I was a member of 16 Sqn between from 1964 and 1965, I worked in the Sqn Office.
The OC was Major RG Sfakianos (Nick the Greek) and then Major FR Beringer, the 2IC was Capt N Goodall then WT Dennison. The Admin Officer was Lt KF Bryan then DC Revins. SSM Jamison. Chief Clerk Sgt Hunter. Other clerks were Paddy Quinn, Paddy O'Neill (and his brother).
I have photographs of 16 Sqn on First Parade and preparing for an Admin Parade.
I have snaps of drinking in the Snake Pit (NAAFI canteen). For a while I worked in 2 Div Engineers as a clerk and then in 43 Fd Pk Sqn across the square.
I have a copy of the German Police notice when they were looking for a murderer (Lesley Grantham serving with the Royal Fusiliers), and various papers to do with an Osnabruck Garrison Open Day on 21 May 1966.
I then left for Singapore late 196. I have also written up my memoirs (for the family) on my time in Germany. Does anyone remember Sgt Donald the RP Sergeant? Me? I'm ex-23981301 Sapper Jim Parker, Give me a call, Jim ---------------------------- "Aucto splendore resugo"
Jim Parker Machine Gun Corps Research
My website is: www.machinegun.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk Click on "down load the MGC Pack" There are 17 pages, it'll take time to arrive. IT'S WORTH WAITING FOR! Machine Gun Corps Enquiries

I was with 16 from May 1960 to Nov 1962, with a 6 or 7 month spell at SME Chatham for my Surveyor Engineering training. From Novemberish 1961 I was Orderley Corporal , taking over from Cpl Maurice Jones (NS). I started out under SSM Vickerman (aka Cyclops) and Major R.E. Graham R.E., and left when Major Sfakianos was i/c. Capt. Stibbon (ex Engineer in Chief )was one of our troop officers.
I recognise a few faces on the photo of the Sqn in 1961. In the bottom left are Mike Allman (NS from Cleveden), "Ginger" MacClellon (NS from Pately Bridge) and Paul Jackson (Reg from Leeds) . I think I am top left (with the specs). Sgt Doig (chief clerk) is also down on the left. I might recognise a few more but the quality of the picture on my machine is quite poor. I left the Squadron in November 1962 in what I consider to be one of the worst career moves I have ever made.
After a few stiff gins in the corporal's mess followed by inumerable beers down at the "Oxo Cube", I took on the challenge of getting a discharge from the army in order to contest a parliamentary bye-election. I contested an election at Chippenham 3 weeks after my discharge. I had joined the Engineers to see the world and be a surveyor. All I saw was Germany, and I only surveyed 1 forest.
But I missed the Corps and have had the best part of a lifetime to regret my smart-arsed move. If I hadn't been Orderley Corporal I wouldn't have had access to Queen's Regs. Who knows, John Stibbon and I might have risen to high command together?
Philip Naylor 23742489 L/Cpl (Retd.)
Hello Derek
I was a Sapper in 16 FD SQN RE, from November 1988 until December 1991. Thank you for providing a site about 16 sqn, I have good memories of being there and it was great to see some of the past history of the squadron that I hadn't seen before. I turned up when I was 17 straight out of Gibraltar Barracks, but having been a Junior Leader from Dover it was commonly regarded that you had to be "moulded" into shape by the blokes already there. I was then taken to the Winkel and educated! I believe the three years there were some of the best of my life so far and am still in contact with quite a few of the blokes mates for life. After serving with 16 I also was in 4 Sqn, 5 Sqn and 20 Sqn, but the years at 16 Sqn are the most vivid.
Thanks for doing the site, will look in again. Regards,
Hello Dave
Thanks for your email about 16 Sqn. Nice to hear from anyone associated with the Squadron. The most frequent observation I get is that things were never the same after leaving 16 Sqn. Your comments about your introduction to the Winkel struck a chord as they were similar to my own. I looked on the Web last year and found very little about 16 Sqn, what a shame I thought all those great times consigned to the dustbin of history. Glad to see my small contribution making some amends. If you have any pictures from your era that you would like on the site please let me know - still bags of room for expansion. Met up with a couple of Ex 16 lads a few weeks ago, and reminisced big time. Memories were still very vivid of our time in 16, and some of the characters. Sorry about my tardy reply - that's just me.
REgards Derek
Derek,
Not sure we ever met at 16 but I was there from Jan 75 until April 79 when I bought out. I went to 16 after leaving Cove and Chepstow where I did C&J was in group 72C A Company I was at the anniversary in 75 it was good..from what I can remember........LOL This is really good!!! I was in 1 troop and do still have a lot of pictures from when we were in: - Canada summer 75 Canada summer 76
Belfast as infantry in 77 We had a summer off in 78 I think I taught skiing for the last 2 winters of my time winter 77/78 with PT Corps and 78/79 for the Regiment Good times......Great piss up's......... I would love to hear from my time in the Squadron.
Regards to all ex 16,
John Allsop

