The author Les Howard got in touch with HMVF after I reviewed his excellent account of his time in Bosnia. It made perfect sense to conduct one of our quick-fire email interviews and this is the result. A number of forum members are in the process of putting books together, or certainly thinking about it, so Les has offered some encouragement. MB.

Who are you and what do you do/are you best known for?
My name is Les Howard and I am currently working as a Clerk of Works. I am the author of Winter Warriors – Across Bosnia with the PBI

How long did you serve in the army for?
In total twelve years

Where, aside from Bosnia, did you travel to; and which place did you enjoy the most?
The usual for a Cold War soldier, Germany, Wales, all over England, France and Scotland. For exercises it’s a toss up between Thetford and Sennelager, for courses it has to be the School of Infantry in Warminster, and for social life Germany.

What tempted you to write a book and how difficult was the process?
My book started as captions for my photo album. I wanted to record what had happened for posterity but soon realised that a few paragraphs didn’t do justice to my experiences, so I began to write them down. I suppose the lack of books on Bosnia, written by the man on the ground rather than very senior officers or armchair critics, made me consider getting it published. Writing my book was one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done. I wrote part time, juggling it with work and family life. The hardest part was the sell. Military history/biographies are a relatively small genre within publishing and despite favourable reviews the only replies I received were thanks but no thanks. Finally, when I had almost given up hope, I was offered a publishing contract. It took a year to write my book and a year to find a publisher, followed by another ten months of editing, proofs and design, before I finally held my book in my hand.   

We have a number of budding authors on HMVF, what advice would you give them?
Believe in yourself and never give up. Send your submissions to as many agents and publishers as you can. Get hold of the Writers and Artists Yearbook – it has all the info on getting your book published you will ever need.

An old HMVF chestnut we ask everybody: What’s your favourite tank? (play with it if you prefer a non-tanklike bit of metal – we do this for fun – most people say Panther anyway!)
The Queen of the Desert – the Matilda Mk II. I always loved the desert cam with sand/light blue/grey. I also think it was a superb tank for its time despite the two pounder main gun.

Have you any views of the world of military vehicle collecting or the re-enacting scene?
I think that keeping and restoring AFV’s of all types is a noble pastime, after all, they were part of military history and deserve to be preserved in working condition. They are also invaluable to film makers. As a kid I hated the fact that in war films German tanks were the same as the allies but with a cross on the turret. Re-enactors are also a way of preserving and showing military history, I just think it’s a shame that for a few of them they start to get too involved and think that they are the real thing. I also found the recent BBC documentary on the SS re-enactors disturbing.

You used a variety of MVs during your service. What thoughts do you have on them?
As an infanteer I spent more time on my feet than in a vehicle, but they did come in very handy! I mainly used Land Rover FFRs in my job as a signaller. It was a superb military vehicle and in my mind was the best – easy to maintain, fit for role and went wherever you pointed it. When I was an armoured infanteer the best vehicle was undoubtedly the Warrior – a beast of a machine, fast and comfortable, but in short supply. The Spartan was ok but cramped, the Sultan not much better. They tended to slide too much on icy roads – not a good thing when you have a huge drop to one side. The 432 was the worst but luckily it was mostly used in static locations. It was the hardest to command, drive and maintain, and its speed and power was a serious flaw. The only good thing to say about the 432 is it was spacious inside when used in a command role.

What is the abiding memory you will take from your time in Bosnia?
Seeing the refugees return home after the fighting had stopped. That’s what it was all about.

Would you recommend an army career to a young person these days? Please give an expanded reason for either yes or no.
Yes, but I would also tell them to give it some serious thought. Its hard work to go from being a fresh faced teenager to a steely-eyed warrior. Basic training, no matter what you are going to do in the army, is a shock to the system. Not everyone is cut out for army life, but once you are in it can be the most rewarding career you can get, and definitely a good way to start your adult life.

What were the best and worst pieces of kit you used in service? (any size will do)
The best was my Leatherman. Non issue of course but it was invaluable. For issue kit I would say a BV! The worst bit of kit was the KF shirt – horrible and hairy - aaarrghhh!!!

Are you willing to share an account of a funny incident that happened during your period of service?
It was during an exercise in Sennybridge. My platoon was moving up to the start line when everyone started to lay down into the mud. The platoon sergeant leopard crawled up to the front where a young rifleman explained what he had seen. The Sergeant stood up and kicked him in the arse and gave him a quiet but enraged bollocking. When he walked back to the platoon commander (I was his signaller and was laying next to him) we heard that the young rifleman, who was extremely nervous and just out of the Depot, had thought he had seen a flare go off and carried out the correct drill by laying down slowly and waiting until it had gone out. We both looked up to see a full moon disappearing behind the clouds.   

And the scariest?
Surprisingly it’s not from operations. I suppose the adrenalin you get from being in close proximity to real life threatening danger keeps you from getting too scared. The scariest moment for me was on exercise. I was part of a recce patrol being inserted into an area heavy with red forces. We flew in by Scout helicopter and we had to sit on the sides of the crew compartment with our feet on the skids. Normally there was a strap that kept you from falling out, but we were told not to bother as we were going to be hedge hopping and wouldn’t need it. A ten minute white knuckle-rollercoaster of a ride followed where I honestly thought I would be thrown into the dark fields below, ending up like a rag doll. Everyone thought my debussing drills were spot on when I jumped off and took up my position in all round defence while the Scout flew off. In reality my legs went to jelly and I went down in a heap!

How would you fancy spending a few months in Afghanistan?
Love to. My old battalion is going at the end of this month (September) and I wish I was going with them. I’d even stack blankets for the duration for a chance to go along!

 
Will you be writing any more books; or do you have other plans?
I am writing a novel at the moment. It’s about a quarter of the way through. I would love to give up work and write for a living, but I would probably earn more money in construction. I’ll have to see how this one pans out.

 
HMVF owner Jack ‘Mantrucker’ Beckett is at the bar with a purse full of fifty pence pieces. What drink can he get you?
An ice cold bottle of Ursus!