Originally Posted by
robertwbrown
@cargosales I'd be very interested in taking up your kind offer.
I was detached from 20(R) Sqn to 216 San for Gulf 1 in 1990-91 and was appointed as what was termed an "SVC" flying in and out of the Middle East twice per week ostensibly to evacuate casualties. The only casualty I recall was a chap with a leg in plaster having broken it while playing football.
Nobody was ever able to tell me what "SVC" meant - I assume the VC was voluntary crew - the S might have been 'supplementary', certainly unlikely to be 'special'. Although an avionics tech by trade much of my role involved BF's, AF's and turnarounds. The memorable bit being a check and top-up of the engine oil, the centre engine invariably spewing out a good cup-full of its hot contents down your arm and neck as I recall.
After close of play around mid 1991 I returned to 20(R) Sqn having had quite an exciting 6 months or so with 216 which I look back upon with a fair degree of nostalgia.
How may I contact you?
Kind regards
Rob Brown
Hello Rob Brown,
I don't feel that you set the appropriate tone here. The overall effort involved in supporting a major military offensive will always include many tasks that appear mundane or nugatory. However, the capability to rapidly reinforce, evacuate or support in different ways was essential for the effective action in GW1. There are many who use this site who might well have needed the support of the airlift capability and notwithstanding the relative success of the action, grievous losses were suffered by the coalition forces. Possibly, unseen to you, the capability you supported provided the strength in depth that would have also supported you if you had become a casualty of war. This type of support is almost mandatory in modern Western warfare planning. So, yes your efforts were worthwhile.
OAP