Hullavington airfield
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Pencil Cases?
Those green lidded boxes intrigue me. When did they appear & are they pencil boxes?
Also the Gee box squeezed against the fuselage side, was it always placed there? But its 58 years ago.
"12 hours on the Meteor NF14", we did 30 hours on the NF 10 Vampire.
Also the Gee box squeezed against the fuselage side, was it always placed there? But its 58 years ago.
"12 hours on the Meteor NF14", we did 30 hours on the NF 10 Vampire.
Those boxes lined with green felt were grey in colour and were indeed pencil boxes, marked 6B/472 on the top. They were issued with standard RAF nav bags (you can see them by the students' left legs) and fitted into a specially designed pocket in the bag.
The nav bag also included a stowage for the RAF nav ruler, but I found it easier to shorten the nav ruler and stow it inside the bag.
All were excellent pieces of kit!
The nav bag also included a stowage for the RAF nav ruler, but I found it easier to shorten the nav ruler and stow it inside the bag.
All were excellent pieces of kit!
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Hullavington
Smudge Tengah Type
I started my Nav trg at Gaydon in Nov 69 so Big H had closed by then. I was privileged to live in the OM there in 1972/73 as it was overflow accommodation for the OM at Lyneham. 18 singlies galavanting around the world and living in a country club!! Happy days.
Nobby and Percy were the barman and they were glad that the Mess had a resurrection as only 4 livers until we arrived - 2 were civil servant.
Our pubs were the Vine Tree in Norton, the Suffolk Arms in Malmesbury and the Wild Duck in Ewen near Kemble.
middlesborough - The White Hart at Ford still going and well known
I started my Nav trg at Gaydon in Nov 69 so Big H had closed by then. I was privileged to live in the OM there in 1972/73 as it was overflow accommodation for the OM at Lyneham. 18 singlies galavanting around the world and living in a country club!! Happy days.
Nobby and Percy were the barman and they were glad that the Mess had a resurrection as only 4 livers until we arrived - 2 were civil servant.
Our pubs were the Vine Tree in Norton, the Suffolk Arms in Malmesbury and the Wild Duck in Ewen near Kemble.
middlesborough - The White Hart at Ford still going and well known
Dagama,
Thanks for that, I joined the RAF in January 69, and I'm sure I have memories of seeing the Varsities at Gaydon prior to that. Our ATC squadron attended there for Air Experience flights, we also went to Shawbury. Gliding from Tern Hill. Gaydon was our local B of B open day, a must for the likes of myself. I know for sure that 2 ANS Varsities always took part in that display. FYI, myself, wife and an old GE mate of mine regularly visit the Vinetree at Norton, great beer, great food and some very welcoming patrons too. No wonder you chaps enjoyed it.
Smudge
Thanks for that, I joined the RAF in January 69, and I'm sure I have memories of seeing the Varsities at Gaydon prior to that. Our ATC squadron attended there for Air Experience flights, we also went to Shawbury. Gliding from Tern Hill. Gaydon was our local B of B open day, a must for the likes of myself. I know for sure that 2 ANS Varsities always took part in that display. FYI, myself, wife and an old GE mate of mine regularly visit the Vinetree at Norton, great beer, great food and some very welcoming patrons too. No wonder you chaps enjoyed it.
Smudge
I was on 88 which started 3/5/66 at Gaydon - my school mate I followed into the mob was on 74, which commenced at Hullavington and moved to Gaydon in mid 1965.
There was a BofB day while I was there and our course had a stall with some sort of model aeroplane doing something similar to the malteser and tape measure trick that has been all the rage on TFI these last few weeks!
Dagama
Ah! The Suffolk Arms, watering hole of Miserable Mike Wood and Howard Mansell when they lived at Monk's Park - the latter did a streak around the pub! I used to frequent The Vine Tree early 70s and The Wild Duck from 72-80 when we lived in Ciren' then Minety. The guv'nor used to lock everyone in at closing time, being ready to serve baskets of chips if the rossers called!
There was a BofB day while I was there and our course had a stall with some sort of model aeroplane doing something similar to the malteser and tape measure trick that has been all the rage on TFI these last few weeks!
Dagama
Ah! The Suffolk Arms, watering hole of Miserable Mike Wood and Howard Mansell when they lived at Monk's Park - the latter did a streak around the pub! I used to frequent The Vine Tree early 70s and The Wild Duck from 72-80 when we lived in Ciren' then Minety. The guv'nor used to lock everyone in at closing time, being ready to serve baskets of chips if the rossers called!
Last edited by Brian 48nav; 6th Dec 2015 at 19:49. Reason: Addition
I lived in quarters at Hullavington in 1971 and belonged to the Mess there untill we were kicked out and sent to Lyneham.
A picture of Gaydon in 2007: 2ANS was dead centre and the Aston Martin factory is just West of the former OM location. The old SCAF building is still there.
Brian were you on 29 Herc Course?
Sadly, the Suffolk Arms was knocked down and is now a housing estate!
A picture of Gaydon in 2007: 2ANS was dead centre and the Aston Martin factory is just West of the former OM location. The old SCAF building is still there.
Brian were you on 29 Herc Course?
Sadly, the Suffolk Arms was knocked down and is now a housing estate!
