Early days of Op Corporate ( FI unpleasantness ) in April 82. VC10C with a load of Hooligans, en-route to ASI via Dakar in Senegal, to catch
grey funnel line transport to the action, NO cash issued in the imprest as "not needed as only RAF manned destinations and diversions will be used"
Then, of course, both Dakar and Banjul, the diversion, are fogged out, so aircraft diverts to Nouakchott in Mauritania as only option available.
Asks for fuel. AMEX not accepted, Shell Carnet not accepted; Umm contact Embassy, problem no Embassy in Mauritania!! Only solution is
a whip round of the crew and passengers to get enough cash to buy enough fuel to get to Dakar after weather clears. With IOUs to all the
crew and passengers.
Very disgruntled Accounts Officer forced to hold pay parade for passengers who were NOT going to take "NO" as an answer.
This was same Accounts Officer who insisted on paying all the people in US accommodation, and eating in Food Hall, in Sterling
when US base worked in dollars. Also insisted, on another occasion in paying only dollars to those living in Georgetown with a Sterling
economy. This was after he was persuaded that Daily issue of allowances made it a flight safety hazard as it prevented both air and groundcrews
from getting adequate sleeping time. He was nicknamed "Galtieri" for his services to the Argentine cause.
He was so unpopular that it took a Nimrod captain all of his powers of persuasion to prevent his NCOs from throwing "Galtieri" off the Exiles Club balcony.