| Archive for Langeleben Internet forum for Langeleben Reunion Members. |
| marleneandgypo |
Christmas in LangelebenHi everyoneKen's greeting here reminded me of Christmas in Langeleben and I wondered how it was for all of you. I know how it was in 1969 but a lot of you were there years before me or Clive so I would love to hear your experiences if you are willing to share some memories. For me I remember it well. Most of the photos I took were taken around that time: http://www.langeleben.co.uk/gallery_pages/camp/1967_91.htm It was 20-25 degrees below freezing and in the photo of me peeking out of the NAAFI billet you can see how high it got. I had to be dug out of there. those lads would do anything to get a good cup of tea! 
I should have been going to Bad Lippspringe but I was having such a good time that I cried off 'sick' and stayed where I was. Some lads went home but a lot stayed on the camp and we had a great time. Just before the festive season the men gathered together in the NAAFI behind closed doors to do whatever it was they were traditionally doing at that time of the year (Gypo says his lips are sealed). I think it must have been a sort of show like in Aint Half Hot Mum but I'll never know as no one will tell me. It was so different there than anywhere else I have ever lived, a real camaraderie and there are times I would love to go back to that Christmas and live it all over again. Gypo on the other hand experienced Christmas there in a more evolving way as he was there for 6 years, but I bet for all of us the snow was prominent. he said he remembers supplies having to be dropped by helicopter one time, was it like that for you as well? Marlene |
||
| Tom Neal |
Just thought I would chip in as no one has responded so far.
Towards the end of 56 I left Langeleben to go to Dannenberg and just before Christmas the site was flooded and we had to move to Luneberg and ended up in what had been a Lufftewaffe Barracks. The resident troops at the time were the Ist Battalion East Lancs and we had one floor of one of there accommodation blocks. They had a signals detachment with them and when we met in the NAAFI they could not understand what we were doing there and of course we did not tell them. Our DF Hut was in the middle of the airfield and normally it took about fifteen minutes to get from our accommodation to get to the hut. Just before Christmas I was relieved at midnight and it had been snowing most of the day so when I left the hut I started out on what I thought was the right direction but it was two hours later before I found the accommodation block. I have learned since then to carry a compass. Tom |
||
| paul croxson |
Tom, is the triple posting of your Christmas story a valiant effort on your part to increase the use of the Forum or an attempt to catch me up?
have you noted my well deserved promotion by the way. My only Langeleben Christmas was 1955 and my sister returned the letters that I had sent her leading up to the Day. Reading them ..... Building that sledge was the big event it appeared. I also wrote at some length (how sad) at the efforts I had to make to change the two pound notes (her present to me) into a useable currency, either dmarks ot those BAFVs. It was the equal, by the way to a week's pay in those days. A very generous present from someone who was a medical student in London on a Surrey Major grant Shortly after that we had a big scare when the Russians closed down the Autobahn and all signal traffic grew enormously and I think there were numerous frequency changes. I claimed to have been on'watch' for 54 hours during the emergency. It appears that the snow came after Christmas in any quantity. Certainly it was one of the better Christmases in my life. Not too difficult to achieve! |
||
| shorep |
 Spent one chrimbo at Scharf and one at Langeleben,both the business,the Langeleben affair had the senior ncos and orficers waiting on and a fine spread from the geordie cook sgt and his gang and later in the naafi and copious amounts of wolters/charlies/becks.All marred by the fact that Hudson and Mooney could not reach their cash reserves!!.
|
||
| ken wilford |
My First Christmas at LangelebenMy first posting as a siggy in Oct 1967 to Langeleben meant that as a sprog I would be on shift most of Xmas however, did manage to get out into the snow with fellow rookie Corky (Phil Cork). Cost of Tea was 30 pfg cost of dram of whiskey was 25 pfg. Decisions.Visited Kleines, Sports Klause, Deutsche Haus, and Amptsgericht, mostly in that order on weekends. Good Times. ken |
||
| marleneandgypo |
Re: My First Christmas at LangelebenHi KenWelcome! You must have been at Langleben when Gypo and I were there with those dates. Have a look at the photo gallery and see if you recognise us: http://www.langeleben.co.uk/gallery_pages/camp/1967_91.htm Regards Marlene
|
||
| ken wilford |
Christmas In LangelebenMarlene,Yes I do remember both of you and I played some soccer in the team with Gypo. I was postie from 1968 (Jan - Jun) was also the assistant Mouflon Major to Ernie. I was with Tony Lockyer(who lives locally) when he took the photos of the Mouflon. regards ken |
||
| marleneandgypo |
Re: Christmas In LangelebenI must have seen you play then Ken as I used to go on some of the away games. Minden was one as I recall. I do remember going to a match in Königslutter and after the traditional exchange of a bunch of flowers between captains I was given our bunch but one of the married lads (who will main nameless) snuck off with them and gave them to his wife.I am sure I remember you coming into the NAAFI kitchen with the post as well. Happy Christmas Marlene
|
||
| David Thomas |
