InYourArea Community

Cardiff remembered: Salt, cakes and cats taking the bacon – trials of an army cook

Author Brian Lee writes a weekly history and nostalgia column for the South Wales Echo.

Saffron Jenkins

Saffron Jenkins, InYourArea Community

— 3 min read
Share
Cardiff remembered: Salt, cakes and cats taking the bacon – trials of an army cook

Pictured is Brian Lee.

Written by Brian Lee

More than 60 years ago now and, like many other Cardiffians, I received my National Service call-up papers.

“It will make a man of you,” said my father, who had served in World War Two.

Despite never even having boiled an egg before, for some reason or other they put me in the Army Catering Corps, and I received a railway warrant telling me to report to Aldershot.

So, for the next two years or so, I became 23092843 Private Lee.

On the Aldershot parade ground, on the very first day, the chap marching behind me kept kicking my heels so I turned round and punched him.

We ending up on the ground and it was only the fact that it was our first day that we got away without being charged.

FB-GROUPS-Image-Link-for-Articles-999

When at Blandford Forum one day, we were at the camp’s running track when the CO asked: “Have we any half-milers here today?” Straight away I held up an arm, and he shouted out: “Well, run the halfmile back to my office and pick up the stopwatch I left on my desk.” I suppose I had the last laugh, though, as I won the 880-yard time trial.

Later I was stationed at REME Warminster.

After I had made some rock cakes, the duty officer took one bite and said: “Who is responsible for this abortion?” I owned up and he replied: “We have craftsmen here who can work to a millionth of an inch and you turn out this rubbish.”

He added: “Well, if the worst comes to the worst we can use them as ammunition.”

On another occasion, I made porridge in a huge boiler for breakfast.

I thought I heard the cook sergeant say: “Put a ham-bowl full of salt in.” What he really said was “a handful”.

Not even the Scotsmen ate their porridge that morning!

Then there was the time I put a dozen trays of beef in the ovens and forgot all about them. They were burned to a cinder and I had to open tins of corned beef instead.

Once when I was on breakfast duty I laid out rows of sausages and slices of bacon in trays the night before to save time in the morning. The trouble was all the camp cats managed to get into the cook house during the night and ate the lot.

But there were recruits who were even more incompetent than me. We were at Bisley for the annual shooting competition and I asked one of the other cooks to hard boil 100 eggs for a salad. Later when I looked to see how my boiled potatoes were doing I was amazed to find 100 eggs swimming along with them.

However, one thing I was proud of was my brown stew. A lot of the servicemen would ask at meal times: “Did Taffy Lee make it?” If I had they would have it. Believe it or not, I ended up in the officers’ mess working alongside a civilian chef.

As for the army making a man of me, well, it certainly made a cook of me – eventually.

  • Please send your pictures and stories to Brian Lee, Cardiff Remember, South Wales Echo, Six Park Street, Cardiff, CF10 1XR
  • or email brianlee4@virginmedia.com
  • If sending a letter, please include your phone number.

Get all the latest news, updates, things to do and more from Cardiff's dedicated InYourArea feed

Read more