RAF pilots secret raids in Yemen - Telegraph article & Storm Front book (merged)

[bricklane]

Interesting little story in the Telegraph this morning. Looks like the website actually gives a slightly fuller account of it.

RAF pilots carried out secret raids in Yemen - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/yemen/8571133/RAF-pilots-carried-out-secret-raids-in-Yemen.html)

[Rossian]

...the Sqn Ldr Bill Stoker mentiond in the report is the same chap a few posts below who has passed away/ Anyone Know?

The Ancient Mariner

Reading the additional posts in that thread I guess that it was the same chap.

[Union Jack]

More bombs were dropped than by the RAF during the entire Falklands War

Interesting little quotation from the link .....:hmm:

Jack

[Whenurhappy]

The previous CDS might be able to recall what happened during his time in Oman...

Perhaps the ends justified the means...another quote from the article:

But the effect of the raids effectively ended Yemen's appetite for supporting the insurgency in Oman because it was paying too high a cost both physically and politically.

[John Nichol]

For those of you who are fans of "Vulcan 607" and "Phoenix Squadron", I've just seen some publicity for Rowland White's new book "STORM FRONT" - 'The epic true story of a secret war, the SAS's greatest battle, and the British pilots who saved them'.

It's the story of the SAS' battle of Mirbat in Oman, 1972. It also brings in the lesser-known role of the Strikemasters and Hueys flown by Brit pilots.

Have orderd my copy - sounds like a great yarn.

John Nichol

[Background Noise]

It's in here too: http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/415617-wg-cdr-bill-stoker-rip.html

[Black Sheep One]

Good call - it's now on order and I'm looking forward to the read.

Ever since spending nigh on 3 years in Dhofar I've been hooked on its history. A fascinating place that gets you hooked to its landscape and people as soon as you arrive.

BS1

[PhilipG]

Was that article in the Telegraph not just a book review jazzed up as origional research? The book is Storm Front by Rowland White, Vulcan 607 etc.:)

[grandfer]

Cheers John , if it's anything like "Vulcan 607" & "Phoenix Squadron " it should be a brilliant read , next on my list !
Cheers , Grandfer :ok:

[jamesdevice]

I'm fairly certain that was common knowledge in the late 1970's early 1980's.....
At least the chaps at Westland and Yeovilton who'd been out there with Airworks knew about it,and discussed it openly

[Dengue_Dude]

Damn, it was common knowledge if you were down there around that time, we were aware of it when visiting Salalah from Masirah.

Didn't realise it was a secret :ooh:

[davejb]

I can now reveal that RAF crews were secretly involved in sorties to spread the ultimate weapon (codename DCS - soon to appear on a console gaming platform near you) around the North Atlantic. Between 1979 and 1994 I took part in a number of 'DCS spreadex' sorties, many over weekends and bank holidays, some of which have left my erstwhile colleagues battling weight gain, self esteem, and deprivation issues.

I don't think anyon e took photos - to be honest they'd be pretty gross.

I think I probably read about the Strikemaster sorties on the reverse of the Airfix instruction sheet, when they were still 2 bob a go.

[ShyTorque]

David Milne-Smith? There's a name from the past. I met him when he was on a stretcher and I medevac'd him to Wegberg hospital after he left his Jaguar parked in a farmer's field, just south of Gutersloh.

Actually, when I wrote "parked" it was quite a bit more permanent than that....

Just looked it up - 14th April 1981.

[foldingwings]

It's the same Bill Stoker; as a wg cdr he commanded 16 Sqn Buccaneer Squadron at Laarbruch.

Foldie

[teeteringhead]

It's hardly new "news" - it was covered extensively in both John Akehurst's book "We Won a War" and Ian Gardiner's (much) more recent "In the Service of the Sultan".

Both well worth reading but I think the former is OOP. There was also a David Shepherd painting: "Action at Mirbat". And on the heli side of that Op, a future two-star and a future one-star were involved IIRC.....

But no-one knew about the Dhofar war, cos it was before CNN was invented ....;)

Edited to add: the Shepherd painting

http://www.catalogue-host.co.uk/sale_pics/1341/500.jpg

[jimgriff]

I got my copy yesters and am half way through already- Yes - A good read with some cracking research and pictures.
Well recommended.

