Author Topic: C/SGT H.M Hull (Malaya)  (Read 7929 times)

1/6th lanc fus

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C/SGT H.M Hull (Malaya)
« on: May 14, 2012, 06:18:46 PM »
Hi,
   I'm looking for information on 3525132 C/SGT H.M  Hull Loyals and Manchester Regiment,I have managed to find a photo of him in the book Jungle Bashers does anyone remember him any information greatly appriciated.

                          Mark

Offline rafboy

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Re: C/SGT H.M Hull (Malaya)
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2012, 11:17:40 AM »
Have you looked at the Forum section "Photos by Battalion"/ "Far East"
I'm sure George and Robert will be along shortly with some information for you.
Cliff
Cliff P Son of 3525679 Sgt Arthur Phillips 1st Bn Manchester Regiment and RAPC

Offline george.theshed197

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Re: C/SGT H.M Hull (Malaya)
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2012, 11:52:45 AM »
Hi there,
I have somewhat vague memories of 'Joe' HULL as I remember him in Berlin - now I am trying to rethink re dates, was it 1949/50 or after  Malaya. I tend to think in terms of the former as I remember him in associated with me  having joined  B Company from The Border Regiment in Wuppertal late November 1949.. The problem is age, a stroke last August and consequently some memory loss, give me time and something will register.
Perhaps if I try to find the photograph where you had recognised him in 'Jungle Bashers' I may get some help.
Anyway welcome to the forum.
Cheers,
George.

Offline george.theshed197

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Re: C/SGT H.M Hull (Malaya)
« Reply #3 on: May 15, 2012, 01:22:28 PM »
Slight improvement,
H.M. Hull I now remember as CSM D Company early days , I was transferred to D Coy along with Roy Pellowe to work under Lt. Carey as the S.E.P's ( surrendered Enemy Personal) i.e. former Terrorists who , as we used to say, 'Had Seen The Light, whom he had formed into a 'Q' type platoon. Namely we would go out 'dressed ' as terrorists to try to make contact with the real things. It was all in Roy and My opinion a very dodgy situation to begin with, however, after two dodgy and slightly hair-raising  contacts with local Polices Units we agreed to do away with the Khaki Drill  uniforms and go green again.
Then someone raised the idea of doing a water-borne patrol down the river Sunggie Perak ? first idea was  we would use such items we could scrounge from the Royal Marines etc ! that fell flat from phase one - no chance was the stern response from said unit. second idea - lets cadge one of the local fishiing boats. By this time Roy and myself were both considering requesting  further transfers however, The 'Boss 'got two  boats- to cut a long story very short indeed, we embarked, myself and one Lt. plus Cpl plus five S.E.P's with Roy and the other Cpl one Charlie Pickles plus the other 5 S.E.P's in the other craft; heading off into mid-stream which  everyone forgot to mention was at this time in FULL SPATE (it being Monsoon Time !!!) Next thing I now is a Tree Trunk is heading straight for us in boat 1 and was on us before we could do a thing Roy and boat 2 veered into our stern and tiller, base over apex went the boat and I can I remember heading for the bank dragging a Cpl who could not swim and was insisting on hanging on to the Bren he was responsible for. Boat 2 grounded on the shore and every one was saving every one else much to the amusement of the SEP's. Then weapon check showed that we were missing one Bren Mag so - the Boss, Roy, Myself and Charlie Pickes are using our toggle ropes as security lines and trying with out feet to feel where we thought it may have fallen - Fat Chance as we thought about it, that river was going like the clappers. End of patrol, a group of very angry natives haraunging Lt Carey.
Three days later I was out on a different patrol with a small section of five SEP's, came in to be advised by RSM 'ALF' Lomas " Don't know who you have upset at HQ George but you are being posted to the, what sounds like a b****y football team, called the Sarawak Rangers, leaving tomorrow at 9am from Tapah to Khota Barhu " .
I was on a Malay Language course following which I was to take over a Platoon of the New Regiment The Sarawak Rangers from Port Swettenham, Malacca and take them back to the Battalion, when we arrived back with the Bn at Tapah we were posted to C Coy so I had no further contact with D. Coy,
At least you can all laugh at this now but at the time it was not very funny - rule no ! made sure from that moment that  every Iban could swim - we had hundreds of deep rivers in that area.
Cheers,
George.

PS. The moral of this diatribe is obvious - make sure you use Sailors in future, merely to have paddled around on Platt Fields Park Lake is not good enough!!!
« Last Edit: May 16, 2012, 10:22:00 AM by george.theshed197 »

1/6th lanc fus

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Re: C/SGT H.M Hull (Malaya)
« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2012, 10:17:00 PM »
Thankyou George,
                        Are you the Sergeant at the end of the photo on page 95 if so did you know Charlie Marshall.

                   Mark

Offline george.theshed197

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Re: C/SGT H.M Hull (Malaya)
« Reply #5 on: May 16, 2012, 10:10:14 AM »
Morning Mark,
Yes I knew Charlie Marshall very well and no, that is not me on that page 95 photograph celebrating Christmas .
I had been returned to Uk November 1953 owing to some one in the Orderley Room discovering that my Overseas Time was up; "....never in the field of military postings  has  any one been moved so quickly..." to paraphrase a former statement made by Winston Churchill in his day. One day I was at Dublin Estate awaiting the Sarawak Rangers Platoon returning from the large exercise a couple of hours later I was flown to Seletar Airbase in Singapore and flown to Changi to board one of the civilian planes, my previous Emergency Passport from when I flew home when my father was dying June 3rd Coronation Day was still valid and someone was quick off the start' I was often very suspicious of the way that lot occured ?? However. Ours is not to query WHY.
Cheers,
George
« Last Edit: May 16, 2012, 12:05:40 PM by george.theshed197 »

Offline george.theshed197

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Re: C/SGT H.M Hull (Malaya)
« Reply #6 on: May 16, 2012, 06:32:20 PM »
Hi Mark,
 I'm curious - are you per chance related to Charlie Marshall?

Charlie died if I remember rightly at the end of April 1990 - so what is your connection then ?
George.

Offline george.theshed197

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Re: C/SGT H.M Hull (Malaya)
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2012, 07:28:04 PM »
Mark,
I had to stop and have a rethink because it dawned on me that there were very many changes occurred from about Sept 1952 when we went into retraining in Penang. There were many things about that photo page 95 which caused this change of heart - many of our first batches of NS men had gone home. various changes in Officers and Senior NCO's had also taken place and we had a lot of new Sgts amongst whom I spotted Ginger Fahey and (at that time - ) young Donohue whom I remember as being one of my Cpls at Kroh in earlier 1952.
I still have vague recollections of CSM Hull along with a couple of Officers possible the Brothers John and Peter Adcock up at Kroh which was in fact B Coy area - also possible Johnny Mulcahey who was one of the training team they used up in our area on occasions.
Thinking back also when Roy and I were with the SEP's as per previous story the CSM at that time was in fact CSM 'Tansy' Leigh plus an old Border Regiment friend of mine Bill Porter as C/Sgt.
I also noted that C/Sgt H,M Hull was at that time, Jan 1953, with C Coy so it may well be that I am confusing him mentally with  the CSM 'Joe' Hull as being the one in D Coy in July 1952 - if so my apologies, wrong pair.
Cheers,
George.
« Last Edit: May 17, 2012, 07:29:39 PM by george.theshed197 »