True story, probably quite long so go get a coffee.
I served my time with REME, 38 base workshops working on armoured fighting vehicles like the Centurion tank with Rolls Royce Meteor engine and other vehicles also with Rolls engines.
Once we had done our first year in the Apprentice school we were released on the shop floor for two years doing the round of all the various jobs regardless of chosen trade. the last two years were spent in your trade only.
Trades were fitting, tin bashing, welding, electrical and machining.
It was a marvellous apprenticeship as they had the time and manpower to actually teach you.
During that two years you spent as short as one week up to 4 weeks on a section, we always knew what the section was like because of previous apprentices. Some were fun, some really hard work and some plain boring.
One of the boring sections was a week spent with a polish guy who's sole job was to remove broken studs from castings, all by hand, no machine tools and no heat.
He wasn't liked because he was very off handed and just expected an apprentice to watch how he worked. When my turn cam, I sat there as directed and watched him.
Couple of jobs in and getting glassy eyed he picked this thermostat housing up, all covered in crud and 3 broken studs. Removed all 3 studs with seeming no bother but I noticed he used 3 different methods on each stud so I asked him why.
At first he struggled to explain why but slowly got round to it and later I realised that no one had ever asked him why ? before.
From that first day on we got on well and I learnt a lot that was to hold me in good stead for the rest of my working life which is still active. I can honestly say that i have never ever had to give up on getting a stud out or repairing the mess left when others have tried. True I now have MiG TiG and Plasma but these are only tools, you still need knowledge.
What I learnt more though was how to interact with people at their level and because of this I feel I got far more out of my apprentice masters than a lot of the other lads did.
When I go out on site even today it doesn't take me long to find the right guy and get a works trip to see what they make or do. Most love to show your their side of the job and I find it fascinating.
So Mr Polish guy who's name I have forgotten, have a cold one for me.
