 1971 as a sergeant with Jock Mamock and Bob Giddings on exchange duty. I did a quick tour of Viet-Nam and went through the ranks to RSM. I was then commissioned and ended up as OC SIB New South Wales. I was also Commandant of the bloody Tri-Service Prison.



I was offered a job by the Australian Federal Government in 1982 as Director of Investigations for Medicare, chasing crooked doctors and pharmacists with about forty all states investigators, who were ripping off the system. Doctors/Phamacists I mean, not the investigators! I took it and then spent a few years in Fraud Control Consultancy to State and Federal Statutary Authorities.

In 1994 I retired and since then I have lived in Ulladulla, on the couth coast of New South Wales. I have three children and four grand-children.

I frequently see my old 1952 Squad Instructor, Ernie Greaves, who lives in Bowral, New South Wales. He is still hale and hearty, and correspond with some old friends from those early days as well as many from later years, in UK.

Ron Hackett.

Sunday, August 25th 2002.

*Ian's comments:If I remember correctly this was a club of ill-repute in Bielefeld. We had many complaints from squaddies having their cameras and watches taken because they had been short of Marks ans BAFS. It was illegal for the club to take BAFS, but they did. On this occasion we sped back to the stores and grabbed a large hammer, long nails and an OOB sign. I had great pleasure in banging the 6" nails through the club's lovely carved oak door-that fixed 'em!