32 Engr Regt

Dear Gordon,

I was National Service 1952 to 1954. Started at 9 Trg Regt RE at Farnborough, changed to 3 Trg Regt RE at Cove, Farnborough. Then posted to Perham Down near Tidworth.

My service was spent at 32 Asslt Engr Regt RE at Perham Down in 1952 or 1953. Perham Down is listed on the web site but not my regiment which was 32 Asslt Engr Regt., so I can’t put it in my details properly. Maybe you don’t go back that far, and I doubt if there are any more sappers of my era involved with this web site anyway, but it would be good to know. When I last looked for any details (I’ve been using the internet since it started) there was no web site mentioning where I served at all. This was at the time of the Korean war and some of my friends were posted and I lost touch with them.

After National Service we had to do three years reserve which included a fortnight’s camp every summer at Marchwood near Southampton, but I only did one year because I joined a reserved occupation in civvy street and was discharged from the army and had to send all my kit back. This was at the time of the Suez Crisis and I had at that time already been called up to go out there from Marchwood before my service was terminated.

I have of course Googled Perham Down and it has all gone – now civilian housing estate, etc. What a shame after all those memories! There were two parts to Perham Down but our regiment used the whole thing and we had tanks and heavy vehicles too. Also a separate firing range, extensive married quarters and two large officers quarters, one of them for the Royal Artillery whose other ranks were at a different site.

You are probably not interested, but I’m attaching photos showing me in my office job and also as guard commander.

My First Name is Leonard but I never use it; I entered it correctly in case you want to check the name against official records. I put my second name, Paul, as nickname because that is the name that everyone always uses.

Best wishes,

Paul Myerson (Corporal, RE, Retired)