[Old-Duffer]

Teeteringhead is right to point out the helicopter component of things in and around the Oman. A considerable number of RAF guys served there and there were even some Iranian Chinooks (on our side in those days) involved.

The involvement was not without its price: John Heathcote & Roger Boyce were shot down, as was Peter Davis (who had an MC from the Army, a DFC from the RAF and something equally impressive from the Sultan). Bruce Handyside was lost in an operational accident and a couple of guys who are still around, were badly injured.

Unglamorous but equally vital, was the contribution of the Skyvans.

Perhaps there's another book in the offing!!

Old Duffer

PS My copy of Storm Force in bound from the South American river as I post.

PPS Try "Sweating The Metal" - up to date stuff on the Wokka Wokka in Afghanistan. A good read.

[teeteringhead]

O-D ... exactly so. There's another Shepherd painting with SOAF Hueys, but I can't track it down at the moment.

There was a magazine article I saw somewhere a couple of years ago about helicopters in the Dhofar War - I'll see if I can find that too....

[ghostie]

I think I've seen that painting in the Officers Mess at Sarfait in Dhofar. I'm pretty sure Sarfait was the scene of the action.

[teeteringhead]

ghostie .... indeed. IIRC the title was "Resupply at Sarfait" or similar, and the "Capstan" feature was clearly identifiable.....

[Wiretensioner]

Oh dear another book I am going to have to smuggle past the memsahib.

Wiretensioner

[bricklane]

A quick google search revealed a bit of a treasure trove of pictures here:

Oman Pics, Hunter, Jaguar 1970's - S2Forum - The Audi S2 Community (http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51415)

Hunters looking convincingly bombed up. And low!

[Dick Allen]

teetering and Old Duffer

there was an article on SOAF Helicopters in the Dhofar War a few years ago in the Journal of the Sultan's Armed Forces Association - I know because I wrote it!

Don't think I can link to it in any way, but can send a copy to Old Duffer who I'm sure would be interested.

[lsh]

WIL did his stuff there, in a Strikemaster - hence the medals.
Mr Modest about it all too.

lsh
:E

[Old-Duffer]

I think the Shepherd painting of Mirbat might be (a bit) technically inaccurate.

It shows the 25 pdr gun apparently firing along the length of the fort wall and the gunpit seems to be similarly aligned. IIRC the gunpit had its back to the fort wall and although the gun can be traversed of course, the tower's not in the right place.

Somebody put me straight!

Old Duffer

PS I note that Storm Force reminds readers that Labalaba should have received a VC if there was any justice but that is probably now a lost cause. Those who matter, know what he did.

[outhouse]

Back further in 1968, during a Yemen Saudi border disagreement, British pilots carried out ground attack operations along the border and into the Yemen. Hunters, Strike Masters and the odd F86 were used to good effect. The difficult mountain flying and the need to get in low was challenging for them. *Some English Electric Lighting supplied to the RSA were equipped for ground attack and performed well.
The Yemen side had a few numbers of Mig and they did try and interfere however after a text book intercept by a Lightning at high altitude just over Saudi airspace interference ceased.
Sorry about thread drift.:ok:

[The Oberon]

Bought "Storm Force" 2 days ago for my holiday read in July. Just finished it, have to find something else, bugger.

Brilliant book, I think the Rorke's Drift comparison says it all.

I agree about the painting, it shows 3 people in the pit whereas "Laba" did it all himself.

[Dan Gerous]

Just finished the book last night, or should I say at 4 AM this morning. Having worked in Oman in the past and found out about Mirbat whilst working there, I have been interested in the history of modern Oman. One thing I have always wondered about Mibat, is what was going on in the DG fort and the Wali's fort while the BATT team were fighting the Adoo? A lot is made of the 9 men holding off the massed attack, (please excuse my poor wording of that comment, I mean no disrespect to those guys), and I have always had the impression that the people in those two locations were not fighting against the Adoo attack. I was aware of the two DG fort guys who were mentioned, but this book was the first I had read about the Askaris and the head wounds they received. Was there any resistance put up against the attack from those two locations?