Hi Derek
You wont know me . You where just born when I was in the R E s. I started my 1st posting in Long Marston. Then to Korea and finished my time with 16 Fld Sqd in Cyprus = 35 Fld Engineer Regt.
Speak to you again sometime
Ex Sapper Ken (Taff Craven)

Hi Derek,
This might refresh memories for some of the older members of 16 Sqn. For me 16 Sqn was my school of soldiering, we were on Ex nonstop, we had a foe, and after spending 8 months on Xmas Island it taught me to be a soldier. I completed a cadre, worked as a member of a Field section, also as SQMS Cpl, attended a B1 and B2 and Sigs course, but it was good. We worked hard , played hard, drank very hard, but we were always there next day. Our annual excursions bridge building at bridge camp Hameln, introduced me to the place I eventually settled down, and where I will probably die one of these days. You are doing a good job with your site. Keep up the good work. George Jago ---------------------

hi
Jim flynn I was a member of the sqn from nov 71 until after the belfast tour then I joined 59 CDO

Hi Mate,
I suppose I can call you a mate seeind as I was in 3 troop. Lot of those names on the list bring back some memories, of the good nights in the Squadron bar all week end after happy hour. Seem to remember having to down pints of drink with cockroaches. Nes boys sat in the middle of the bar room with a crate to get though. Geordie Stafford rings a bell with that one. Got some photo's whick I can send but of course they are mainly "THE" 3 Troop clan. I also had the misfortune of returning to Osnatraze to 39 Sqn when 16 Sqn moved across the Square. Good luck with the site. Jim Savage 16 Sqn 3 Troop Mar 70 - Sep 73

Hi Derek
It's Keith (Tich) Maughan I was in 3 troop 1973 -75 just had a look at your web site and it brought back some memories. I live at Whitley Bay Tyne & Wear and work for a company called BKE which is apart of the Mowlem group as a Senior Contract Engineer my mobile No is 0780 3263 240 if you or anybody who can remember me wants a chat REgards Tich

Derek hi
Thanks for your note. I was in 16 from Oct73 - Mar77 and really loved it. I was in 1 troop until we returnrd from NI in Nov 74 and spent the remainder of my time in MT troop as BCA Lee's (our OC) driver. I moved on at the same time as he did. Life after 16 was never the same. The years I spent there were so happy, with some great guys. I bought myself out on return to the UK. Its sad the squadron was disbanded. I was there for the 150th anniversary and a few years ago it would have been 175. I tried to get a reunion going for that Birthday but it never came off. I will visit the site. Maybe find some more old mates. So when were you there. sorry but can't recall your name. Which is odd as the nature of my job with BCA and the fact that I taught German driving familarisation I knew everybody in the Squadron. Do you remember me then? REgards for now Steve

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Hi Derek,
Thanks for the copy of op banner article,I think the writer is being a bit creative with his writing and memory. I was Mick the Nicks Driver and he wasn't on patrol with us the night we caught Sean Flynn. It was a sapper called Titch Minham and another sapper called Lofty ? both attaached to HQ from 37 Sqn. We caught Flynn near Short Strand he was with another guy (who we were told later by Intelligence later was Gerry Adams) as we were checking them out Flynn, he made a break and was brought down by Titch, as he was being arrested the other guy disappeared. John Ginge Bradley was attached to the Regt,but was not stationed at Mountpottinger,in fact I have copies of emails from me and Willie Lawrence (37 sqn) telling him the story. Willie was the 1st one from the REGT to fire a shot in anger and Mick gave him a hard time claiming he had an accidental discharge as he never hit the gunman. Hope this puts the record straight, also the story about the refuse truck is a fabrication, when we chased it the Kids hit a house and ran off to the Newtownards rd. The truck had to scrapped and the house demolished and lofty and myself got a severe bollicking for chasing the yobs and leaving the landrover and the PR officer on his own. I think Ginge has pinched everybodys stories from the tour and included himself.
Regards Andy

