Page 21 - Flaming Cauldron – Issue 59

ACC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

squash and backgammon! We enjoyed each other’s
company; they took me out in the evening, and
I cooked egg banjos for them when we got back
to the Mess at whatever time of night/morning. I
recall that having been at Arborfield for maybe a
couple of years there was a good deal of interest
by the REME in getting young Private Vincent
to apply for a commission. The ACC duly sent me
off to the Regular Commissions Board (RCB) at
Westbury where I spectacularly failed. The experi-
ence was rather new to me, to say the least, and
whilst I may have shown some ‘officer potential’
obviously I wasn’t ready to actually be one!
As a result, to give me some ‘real world expe-
rience’, I was posted to Northern Ireland for
6 months where I joined 3 different units (Royal
Engineers, Cavalry and Infantry) serving in Belfast,
Castlederg and Londonderry, most of the time
I operated as an Infantry Soldier. This was an
interesting tour, I benefitted from the experience
and was rather flattered that an Infantry Regiment
with whom I was attached, invited me to join them,
should I become commissioned. By this time, I had
been promoted to Lance Corporal some 3 years
A young aspiring kart after leaving College, early promotion my eye!
racer pictured for the To complete my experience before having another
Bucks Herald 1973
go at RCB, I joined the Royal Corps of Transport’s
enthusiasm, significantly. By this time, I had been (RCT) Potential Officer Candidate (POC) Troop
a butcher’s boy on Saturdays and during school at Buller Barracks. We did a lot of general soldier-
holidays and I also enjoyed the Army Cadets. ing, fitness, studied current affairs and many other
When it came to leaving school at 16, it was per- developmental activities, I must confess I had an
haps no great surprise that I followed my parent’s
advice to aim for a good career with a good trade
and I will never want for work; so, I joined the
Army Apprentice’s College ACC as an apprentice
chef in September 1971.
My service records might show that I enjoyed
most of my time at the College, with the exception
of one particular session at a pub in North Camp
with the senior squad when I was Junior Lance
Corporal. Anyway, I made the most of my time at
the College and enjoyed the band, canoeing, skiing,
adventure training and, as it turned out, I was a
reasonable chef and soldier. Having kept my nose
fairly clean, I was delighted to reach Apprentice
RSM and looked forward to my first posting to
the REME Apprentices College at Arborfield,
where the ACC could, so they said, keep an eye on
my progress. I had heard that previous apprentice
RSMs received accelerated promotion to Lance
Corporal once in adult service, so I was looking
forward to my elevation following a lengthy stint
in the veg department of the main kitchen feeding
1,200 hungry young soldiers! However, either I
was wrong, or the system had changed so no early
promotion for me. However, I was selected to be
one of just two chefs in the Officers’ Mess and had
the privilege and pleasure of not just working but
also living in the Mess. The members were very APP/RSM Vincent
wondering what to do
kind and taught me a lot including how to play
with a No.1 Burner

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