Brigadier Gordon G Reinhold MC

The greatly respected Lieutenant-Colonel Reinhold MC served in 1 PARA during the Cyprus campaign as Battalion 2-i-c.

During 1956 the battalion was commanded by Lt Col Jackson who was replaced late summer by Lt Col Gratton, who commanded the Battalion on the Suez operation in November 1956.

Lt Col Reinhold became CO of 1 PARA during 1957 in the UK. It was Lt Col Reinhold who introduced the policy of ending bed boxes, replacing it with the "leave beds made - but bloody smart" policy which was not too popular with the senior NCOs.

He had strong views on unnecessary "bullshit" and did a great deal to modernize the Battalion. Apart from his Second World War record, he served with great distinction during the Palestine campaign in the late 1940s.

When L/t Col Jackson finished his tour with 1 Para his 2 ic was Major Rienhold.When the Battalion had left the UK there was ban on all officers and men taking their wives with them. When J/t Col Gratton arrived he entered the camp with his wife and complained about the state of dress of the men. The camp that the battalion was located in had been built by them. Now you could not use the water during the day as the water pipe had been laid on the surface for miles and the water got so hot it cold take the skin of hands if you used it. There was no electricity in the camp bar for a small generator for running the cinema. There were no paved roads in the camp and the traffic both foot and vehicle turned the surface into a very fine dust so when we got the dust devils blow through the camp all the kit was covered in dust. The men lived in quite small tents and six to eight men were packed in each one and each tent had one Hurricane lamp per tent so if some had the visit the Oasis [Toilets] then the lamp went as well most nights. There was one urinal which was a bit of bent metal that emptied into a quarry and if you didn't watch it then you went over and could get killed. The toilets where to wooden huts built over a cesspit and every sat beside each other and were home to a vast number of flies.
When Gratton appeared he wanted every one turned out like guardsman out side Buckingham Palace and when this could not be done he issued instructions that any not meeting the standards would be charged. Well the charges rolled in and the men refuse the punishments from the OC and requested a Court Martial instead and as the numbers climbed requesting a Court Martial rose he disappeared and was replaced by the newly appointed L/t Col Rinehold who told the Battalion that charges out standing would be dropped and if they pulled that stunt again they would regret it.
The camp was such a hole that L/T Col Gratton acquired a flat else where for him self and his wife and this had gone down like a lead balloon with the officers.
L/T Col Rienhold must have taken over about August time and led the Battalion on the Suez Conflict. There were many other happenings at this time like the officers mess being burnt down along with the CO.s tent but that is another story