Nice piccies, Dan - thanks!
I've always thought of the early 1950s as the 'dark ages' - because hardly anyone took any photos, for one reason or another. I guess film and cameras were rather expensive...
As well as Summer Camp 1970 there, 3 of us also had a short UAS detachment to 46(?) squadron, which was highly enjoyable. One memorable trip was low level from Thorney to Glasgow at low level - I recall we crested a ridge on Exmoor just as a post office van did the same thing coming the other way! His surprise at a windscreen full of Andover must have been considerable. As we got further north, the navigator became quite alarmed at the large road which wasn't on his map - it was the M6 near Shap which hadn't yet appeared on RAF charts. Or so he said. We landed at Glasgow, picked up some army people and dropped them off at Benbecula, then flew airways to Lyneham with some more army chaps. Lyneham seemed like Heathow in those days, it was so busy!
At Lyneham, a clipboard clutching Plt Off resplendent in best blue and red armband walked up to the aircraft and made "Kneel it!" signals. This caused the Captain to fly into a rage and he immediately shut down both engines and explained what he thought about the pedigree of air movements officers in general - and this particular one in particular. "Kneeling system is u/s, get some bŁoody Comet steps!", he suggested. But they weren't availiable, so a scissor truck to the para doors had to suffice.
Then a quick transit back to Thorney and a beer with the crew. Fun days, back when we still had a proper air force.....
