Oswestry is a town in Shropshire, close to the border with Wales (Welsh name: Croesoswallt). In the UK census of 2021, the town had a population of 17,509.[1]
Links To Peel[]
Having been called up for National Service in 1957, Peel elected to join the Royal Artillery. He spent three months at the Park Hall Camp in Oswestry undertaking basic training:
"When I did my national service I did my basic training at Oswestry. I'm not sure whether there's even a camp there any longer. You know, I quite enjoyed it, in as far as it is possible to enjoy these things at all, which isn't eh it's not very enjoyable it must be said, there were certainly disagreeable aspects to it in large quantities, and large numbers. But the worst aspect of it was the fact that our, what do they call them, battery commanders or something like this anyway, second lieutenant, was going out with my stepsister at the time, who was a nurse at a hospital in Oswestry. And mine was the only name that he actually recognised, I was the only name that he knew, so whenever he was on the parade ground, he'd always shout at me, tell me to pick my feet up or whatever it is that people tell you to do under these circumstances. And I disliked him intensely, both as a kind of gunner which is what I was, he was a second lieutenant, but then when I went home at the weekends for leave, there he was as well, I couldn't get away from him. And of course he carried his second lieutenant-ishness into his relationship with me at home. He was a self-important ninny, frankly. And I hope he's listening to this programme. I've always dreamt that one of these days I'd be driving along, and I'll find him at the edge of the road, broken down, and pouring with rain, miles from anywhere, and I shall take a great deal of pleasure in just saying, 'well you know, sit it out pal! I'm not going to help you under any circumstances.'" (26 July 1992 (BFBS))
"I did my military service, or my basic training, in Oswestry under the auspices of a second lieutenant who at the time was going out with my step-sister Carol. When we were home on leave together, he still insisted that I called him sir. What a twat! Wonder where he is now?" (27 January 2004)
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