[milnesmith]

As one of the only two strikemaster pilots alive who flew in defence of Mirbat, I can only say that Rowland White has conducted an amazing level of research over a long period andthe accuracy of his writing is a tribute to all that hard work. He interviewed me on two occasions, used recorded material and log book details to provide the facts. Perhaps the Telegraph article was designed to generate interest in the book with regard to the current regimes in the Yemen and Oman but 39 years on, that would be a stretch! The SAS (then known as the British Army Training Team - BATT) were the most professional soldiers to work with and their understanding of what air power was able to do for them was always exceptional. It would be fair to say that all aviation elements (transport, helicopter, beaver and strikemaster), played a full part in the war effort in Dhofar but the book could only focus on a very small part of it.
DMS

[larssnowpharter]

RAF pilots secret raids in Yemen

Not aware that it was all 'Secret'. It seemed to me at the time that much of this info was common knowledge, especially in the Oman/Gulf area.

However, look forward to reading the book. Thanks for that.

[gungho]

NO RAF pilots flew on the Hunter strikes in Yemen, only contract ones.

[PLovett]

I think the Shepherd painting of Mirbat might be (a bit) technically inaccurate.

Isn't there a bit too much blue sky? IIRC from my readings the reason for the adoo attack was that Mirbat at the time was "socked in" by the monsoon with a very low cloud base which would prevent air support. It was only when this lifted marginally that the Strikemasters were able to launch.

[hval]

Monsoon season around Salalah (Mirbat is near to Salalah) is June to September. The battle at Mirbat took place 19 July 1972. The weather conditions were at the start of the attack were heavy fog, heavy rain and full cloud cover (from 90 metres up)

[olddog]

By coincidence, I am currently reading Ranulph Fines book "The Feather Men" which contains an account of the Battle of Mirbat, including reference to the poor weather and the attacks by Strikemasters and eventual relief of the BATT by G Sqn Helos

[Secret1]

This so called 'secret' war has always amused me, as it was no more secret than the fact the sun rises in the east every morning....
I remember one particular little discussion in late 1971 at the 'secret' airbase in north west Oxfordshire, just south of the A40, when the cleaner remarked one morning, ''It's getting dangerous in Oman, you will all be out there soon''. Well of course, we all agreed, as everybody on the base and 'downtown C' knew about it. In fact, probably everybody in the country knew except politicians and senior government officials - except in their dreams!
I also recall being on a not so secret mission during the second week of January 1972 for the delivery of a very special 'human cargo' to Dacca, Bangladesh. On the return via Calcutta and Gan, we diverted to Masirah to medivac a seriously injured Hereford soldier back to Blighty, stopping briefly at Bahrein for a fuel top up.

'Secret' War?.....Piffle, absolute piffle:D The Russians and Uncle Sam would have known, and so would their respective allies in the MidEast. In fact the whole world knew. Politicians, well they thought, and still do, that they could fool all the people all the time. But as the general public know only too well, that is complete balderdash!:ok:

[piggybank]

I think the reason we say it was secret was in my two years in the early seventies at Salalah I never saw anyone from the press. Not everything that goes on needs to be made public knowledge.

[Romeo Oscar Golf]

Not everything that goes on needs to be made public knowledge

Indeed, and long may it stay that way.

[PLovett]

olddog has mentioned "The Feather Men" by Ranulph Fiennes, a work of fiction, however, he also wrote "Where Soldiers Fear To Tread" which is an account of his two years as an officer in the Sultan of Oman's army.

This was prior to the coup where the current Sultan overthrew his father and prior to the BATT arrival, probably about 1968-69, and details the rather medieval conditions that prevailed under the old man. The book also describes the military activity in the Dhofar region where much of the communist insurgency was active. I have corresponded with a man who also served there who has cast some doubt on the accuracy of the book but it still remains a favourite.

Sorry for the slight thread drift.

[BBadanov]

As one of the only two strikemaster pilots alive who flew in defence of Mirbat...

Hi DMS, welcome to the forum. You come with a good pedigree, and people won't write you off as just another 'Jag mate'! :E

[Compass Call]

DMS
You might like to know that Strikemaster 407 is still alive and well in the USA.

CC

[cazatou]

PLovett

" details the rather medieval conditions that prevailed under the old man."

That has to be the understatement of the year!!

[Bill Macgillivray]

Jenkins,

So right!! But they would have then continued Northwards towards Muscat and then Khasab and may have achieved their aim. Who knows, still the best years flying that I had and some of the best people that I have known, long live SOAF!!:ok::ok::ok:

[piggybank]

Jenkins, that was one of my theories after a few beers. I added the fact the Indonesian were moving into the north of Borneo and the oil producing areas at a similar period of time . Considering the Russians had a a lot of influence over Sukarno my theory was it was a war of attrition. Shut off the oil from the western countries and no need to put Russian troops in harms way.

