John I just read your post and I notice that you were stationed in Williamstown RAAF base, you weren't by any chance there in November 1963? the reason I ask I served in the 1st Batt RUR and we were sent on manoeuvres to OZ for 6 weeks and we landed in above base and from there to Singleton Training camp by trucks, Phew!! who knows I might even have spoken to you.
No mate, I didn't get to Williamtown until March 1965 but in my time there I do recall British Army Units arriving to participate in various combined exercises; they mainly came from Hong Kong as the military ranges in Hong Kong were not large enough to take long range artillery fire.
I have a few beers with a retired RUR bloke at our local RSL Club (Returned Services League) but he would have served in the 1980's which I guess would have been well after your time.
In your day the British Army had lots of local county regiments and heaps of overseas postings but alas no more and many of those regiments no longer exist; for example many of the Irish, English, Scottish and Welsh Regiments have been disbanded leaving only one infantry regiment for each country.
As a boy in Northern Ireland when visiting relations who lived near the Palace Barracks in Holywood I would take an interest in the names of infantry regiments who would rotate and I was fascinated by some of the names, one I remember was the Sherwood Foresters.
Best thing I ever done was joining the Australian Defence Force and it has stood me in good stead over the years.
Cheers for now.
