I have just discovered this thread. I find the views very positive and, if my memory still serves me correctly, accurate and very much to the point.
I did a Day Fighter tour on Meteor 8s in 12 Group 1952 - 1954 and then went to FGA in 2 TAF on Vamps and Venom 1s until 1957. All character building aircraft! The press on spirit prevalent in those days had already begun to evaporate a little when I left the service to fly civvy.
Scanning through the link, I think I can identify some of my thinly disguised compatriots of those days. Looking back again through the thread I see mention of two stalwarts I was privileged to serve with. One is Cess Crook - I was on the same wing as he in 2 TAF and can report that he is alive and well living in NZ and I am in frquent touch with him. I was with him at the leave train incident, and when he told the passengers and crew of the leave ship from the Hook to Harwich over the Tannoy that there was no for panic, but a yeti was loose on board! There were other hilarious incidents involving the Deutsches Bundesbahn but I wouldn't repeat them without Cess' agreement. I met him again professionally when he came to Singapore to join the Pioneer Sqn which I was now on having rejoined the RAF. Bill Arrowsmith is the other luminary I knew well - he was a flight commander on the Twin Pioneer element of the sqn and a fine throat as we used to say!. I apologise for this entry being a bit off topic, I'll get back in line on my next post as, like many others of the 50s era, I can recall one or two 'incidents' in my time on Meteors.
Last edited by Crumble; 3rd Jul 2010 at 20:39.
Reason: Further info