“To foster and keep alive the comrade spirit of all those who served at Langeleben.”

The Listening Post The Newsletter of the Langeleben Reunion Branch, Royal Signals Association

Issue No: 28 June 2017

Going so far: Tim and Sally Inshaw

Rod and Eileen Goddard Charlie and Jud Charlesworth

Chris Jones Farmer Vaughan

Bob Weeks John Holt

John Evans Dennis Weir

Chris and Gloria Baines Daz Middleton

Steve Rofe Ian (Jock) Stirling John Chudleigh

Tom and Helen Neal Gail Baldwin Dave Garner Jeff Thomas

Harvey Grainger Robbie McCallum

Bob Kay Ron Mason Peter Hailey

Chalky and Ann White

Graham Goddard & Karen Worby Peter Jones, Teresa Jones, John Jones

Brian Turnbull & Bernice Turnbull Philip Hobson, Annabelle Hobson, George Hobson,

Estelle Hobson Amanda Humphries, Spencer Humphries, Frances

Humphries Stuart McLeod

Ken Vipond Denis & Joyce Parr

Jim and Erika Husband John Rosson

Nigel Butler + 1 Mike and Pip Shail

Kevin Bamforth John (Jim) Hardy Geoffrey Hardy

David Clay Peter and& Margaret Blackhall

Ian Curtis Mike and Elvira Sposito, Christopher Sposito, Lucie

Sposito, Jacob Sposito Peter Ellis

Stephen Lawrence + 1 Brian Cowling (Sam) Lawrence Sterland

Photo left: by

Jim Hilton

Taken June 2017

The Listening Post June 2017 No. 28 Page 2

Secretary’s report We hope this report finds everyone fit and well as we look forward to our 24th Reunion and AGM at the Avalon Hotelpark, Königslutter over the period Friday 25th – Monday 28th August 2017. As you can see on the front page of this newsletter to date 72 people have registered their intention to attend and for those of you with computer access the list can be found on the website: http://www.langeleben.co.uk/. I am again including all the details of the reunion in this edition of the Listening Post as I believe a few members have had problems accessing the last edition, please let Marlene our editor know if this is the case and we can see if this can be resolved for you.

Single Bedrooms including Breakfast - €65 per

room per night.

Double Bedrooms including Breakfast - €85 per room per night. Family Bedrooms (3 occupants) including Break-fast – from €95 per room per night. Family Bedrooms (4 occupants) including Break-fast - from €105 per room per night. For those of you who may want to stay for a longer

period, the same price per room conditions are avail-

able.

The above prices have been negotiated for us with the

hotel. Bookings made after 11th August may be

charged at the normal higher prices. When booking it

would be preferable if you could use the booking

form on our Website and respond by email but if

not then by post please.

To:

Charlie Charlesworth

42 Hollins Lane

Hampsthwaite

Harrogate

HG3 2EG

Please do not send any money with your booking; you

will be responsible for your own room account on checkout. The hotel will accept all major credit and debit cards, (MasterCard, Visa, etc) or, of course, you can pay in cash. Discounted Beer vouchers can be purchased at the

Avalon Hotelpark reception. Any vouchers not used

can be handed back for a full refund.

The reunion features our get-together in the hotel bar (Friday evening), AGM (Saturday morning), evening function at the town‘s Schützenfest (Saturday evening), Schützenfest parade (Sunday afternoon) after which will be free time to eat in the hotel or visit a local hostelry, the hotel restaurant will provide a full a la cart menu and pizzas are available at the bar. The final get-together with raffle for Branch funds will be held in the hotel bar/courtyard from 19.30ish – do please make every effort to attend. Tickets for the Saturday evening function of the

Schützenfest are expected to cost in the region of €15

which will include a voucher to purchase the traditional

Festplatte (cold meat platter), or alternatively €5 for a

snack. Please indicate your choice on the booking

form.

Please think about bringing a raffle prize if at all possible to help boost our funds. John Richardson, ―our man in Königslutter,‖ has been busy negotiating with the Avalon Hotel and liaising with the Schűtzenfest Committee and we are greatly indebted to him for all that he does for us. Thank you John.

