Ah interesting. I was there a few years later during the hunger strikes. It was never mentioned, covered up
. I concur about the food and they were not joking about the local IRA. Even we had to tread carefully. One night someone thought they saw something and everybody with access to a weapon opened up on the surrounding countryside. I missed it but it was apparently great fun. It was just wishful thinking, we all wanted a go at the provos but they stayed well clear.
I was involved in a border transgression too. Wandering through the jungles of Monaghan in a platoon strength patrol once. I heard a Wessex go overhead. I thought, 'Either we're on the wrong side of the border or he is! As a lowly private, I kept my mouth shut. Well it wasn't the RAF and we spent an fascinating hour and a half lurking on the wrong side of the border while a bit of emergency recce went on.
As for the AAC, I also worked near the Irish Air Corps headquarters in Baldonnel. I used to see AAC Beavers regularly dropping in for a visit. Any stories there? I remember one hitting the headlines when it was seen 'spying' over a Midland town. But he was talking to ATC but in reality it seemed to be sightseeing.