Chapter 11

The next few months were occupied with unremitting feverish activity, as we got settled in at our new barracks and started on a new regime of training. 3RGJ had been upgraded to armoured infantry, and was being equipped with Warrior Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC). The Warrior carried 7 men and a crew of 3 —- driver, gunner, and a commander —- all members of the 10 man section that I commanded as corporal. Courses for drivers, gunners and commanders were held at Warminster.

I was on one of the first courses to be held for APC commanders, and arrived at Warminster on February the 1st. It's freezing bloody cold on Salisbury Plain in winter, but that apart I really enjoyed the course. I was missing Annalise like crazy, but at least the hectic training schedule didn't leave me much time to brood over her. After the course I was given a week's leave. I hadn't been home since before the Belfast deployment, and I hadn't had a shag since the night of leaving Annalise. To say I was horny and randy would be an understatement. I was ready to jump on a passing frog, if it had stopped hopping for long enough.

I wasn't holding hopes of any sexual shenanigans when I went home to see Miriam. Although we now were back in contact it would be some time yet, going on past experiences, before we attempted any groin to groin combat.
When I arrived at her house I found that the odious brother of hers was absent; that was the first piece of luck. The second piece of luck was that my mum had gone off on holiday with the latest uncle, and the house was vacant. The third piece of luck, and this was the best bit, Miriam was hot and horny and ready for love.
I spent my leave at my mother's house, mostly in bed -- and in Miriam.

She had lost a bit of weight and was nicely toned up, through working out in a gym twice a week. Her attainment of a diploma in business studies, and subsequent promotion to be assistant personnel manager at a local supermarket had increased Miriam's self-confidence. It had also increased her libido, judging by the amount of shagging we did; it was the most, and best, we had managed since our marriage.
We did it slow and sensuous; we did it hard, fast and frantic; we sixty-nined and we doggied. She even asked me to fuck her arse, using those words. The rear ending bit wasn't a complete success as she was too tense, and I was afraid of hurting her. Other than that it all went rather well; maybe not up to the standard I had received from Annalise or Francine, but 100% better than we had ever achieved before.

What had changed her? I didn't know, or care; at last I had a warm, wet and willing wife. I returned to barracks well pleased. There was now no need to look for a sex partner in Aldershot. Miriam would be eagerly waiting for me at home, and London was only an hour away by train.

I hadn't had much time to get to know the blokes of my new section, platoon or company, since being promoted. I'd got my corporal stripes on December 20th, and had flown back to UK on January 20th, then on the 1st of February on to a 4 week course at Warminster. It was early March before I had the opportunity to really make any sort of impression in my new surroundings.
The L/Cpl of my section was a good bloke, name of John Aytoe; naturally his regimental name was Spud. He had kept the section ticking over while I was on the Warminster course -— the lads selected for driver and gunner were also away for 4 weeks. One of the riflemen in my section, Arlow Jackson -— Jetex was his regimental name -— was from a West Indian background, and had felt that he had been overlooked for driving training on account of his colour. I didn't really think that there was any racial discrimination in the battalion; at least 25% were of mixed race or West Indian descent. Nevertheless I had a word with my platoon commander and he got Jetex -— named as he moved so fast -— onto the APC drivers' course. In due time Jetex became the section driver. He was a natural, the best in the company maybe even the battalion

The platoon commander was Lt. Charles Burroughs, known as Bunny. He was a competent officer and knew the job well, whereas the platoon sergeant was a bit of a dead leg. Johnny Law was a nice enough fellow but was into his last months of service, and wasn't really up to the job of whipping the platoon into shape for its new role of armoured infantry.
The platoon was lucky to have two first rate section commanders -— Allan Colcott, known as Wurzel, and Jim Beddoes, known as Yogi. I was still a novice as a section commander, and had much to learn.