114 Mu

[WebPilot]

I've recently acquired a very nice item - an case of 12 champagne glasses, all marked with a small RAF (EIIR) crown on the side. The box is marked as despatched to the OC 114 MU, RAF Steamer Point.

I know that 114 MU was based in Aden in the 1960s but my library is sadly bereft of much other detail and thus far searching the net hasn't come up with much else of substance.

I'd be very interested if anyone has any information on 114 MU so that I can sip my champagne and ruminate on who else might have drunk from these glasses!

[dakkg651]

Bit of info here.

http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Aden/Tony.html

[WebPilot]

Marvellous! Thanks. Amazing any glassware survived! Maybe they didn't have champagne very often...

[Jackonicko]

I found some 'pre-history' on No 114 Maintenance Unit.

The MU was originally formed at Gordon's Tree (presumably Sudan?) on 12 November 1941 as a Middle East Command Aircraft Storage Unit. The unit moved to Wadi Seidna on 26 December 1941 and disbanded on 20 February 1943. The unit then reformed on 1 March 1943 as an Equipment Holding Unit at Zavia, Tripolitania. The unit then made various moves until it disbanded again on 15 November 1946.

[Jackonicko]

There's a page for 114 MU at

http://www.comradesandcolleagues.com/ROYAL_AIR_FORCE/114_MU_RAF_STEAMER_POINT.asp

http://www.rafmarham.co.uk/gallery/crests-600/steamer-point.htm

See:

http://www.rafmarham.co.uk/gallery/crests-index.htm

http://www.rafmarham.co.uk/gallery/crests14.htm

http://www.rafmarham.co.uk/gallery/crests-600/steamer-point.htm

[WebPilot]

There's a page for 114 MU at
http://www.comradesandcolleagues.com/ROYAL_AIR_FORCE/114_MU_RAF_STEAMER_POINT.asp
http://www.rafmarham.co.uk/gallery/crests-600/steamer-point.htm


Many thanks! I'll raise a glass to all the men of 114 and everyone on Pprune.

What a nice find though - a friend of my father acquired them and offered them to him as a swap for a bottle of wine. I've no idea if they have any value though. However apparently my father mentioned them over dinner to the Marham Staish whose wife was offering silly money for them!

[Monty77]

Cracking read - many thanks.

Loads of mates these days probably couldn't point out Aden on a map, time-creep and the world moving on. It was a faraway place my old man went to when I was a scaley-brat.

We have a black and white piccy in the family album of an airman crossing a road in Aden. The old man had annotated it 'Picture of a scruffy airman crossing the road - they were always scruffy, and always crossing the road'. He was East Lancashire's at the time. Imagine the banter when I joined the crabs and he got to witness the graduation parade (we weren't exactly Queen's Colour Squadron, but it bloody felt like it).

More poignantly, a picture of a young subby proudly posing on top of his Ferret armoured car, annotated 2nd Lt X, shot in the head the next day while on patrol.

It does give you a perspective. My time in NI in the late 80s pales in comparison. Still wouldn't want to do it again, though.

Plus ca change, as the frogs say. I'm burning an effigy of a cartoon of the prophet on Bonfire Night. Bring a Bratty!

Footnote:

Translation of last paragraph for non-UK mates/frogs/boxheads

Plus ca change: nothing really changes

Frog: French mate(man)/bird(girl)/individual

Bonfire Night: November 5th. This is when the English celebrate the foiling of an attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament 400 years ago by burning an effigy of the (Catholic) rotter, namely Guido (Guy)Fawkes. They did actually torch him all those years ago.

Some say he was 400 years ahead of his time.

[Monty77]

Bratty (bratwurst: German pork sausage)

[adrian mole]

WP - That got the juices going! In my youth and one and only tour as a 'Stacker' I did an emergency tour from RAF Acklington to 114MU Jan-May 1967. The whole trip was a nightmare, first to Innsworth for jabs and extra kit (blue pyjamas instead of stripey ones....) and then on to Hendon to stay in a 38 man room with no lockers and eventually to Gatwick to fly out on a brand new shiney VC10 of British United Airlines.
Finally arrived at Steamer Point in very early hours of the morning to be abused by the drunks hanging from the balconey's of the Blocks on Chapel Hill. What a smell! Lots of memories, last tour of 1Bn Cameronians (Poison Dwarfs), 1 Bn Northumberland Fusiliers, HMS Sheba for the Open Air Cinema, Downtown Tawahii for the Duty free shopping and free grenade thrown in.... Gurad Duty at night with trusty .303 Lee Enfield and 5 rounds of ammo, knees shaking all night and more than one donkey bit the dust for not answering the challenge!
Was involved with close-down of 114MU and a lot of kit was transferred up the Gulf to Salalah, Masirah, Sharjah and Muharraq. Remember using large Avon Engine Crates to fill with stores - until we discovered a Hunter Engine was still living in one!! May now 'root out' a photo for you. In reality the place was a tip...

[WebPilot]

WP - That got the juices going! In my youth and one and only tour as a 'Stacker' I did an emergency tour from RAF Acklington to 114MU Jan-May 1967. The whole trip was a nightmare, first to Innsworth for jabs and extra kit (blue pyjamas instead of stripey ones....) and then on to Hendon to stay in a 38 man room with no lockers and eventually to Gatwick to fly out on a brand new shiney VC10 of British United Airlines.
Finally arrived at Steamer Point in very early hours of the morning to be abused by the drunks hanging from the balconey's of the Blocks on Chapel Hill. What a smell! Lots of memories, last tour of 1Bn Cameronians (Poison Dwarfs), 1 Bn Northumberland Fusiliers, HMS Sheba for the Open Air Cinema, Downtown Tawahii for the Duty free shopping and free grenade thrown in.... Gurad Duty at night with trusty .303 Lee Enfield and 5 rounds of ammo, knees shaking all night and more than one donkey bit the dust for not answering the challenge!
Was involved with close-down of 114MU and a lot of kit was transferred up the Gulf to Salalah, Masirah, Sharjah and Muharraq. Remember using large Avon Engine Crates to fill with stores - until we discovered a Hunter Engine was still living in one!! May now 'root out' a photo for you. In reality the place was a tip...

Thanks for this - fascinating stuff. Maybe you helped transfer these very glasses back to the UK!

[Echo 5]

Adrian you To$$er. After all these years you now admit that you were once a Blunty.

There was me putting my life on the line in the Radfan and you were swanning it in SP. It's beyond belief ;)

[Dundiggin']

It was alright for you lot - I did 2yrs (well nearly!) in the place!!:\

I remember 114MU for the gorgious WRAF SACW ;) who was the PA to the boss there circa '65 - '67 - hmmmmm I wonder what has happened to her after all these years?

Mind you in the days of Empire I did manage to escape for 6 months to Majunga (Madagascar) :)