Title
Reflections on National Service
Subject
National Service
Description
Geoff Fenn reflects on the pros and cons of National Service
Creator
East Midlands Oral History Archive
Source
Interview with Geoff Fenn in the East Midlands Oral History Archive. Uncatalogued.
Publisher
East Midlands Oral History Archive
Date
1950s
Contributor
East Midlands Oral History Archive
Rights
You may use this item in accordance with the licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/uk/
Format
.mp3
Language
English
Type
Oral history
Original Format
.wav
Duration
2 min 45 sec
Bit Rate/Frequency
128kbps
Transcription
I think it was a good thing because initially it did teach you some discipline. Because prior to that, alright, you got very close to the line at times, when you hadn't joined up, to doing things as a lad. But then it taught you some discipline and it taught you to look after your mate or the man that's standing at the side of you. That was instilled into you that you did care for the person that's at the side of you.
Did that carry through into civilian life with your generation or is that stretching it a bit?
No, I think it did carry on from there, because once you'd been used to it for nearly two years, you didn't lose it. Alright, it perhaps wasn't so much, but you didn't completely lose it. You were still there to help somebody at some time. You would be there to do that. And you would still have the way of mixing with all people as opposed to just your clique. You were then, you were still mixed with other people and you'd get in and mix with them. That was the way of life. I think the downside was being away from your original family of which you had as a family life. The sudden change, that went with a big chop. It wasn't a gradual change. You changed from being a family and a family life to just something completely different. And when you first joined up, I think you went about eight weeks before you got any leave. So, it was quite a while before you actually got back. to your family and initially people took it in different ways. Some sailed through, others really struggled, which then set you slowly on the way of helping by trying to pull those people round.
Did that carry through into civilian life with your generation or is that stretching it a bit?
No, I think it did carry on from there, because once you'd been used to it for nearly two years, you didn't lose it. Alright, it perhaps wasn't so much, but you didn't completely lose it. You were still there to help somebody at some time. You would be there to do that. And you would still have the way of mixing with all people as opposed to just your clique. You were then, you were still mixed with other people and you'd get in and mix with them. That was the way of life. I think the downside was being away from your original family of which you had as a family life. The sudden change, that went with a big chop. It wasn't a gradual change. You changed from being a family and a family life to just something completely different. And when you first joined up, I think you went about eight weeks before you got any leave. So, it was quite a while before you actually got back. to your family and initially people took it in different ways. Some sailed through, others really struggled, which then set you slowly on the way of helping by trying to pull those people round.
Interviewer
Colin Hyde
Interviewee
Geoff Fenn
Location
Interviewee's home address
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