A Posting to the Caribbean - Belize by Marjorie Bandy

In 1981 I became aware of an additional posting for QA’s. I fancy a tour in the Caribbean thought as I sat at my desk in Catterick on a wet and windy winter morning. I mentioned it in passing to Col Braisby during a telephone call. “Ask me in writing,” was the reply; success. By April of that year I found myself at Brize Norton for the Monday flight to Belize. I was only the second QA to go there and at the time it was a 'sensitive' posting which had required me to go to HQUKLF for an interview with Colonel Liddington. I was given the brief and instructions that I was required to send her a monthly report – but sent as a personal letter on a “bluey!!” I could explain but I would then have to shoot you.

For those of you who have never been to Belize it is in the Caribbean very close to Mexico and Guatemala and Airport Camp is built on a mosquito swamp. For most of my tour, I was the only female, on occasions being joined by a female dentist. It sounds marvellous the only female in a camp of 2000 men, not so, it can be very lonely, and very much like living in a glass box where you are always on show. Absolutely everyone knew who I was ie Matron, which meant that even going into the NAAFI it was far from unusual to be stopped for a medical consultation with one of said 2000 male personnel.

The Officers Mess were on the whole good fun and I was included in trips into Belize City if there was something different going on. One Saturday night we had been informed that there was going to be a good disco in one of the downtown hotels. Dancing shoes on I joined with some of the other mess members and headed into town. The rumour was right, and we were having a great evening and it was good to use the dancing shoes. One thing in Belize is that sadly employment opportunities for women were not easy and far too many belonged to the “oldest profession.” As I was practicing my Olivia Newton John moves on the dance floor I felt a tap on the shoulder and a voice said,  “How much do you charge?” I turned round to see what could only have been a member of HM Forces. As I have already said absolutely everyone knew who Matron was and the poor young man’s face dropped. My reply? “Go away young man you can’t afford me.” The poor chap must have spent the rest of his tour praying that he never took sick. The rest of the guys couldn’t wait to get back to camp to make sure that everyone knew that I had been mistaken for a Lady of the Night.

It was in other ways a posting of different experiences; Belize gained its independence during that year. As Guatemala and Belize didn’t enjoy a friendly relationship at the time, I had an additional supply of morphine flown out on the same flight as Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Luckily although the resident battalion moved to their “battle stations” all was quiet on the Western Front.

At that time Belize was not a popular holiday destination and apart from the three military flights a month there were no direct flights from UK. I was able to get away for some weekends and fell in love with New Orleans, a place I headed for whenever I needed my hair cutting. Honduras and Costa Rica were also on my visiting list. All great opportunities so what was the point of saving money and only getting as far as the camp swimming pool or the Sunday Mess BBQ on one of the small islands known as Cayes. Although I enjoy swimming only my snorkelling improved, and I really didn’t fancy diving. I did make use of the mess ski boat, but water skis will never replace my snow skis.

There are lots of stories about Belize but this is only a blog and not a book. I will save the story of almost getting shot by the SAS – purely through my own stupidity - for a later date.



Marjorie Bandy

Chairman Jurassic Coast Branch