Soldiers reunited for 25th anniversary

The men were either in the regular army or on national service when they were stationed at the Regimental Pay Office in Nee Soon, Singapore in the 1950s.

On Saturday around 100 descended on the Park Inn in West Bromwich for their 25th reunion.

The town always hosts the event because of its central location and members came from as far as Dundee, Hull and even Italy.

The unit operated from 1947 to 1960 and was responsible for military accounts throughout the Far East and payments to soldiers' families. Retired brewery area manager Frank Male from Netherton was one of only two Black Country men at the event. The 74-year-old of Lynbrook Close was on national service as a lance corporal from 1953 to 1955.

He said: "It was a fantastic time, I absolutely loved it. Our job was to make sure everybody got paid. Wherever there were British soldiers there needed to be an office."

A corporal's salary in those days was 10 guineas (£10.50) a week but while they were on the troop ship Mr Male and his young colleagues were given just 10 shillings (50p).

His life-long friend Frank Scott, aged 73, who travelled up from Kent, said: "We worked in the pay office but our currency on the ship was cigarettes. When we travelled out there it took 31 days. When Frank and I went back on the 50th anniversary of our arrival in Singapore in 2004 it took us 12 and a half hours."

Organiser Terry Atkinson served as a corporal in the regular Army from 1956 to 1958 and is now 72.

Mr Atkinson, of Broad Lane, Pelsall, Walsall, said: "We all just enjoyed reminiscing. It is heartening to know that friendships forged and the spirit of camaraderie still exists after so many years."

Author Leslie Thomas spent his national service with the pay corps from 1950 to 1952 and was involved in military action against communist rebels in Malaya.

His experiences inspired the novel The Virgin Soldiers, later made into a film starring Hywel Bennett.

Mr Atkinson said: "We were involved in internal security around the time of Malaysian independence. Fortunately we did not need to get involved very often but there were a number of student riots."

His unit were awarded the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal by the Malaysian government.

Mike Golding, aged 73, was from London originally but moved to Milan 46 years ago when he worked as an accountant.

He said he came back every two to three years for the reunion.

Reunions were originally started by people who served in the unit from 1955 to 1958 but as word spread, soldiers from other eras became interested. Organisers have so far traced 800 and are keen to hear from more.