• Reliving the moments
• Free fighting

“After 50 years nothing seemed to change.” This was the sentiment echoed by Mr Geoff Acaster of Dudley of West Midlands, England, who was vacationing in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

Mr Acaster served with the Worcestershire Regiment which was stationed in Jamaica between 1958 and1960.  He said he had visited Jamaica before but had not gotten a chance to visit Up Park Camp.

On this trip, his daughter-in-law, Ms Sue Thompson, surprised him by making the arrangements for the visit. “My father-in-law was quite emotional when he found out I had been in contact [with the Jamaica Defence Force] and that a visit could be arranged.” Mr Acaster said he received the news of his impending tour of Up Park Camp with great joy as he had so much good memories of the place where he once served.

When Mr Acaster was met at Cotton Tree Gate, the main entrance to Up Park Camp, he was standing beside his wife with a video camera in his hand and smiling broadly.
“I can’t believe I’m actually here,” he said.  “This is one of the most amazing days in my life.”

After the formalities, the tour began along Wilson Road towards Lathbury Barracks (where the Infantry Battalion and other units are based). On approaching Lathbury Barracks Mr Acaster said, “Those canons are still there? I can’t believe it.” His delight was very evident in his eyes.

As the vehicle came to a stop at Lathbury Barracks’ Guard Room, he was the first one out of the vehicle. “When I see that guard room it brings back so much memories,” he said.  “I spent so much time inside there,” he said with a chuckle.

After leaving the guard room we made our way towards the pool.   “Oh my God, Is that the pool?” he asked. I replied “Yes.”

He asked if he could have a closer look at it.   As we walked towards the pool he began to tell me a story: 

He said there was a soldier in his Regiment who went out to drink one night with his friends and on his way back to the barrack room he decided he would have a swim in the pool.  The night was pitched black so he could not see inside the pool.  He then took off his clothes and jumped in.  To his surprise there was no water in the pool.  When he cried out and the soldiers went to assist him, his legs were broken.  To add to his misery he was charged by his Commanding Officer for damaging army property!

After viewing the pool and taking some pictures, we made our way to the Force Catering Centre. Mr Acaster said he was impressed with the new look that the place had.  He was quick to point out that the structure was the same as it was in his days serving here.

Whilst moving around the Catering Centre, he mentioned that the two things he would most love to see were the barrack room he had lived in and the cemetery. Thereafter, we made our way down Wavel Road to what was left of the barrack rooms.  As we reached the second barrack room he said, “Yes, this is it.”  The driver stopped and we made our way into what was left of the building.   On entering, he pointed towards the side door and said smiling, “This is where my bed used to be…I had some fun times in this old barrack room here.”

The next stop was the Infantry’s Battalion Square. “This is holy ground,” he said.  “We spent hours on this square trying to get many drill sequence correct.”  He spent some moments reminiscing before we moved on to the cemetery. He revealed that the visit to the cemetery was an effort to trace his Regiment’s stay at Up Park Camp. “Some of my friends were actually buried there,” he said. 

The journey to the cemetery was part of what was amazing about escorting Mr Acaster.  ‘How could he after 50 years give such precise directions?’

There was no need to direct the driving as for the entire journey he gave the directions; finally we are at the gates to the cemetery.  On entering, he proceeded to the graves.   He took out his recorder and begun to record.  After about 20 minutes I realized that Mr Acaster was really fascinated with the graves and I had to remind him that there were other stops to be made.

We made several other stops including the JDF Air Wing before making our final stop at the Jamaican Military Museum, located near the front entrance where the tour had began.
After signing the guest book, Mr Acaster was shown a short video recording on the history of the JDF.

“This is the most exciting day of my life,” he said.  “I can’t thank you enough for this tour,” he said ostensibly pleased.

“I think I have enough recorded to take back home and keep me occupied for the next three weeks,” he noted.

“If possible I think I will come back here in the next 50 years,” he added jokingly.

Then it was time to go our separate ways, but it was really heart warming to see the impact the visit had made on the life of a former British soldier who had served in Up Park Camp over 50 years ago.