Publisher's Synopsis
This is a true and forthright account of my military service during a time in our nation's history commonly referred to as "The Cold War"I was eventually to serve for 22 years of my life. That time will stay with me forever. A career which was peppered with success, failure, elation and some total heartache. This is the story of the first 10 years of that lifeFirstly, I did not join Her Majesty's Armed Forces for the glamour or even to be a "hero in our time". I enlisted purely to get away from my home and work environment. At 18 years old I was 2 years into my apprenticeship with a company called Blaw Knox. The apprenticeship was as a plater/welder. It was hard graft but the money back in the early 1970's was amazing. Home life was a nightmare and to say I was unhappy as a teenager in the Hammond household would be putting it mildly. Life at home was pushing me further into total rebellion against my mother and led to me mixing with what can only be referred to as undesirable elements. I was getting too well acquainted with the local constabulary for several reasons.It is a story of how I changed over the years from a rebellious teenager to an adult responsible for family and work colleagues. It introduced me to system of class distinction that still brings a smile to my face even after so many years. This system can be described with the following explanation of married life in the Armed Forces of the time: There were 3 distinct categories of married women: "Officers and their Ladies, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers and their Wives, Airmen and their Women". I kid you not, this was true, and I wonder if the system is still used in the 21st Century.This is a story of my own personal failings and at times the failings of those I have worked with or worked for. However, it is not all doom and gloom. It is also the story of some of the finest human beings I have ever encountered. People who will always have a place in my heart and of whom I was proud to be associated with.It gives a glimpse of a wonderful woman who has tolerated my bouts of drunkenness, depression and downright nastiness along with my wholehearted love and affection. I hope it also gives an insight into the frailties of human beings and how we attempt to cope with the problems of just living. It shows how the loss of a child can have an emotional effect for the rest of your life.It proves how you can never plan your future in advance.I have named people who have had a massive influence on my life whether it is a positive effect or the total opposite. My opinions on these individuals are purely my personal opinions and may not be held by former comrades who have at some time encountered those named.Most of those named I think of with warmth and a brotherly love that only those who have served in Her Majesty's Armed Forces will understand. Those that had such a negative effect on my life are still remembered with animosity and dare I say "hatred". All royalties from this publication will be donated to the Royal Air Force Associations.