[fergineer]

Totally agree with you Bill......even though we did it with 4 engines the valley approach to Khasab in the Herc was stunning.....Hope your keeping well good days in SOAF/RAFO

[teeteringhead]

Oh come on Jenkins, do keep up - I'd have thought your grasp of geopolitics a bit better than that! And even if it hadn't have been the same Adoo, their Khasab colleagues would have been remarkably encouraged by victory at Mirbat.

As to the "Secret War" aspect, we used to say cynically that the Dhofar War finished before CNN started. That said, there were the occasional TV crews who came to Dhofar. I recall flying some (ITV or BBC, will check logbook) from Salalah up to the Hammers and/or the Dianas. And on the strength of that, put my then current UK "squeeze" (now Milady Teeters) in contact with the TV team - she got a slap-up meal and a tour round the studios when it was transmitted!

I also have (somewhere!) notes of an account of Mirbat from the other (ie Adoo) side. Will post that if I can find it ....... just seen in the Torygraph some details of a campaign started to get "Laba" the posthumous VC he so richly deserved ....MID pshaw!!

[TCAS FAN]

The Daily Telegraph mentions a Hunter "crippled by gunfire", was this in fact a Strikie?

When the Adoo gained SAM 7s the Strikie's ground attack days were up. Along came the Hunter's gifted by Jordan which took over the job.

I once flew home with a former Hunter (contract) pilot who went on to fly 1-11s with SOAF. He showed me his log book with "before" and "after" photos of an Adoo emplacement in a cave with a large rock overhang hiding its entrance at the end of a wadi. In went the Hunters, up the wadi, lobbed a few 100 lbs of HE into the cave, end result no cave, just a pile of rubble - real 633 Squadron stuff!

[kenparry]

The Daily Telegraph mentions a Hunter "crippled by gunfire", was this in fact a Strikie?

A Hunter was shot down, near the Yemen/Oman border, around that time. The story as retailed by the 'Graph does tie in with the incomplete knowledge I have of the incident. The pilot did survive - I'm still in touch with him.

[Compass Call]

Can anybody identify these Strikie pilots for me please. The photo was taken at Seeb around the time of the national day celebrations in 1977. I am out of picture to the left having just had a most enjoyable flight in the right hand seat of a Strikie with one of these gents.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j216/Compass123/Oman/Seeb1977.jpg (http://s81.photobucket.com/user/Compass123/media/Oman/Seeb1977.jpg.html)

[Plewis]

Hi DMS

I arrived in Oman about 12 months before you. Just after they had delivered the sand. You missed the saga of split canopies and retained ammmo links etc. I had a great friend out there called Peter Hulme (RIP) and flew lots of trips with him after several teething troubles. He told me that if he was going to die doing acceptance test flying, then he was going to take someone from BAC with him. That was my intro. to flying in Strikemasters. Add to that, Beavers and one trip in the Piston Provost. (One was enpough) Do you recall, when at RAF Leeming, a certain Mike Drabanski? What was the story there. He went to SOAF as well.

Plewis

[n1tut]

Hi Dave, not sure how I landed here especially on a 2011 thread, but saw Dick's name and your own but it is probably buried by now.

I ended up staying for the whole of the War from 1970 to 1977, I think that I was the longest serving active service pilot in the end. There must be others on here that I was there with ie:- Old Duffer, as I was with John and Roger when they were shot down by the SAM 7. We were on a resupply run but were called away to provide top cover for the Strikies who were going Adoo bashing.

We flew at around 4,000ft AGL which was supposed to be out of missile range but they had just got the 7B which we did not know about. I saw John's 205 go up in smoke and flames and plummet down, and started down after him. This was when they fired the second missile but but the Company Commander down below saw it fired and had time to call out "Sam, Sam, Sam." Standard procedure was for any helicopter pilot that heard it to go into a vertical spiral at 6,000ft/min ROD, and fire off his decoy missiles. I broke the lock on it but it must have had a proximity fuse that detonated it and I lost part of my tail fin and rotor. I could not continue down to try and see if anybody survived, and had to limp back to base. Sadly it was one of Rogers first flights as he was still doing his conversion after leaving the RAF as a Wing Cdr.

