Another press faux pas

[unclenelli]

RAF Tornado bomber worth £10m damaged after hitting dog - Mirror Online (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/raf-tornado-bomber-worth-10m-7536622)

Well it has a picture of a dog :D and a picture of a plane :D.

At least they got that right, probably not the dog concerned := and definitely not the aircraft concerned :=. Shame that everything else is crap :ugh:.

[CoffmanStarter]

So that's where the Dog landed :E

See latest CapCom round ... all will become clear ;)

[BEagle]

RAF Akrotiri has been overrun by stray animals as the old perimeter fence rusts away.

"Packs of strays roam the base for food. There's no money to do anything about them, apparently," the source added.


Another sign of the run down nature of the UK's Armed Forces? If a feral dog can get in, so could a feral terrorist....:ugh:

[bobward]

No one mentioned that the Mirror showed a picture of a Hercules either.....

[Herod]

That would be the well-known C-130J Tornado then.

An RAF warplane struck a stray dog at its base in Cyprus

What was an aircraft doing at the dog's base? Shoddy language.

[Saintsman]

The last sentence is definitely the best

It is not known if the do survived.

[Out Of Trim]

Does the Mirror, really pay their staff to write such drivel ! :ugh:

[Melchett01]

Let me guess, there was an unscheduled BBQ in the Mess later too.

[Tinribs]

It is a long time ago but;
The story was an army regiment took their pack of fox hounds to Cyprus but some years later when it was time to return the Rabies rules had been invented.
The price of quarantine for an entire pack was silly so they decided to leave the dogs to make the best of it.
I can confirm years later there were dogs about Akrotiri that were dead ringers for standard English fox hounds. Called Bundhu hounds they made excellent pets and spoke only English
The story MIGHT be true

[Pontius Navigator]

The aircraft could certainly have been carrying Paveway and Brimstone.

[Background Noise]

... in the hold? :oh:

[Pontius Navigator]

BN, that was the initial point of my target



:)

[Davef68]

RAF Akrotiri has been overrun by stray animals as the old perimeter fence rusts away.

"Packs of strays roam the base for food. There's no money to do anything about them, apparently," the source added.

How much would a few bullets be? Or has marksmanship fallen to such a low standard?

[Tankertrashnav]

When I was with a Regiment squadron at Khormaksar the RAF police came round and asked if we could shoot a mangy Pi dog which was wandering on the airfield and was a potential hazard. I didnt fancy it myself so I asked for a volunteer from my flight. Not one of my so-called tough Rockapes would do it, and in the end one of the locally engaged police auxiliaries did it with a Greener shotgun.

Now if it had been one of the locals who had broken through the fence and was wandering around I suspect I'd have had 30 volunteers!

[The Oberon]

The story about all the Cyprus bundhu dogs originating from a hunting pack was certainly prevalent during my tour during the late 60s. TTN's shotgun story rang a bell as well. In Limmasol, if the stray problem got too much, it would go out over local radio and BFBS that on a particular day, anyone owning a dog should keep them inside. Come the day about 10 locals with shotguns plus a lorry would drive around town and anything with 4 legs was dispatched.

[Danny42C]

Tinribs (your #9),
...Bundhu hopunds

I can confirm years later there were dogs about Akrotiri that were dead ringers for standard English fox hounds. Called Bundhu hounds they made excellent pets and spoke only English...
This tickled my fancy in two ways. From my time in India/Burma (70+ years ago), and ever since, "in the bundoo" meant "out in the wilds", or "up the jungle", or "back of the beyond" to me - and this is the sense in which the "hopunds" (I like it - don't change it * !) were described by the RAF (which had done much time in India over the years).

On a whim, I Googled it: Wiki tells me there is a small place called Bundu, it is near Ranchi in W. Bengal. Never knew that; I was in Ranchi once (and could tell you a funny story about it, but it is irrelevant here). You learn something new every day.

I visited an old mate in London late '51, he was on the (RAF) Russian language Course, they billeted him out on a motherly Russian lady (Mrs Braithwaite - yes !), she had a nice old Labrador, the dog only took orders in Russian (so now I know that the Russian for "Sit !" is (phonetically) "Seedi !" Might come in useful one day.

Pontius Nav, yes - if Paveway or Brimstone (or both) had gone off on the surface without penetration, there'd be no fences - and no RAF Akrotiri either.

Danny.

Note * : on a Post around here long ago, a place was Typo-ed as "deadful". Have cherished the word ever since (we've all been there, haven't we ?)

EDIT : If the strays were rounded up, might there be a possibility of a lucrative trade deal with Pyongyang ?

[ICM]

Not Akrotiri, but Poona, 8 February 1946, where a 10 Sqn Flight Commander was also PMC. Writing home to his wife he reported "Later, when I went into the Mess, I discovered a lot of flap over a pi dog, one which had been bothering us for a long time. In the end we got him, and I nearly blew his head off with a .38. We dumped the body in my truck and disposed of it on the airfield."

Leading from the front?

