SHFNI Stories!

[Rucsack]

Introduction & thank you - *rse about face

I suppose I should have done this part first before submitting the above post. I served in the RUC @ FKL 753 (84 - 86)

Just wanted to say a big thank you to all the aircrew who would pick us up, soaking wet and freezing cold after an extended foot patrol (although I always seemed to be on the second lift. Doh!)

From the RUC perspective it was always appreciated and often entertaining, particularly when getting our regular lift in from Bessbrook when going to work.

I will attach some shots that might be of interest to some of you. Unfortunately I don't remember any aircrew names but a few of you came on a cultural tour (P*ss up) to Bushmills distillery with us.

Flying around in the back of a Lynx or Wessex and by mistake in a Puma once, was excellent, something I look back on with a big grin

[mal2597]

Hi all

Hi i served in the UDR/Royal irish and the RUC many a good cabby i had in helis throughout tyrone and fermanagh, RUC Carrickmore.

I remember on one occassion 94 i think i was waiting for a PUMA pickup outside Kesh village and in it came to the west of the village across the main belleck road bounced on the fiels over the river and bounced again the heli went into a spin the load master was thrown from the aircraft and it hit the ground quite heavily.

I remember walking the pilot back to Kesh station and all he said was they will be pissed at me tonight at tea.

i believe the pilot was due to return to the mainland to become an instructor

anyone remember this place i think it was Y251 Rockwood castlederg

sorry wont let me attach picture

anyway thanks for all you guys did for us grunts on the ground it was the greatest sound to hear after a long day on the ground

cheers

[DummyRun]

"I remember on one occassion 94 i think i was waiting for a PUMA pickup outside Kesh village and in it came to the west of the village across the main belleck road bounced on the fiels over the river and bounced again the heli went into a spin the load master was thrown from the aircraft and it hit the ground quite heavily."

I believe it lost a wheel!!! and became yet another underslung load for "akmed the goat herder" or "the double whopper"!!!!

[Rucsack]

Free Beer - so they left me behind.

Someone out there might remember this. It would have been around 1985 when PIRA blew up the cross border train. Unfortunately or otherwise the cargo on the train was full beer barrels. This presented a major headache for ATO so there was a fairly large clearance op.

I think there were 12 insertion flights. But at the end of the op there were 13 extractions. This was at first puzzling as I was rescheduled to be on the last one. Then I saw a wessex heading off into the horizon with an underslung of beer kegs, presumably full of Harp lager - Obviously for evidentiary purposes I guess you gotta get your priorities right.

[7SFK]

RUCSAC, it was Guinness actually. I was there when the evidence was displayed, it didn't stay around long though. Your mates in the Greens passed me a lemonade bottle up the front of the Wx on a Saturday morning once. How nice I thought, until I tried it - strongest lemonade ever!! Enjoyed many great times with the RUC and have the highest respect for you guys.

[Rucsack]

Good time

7SFK - Thanks for your comments. Its a long time ago now but this forum brings back a lot of memories. What a hoot when some of you guys gave it some gas, diving nose down, spiraling into FKL, stall turns etc.

It also amazed me how the military train pilots to spot the wettest, boggiest field in the vicinity of designated LZ and manage to hold it in a perfect hover, just a few feet in the air, thereby ensuring said RUC officer has to jump from the aircraft and is guaranteed at least 50% immersion in South Armagh's finest therapeutic stinking bog water. I swear I could hear laughing from the cockpit as the chopper takes off.

All said & done mate, without you guys it was a bloody long walk and joking aside I've been dropped off/ picked up in some tight situations where the pilots skill was amazing, although the resident of the house who had some windows blown in from downdraft as we landed in their front garden while doing follow ups after the Newry mortar attack might disagree.

[RUCAWO]

Now that looks familiar, samething happend to me at Carrickmore, looked like a nice,flat,very green field, dissapeared up to my thighs when I jumped out of the Wessex

[jayteeto]

The pilot who lost the wheel a few posts ago did become an instructor, then a Harrier pilot!!!

[PhamousPhotographer]

The Porter Trains

Free Beer - so they left me behind.

On Monday 3rd December 1984 the 16.55 liner (goods) from Dundalk to Adelaide depot in Belfast was hijacked at O'Rourkes bridge, about a mile north of the Border and the more notorious Kilnasaggart bridge. Bombs were placed under the train and in the leading cab of the locomotive, GM No 145. At least two devices exploded, including the one in the cab and, as Rucsack’s photo shows, 145 was severely damaged, to the extent that had the ‘incident’ occurred south of the border she’d have been scrapped. However, as it happened in UK territory, guess who was responsible for the loss?

Only withdrawn from service within the past two or three years, 145 was recovered and hauled back to CIE’s workshops at Inchicore, Dublin, where she kept squads of engineering staff gainfully employed on lengthy and expensive repairs and was forever afterwards referred to as The Queen’s or Her Majesty’s Engine, as Elizabeth’s taxpayers footed the bill. That was only one of many attacks on the line’s cross-border traffic, and the odd beer keg or ten was never going to be missed. Small reward for the dangers experienced by the EOD teams and cordons. It took three days to clear that one.

[Rucsack]

On Monday 3rd December 1984 the 16.55 liner (goods) from Dundalk to Adelaide depot in Belfast was hijacked at O'Rourkes bridge, about a mile north of the Border and the more notorious Kilnasaggart bridge. Bombs were placed under the train and in the leading cab of the locomotive, GM No 145. At least two devices exploded, including the one in the cab and, as Rucsack’s photo shows, 145 was severely damaged, to the extent that had the ‘incident’ occurred south of the border she’d have been scrapped. However, as it happened in UK territory, guess who was responsible for the loss?

