Transall - the Bev boom hatch was a pair of 'flaps' in the floor at the rear of the boom they were lifted and folded to each side for dropping. The exit size was sufficient to allow full length body exit rather than the type of 'hole' used in the Stirling, Whitley/Halifax. While the boom door provided a much-liked para exit, it also caused the death of our co-pilot in Aden. The boom Elsans were directly aft of the hatch and we happened to have the only Bev not modded with 'pins' which prevented the toilet doors being opened when the hatch was open. Co's pre-flight needed a check of the tailend boosters.and while he was there, the hatch was opened and... Sad and unnecessary.
Much of the disparagement of the Bev was unfair. The RAF, not unusually, asked for a design spec and then used it operationally in a totally different and inappropriate role. When it was used in its design environment it was unbeatable. We spent 6 weeks on exercise at El Adem. operating at max weights into a sand strip that had to be changed every couple of landings and kept on going. Flogging it long-haul on the transport routes was a bit of a nonsense - particularly pumping transfer oil in the 'dog-kennel' every couple of hours.
Beagle's reported dining event sort of happened but was the result of a load of trestle tables and chairs being returned to the UK. Our AQMs (loady predecessors) had been sent on 'the Butty Course (at Lyneham) and were then allowed to order dry rations instead of lunch boxes. Bev 'catering' consisted of the Q's box of bread knives etc. and a small hot water boiler which could be used for heating soup and tea/coffee making. There were some quite inventive kitchen artists after a while! One, somewhat less so, was the presentation with cold salad of
hot Heinz vegetable mayonnaise.
One fact which is rarely mentioned is that it was the first RAF Perf A aircraft.! Sleeve-valve magic, courtesy of quad Centauri!!
A further trifle from the memory nudge - our oldest and longest serving Q was 'Manny' Mercer. He got married in or about his 60s and was allowed to hold his wedding reception in the freightbay of a parked Bev at Abingdon. A great success, apparently, and appropriate use was made of the para-drop bomb-aimers platform in the nose - a small musical group played for the guests ... the platform was known, colloquially, as 'the bandstand' !