Muharraq, Bahrain 1965 and The Britannia

[Nav Rad]

In 1965, as Vulcan aircrew, I flew out, as a passenger, from Lyneham in a Britannia to Tengah via Akrotiri, Muharraq and Gan to take join my Sqn who were on detachment there for Indonesian Confrontation.

If anyone can help, my three questions are:

1. We stayed on base at Lyneham overnight before take off. Was the accommodation called the Route Hotel?

2. Where would we have stayed overnight at Muhurraq?

3. What would be the approx flight time on each leg in a Britannia for the trip to Singapore?

Thanks in advance to any Britannia guys, or anyone else, who were around at that time who can help.

[captain.speaking]

From a commercial flight planning document of the time, the year round block times for a Britannia 300 [ loaded ] are given as :

Lynham - Akrotiri 6.40
Akrotiri - Bahrein 6.10 [ via Ankara ].
Bahrain - Gan 7.10
Gan - Singapore 6.55

Hope this helps !

R

[sycamore]

Seem to remember British Eagle troopers took approx 24 hrs; leave H-R around 2200,to Istanbul (2hrs to drink some black `tar` and a sachet of peanuts/hard-tack),then to Bombay, for a chapati,(another 2 hrs,) then on to Singers as the sun was just rising...unless any of the legs were done on 3 engines...!

[ICM]

I infer from your questions that you were not accommodated in a Muharraq station mess so, in 1965, I'm pretty certain that you must have enjoyed the delights of 'Britannia House' in downtown Manama for the few hours that you spent in Bahrain. I cannot recall there being any alternative back then.

[Fareastdriver]

We stayed on base at Lyneham overnight before take off. Was the accommodation called the Route Hotel?

Yeeeesssss. (lengthened to ten characters)

[alisoncc]

In Oct/Dec 1965 flew from Lyneham to Muharraq in a VC10. I understood at the time it was then going on to Singers via Gan. And in Jan 1967 flew from Muharraq to Singers via Gan in a Brittania. So were they operating both aircraft on the route?

[Neptunus Rex]

Ah! Brit House in Bahrein. You probably remember the top floor, where the Officers' Bar was on the left, SNCOs to the right, with a lobby in between.

The story goes that Paddy Bandon (aka The Abandoned Earl) was in transit there, when he came across an old wartime squadron mate who was a Master Pilot. With their respective parties, they sat on the lobby floor, had a few drinks together and got a bit raucous. An army officer came and told them off,
"And who might you be?" asked Paddy.
"I am Major The Honourable Smythe-Jones." was the reply. (The Honourable being the younger son of a Lord.)
"Well I'm Air Marshal the Earl of Bandon - so Foxtrot Oscar on both counts!"

[ICM]

Alisoncc: If you flew out by VC 10 in late 65, I think that must have been on a chartered Trooper (British United, at a guess), as 10 Sqn did not start to get its aircraft until 1966, with scheduled services to the Far East not starting until circa April 1967. From that stage, I would doubt that there was much, if any, duplication of schedules, and travelling by Brit in early 67 sounds right.

[jindabyne]

These were there in 1970 --

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb59/malgrosse/RAFMuharraq2-Copy.jpg

[corporal punishment]

allisoncc

Not sure about an RAF VC10 in 1965. Don't think they were on the route until 1967. Was this a civvy charter?

cpl P

[brakedwell]

I joined the Britannia fleet in 1966. The VC10's came into service early in 1967. Both types operated the Changhi Slip. As more VC10's were delivered the Britannias were reconfigured to carry passengers and freight and the frequency was reduced. My last Scheduled Changi Slip was in June 1971, after that Singapore flights were special/support flights.

I have looked through my log book and typical flight times were.
Lyneham - Akrotiri 6.35
Akrotiri - Bahrain 5.25
Bahrain - Gan 7.20
Gan - Changi 6.30

Nav Rad The passengers did not normally night stop enroute, unlike the crews who slipped in Bahrain eastbound, Gan and Akrotiri westbound. Perhaps your flight was a non- sheduled support flight.

[Nav Rad]

Many thanks to all those that have answered my questions Re the Route Hotel, times to Singapore and the accommodation at Muharraq. Much appreciated. We definitely night stopped at Muharraq (remember the bar) and Gan (remember the fruit bats and beer!). Also sure we night stopped at Akrotiri. We might have gone u/s at Akrotiri.

[Nav Rad]

Brakedwell. Thanks for the info. Have sent you a private reply.

[AARON O'DICKYDIDO]

;)

I am guessing from your handle that you and I may have been on the same squadron. From Cottesmore I went out on to join 9 Sqn (Vulcan) detachment at Tengah in November 1965. We took off from Lyneham by Britannia late and arrived at Akrotiri in the evening, about 21.00 I seem to remember, where my parents were waiting to see me. (My father was on 103 MU at the time). After a couple of hours on the ground we took off for Muharraq where the Britannia went U/s overnight. Being a lowly LAC I had to stay in transit accomodation which at the time I thought was crap. (Looking back I realised that it was in fact very good trasnsit accomodation compared with that which I had to stay in over my career). Eventually we made it to Gan and again the aircraft went U/s and we spent a wonderful day there but not overnight. We did make it to Changi eventually. I was not yet 18 when I went out east and stayed for 6 months at Tengah and grew up very quickly. I had done a tour at Tengah with my father a few years earlier and thought I knew it all! 35 Squadron took over the detachment in Feb 66. The detachment made 2 deployments to Darwin (NT) while I was there. While on the detachment I won a raffle held by one of the officers coming home and not being able to sell his car. A 1947 Buick 8 I think it was. I could not drive so l sold it - probably for less than the previous owner would accept but to me, I remember, it was a fortune.


Aaron.

[Fareastdriver]

Just like this one. bet you wish you had it now.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee224/fareastdriver/Buick.jpg

[ICM]

Brakedwell: At the risk of stretching this thread a tad, my recollection is that 10 Sqn picked up a number of Far East tasks from 1976 that had been Brit tasks up until the force was withdrawn from service. I'm thinking of the seasonal Gurkha Trooping rotations between HK and Katmandu (twice a year?), and schedule 'extensions' from HK to Brunei and Korea. Do these ring any bells?

[brakedwell]

ICM: I PVR'ed 1974, but I do know 10 Sqn took over the Ghurka trooping detachment, which we started in 1972. (I flew the inaugural Hong Kong - Calcutta - Katmandu flight on the 21st September).

[AARON O'DICKYDIDO]

Yes, that looks like the one, only mine was black.

And yes I do wish I still had it.


Aaron.