Military service

The recent VE 80th anniversary celebrations brought memories back of Denzil Sharp’s military service.

Denzil, who was born in 1931 and whose full name is Richard Robert Denzil Sharp is a proud Welshman who can speak the language and in 1952 he was called up to do his national military service.

He did six weeks basic training in Bransford, Dorset, before a spell at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire and then in Manorbier in Pembrokeshire after six months.

Denzil met lots of people from various parts of society and as qualified carpenter/cabinet maker, he would do general wood repairs to the army’s requirements.

This included repairing wooden aeroplanes and fitting Irish linen to them as the fabric was used to cover the wooden frames of planes, providing a rigid and taut surface that contributed to their strength and stability.

Denzil was paid fifty shillings a week and all accommodation and food was covered as part of his service.

One of the funny stories he told his family was about a lad who came from Cardiff and was watching the lady soldiers whilst being trained on a Bren gun and the sergeant noticed that he was not taking any notice so called him up to strip and reassemble the gun.  He did this with no difficulty whatsoever.  When asked how he knew how to do this, he actually said that it was his job in civilian street to make them!

And a sad story he told was when a soldier was killed after a shell in a Beaufort gun got stuck and exploded in the gun.