22 and the Draad Spanne

Buffel on Demolitions Range

During 2nd phase a selection of us were told we were being transferred to 22 Field. I, my trommel and my balsak were then trucked to 22 Field camp outside of Bethlehem where the Shooting Range / Dems Range was. My base, 22 was nicknamed Piet se Gat due to having a fantastic hole in the ground with a small waterfall and a lake where us troepies picnicked and swam.

Part of our duties here was to do a tour of duty with the Draad Spanne, this colorful group of individuals maintained the fences surrounding the camp as this was also a game park with a variety of animal species, all of which were very tasty indeed.

It was on my tour with the Draad Spanne / Fencing team that I had the most fun with my stay on 22, here we lived really well in tents with no inspections, drilling and most important no rank to chase you around. We also had the opportunity to eat pretty well and shot some of the game for food and of course biltong - this of course was not allowed.

We also learned how to be soldiers, this tour was a month of pretty much living rough in a tent, you worked hard and played hard.

A really funny incident came to mind on the shooting range at 22, during a company shoot for the new intake, I was part of the "Draad-spanne" for 30 days. We decided to go a watch the shoot in our off time. Our camp was on the mountain that over looked the shooting range and we were at a height of about 150 foot and 100 foot from the range itself. Below us was about two hundred troepes' and some rank having an after lunch siesta.

We in our wisdom decided to have a laugh and let rip with a three magazines of blanks from our R4's over their heads. The result was pure panic and everybody ran in all directions. I have never laughed so much in my life - for this stupid stunt, we paid dearly. The loot wanted to klaar us on and our staff sergeant saved our arses. We ended up with an op-vok to remember. A day of carrying a ammo box with sand in up and down the 1km range.

It was on this camp that I learned what jealousy and rage were, I was in town awol having a party at the dam, my local girlfriend Innette dropped me a about a km from the camp gates at about 2am, this was also the night of a company braai, so perfect to get in and out of camp unnoticed or so I thought.

I made my way through the brush, through the equestrian centre and then noticed the lights, police lights everywhere. Oh shit......!

I made it back to camp unseen and find out from a mate that a chap has been beaten to death with a pole in his bed. Apperently the altercation was over him stealing some dagga (Maruana) from his attacker. Seemingly he stole some out of this chaps Kas and when he was caught the chap beat two kinds of shit out of him. So later on when the owner of the dagga was asleep he came in with a pole and really laid into him!!! Not good.

Paybook

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