Last edited by Whopity; 6th Dec 2015 at 21:11. Reason: Sp
Avoid imitations
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Those boxes lined with green felt were grey in colour and were indeed pencil boxes, marked 6B/472 on the top. They were issued with standard RAF nav bags (you can see them by the students' left legs) and fitted into a specially designed pocket in the bag.
The nav bag also included a stowage for the RAF nav ruler, but I found it easier to shorten the nav ruler and stow it inside the bag.
All were excellent pieces of kit!
The nav bag also included a stowage for the RAF nav ruler, but I found it easier to shorten the nav ruler and stow it inside the bag.
All were excellent pieces of kit!
Whopity
No, I was on 4 Course - my only claim to fame is the first baby nav' to be told he was going to the 'not yet in service' Herc. Just before 88 Course finished one of our syndicate instructors, the only decent one I might add, the great Brian Weatherly ( later a Flt Cdr on 48 at Lyneham ) told me there was a chance that a Herc' posting would be offered to a first tourist, if so its yours he said.
In fact there were 2 slots for my course ( 88 ) and Tony Fawcus got the other - by the time 4 course started Dai Jones ( 89 ) and John Pilkington ( 90 ) had also received Herc' postings, all of which were to 48 at Changi. Des Pope and my old mate Arthur Chapman from 90 were on 5 Course.
This of course opened the floodgates for first tourists, as from 5 Course onwards there must have been at least 50% first tourists.
I guess 29 Course must have been in 1970.
In fact there were 2 slots for my course ( 88 ) and Tony Fawcus got the other - by the time 4 course started Dai Jones ( 89 ) and John Pilkington ( 90 ) had also received Herc' postings, all of which were to 48 at Changi. Des Pope and my old mate Arthur Chapman from 90 were on 5 Course.
This of course opened the floodgates for first tourists, as from 5 Course onwards there must have been at least 50% first tourists.
I guess 29 Course must have been in 1970.
Brian, now there's the name of a true gentleman, Arthur Chapman. I had the great honour of being a GE, allocated to his crew during GW1, and he made me feel a real part of the team. I remember finding a "Muslim ? " compass, with 400 degrees on it in the local souk, and bought it for him as a Christmas present. With typical aplomb, he asked why I thought it was special, didn't all compases have 400 degrees ? Great bloke.
Smudge
Smudge
I recall Brian Weatherly joining us at Lyneham when we had relocated 48 from Changi.
AA62
Were you at the 48 bash last year? Brian was in great form ,amazing for 82 years old - I passed him as we went off to bed and there he was chatting up some youngsters from an adjoining party.
This should probably be on the Herc' thread but here goes, IIRC you had Brian and Tony Barrett as your Flt Cdrs - round the corner on 30 we had Colin Quaife and Doug Pettinger, both drivers as we had a nav' boss, and they were replaced by Ugly Bob Gray ( my skipper on the OCU in '67 ) and Jimmy 'The Gun' Gillmore.
This should probably be on the Herc' thread but here goes, IIRC you had Brian and Tony Barrett as your Flt Cdrs - round the corner on 30 we had Colin Quaife and Doug Pettinger, both drivers as we had a nav' boss, and they were replaced by Ugly Bob Gray ( my skipper on the OCU in '67 ) and Jimmy 'The Gun' Gillmore.
Brian,
yes those were two of the flight commanders. Tony was alas the captain of the Hercules that crashed at Colerne. I had known Tony on Hastings.
I do not attend reunions these days.
yes those were two of the flight commanders. Tony was alas the captain of the Hercules that crashed at Colerne. I had known Tony on Hastings.
I do not attend reunions these days.
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Pencil Boxes
I feel hard done by nobody ever gave me an official pencil box! But then we were the last of the National Service aircrew.
Nav. rulers we called them straight edges, never used to measure anything. What was the scale on them?. Measurements done by dividers and the corresponding longitude scale.
??? That name rings a bell, he wouldn't be about my age would he?
Nav. rulers we called them straight edges, never used to measure anything. What was the scale on them?. Measurements done by dividers and the corresponding longitude scale.
Ugly Bob Gray
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Looks like this thread has been hijacked by the Tangent Brothers.
No further news to my knowledge on what is happening.
I still think that it will be related to one of the off lying sites however.
No further news to my knowledge on what is happening.
I still think that it will be related to one of the off lying sites however.
SX983,
I apologise for my part in the thread drift, never having been a Navigator, I would never have been clever enough to calculate any correction required. I'm sure that my interest in the history of No 2 ANS is genuine, and my memories of Hullavington, having spent time gliding there, are good ones. Perhaps some more input from those who attended, worked or otherwise lurked there during its time as an operational unit would keep us "on track"
Otherwise, living fairly nearby, I've heard nothing on redevelopment of the site.
Smudge
I apologise for my part in the thread drift, never having been a Navigator, I would never have been clever enough to calculate any correction required. I'm sure that my interest in the history of No 2 ANS is genuine, and my memories of Hullavington, having spent time gliding there, are good ones. Perhaps some more input from those who attended, worked or otherwise lurked there during its time as an operational unit would keep us "on track"
Otherwise, living fairly nearby, I've heard nothing on redevelopment of the site.Smudge