Coffman,
the Manston Factor usually worked, except for one Thursday (why do I remember it was Thursday): we had been flying a six-ship of T17s from Ballykelly, then moved to St Mawgan, flying an exercise in SWAPPs on the way. Should have realised something was "up" when the AEO heard on SSB a Shackleton being diverted to S France or Gib or somewhere distant. By the time we were overhead St Margan everywhere in UK was going out with fog, and I was the only White Card (add 300ft to decision height) in our bunch and I was top of the stack. The fog was rapidly getting worse and I was on top of the stack, last down the descent - options few- text book solution, if not in sight of lights at decision height, overshoot, fly over the airfield and bang the nav and aeo out, then take the aircraft out to sea and do ditto. Concluded that with a radar altimeter we could take it to 150 feet (my decision height was 863' as I recall - the 3' being all important) so we set off down the glide slope spot on the numbers all the way down and at 150' as I started to level for the overshoot the AEO called "lights straight ahead", and we landed. They had to send a "follow me" truck to get us to the pan, and the boss (one of the flight commanders) was giving me a funny look as we opened the door. Later in a quiet corner he gave me the official bollocking- "next time overshoot and throw the aeroplane away" , and then took me to the bar and bought my beer for the rest of the night.
I also recall a diversion to Manston where there were so many airliners there we were limited to loading "get you home + dibversion" fuel, and the started parking aircrafy down one side of the very wide runway.
Seems a lifetime ago now.