[Danny42C]

ICM,
and I nearly blew his head off with a .38
Had a Smith & Wesson .38 for three years, never fired a shot. Was reputed to be unable to blow skin off a rice pudding.
disposed of it on the airfield.
Vultures wouldn't take long on the job !

D.

[Basil]

Had a Smith & Wesson .38
Is that what it was? Recollect having a revolver but couldn't remember the make.
It was replaced with a 9mm Browning.
At least the revolver didn't jam ;)

[Danny42C]

Basil,

Think this was the one (or one very like it)
At least the revolver didn't jam....;)
And you could play Russian Roulette with it......:=



https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTG_xZdlnxExs39zEyjI1uxjTPoCX4Bj7NL--AwDaY80c7EmydM2A

Think safety catch is 'off' (could be wrong)

Danny.

[Tankertrashnav]

My first personal weapon in the Regiment was a Smith and Wesson. I was disappointed to find that I didn't actually get issued with it, as I rather fancied swaggering around with it in its 37 pattern webbing holster. In fact it lived in the armoury, except when I took it out for my twice yearly unsuccessful attempt to hit a barn door with it! I was no better with the Browning 9mm, so I guess it was me, and not the Smith and Wesson.

[kaitakbowler]

Danny, is that not the cylinder release latch?

PM

[Out Of Trim]

My first personal weapon in the Regiment was a Smith and Wesson. I was disappointed to find that I didn't actually get issued with it, as I rather fancied swaggering around with it in its 37 pattern webbing holster. In fact, it lived in the armoury, except when I took it out for my twice yearly unsuccessful attempt to hit a barn door with it! I was no better with the Browning 9mm, so I guess it was me, and not the Smith and Wesson.

I would have thought that someone in the RAF Regiment would have got a lot more range time than twice a year! :{

[Tankertrashnav]

I spent most of my range time firing the Sterling (and I could actually hit something with that). It was the weapon I carried (but never fired) during the time I was on operations at Khormaksar, but for some historical reason I was also allocated the old Smith and Wesson as my personal weapon, hence the twice yearly trip to the 25 yard range.

[Stanwell]

I've never used the S&W.38 but, from what I can gather from those who have, throwing it at the enemy would likely be more effective than firing it.

[Danny42C]

kaitakbowler (your #22),

Good thing I said, "could be wrong" - I was wrong, and you are right !

Subsidiary question: Where was the safety catch ? Was there one at all (why would a revolver need one anyway ?)

Only excuse - it's been a long time !

Danny.

PS: I run Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. If I Google this Thread on IE, it goes to #24 on Page 2. On Google Chrome, it stops at #19 on Page 1. How can this be ? (you will have gathered that what I know about I.T. could be written on a postage stamp with a paintbrush).

I know I have a gremlin in my laptop, but this is ridiculous !...... Anybody ?.....D.

[Basil]

Think this was the one
Can't remember despite being ex Army (TA) and RAF. I'm not anti gun; just not an enthusiast.
I DO recollect that the Sten could damage one's hand if it got caught in the action :* and the bullets went all over the place.

[Herod]

TTN, have to agree with you on the Stirling. At least it would keep the b*ggers heads down for a while, until a fine Wessex type machine arrived with a 7.62 GPMG. The problem was always trying to get a second magazine out of the armoury. Same problem with the .38. the issue was one box of six (six!) rounds, but with special pleading you could get twelve.

Stanwell, Yep, better to throw it. And while wearing it, only load five rounds, keeping the chamber under the hammer empty. Not unknown, I gather, for someone to jump down from the aircraft and the hammer would move enough to fire it.

[esa-aardvark]

Back when I had something to do with the ARMY, in the late 60's I suppose,
I saw a Sten gun barrel which had been sliced along its length. Apparently
bullet #1 was a bit slow in the barrel so #2 & #3 ... caught up with it.

[Dougie M]

As Junior Officer of the Guard at Khormaksar one had to be armed with the trusty rusty .38. When doing the rounds of the guard posts at night the holster was forced up under the arm pit whilst sitting in the "Landie" so impossible to draw. I also carried a Sterling on the pax seat to fire through the PSP net over the cab if scared. I only had to dismount to search a guard post sangar once and that was with the headlights full on and me trying to be v. small. Another Sqn member discharged all 6 rounds of his weapon at a local climbing over the wire but didn't claim a hit. So they weren't that good.

[Basil]

Hmm, brasswork on that belt could sparkle a little more :E

Edited to say that my wife recently found mine in a cupboard; haven't worn it since South Cerney - thank heaven!

[CoffmanStarter]

Is that 37 Pattern Webbing I spy there Doug ? :8

[Herod]

Hmm, brasswork on that belt could sparkle a little more

When on night IS at Khormaksar, the last thing you needed was anything that sparkled. Invisibility was the aim.

[Stanwell]

Coff.
Don't laugh - our chaps are still being issued with it.
(Thankfully though, mainly for use on pukka parades, etc.)

[Danny42C]

"Where's the lanyard ?"