Dave 'Smelly' Cummings

[Dave Henley]

I must mention Smelly who passed on a few years ago - car accident?

Dave was like a big brother to me and Mick Bell when we first went to C&S Sqn. I remember he took us on a weekend's "adventure training" to the Mohnasee area. We spent the whole weekend dividing our time between two gezzies and getting ratted. Dave would take up his place near the bar, smoking a pipe and drinking for Britain while me and Mick tried to keep up with him - at the end of the session he would walk out apparently sober while we we had developed rubber legs - what a consumption for drink he had.

A good man was Dave and sadly missed by those who knew him.

[Mick Bell]

Dave,
a true gent were Smelly, I'm so pleased that I got to see him again at one of the reunions. I reminded him of our adventure training and how he could frighten off the wild pigs with his snoring,plus the fact he were hairier than them.
Paul attended his funeral as he has so many others now!
I'm sure his doing his eye rolling in the big tank park in the sky.
Dinger ;-)

[Gilbert Bridger]

That man could drink for Britain, would be in the Bar until 6 in the morning and still make 1st Parade "Sober" :? He had a trick, would swig back half a bottle of Old Spice so he had no booze on his breath :lol: Had calases on his knuckles where he dragged them along.

He maybe gone but never Forgotten. R.I.P Smellie

[keith Hudson]

I have said this before , I have not made contact for many years . I have found people who I have made happy memories of have past to the green fields beyond . To me they still visit me in happer times. I still recall them and never will forget them .

[Mick Bell]

I wonder how many of our old pals have gone to the Green Fields not remembered,thanks to Mike there should not be any more as even if people are not on the net they are usually in contact with someone who is!
Dinger.

[keith Hudson]

I have a contact over in the US who now join this forum. He told me about Albert RN ,Bert French who had payed him a visit with his new wife Betty . The Betty who many recall had past on a frew years ago . Just think some poor woman has to look after Bert and his wagons.

[Tiny Hart]

After 2 years in the regiment (NI training in Osnabruck and the real thing in Omagh ) I went on my first ever real scheme (Salisbury Plain) driving a Mk 5 (GW) Ferret with A Sqn. Smelly was my first ever commander. Must admit it was probobly not the best match on a 2 man crew and he soon had a new driver and I, it must be said thankfully had a new commander (Spock Taylor), but when not on the same crew Smelly & and I got on well and he did teach me the skill of getting a brew on in double quick time.

Does anyone know why he was called Smelly?. I was too shy or was it to scared to ask.

[keith Hudson]

You not alone on that one.

[Mick Bell]

I've no idea why and same as youse never asked or dared to,perhaps Dave can shed some light? Or Paul!
Dinger ;-)

[Dave Henley]

Mick/Keith/Tiny

I'm not sure but I think I recall him telling me once that the name was given to him when he was in 5 RTR but was not connected to any personal cleanliness issues and the nickname followed him to the First.

Dave

[Mike Kemble]

Sorry to hear that, Smelly was in Cmd & Sp with me and Dave and Dinger and ...... a good lad.

[Paul Ramsay]

Dave tragically died in a multi vehicle pile up in fog near ipswich - well he died in Luton hospital - a few days later - I was in one on the A19 the same day about 4 years ago now.

Eddie Kirwans brother in law and we both went to the funeral.

Sad but the passing of time will see us in the squadron bars in the sky catching up with the likes od dave again

RIP mate

Paul

[Gilbert Bridger]

Sad but the passing of time will see us in the squadron bars in the sky catching up with the likes od dave again



Paul

Just hope we can wear Black Coveralls up there. Have to check into the QM's first, need a couple of sizes bigger now :? I look forward to that day for sure, but not quite yet. I ain't done everything.

[Mark Sanders]

What a reunoin that will be.....the best ever !!!!! :lol: but like you said....not yet..not yet....

[robert jones]

Just like Tiny I well recall Smelly being our troop corp in G.W in 75 in Tidworth,we had our own special hanger away from those awful rough types who relied on steam gunnery,
But Tiny do you remember that ill fated morning when we all nearly died,because it was cold and someone had the bright idea of leaving the hanger shutter down, but we still ran the vehicles,5 MK5 Ferrets spewing out noxtious gases,and we all ended up in the B.M.H down the road,as I recall poor Gus Danniells,ended up being the worst affected by it,as for Smelley it could have been smoke from his pipe,no effect whatsoever,
Another goodun gone but not 4gotten

[Gus Daniells]

Dave was a good teacher for all of us in GW Tp, his art of tactical awareness under a tank sheet on the back deck of his wagon explaining to the OC (one eye) how he was advancing down a road 3 Kms from where we were and engaging B Sqn OC in his helicopter with the newly aquired SAM Swinger was legendary in the Troop. His dry wit sadly missed by all who knew him.

Gus

[Mike Kemble]

Is this an image of Smelly or is it John Paterson

Its A Sqn Cyprus and Nev Symms is on his left in the original

[Tiny Hart]

Is this an image of Smelly or is it John Paterson

Its A Sqn Cyprus and Nev Symms is on his left in the original

tis smelly alright

[Mike Kemble]

Thanks Tiny, I can put him in the obits now.

[Dave Henley]

Mike - it's Waxy Johnson on his left, not Nev Symms - the photo is 3 Tp A Sqn at Kings Harbour, Paphos in '75.

[Mike Kemble]

Yeah thanks Dave, its the glasses gave it away, or so I thought. It was the fact that I actually had an image of dear old smelly to show on the page that pleased me.

[EDDIEKIRWAN]

Smelly told me he got his nickname because he could f**t to order,

While in 5rtr he did the dance of the flaming assholes,with some others and won hands down, butburnt his bum. thay gave him the name smelly and it stuck.

he was a very nice man when you got to know him.

he looked after me good style when i had my bit of bother.

[SMatthews]

Smelly wasn't all that smelly, but he was very FUNNY

[Mike Kemble]

Me and Smelly were in Comd & Sp together, and Smelly he certainly was NOT. As always I had my ups and downs but he was always a decent bloke to me and as such - respect.

[robert jones]

He was my troop corporal in GW trp in Tidworth with Cpl Nobby Clarke as Trp leader, recall on an excercise and he had to be taken back to camp something to do with RHQ, Jones the Ferret Mk1, aka Smelly mobile, we got back to camp in double quick time on arrival I had to peel Smellies hands from the commanders position not sure if they were stuck thru cold or fear as he could`nt speak for a short while either, thorouhgly top bloke, as was Nobby

[SMatthews]

Robert, correct TOP BLOKE icon_ange:

[Mike Kemble]

I have a load more images from the Cummings album, but not yet had time to sort and load up.