Only withdrawn from service within the past two or three years, 145 was recovered and hauled back to CIE’s workshops at Inchicore, Dublin, where she kept squads of engineering staff gainfully employed on lengthy and expensive repairs and was forever afterwards referred to as The Queen’s or Her Majesty’s Engine, as Elizabeth’s taxpayers footed the bill. That was only one of many attacks on the line’s cross-border traffic, and the odd beer keg or ten was never going to be missed. Small reward for the dangers experienced by the EOD teams and cordons. It took three days to clear that one.

Great research PP. My memory of the event had faded a bit but I do recall we were all standing around on an unusually sunny day for South Armagh. Felix was all suited up and standing on top of 5000 beer barrels trying to pick which one might be an IED, when the train started to slowly roll as the line was on a slight incline. Luckily only about 20 yards, but enough to have everyone in a bit of a flap. Fortunately nothing went bang!! Felix earned his money that day. I agree about the salvage of a few kegs being well deserved.

Here's a thought: I wonder if, like the roads, the railway line turned to crap when you crossed the border

[PhamousPhotographer]

More Trains (And A Wessex)

Great research PP.

Thanks Rucsack. Can’t claim credit though. A Co Armagh friend / Irish railway photographer knew railwaymen from both CIE and NIR and used to travel out to Meigh, Adavoyle and Kilnasaggart with the PW repair gangs after ‘incidents’ such as that 1984 one. He got these two Wessex views from a south-bound Enterprise on 8th June 1988, five months before my own first encounter with 72 Squadron. The cab serial isn’t visible, but the tail code appears to be O or Q and the location looks like the 'boggiest' piece of ground the crew could find between Adavoyle and the border, to the east of the line below Romeo 21. Tally with anyone’s log book?

This particular express passenger service was regularly used by former International Olympic Committee President Lord Killanin up to his death in 1999 and I’ve seen it on a few occasions with what seemed to be a Wessex ‘escort’ from the border to just north of Bessbrook. I believe he was a passenger on 12th October 1978 (as was I) when the 08.00 ex Dublin was burned out at the Ormeau Road bridge in Belfast by three ieds hidden in the carriage partitions. One fatality, several injured and the narrowest of too many close escapes for Phamous during my time working in Belfast. Finally, "The Queen’s Engine" was withdrawn on 26th August 2006 and cut up the following week (more Seagoe info). Better quit before this becomes a railforum. Anyway, here’s the ‘photies’.






PS You referred to the state of the roads and railways in the Republic. Generally, the permanent way on CIE was always better maintained than what remains of Northern Ireland's 'network' and, courtesy of the EU, the roads south of the border are incomparably improved from twenty years ago. Our's now resemble what the south's motorists used to endure. Progress?

[Rucsack]

Southern Roads

Some great shots there PP. No disrespect was intended about the state of the South but at the time, you could see a visible difference to the roads literally as you crossed the border, which was always handy if we weren't quite sure where we were. (This happened more often than you would think). I haven't been back to south or north in more than twenty years, I'm sure is has changed.

By the looks of that bottom shot that pilot is definitely gravitating towards a boggy field. There must be RUC on board.

I sent a message to your email on your profile, check it out, if you didn't receive it send me a PM or email with your contact details.

Someone should compile a book on Choppers used in "The Troubles". I'd be willing to submit any snaps I've got.

[ILLUC IVI ILLUD FECI]

Ah, those evenings on the bar patio (well stood outside the window) watching the airliners. The first Jumbo, the Egyptair 707 getting airborne merely because of the slope down to Lough Neagh, even Concorde once on the Heathrow Shuttle. Though often, the only aircraft to watch were the returning Wessex!

[garv]

wow

Wow some amazing photo's there of the old Wessex. Has anyone got any of the 72 sqdn Wessex's in the olive drab colour scheme of the mid 80's, or any of the FAA Wessex's of 845.

[Rucsack]

A few more snaps

If you recognise yourself or a friend, give me a shout & I can forward them to you without the blackout


Loadmaster with a sense of humour


Loadmaster


Lynx Forkhill


Xmas Day 84


Lynx Aircrew Preflight


BBK in the snow approx 1984 / 5


Wessex BB


Wsx Underslung @ BBK


Gazelle @ BBK


Patrol Pick up FKL 1985

[Dundiggin']

Rucsac.....

Top photo's matey - but on a technical point you refer to the bloke in the back being a 'Loadmaster' - he never was, he was ALWAYS called a 'Crewman' owing to the different brevet types eg. Air Eng, AEO, AQM, ALM and indeed NAV, who managed to pass the Wessex, Puma or Chinook courses to become 'Crewmen' in the back of the beasties.

If you've got any other phots I may even spot myself....as I also was a Crewman.

Cheers..

[mole man]

Crewman or Air Loadmaster

I was an Air Loadmaster on Wessi

Mole Man

All Clear above and behind

[Rucsack]

Crewman

Hi Dundiggin

Sorry about the incorrect terminology. We (RUC @ FKL) just got to know them as loadmasters. I stand corrected - Crewman it will be from now on.

Unfortunately I don't have many more photos of choppers and their crews but if I do find some, I'll post them.

[Motleycallsign]

Rucsack and Dundiggin - Unfortunately they're all 'Crewman' these days either Fixed or Rotary Wing WSOp's. Personally I retain the right to be called 'Loadie' even tho' I was breveted with a 'QM' brevet.

[mal2597]

Puma crash South armagh

Here are some pictures of a Puma crash on approach to Golf tower in South Armagh not sure of the dates but the local SF were all over it taking pictures

Alright how do i get them on here asks me for a http://

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