Junior Leaders' Regiment, Royal Signals, 1957-1960
By Larry Collins
Royal Signals Junior Leaders photographed at Denbury Camp, in Devon, c 1958. Larry Collins is on the right.
The first three months were the hardest. We were confined to camp and our civilian clothes were parcelled up before
being sent home. Kit inspections were almost daily affairs and it was not unusual for the recruits to get up in
the early hours and lay out their kit in regimented order on the bed and then, once this was completed, sleep the
remainder of the time on the floor prior to the heralding of reveille by the bugle boy.
The belt brasses, brass buttons, collar badges, cap badge and side buttons, had to be cleaned everyday along with
the bulling of boots and chinstrap. Webbing, once cleaned, was neatly folded and placed in a pre-ordained position
on top of the locker. In total, including webbing, two service dress uniforms and a greatcoat there were 52 pieces
of brass to clean. In 1959 stay-bright buttons and badges were introduced, much to the relief of many of us.
Civilian clothes, allowed once you had passed-out of the recruit troop, were confined to two ties, two shirts,
a pullover, two pairs of trousers and one jacket. The bottom of the trousers, in those Teddy Boy days, were measured
and not allowed to be less than fifteen inches in width - 'drainpipe trousers' not permitted!
The First World War-style service dress serge uniforms were abrasive to the skin and uncomfortable to wear and
the peaked caps made your head sweat. Most boys would insert a three inch ruler inside the hat above the peak to
enhance its shape and make the badge stand 'proud'. Some boys would even attempt to 'slash' the peak and fold it
down so as to resemble a guardsman's. This was not a permissible practice and anyone caught doing this was punished.
Time was spent doing sport, PT, camping and hill walking, shooting and signal training and drill. The latter included
foot drill, rifle drill, cane drill and sword drill, and there were also, besides the regular regimental parades,
drill competitions. In truth, it has to be admitted that far too much time was spent on the drill square.
Dr Larry Collins is now a military historian with a number of publications to his name, including books on the
cadet forces in wartime.
http://www.theatre2cadets.co.uk/