This is sad news indeed. I was one of ‘Drummies Boys’, he was both my Pln Sgt in Body Pln as well as the Drum Major for the Corps of Drums. He and the Pln Comd Captain L C Fullilove [known to us boys of course as Elsie] kept a strict but benevolent eye on us. I remember the very first time [there are always some things along with your army number you never forget] I met him, well to say met makes it sound a social occasion which I can assure you all even now some 43 years later it was not. It was January 1965 I had passed out from recruits in December 64 been home for Christmas leave and was reporting now to join my platoon. As I entered the block, mattress, blankets, suitcase and kitbag festooned upon my person, I bumped into a small chap in the corridor, I said to this figure “Sorry mate, its f*****g chaos here, what f*****g room are we in”..........................it was about half a nanosecond later that my world exploded. In 25 years service I can honestly say I only ever received three full blown, expertly delivered, no expense spared rollicking and that was the first one. Drummie was a kind man, he was approachable, and he always listened. I have mentioned elsewhere on these forums that I was not the best Jnr Ldr, in fact I possibly came in the lower 2% I was that bad, the fact that I survived those early years almost intact to go on and make a career for myself and enjoy Army life was solely due to Drummie King and ‘Elsie’ Fullilove. There is one phase to the life of Drummie that only a very few who were ‘Body Boys’ at that time knew about, I know some are here, one is my friend Paul Swainson. Even all these years later I will still not tell the story but Paul and the others who are in the know will nod knowingly and smile when I mention....................Portsmouth. I was fortunate to meet Drummie again. It was 1986 when during Public Duties at Winsor Castle we were all based at Deepcut. It was a Sunday Families Curry Lunch event at the Sgts Mess. I was sitting at the bar talking to someone or other and the conversation turned to people we had served with or we knew but had never met again. How or why I mentioned Drummies name I don’t know but someone said “Oh Drummie is here”, and sure enough he was. I went over and introduced myself to him, I explained who I was and that I had been one of his ‘Bangers and Blowers’ [as he often referred to us] all those years before. Of course he did not remember me [I did not expect him to] but we did have a good long chat about those times in Jnrs, I bought him a beer and I thanked him for what he [and Elise] had done for me [and all those hundreds of other boys]. He asked me what I was doing and when I told him I was a CSM at 15 Bn Donnington and here for Public Duties, he looked at me nodded and said “Good Lad”, we shook hands and I left him to his beer and lunch. I am saddened to learn of his passing
Peter Fellowes on RAOConLine, 2oth. February 2008
Any details, memories or photographs that you may have would be most welcome.