In that Troop were Larry Lines, Al Hendrickson, Ronnie Gorrie, Al Inglis, Fin Farthing and then the fun started with raiding another troop and nicking their Yank flag as they had a Gunnery Sgt as their Tp Sgt. Trg was hard as we were all just 16/17 with some shit instructors and some very good ones. The bad ones gobbing off about how hard we will find it in Norway only to find out the knobs had never been....We finally passed out in March 1981 and most of us were told we were going to 42 Cdo RM. Which was about right, as we nearly all put in for 41 Cdo RM, not that they had long left but we didn’t know that then?

All I can remember of the first day was Ronnie Corrie and I both had the same Green Bomber Jackets, Jeans and boots on like we were going to a football match. We all went to some store as the Unit was not back from Norway yet and told to just get a grot and didn’t really do a lot else till the Unit got back. Larry and I were told we were going to K Company with a few others that passed out either just before or just after us like George Fowler and Bob Haddow. The first week also meant our first run ashore in Plymouth down the Street as it was known and still is today. Union Street was full of Pubs, Night Clubs, Scran holes and Gronks (very nice ladies). The route ashore was the standard 7.30 bus from Bickliegh to Plymouth. From K Coy grots you could see the bus as it passed Shaugh Prior so you knew you had time for a shit, shower and to get your civvys on. Then it was across the football pitch over the security fence (all 3 foot of it) and down to the bus stop. The bus did a dog leg near where the Airport is now and you could jump off and get a quick pint in the White Horse (I think that’s the name) and then get back on the bus. When it finally arrived in Guz you got off and headed for the Dodgy Oppo (The Good Companion), then down to the Eagle, Noah’s Ark, Long Bar, Two Twigs and then the rest of the Street.

The boys got back from Norway and then there was a bit of the old bullying by so called old sweats that had passed out a whole three months before us but because they had done Norway that made us Sprongs and them old sweats. It was at this time that one of the 3 Troop LCpls, Rick Wallace came up to me and asked for my name, I told him it was ‘Mne Williams CPL’ he said ‘fuck off its Rick and from now on your name will be ‘Bungy’. That stuck with me for the rest of time in the Royal Marines and hopefully will carry on in civvy street.

There were loads of personalities in K Coy in the early 1980’s, the OC was a Kloggy, the Sgt Maj was Ted Kelleen, and the RSM was Malcolm Harries. Larry and I were put in 3 Troop and Cpl Ginge Hammond was my section Cpl with LCpl Shep Sheppard as 2 ic. We soon settled into normal Unit life with runs every morning, rounds on Friday and a Sgt Maj that made sure we were always the first Coy out of the gate on Fridays.

The first big trip for us was only to Deal for a Unit Shooting package at Lydd and Hythe. It was good to get away and to get to everyone.