Army Days

I too was stationed at Houndstone Camp (which I recall being told had been built as a temporary prisoner of war camp in the early 1940's. . . . !) back in 1967.
It used to be a lovely walk from the camp up through country lanes to The Carpenter's Arms, where it was always possible to get a refreshing half of 'rough' scrumpy and a pickled egg!
The walk into town was very pleasant too and I remember Yeovil having a bustling High Street with a main road (the A30?) running through. I've been back a couple of times and, initially, found a giant car park where the camp had been. More recently, all I could find was somewhere totally unrecognisable called "Houndstone Intustrial Estate".
Alas, one cannot stop the clock on progress no matter how fond the memories!

On joining the army in 1954 I also spent some time in Yeovil before being packed off to Aldershot. About three years ago I wrote an article for the Air Despatch Association magazine - 'The Open Door' which you may care too read?. In part It describes my time in Yeovil. If you are interested log into the Air Despatch Association site then click onto the Open Door and then Buller Barracks.
In the six weeks I spent in Yeovil I passed my driving test in a three ton lorry, and learnt how to overcome a hangover, local cider should have a health warning!! I seem to remember a helicopter development site opposite the barracks (possibly Westlane?)

Hi Ron, That would be Westlands. My grandad and uncle both worked there, i think its still going??

i to was at houndstone camp,the carpenters arms,referred to as chippys , we knew as scrumpys, we had many a happy night there , and their used to be a regular farmer with hands like shovels, and brighrt red face,he could knock the scrumpy out of the barrel ok, .the scrumpy was filled into very large barrels, it was the real mc coy,twigs,leaves an all,the new lads who got into his company invariably,got blind drunk and as a result would wet the bed,and pay for the cleaning next day ,they soon learnt to keep of the scrumpy anyways, it was great fun sneaking out of the camp and back in,there was some great lads.i was posted to duisburg w.germany i.actually was supposed to go with a roy millgate, a cockney who didnt make it with me, i bellieve he went awol i never heard or saw of him again , shame really for we got on really well ,another great lad john brown went with me .but went to a different squadron and then there was ray flowerdew another londone,r and a good laugh,really happy days,another surmame jollife, .all of us thought what a strange surname, i never saw him again either,id like to rerun to the times they were good,wonder what jolly jollife is doing now alex fletcher

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It would be interesting to know which was the last Regular Army unit to occupy Houndstone Camp before it closed down. I was sent there in 1969 to join 47th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery who were there in transit waiting to go to Hong Kong in early 1970. Many happy memories of a great place to be in Yeovil with the added delight of the British Legion dancehall in Preston Road!