Eddie Kettering – Pen Portrait
Service – 1950’s-1973?
Instrument – bass
Final Rank – Sergeant or Staff Sergeant?
Family – Unknown
Current Location – deceased (FTW)
A ‘Pen Portrait’ is hardly the right title. I don’t remember Eddie very well because he left the band shortly after I joined in 1973. At the time we were stationed in York Barracks, Munster. Eddie was a bass player, possibly a sergeant or staff sergeant at the time, and along with various other older members of the band, was one of those individuals whose service stretched into the past and to places that always sounded exotic, Benghazi was one I remember.
John McAvoy, Eddie Ketteringham, Laurie Payne (Bones)
Although I find it difficult to picture him, when I think back to days when I first joined the band, I can almost hear his voice. Eddie must have left the band before we departed for Cyprus in the Autumn of 1973, which means I must only have known him for a month or so. On this point, a number of older band members seem to have left shortly before our posting to Cyprus and UN service.
Eddie, is second from right
Eddie died in 2011 or perhaps 2010. (FTW)
© 努江虎 – 노강호 2012 Creative Commons Licence.
Keo Beer
I currently live in Daegu, South Korea, and recently my local supermarket, E-Mart, was selling imported beers, on of which was Keo beer, from Cyprus. Anyone posted to Cyprus under the United Nations will instantly recognise the distinct, yellow and blue can.
How did it taste after all these years? I have to say watery but possibly better than Korean beer which is notoriously boring. Perhaps my taste buds were influenced by nostalgia…
© 努江虎 – 노강호 2012 Creative Commons Licence.
Alan J. Scott (Pen Portrait)
‘AJ’ Scott probably deserves a punch on the nose but I have fond memories of him. He was the mastermind of numerous pranks played on younger, and more gullible band members and I was particularly susceptible. Even though his humour was quite cruel, I idolized him.
‘AJ’ Scott when he wasn’t terrorizing anyone (1974 Cyprus)
He was close friends with Dave Seeley, Bones, Ken Kane and Steve Eccles all of whom were probably around 8-10 years my senior and either lance corporals or corporals. I remember being invited to AJ’s house in Munster, accompanied by his ‘gang’ where they plied me me with alcohol and then told me some German women were shortly about to visit and that they didn’t like men in Y-fronts. They suggested I go into the bathroom and put them on back to front. Naturally, I did as they suggested. Later, they played some marching music and had me practice around the living room. I believe Taff Shipp may have been with us, he joined the band on the same day I did, 17th of September 1973, I believe, but after a couple of years at Junior Leaders, all gullibility had been removed.
They were up to something (Steve Eccles, AJ Scott and John Macavoy. Cyprus 1874)
I can’t even remember when ‘AJ’ left the band but I certainly missed him. I think I inherited some of his sense of humour. He was one of those ex-comrades who simply seemed to vanish off the face of the Earth. There were rumours he moved to the USA and I vaguely recall it may have been Seattle as I seemed to remember trawling phone directories for his name when I once visited there.
if only they’d known…
During Christmas 1974/75, Alan MacDonald, Robert Fox and Paul Kinley arrived in Cyprus and I was told ‘AJ’ had them ‘sign’ for cracks in the floor, creaking doors, and any cracks or chinks in windows.
© 林東哲 2011 Creative Commons Licence.
Elwood 5566 
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