Hi Everyone
Op Banner Article from Britains Small Wars Website:-
A Tough Year Belfast 1972 John Bradley 23rd Engineer Regiment
We called it the 'tour of double duty' the day we arrived as the advance party. We knew we were in trouble when asked to travel with a search team that had found some old WW1 grenades under some floor boards and wanted help disposing of them. We stayed at various places from a school, a church, the Short Strand Bus Depot and Mount Pottinger Police Station, which was our HQ. The best accommodation was the triple bunks of good old HMS Maidstone docked in Belfast harbor. They removed the internees and put our troop in their place for the last 2 months of our stay; must admit the navy cooks were brilliant. 1972 was a tough year and I think the most bloodiest of the conflict. We had several bombs to contend with and dozens of shootings but we only lost one man in 7 months. Not bad for a bunch of 'engineers' playing soldier, as we were known. Our only loss was a fine chap named Banks, a staff sergeant with 16 Sqn, while out on the final patrol cleaning the streets up at 23.45 hrs just before a so called ceasefire deadline. His job was to make sure all patrols were off the street and got topped himself! I was in the Short Strand Bus Depot at the time and had just been pulled in with some chaps from another regiment who had been caught on the wrong side of town. There were about 150 of us in that bus garage when a single shot rang out; you could have heard a pin drop. The buzz on the radio started and then we heard that Banks had got hit and it was bad! The tension was unbearable and many, many lads wanted to get back out into the streets to exact revenge. We got dressed down by our RSM, Mick Turner. He made us all strip off our flack jackets and helmets as a sign of good faith and held us all in that depot until daylight before being allowed back to our bunks on Maidstone. Needless to say the political side of things were deemed more important than Malcome Banks life. Another more memorable night was when I was out on patrol with the RSM and I spotted a guy on the most wanted list by the name a Sean Flynn going into a pub called the Britannia Bar (since blown up). Some brigadier gave me a pat on the back for that when we got back to Osnabruck. I got some laurel leaf for my GSM, but didn't think much of it at the time and it was kind of fun. It was always fun being out with 'Mick the Nick', as we called him. Mick Turner was our RSM and he was of Irish decent but hated the' Micks'. He would get a couple of we poor lads at night to go with him into the back alleys and wait for curfew dodgers. Most of these were just screwing other guy's wives but we arrested them anyway; lots of night patrol fun. No-Go areas, and the night that they started was without a doubt the most hectic of the tour, as tartan gangs and civilians on both sides started to riot and turn over cars, lorries, milk carts, and rubbish trucks - you name it. They used them to block off streets, and we were ordered to stop any activity on a main road (I don't remember the name of) but Colonel Cholerton himself gave us the order to make sure nobody blocks this street! So Cpl. Taff Phillips took charge and when a group of rioters took a rubbish truck and started driving down our road he ordered me to stop it and seize it before they could tip it over. From about 50 yards away Taff and Sammy Salmon fired their rubber bullets at about 100 teenagers, and there I was with SLR and all the gear hanging off charging down the street towards those kids. To my surprise they started running away! It was like a scene out of 'Star Wars' when Han Solo chased the storm troopers until they realized that he was all alone. I was 50 yards down the street, screaming my head off, when the mob turned towards me and started back in my direction. Without even thinking I jumped into the rubbish truck front seat, there was a red light on the dash and I pushed the button - screw me if the engine didn't start in gear no less. Shocked, I grabbed the steering wheel and wrenched on it to drive the truck out of harm's way with bricks and bottles flying all over the place. I drove it off down the street and Taff and Sammy hung onto the sides with over 100 angry kids chasing us. It was a blast I can tell you. We pulled up and about faced, got out every rubber bullet we could muster, called for support on the radio and started to blast away. Fortunately, we had some 'penny assisted bullets' and that seemed to do the trick although we didn't like using them on the Protestant 'Micks'. Colonel Cholerton came to the scene and thanked us and told us to give the truck back to the city blokes. Can you believe it? After all that we handed over the truck and they gave it right back to the frickin kids! I was pissed off for days over that.
John Bradley

Derek hi again
I am completly GOB SMACKED. Ive just logged on to your site and I'm amazed at the faces and names I know. Ginge Vickory, one of by best mates, Pete Halcrow...seem to remember a round went through the sleeve of his jacket while working in Old Derry in 74. I am in contact with Dave Turner through the JLRREA. Can give you a number if you like or i'll tell him myself. Got heaps of photos from the era. Some really good ones. Demark March 74. Ballykelly 74. Bridge camp Hamlen 75. Fort Carson Colorado 75. Many others. Have you a contacts list and do you want some more names for your list?
you've made my day mate. REgards Steve

Hello George
Thanks for your email. What a great picture of 16 Sqn, just the sort I was hoping for when I started the site. I've put it on the site, and added your name to the 16 Sqn roll call. When I first went on the web, and searched for 16 Sqn, there didn't seem to be much info, so resolved to learn a bit of HTML and give it a go. Replies such as yours make it all worthwhile. Are you in contact with anyone from your 16 Sqn days?.
REgards Derek


Hi Pete you are right it was 10.10.78 when I saw you briefly when your sqn was lucky enough to be taking over from us at Dillon. That must have been a fun winter tour for you. I last saw Paddy Holmes as a sapper in Ripon he'd just been busted for something or other. He did tell me that if he had been under 25 it would'nt have happened, so guessed he might have been working as a Taxi driver. I also saw Stodge in Ripon Guardhouse, he was a guest as he'd been awol. By the way the title of that pic is "The section hard targeting at Magilligan" can't remember the name of the POM though. You'll remember Steve Hodge, Cliff Cook, Ginge Vickery never saw them again after I left 16. Tours at Ripon were a bit more exotic, and managed a six month one to Kenya which was nice (this is a fine example of understatement). Don't worry you'll soon pick up all you need to know about email and stuff. Sorry my original email was a bit short, but I've been sending off emails and not getting many replies. The one to you failed first time cos I put lc instead of 1c, but got there in the end. I'd love to see the pics you've got, bring back memories of the good old days and even the bad old days. Will sign off for now, don't work too hard. Best wishes to Rose and everybody at your pad.
Derek