As I didn’t have much to do, just kit, piquet and await call-forward for travel to my new unit, it was at the RASC Depot I made a major discovery. If you appear to be ‘legally’ busy, everyone will probably leave you alone. I did this by observing, in passing as it were, a corporal on the Depot’s permanent staff who was always to be seen with a millboard under his left arm, marching briskly hither and thither, always smart, occasionally saluting officers he passed and calling out a snappy, “Good Morning (or Afternoon), Sir!” I noticed the NCO, a well fed specimen, traversing the barracks from top to bottom and from one side of the barracks to the other.

On 4 March 1957, I formed up with my full kit, and friends, on the Bordon railway platform that served the barracks, ready to move onwards and upwards. The ancient ‘Bordon Bullet’, a special train used only for trooping, huffed and puffed as we 100 or so RASC soldiers from Depot RASC and 20 or 30 from the nearby REME centre, embarked, all moving on to North West European postings. Just before the ‘Bullet’ arrived, I saw the NCO (of the millboard) standing smartly by the platform gate. I casually asked what he was doing and he admitted he’d been at the Depot for over a year but had never been given a job. As an ambition free regular, he was quite happy everyone thought he belonged to someone else, so he was bothered by no one. He did Guard Commander and Fire Piquet NCO occasionally and was on the Acquittance Rolls so drew his weekly pay but had no responsibilities. In an Army 330,000 strong, he had managed to disappear.

My second visit: I was posted from HQ BAOR to the Far East and, on 18 March 1958, reported to Depot RASC for a two week visit. I was a member of 15-man Draft DEUJO, a mixed bunch of RASC (Water Transport, Clerks, Donkey Wallahs, MT Drivers, Petroleum Operators) heading for Hong Kong. The Depot had us all doing extraordinary things to the Far Eastern kit we’d been given, including ironing it into 9” x 9” squares, but special attention was paid to ensure I didn’t waste my time as I performed one 24-hr guard duty and two 24-hour fire piquets.

On 31 March 1958, Draft DEUJO entrained on the Bordon Bullet along with a crowd of others, RASC and REME, and headed for Southampton where we embarked on Her Majesty’s Troop Transport Empire Fowey. I couldn’t help noticing at the Depot the corporal who’d succeeded in becoming ‘invisible’ had indeed disappeared. They must have finally caught up with him.

My third visit: I was posted from the Far East to the War Office and on 4 June 1961 my disembarkation leave (taken in London) ended. As I was posted to the War Box, I had report to Depot RASC so on 5 June 1961 travelled from London to Hampshire, checked in to the Depot, had lunch, tea, a night’s kip and breakfast. Then, having achieved nothing else, on 6 June I travelled back to West London to report to the Camp Commandant, War Office, a 15 minutes walk from my parents’ flat where, as the Camp Commandant knew, I’d spent my leave. Because of such waste are Defence Cuts made.

Under Ye Olde Rulles, I would have been at Depot RASC, and suffered the usual nonsense, for my 4th visit in March 1964, after I’d finished at the War Office and before flying to Hong Kong for another tour of duty. Luckily by then The New Rules had been introduced and the Depot, as a transit camp between Home and Overseas, and Overseas and Home, had been phased out. (I didn’t know then, of course, but in July 1965 the RASC itself would be phased out and its work taken on by various other Corps, including the newly formed Royal Corps of Transport. I was proud to be a third generation RASCal, however, so this made me a bit miffed and I’m sure Depot RASC had a hand in it.)