Book reviews for - The Harrogate Army Apprentice

Book review by Charles Train,
The Harrogate Apprentice by Fred Carslake

The author Fred Carslake spent fourteen years of his life coming up with the ideas and concept of this book. He was able to track down and contact many old army comrades of his 1957 intake, with the object of getting them to write contributions for the book about their individual experiences of their time as Army Apprentices.

The result is a collection of articles by ex-service men now in the autumn of their lives, recalling their time as Army Apprentice Tradesmen during their teenage years in the late 1950s. The book also deals with the history of the Army Apprentice School Harrogate from its opening in 1947 to its closure in 1996 when it was then known as an Army Apprentices College Harrogate.

This highly recommended read is a collection of facts and highly amusing reminiscences, which can not fail to be of interest to anyone who was a boy soldier there or a member of the military or civilian permanent staff. In fact, anyone that has had any connection to the place, during the nearly five decades of its existence will identify with this book. As would the many thousands of ex–service men who started their British Army careers at either of the four Army Apprentice schools; Chepstow, Arborfield, Carlisle or Harrogate.

The modern day boy soldier entrants to the Army Foundation College that now stands on the site of the old Apprentice school barracks in Harrogate, will find the contents an interesting comparison to their modern day army life. Indeed, even civilians, both young and old, can’t fail to be entertained by the realism portrayed in the stories by the original 'Virgin Soldiers' who entered that place, often as young as 15 years old.
Buy direct from Fred Carslake price £15, plus UK postage £2, Europe £5 and worldwide £9. email: fred.carslake@sky.com
address: Fred Carslake at 29 Coopers Drive, Yate, Bristol BS37 7XZ
The book may also be purchased from the Royal Signals shop web site at: http://www.royalsignalsshop.com/