GCYZ said:
Geoff_Wessex said:
Up until 1991 the local doctor in my village enjoyed all the benfits and perks of life as a doctor in the TA, though he managed to get out of most exercises and drills. So off we went to Iraq/Kuwait in 91 and there's a need for TA medical staff - and he was suddenly out of it, resigned commission etc.
There where actually Reservists called up in 2003 who claimed they didn't realise that being in the RNR meant they could be called up and go to war. We now have to tell every new entry during the joining interview that this might be a possiblity.
Like you and Geoff, I can remember this when I was in the RNXS on President in 1991. The navy in its wisdom had sought to recruit city workers earlier into the RNR, who we shared President with, and suddenly when the possibility of being called up arose there were people who claimed that they hadn't realised they were liable to call-up. To be fair, in many cases they thought the callout would only occur in a "real" war like one against the russkies, but still, they should have known better. The reality was, I suspect, that they would be giving up (temporarily) exceptionally well paid jobs for service pay! A culture shock greater than the Ganges Annexe perhaps? Then again, perhaps not. There were many RNXS'ers (mostly ex-RN) willing to go: those of us involved in NCS for example, but we weren't wanted. Admittedly several of us were not very mobile, but being on Comms duty in the Ops.Room is hardly ardious.
I must admit, I rather miss teleprinters and punched paper tape
Perhaps Commcen Whitehall might let me "in" during lunch hour at work to keep my TP skills up to form, though perhaps they don't have TPs today?