Welcome We welcome two new members since our last edition: William (Bill) Russell served in Langeleben 1959 Andrew Ernest Snowden served Langeleben 1980-83 Sadly there were two members who passed away: John Gant (1960-61) Peter Todd (1980-84) and have been added to the Last Post list. - RIP Charlie Charlesworth (Secretary)

APOLOGY In our last issue we mentioned that we had

received notification of Alan Caine’s passing from his daughter. We have since learned that notification had

come from Alan’s wife Sandi Caine-Williams

The Listening Post June 2017 No. 28 Page 3

Message from our Chairman I must confess, that during last years AGM, when we decided to hold suc-cessive AGMs in Königslutter, I was concerned that there would be a short-age of attendees at this years meeting. How foolish was that, so far there has been an excellent response. I think our weekend of fes-tivities in Königslutter is just fantastic. We are so lucky to have such a fantastic venue to come together and celebrate our friendship. I am aware that some of you have already met our President, Tim and his delightful wife Sally. However, for the majority of you this will be your first opportunity to give them a warm welcome into our unique family unit. I am also confident that they will be in need of a guiding hand for their first sortie into the Schűtzenfest beer tent. This will also be the first opportunity for Robbie McCallum, our Standard Bearer to lead us when we parade through the streets of Königslutter.

Please spare a thought for John, Charlie and Jud, juggling away in the background trying to keep every-one happy. We all know how difficult that can be. Please be assured that all committee members are doing their level best to ensure, as in previous years, that our weekend is successful and enjoyable for all. Looking forward to catching up with you all. Rod Goddard

I attended a meeting at the Eastbourne Royal Signals Assn. where Pam Elliot was awarded an Honorary Life Vice President. During the evening I had a long conversation with her and thought it would be a nice tribute to her to tell part of her history. Pam was called up into the A.T.S. In early 1943 and was selected for special training she was posted to the Isle of Man where she trained for 6 months and passed out with the title of Operator Special, when she left Douglas her next posting was Forest Moor and various post-ings including some D.F. work she then moved on to Beau Manor where she spent the rest of her service, being demobbed in1946. Pam loved her time in Loughborough

and still talks of her happy days there .she was a set room Corporal and was asso-ciated with Bletchley Park and proudly wears her Bletchley badge, she can still read at 25 w.p.m. I was fortunate to attend a luncheon at Bletchley as her guest on one occasion. During her time at Beau Manor her maiden name was Pam Watkinson and she would love to hear from anyone who may remember her but as she is now in her 90s it is a long shot; one name she remembers is Sgt Tommy Atkins so perhaps members of his family are still around. Tommy was mainly at Forest Moor. Pam still keeps up to date with current Royal Signals events and has accepted the title of Spec. op.and says all the best to everyone in the Corps. Ernie Robertson.

Message from member Rod Courtney — Can anyone help? Rod received an email from a Stefanie Gruhn which reads: ‗I´m looking for Mr. David Whatley from London. He was a friend to my parents and stationed in Langeleben by Helmstedt (Germany) in the fifties. He was born in the thirties and he returned to London to work in a bank after his deployment in Germany. Do you know him maybe? Thanks for your help‘ stefanie.gruhn@t-online.de

Cartoon by Clive Inman

The Listening Post June 2017 No. 28 Page 4

IMPORTANT

If you received this newsletter from a volunteer buddy, please do let him know it has been received so we are aware you are well and are also happy to continue

to receive it.

Your memories and photos are welcomed (and much needed) for future newsletters. Without articles there can

be no Listening Post. Any articles already received will appear in future copies, we are very grateful to

you for sending them in.

Editor Marlene Brooks.

167 Fold Croft, Harlow CM20 1SL Telephone : 01279 862960

Or email to: langelebennews@yahoo.co.uk

Telephone: 01279 862960

THANK YOU A special thank you to

those volunteer ‘buddies’ among us who agreed to add a

further issue per year printing and sending to those of us with no

computer access assuring all members of as up to date news as possible within the

association.

Here is a Photo found from my earlier times in Langy, Exercise Crusader 1980 Other faces I remember but names escape me. Geoff Cromack

Committee Members President: Tim Inshaw Vice President: Rodney Goddard Chairman: Rodney Goddard Treasurer: John Rosson Secretary: Charlie and Jud Charlesworth Assistant Secretary (UK): Richard Pickup Assistant Secretary (DE): John Richardson Our new Standard Bearer this year will be: Robbie McCallum

Footnote: Some members have had problems with getting into our official forum for members only linked to the website. Please do contact me if this is a problem, usually the problems are easily rectified. Marlene Brooks—Forum Admin