Originally Posted by
Fareastdriver
I signed the dotted line at the then Salisbury, then Rhodesia in 1960. My first leg to South Cerney was via an Argosy flown by a certain Air Marshal. The planned route was Salisbury-Nairobi-Aden and thence to the UK. On arrival at Nairobi I was offloaded as the aircraft was converting to the all freight role. Dug up with spades, I believe.
I then spent a week or so hanging about Eastleigh; un-admined with no pay until they found room for me on a civilian trooper.
I was then too late for my scheduled IOT course so I was sent off again, with money this time, for a further three weeks.
Johnnie Johnson had the best garden in Aden thanks to the soil flown back from Kenya! He also used a Beverley to carry his yacht to Masirah. Then the David Shepherd paintings he took from the Officers Mess in Khormaksar to be "cleaned" caused quite a stir and I believe there was money recovered by the Air Ministry! The flights through Nairobi and Salisbury to Matsapa in Swaziland were very popular. I still remember the good afternoon drinking beer with the king of Swaziland in the Chequers at Matsapa!