Adjacent Army Numbers

I vaguely remember Brian M during Basic Training in Norton Barracks, Worcester as a National Serviceman. We were not friends at the time because we were in different platoons but I knew he was Welsh and at Christmas time 1954 we shared with others a cold army truck trundling to South Wales. Neither were the frenetic endeavours of National Servicemen at the time conducive to much socialising. We were no more friendly when we were posted to and trained together at the Army School of Education at Beaconsfield but at least we became aquainted. The war Office were determined not to separate us and we were both posted as Education Sergeants (RAEC) to Germany, he to Hildersheim and me to Hannover where we completed our National Service. The first coincidence occurred when a few years later we found ourselves awaiting interview at Brecon Grammar School, he for the Music job and me for the Art Master's post. (Good Lord, how are you this long time !!) However, we neither of us were accepted and returned to our teaching jobs, Brian to Dunstable and me to Pontypool. Having then been successful when I applied for a job at King's School, Guetersloh, West Germany with the British Families Education Service I was amazed to learn from the staff list of teachers who were to open the new school none other than the name Brian M! The "Powers that Be" were determined to push us together and had by no means finished. While Brian and his wife and I with my wife awaited our "Married Quarters" we were to share temporary accommodation at Sennelager near Paderborn. Naturally we became good family friends and our children grew up together. We were at King's School for almost a decade and were associated to the Officer's Mess where our "Bar numbers" were to be 114 and 115. It was during our time at King's School that talking about National Service days we were astounded to discover that our eight figure army numbers were adjacent. Brian's number was 23068415 and mine was 23068416. We had obviously been standing next to each other when these were issued at Norton Barracks !!