Which calls to mind one of the SACs at 280SU during our only callout* at 280SU back in about 1977. This was the time of Dadīs Army on TV where Corporal Jones' catch phrase was "Donīt panic Mr Mainwaring."
Said SAC was racing around the MT yard shouting "Donīt Panic!" when a certain officious engineering officer came along. The SAC skidded to halt, threw up a smart salute and exclaimed, "Morning Sah! Sorry Sah! You can panic Sah!", then raced off again.........
*The word had come down from upon high that sufficient time had passed since the Turkish invasion and Cyprus was TACEVAL vulnerable again. The CO had a call out plan written and decided to exercise it.
The siren duly went and we raced off up the hill to work. We did seem to pass a lot of cars for such an early hour, but thought no more about it.
They did at the leave centre and admin site, where the local Mayor and most of the village pitched up asking for sanctuary, as they thought the Turks were on the move again....
After various complaints and investigations, we were advised we were no longer TACEVAL vulnerable - and never had another callout.......
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Which then brings to mind when we reinforced 280SU shortly after the Yanks bombed Libya. The royal yacht, Britannia, was coming through the Suez canal and Med and the worry was that the Libyans would launch their (2) Blinders and bomb her in retaliation. We, along with 3 VC10s and about 6 F4s were sent to provide top cover during her transit. She would transit as far north as possible till she could duck into the Greek islands.
Come the day before and the Met man predicted blue skies. Come the day, it was solid cloud from 5000ft to 35000ft. Which made AAR a bit of a problem. The cunning plan agreed was that one VC10 and 2 F4s would CAP and AAR around the ship at 4000ft whilst a second VC10 did Middleman. That tanker would rotate down to low level to relieve the first as the third arrived etc etc.
All went well till they gotr within radar range of the Greeks who wondered what was going and the F4s reported that a "twin prop flying boat" had appeared and was being nosy. They were instructed to "Intervene and escort away". The aircraft was duly escorted away.
It turned out, of course, to be a Greek navy HU16 Albatross, who came back about an hour later with 2 live armed Mirage (might have been F4s, my memory is going..).
"What do we do now Oly?"
"Standby........"