Hi Guys, Marlene asked about Christmases at Langeleben. I was luckier than most, I had three there, ‘63, ‘64 & ‘65. It’s funny but I can’t remember any one specifically, but I can recall various incidents that for me epitomise the spirit of Langeleben. Firstly, I know that apart from the first year, had I wanted to, I could have asked to have Christmas (or New Year) at home, but very consciously I opted to spend them at Langeleben, knowing full well I would have a much better time among friends overseas. I can vaguely remember each block having their own bar, some people getting maudlin in their cups, but then didn’t we all at some time or another? I remember going from a Christmas dinner in the cookhouse, to the Squadron bar with us all standing about like spare whatsits at a wedding, until Lofty Turner ordered first one round of spirits to be downed in one, quickly followed by another; Maj. Hayes got the next one in, and after that it all went quickly down hill. I’ve already told you about the Christmas dance with the invitation to the nurses from Brunschwieg which didn’t go according to plan, but that’s life. Shorep mentioned that singlies did the Christmas shifts so the Pads could have Christmas day with their families. To some extent I think this was true, but I don’t remember it being an imposition, I think that it was more us doing them a favour, which they then returned. Somehow it was arranged that every single soldier spending Christmas in camp had a Christmas dinner with one or other of the Pads. I can’t see that ever happening in a larger unit, it just wouldn’t be possible. New Year was always spent off site, sometimes in Lelm, sometimes in Koningslutter. We celebrated the German Near Year at midnight then followed an hour later with the UK New Year. The Germans didn’t mind, and even seemed to join in just as enthusiastically. All the best. Dave T. | ||
| Tom Neal |
Hi Dave,
Just to comment on having single lads to a Christmas Dinner not being possible in a larger unit. One year at 13 Signal Regt Helen and myself had 18 lads of my Troop to Christmas Dinner although due to lack of space we had to have two sittings but they were all there at the same time, and they got a Chrsitmas present. Tom |
||
| Mike Hudson |
Christmas in LangelebenDewi, my Hanham Hulk, I have to totally agree that like you I cannot remember 'owt about my Christmas times in Langeleben. The only thing I can say with certainty is that I would have been on shift. I am not a lover of Christmas and always volunteered to work shifts over Christmas and the New Year.In hindsight I can remember less of Langeleben than I can of either Scharfoldendorf or Birgelen. The camp, the rooms, the telephone exchange, the Moufflon, the Kinema, the ' Swimming Pool ' and personnel I can remember to an extent but not with the clarity of t'other two. Ken Wilford and Phil Cork I can recall, Phil was in the same billet as myself. Certain things I can remember with almost a crystal clarity but what would be classed as the important things are a blur. Given a reminder I could probably(?) drag something from the bowels of my memory, or would it be the memory of my bowels? I am at a loss to know why a posting I loved should have so little to show in my memory. I blame Shoreland, it must have been the Sgts Mess Whisky Pharticus Incontinentus the Dribbler |
||
| kerby |
Dear Old, Fat, Grey & Grumpy, and all old Comrades, Like our former comrade, I cannot remember the details of times spent at Langeleben over Christmas Time. I, as previously mentioned, gave up a Home leave over Christmas 1955, and cannot remember a single event from the time I spent over Christmas 1955. It must have been the Gala. I do know that I had a most enjoyable time with all my colleagues of that period. Pete Ellis, Bob Wells and Ithink there ws a guy called Paul Croxson or something like that. I think we built a reindeer. One's memory gets a little bit clogged as time goes by. Good luck to all, Keith | ||
| paul croxson |
Happy New Year Keith,
I would have thought that every second of our time together would have been etched in your memory for ever! Ah well, another disappointment. I think we drove the sledge around on St Nicholas not Christmas. I can vaguely remember the 3 officers serving something but was it breakfast or lunch (also known as 'DINNER') The other thing to remember was that we were ALL working to cover those who were on leave SO WE MUST HAVE EATEN IN SHIFTS. I have my letters that I wrote and there were no earth shattering events mentioned so it was just work and beer - nothing changes! We did have a VERY big scare in the New Year I do recall, the Autobahn was closed and there was a lot of traffic. Before I forget ... And a very Happy New Year to you too Mr H |
||
| David Thomas |
Oi Kerby, Why did you have to mention the reindeer? Of Paul's 600 odd posthing on the site, at least half must have been about the blasted reindeer. I had hoped that we could have got through the festive season without a rehash of Rudolf et al. But no Kerby has to set him off. We could have had a poem from Petal, a salutation from Shorep, or even a twirl from MisterBee, but no we got the reindeer story again. Still, it's nice to see the site active again, Happy New Year to you all. All the best. Dave T | ||
| Bob Wells |
Hi
Does anyone remember Russ Jones or Les Wilson? It was these two characters who were responsible for me missing my Christmas dinner way back in 1954. We were supposed to be on the morning shift but somehow we managed to find ourselves in the nearby guest house where I consumed more than I should have done and as a result ended up being carried back to camp. Bob Wells 1954- 1959 |
||
| Mike Hudson |
Christmas in LangelebenOy, Shorep, sorry to wake you up from your slumbers. Is this the same Bob Wells that was held in high esteem by such undeserving Plebians such as thee and me. I know we were circa 10 in 1954 but then he was a few steps above us in the ranking chain. Let's face it, he couldn't have been lower unless he was a 2nd Lieutant.Incidentally, I know they were not Langeleben but does anyone have a contact address for either Geordie and Maureen Goddard,or 'Splash' Waterman? Pharticus Incontinentus the Dribbler 
|
||
| paul croxson |
Mike, your mention of 2nd Lieutenants reminded me that, when speaking to an 'ex' one last week whilst touting for contributions to the 'History', he asked my rank. Proudly I announced, (standing metaphorically to attention) "Lance-corporal - I Corps, Sir"
"You don't sound like a lance corporal* to me" was his bewildering response. Its not surprising is it, that, after 50 years, I have lost some of that sophisticated veneer that I acquired so painfully in Langeleben. One is tempted to say "Some Mothers do 'ave them" * I have since learned that lance corporals are said to sound rather like the mating call of the female shitehawk during the mating season |
||