Have you heard how 'Buller' Cartwright is these days?

He and I nearly got court-martialled once when we were on exercise. He was my driver and we were waiting to move location and then it was put back. Buller suggested that we go to a pub he knew for something to eat. When we got to the pub a wedding party was in progress. Before we knew it we were pulled into the group and had to dance with all the old ladies. I was dressed in that one piece tank suit and DMS boots.

By the time we could bale out we were both glowing. We did manage to get back before the move but were incapable of doing anything. Some how we managed to cover up. Fortunately for us, I think it was Noddy Needham's first exercise as O.C. so he was a little unsure of things.



John Walker
Nov, 2005

L/Cpl (Later Cpl) Len Cartwright is one of the people I hope to hear from, but haven't yet, as he had a veritable locker full of stories and he had justifiably earned his nickname of 'Buller'. When I first arrived in Dortmund as a sprog 18-year-old Craftsman Len was one of two NCOs in the MT office, and was assigned to teach me how to drive in a 3-ton Bedford 4x4 RL.

We started on a Monday morning and on Wednesday I had to practice 'rough terrain' in the far corner of the camp near where the old Luftwaffe calibration target ranges used to be. Len had misjudged the weather, and the terrain wasn't so much rough as it was wet and soggy, and it wasn't long before the Bedford's axles were buried deep in mud. I had to walk back to the Wksp MT office and get Reg Elsey to pull it out with the Scammel. The remainder of that day's driving instruction consisted of me learning how to wash mud and grass off the intricacies of a Bedford's underbelly.



John Walker
March, 2006

I see a notice has been posted fairly recently on an MSN group for ex-Recce Mechs indicating that Len passed away several years ago.

John Walker
July, 2010

I have just received a message from 79-year-old Len himself, hotly disputing the facts as reported in the MSN Newsgroup.
Glad to hear you're still with us Len!!