Enough for now,

cheers

David Duncan

[tartare]

Picked up Storm Front off Kindle - halfway through it now after reading all of your comments and dits.
What a cracking read - real boys own stuff except all true.
You can feel the heat, sun and smell the avtur off the pages - very well written.

[n1tut]

I am looking at it now as it is hanging in my Study. Unfortunately badly faded as it was in the conservatory initially. It did not go down well with my Army friends as our AB205 had main staging as opposed to the troops themselves.

That was Op Simba at Mainbrace in early 1972, well and truly taking the War to the Adoo, and for the next few years we were in and out almost daily. It was thanks to the Sher****ti Kid with his HMG in the caves there that I ended up with a crash landing on the runway, a written off 205, and another fractured spine and concussion.

Happy days and memories, and hard to believe that it was over forty years ago. I am a lifetime member of SAFA and it is sad to see that the number of obituaries of my old friends and colleagues increases annually.

David Duncan SOAF

[tartare]

Have just finished reading Storm Front.
What an extraordinary story.
No question that Laba deserves a posthumous VC.
And meticulous detail concerning the Strikemaster ops... I'd had visions of them coming in from a clear blue sky - hadn't realised it was under clag at 250-300 feet!

[vascodegama]

The guy on the right looks like Frank Milligan who was later my captain on Victors.

[BBadanov]

Just finished "Storm Front".


Great to see Nobby G__y with hair!!


Army got gongs (justifiably). If DMS didn't get DFC for that day, at least an MID was well deserved.

[m.street]

Was one of the Pongos below......FOO & FAC on our guided tour - Sarfait to the Sea via the Iranian LSL!

This might bring back some me memories


My first strike in Dhofar……………………..(the twelve days of Christmas)

On my first strike in Dhofar, CSOAF said to me, “Your target is the bushy top tree”
On my second strike in Dhofar, CSOAF said to me, “Two caves at Simba and a target of the busy top tree”
Third “Three laden Camels”
Fouth “Four adoo running”
Fifth “Six – zero – Four”
Sixth “Six Hunters swimming”
Seventh “Seven Submarines”
Eighth “Eight Furqat lurkers”
Nineth “Nine mortar baseplates”
Tenth "Ten Trannies tossing”
Eleventh “Eleven helis humping”
On my twelfth strike in Dhofar, Bravo said to me “SAM…SAM…SAM

With due deference to R**** F******, the first of the few with a SAM up his chuff 19 Aug 75

[teeteringhead]

Ah! "My First Strike in Dhofar".

By an amazing coincidence, when recently clearing out old boxes in the garage (well - it was easier and cheaper than a divorce!) I came across an original of the "SOAF Songsheet", which I recall being typed up by Dave Long (RIP) as I sat alongside him in Skid Row (with a certain amount of alcoholic lubrication), as we tried to remember all the words - well, we'd written lots of them ourselves.

I'll photocopy some and take to the Dinner next month, and I will also - in slower time - scan it and forward it to anyone interested. It runs to 9 sides of A4, and includes other such classics as "We are the Jolly Helis", "Who Shot Young Robin" and "I Don't Want to be a Strikie" (in the last of which I modestly claim credit for composing the memorable line: "Living off the Earnings of an Embassy Typist.")

Too many memories ..... but I'll quote Dave Long's introductory rubric from the top of page one: The following songs were composed by members of 1 (Strike) and 3 (Heli) Squadrons SOAF during the months following the 19th August 1975. It was on this date that Ra'ees Tayaar R**** F******, 1 Sqn, first demonstrated the efficiency of SAM-7. These songs are dedicated to all those members of 1 & 3 Squadrons who operated under it's (sic) shadow - hang loose!

[tartare]

That is why I love this site.
I read the book, and then get on here and swap some posts with the guys who were actually there.
Much respect gentlemen.

[teeteringhead]

:O a;lka;lskjfki kwjkjle lklqk

[Stendec5]

The book isn't new, it's been out for quite a while. Has it really taken this long for the f---wits at the Torygraph to leech on to the "earth-shattering revelations?"
Oddly enough, I was at Duxford today and Hanger 5 has a Strikemaster therein. Nice pugnacious looking machine armed with 4 x MATRA pods.....oh and what about that He.162A-1.....and that CASA 2.111???
As my Mrs might put it "I didn't know WHERE to look."

