My Favourite Postings by Tony Bowdler
I joined Her Majesty’s Forces in 1954. After my pre-service interview at RMP Shrewsbury, (Nescliffe) I was given my shilling and travel warrant and made my way to Woking, Surrey.
It was a lovely sunny July day when as a regular direct enlistment I entered the gates of Inkerman Barracks, home of the Royal Military Police Depot and Training Establishment.
Five months later I was asked where I would like to be posted. My brother had been to the Far East with REME so I applied for Hong Kong and my request was accepted.
January 1955 I was posted to 3 Div Pro Coy, at Calvary Barracks, Colchester. Most of lads there were just back from Egypt and Trieste. Whilst in 3 Div I did exercises in Thetford PTA and patrols in Ipswich, Bury-St-Edmunds and Clacton-on-Sea and lots of convoy escort duties. 156 Pro Coy also based in Colchester was responsible for local police duties.
After about five months I was told I could apply for a Hong Kong posting. I did, and my application was accepted (again)!
Off to the depot, to be kitted out, then to London’s Warren Street underground transit depot.
In July 1955, twelve months after joining RMP I took off from Heathrow Airport, en route Hong Kong.
One of the plane’s two piston engines was giving the pilot a few problems and to enable us to get to Singapore we landed and stayed a while in Rome, Nicosia, Bahrain, Karachi, New Delhi, Calcutta and Bangkok.
As the plane was decommissioned in Singapore, I went to Nee Soon transit camp to await the next troop ship for Hong Kong. After a few days at Nee Soon the garrison commander told me I was frightening the troops and I must go to the RMP unit and wait there. I immediately thought – super, forget Hong Kong, 200 Pro Coy Singapore suits me fine.
The next day I boarded the train for Kuala Lumpur. The OC of Malaya Command Provost Unit was not expecting me. I told him not to worry as I was simply waiting for transport to Hong Kong – (apparently his laughter could be heard by 17 Gurkha Div Pro Coy in Johore Bahru!)
I was just getting used to the climate and being in Kuala Lumpur, a lovely city, when I was told to go to the newly formed 28 Commonwealth Brigade Provost Unit, based in Penang, an island off the west coast of Malaya. Those that had been around for a while told me menacingly, it was a godforsaken place and a punishment posting!
The island of Penang was, and still is, a lovely place (I have been back several times).
Whilst in 28 Bde I did several detachment tours to the Cameron Islands, Ipoh, Taiping and Butterworth. They even dragged me into the jungle a couple of times.
In June 1958, after three years in the Far East I was asked where I would like to be posted next. I asked for a London posting and went to London Dist Pro Coy, Church Street, Kensington.
After a couple of days in London and all set to enjoy all that goes on in the big city, I was sent to Colchester to escort a convoy of troops to Blandford, Dorset. Upon my return to London I was given a travel warrant, in three languages, and off I went to ALFCE Pro Coy Fontainebleau (a beautiful Chateau town south of Paris)