[teeteringhead]

The book isn't new, it's been out for quite a while. Has it really taken this long for the f---wits at the Torygraph to leech on to the "earth-shattering revelations?" errrrr .... book published (according to the South American River) 30 Oct 11. :confused::confused:

Telegraph article 12 Jun 11.

This thread starts 13 Jun 11.

Your point is????

[Stendec5]

My apologies. Err well spotted teteringhead. Ahem, I can only apportion blame on the vineyards of our illustrious neighbour across the Channel.
That's my excuse anyway.

[teeteringhead]

Fair dos StenDec ;)

We've all been "chemically inconvenienced" from time to time! :ok:

[Compass Call]

Here is a photo (taken from the book 'Eagles') of 419 after the pilot recovered it to 'Manston', after taking a SAM hit. Goes to show how sturdy the Strikie was. Unfortunately 419 was not repaired but converted to a procedures trainer for 1 Sqdn. when it moved to Masirah as a training Sqdn.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j216/Compass123/Oman/Strikemaster41902atManstonafteraSAM-7hit_zps2c068ea6.jpg (http://s81.photobucket.com/user/Compass123/media/Oman/Strikemaster41902atManstonafteraSAM-7hit_zps2c068ea6.jpg.html)

[teeteringhead]

And of course the 419 "incident" also figured in the aforesaid song book. (From memory - song book not to hand) - air is "Who Killed Cock Robin?"

Who shot young Robin?

I, said the SAM, because I went Wham,
I shot young Robin!

All the Helis in the South said
F*** it, let's chuck it,
When they heard young Robin
Nearly kicked the f****ing bucket,
When they heard young Robin
Nearly kicked the f***ing bucket!

[n1tut]

"We had a great collection of 3 Sqn Heli songs. Used to sit out in Skid Row or in the bar thinking them up. Dave Long was chief writer.

I don't want to go to Dhofa
I don't want to go to War
I'd really rather be in a hell crew of three
Drinking wine and screwing hosties
Don't want a bullet up my backside
Don't want my bollocks shot away
I'd rather be a heli
A super contract heli
And fornicate my fcuking life away

Monday off we went to Simba
Tuesday Simba once again
On Wednesday just for fun, we did another run
Thursday stand by shock horror mercy
Friday i nearly caught a Katushka
Saturday was just another run, on Sunday silly nannas
They sank the Al Sultana
And now we're doing fifty trips a week, cor blimey....."

[teeteringhead]

Just seen Dan Carter's obit in the Torygraph too JENKs ...... :(

Not mentioned - I guess there's too much to mention - was his ditching of a Defender off Dhofar, and then swimming about a mile to shore ......

He also had a fine collection of Nat Gonella records, and was my introduction to Nat G's music - which I still enjoy.

Further to my earlier post (31st Oct 2014!!) I have acquired a few better copies of the songbook, which will - I think - be good enough to scan as a .pdf.

If/when I've done so (or got my wonderful PA to!) I'll "advertise" it here for anyone interested..... :ok:

[Hangarshuffle]

All a jolly good wheeze when you look back on it having survived I suppose. But we are still playing war in this region - unseen and unaccountable-never seems to be clear why its not debated in HOC?
Still on-going. What kind of country are we these days? UK special forces and MI6 involved in Yemen bombing, report reveals | News | The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/news/defence-and-security-blog/2016/apr/11/uk-special-forces-and-mi6-involved-in-yemen-bombing-report-reveals)


Is the UK military pimped out to the Saudi royal family these days as some are saying?

[Auster Fan]

My CFI at Old Buckenham when I was learning to fly was Gerry Honey, who from memory was the station commander at Salalah at the time (I'm not at home to check). I always wanted to ask him about it (and many other tales he must have), but he's now retired after about 60 years of flying, so may not now get the chance as I don't see him often.

[teeteringhead]

Re: my posts #65 and #68:

Further to my earlier post (31st Oct 2014!!) I have acquired a few better copies of the songbook, which will - I think - be good enough to scan as a .pdf.

If/when I've done so (or got my wonderful PA to!) I'll "advertise" it here for anyone interested.....

The SOAF Songbook is being scanned (by aforesaid wonderful PA) as I write! Please PM me with a "real world" e-mail address (don't think I can do big-ish attachments from here) and I will forward the .pdf - probably at the weekend as the day job is a bit busy at the moment....

:ok: Teeters