'Exigencies of the Service'
Elaborating a bit on Wiley's post #31.
There was virtually continuous rain throughout Queensland and New South Wales for about 2 weeks preceding the 1974 floods. During the preceding 2 years, I held the staff appointment of HOPS at Headquarters Operational Command Glenbrook (Penrith) having got the post and cell established and had just been posted back into 9SQN at Amberley.
Packing up and cleaning a married quarter was the usual 'fun' and shampooing of carpets made them all go mildew. As the flood situation developed, I got fired up to Amberley post haste as all other squadron execs were out flying. Squadron aircrew accommodation was then a very cramped little building and some demountables on the edge of the tarmac (3 years post-Vietnam) and a mess. On day 1, I launched an Iroquois southwards toward flooded NSW and learned an hour or so later that it had crashed en route with fatal consequences resulting in recovery action, notifications and associated admin. I was then despatched to Townsville to co-ordinate the Air Force flood relief effort in northern Queensland.
My wife had to handle the final aspects of removal, then drove up through flooded NSW in a long wheel base Landrover with 5 kids including a baby less than a year old. Nil communications when she arrived at Amberley to find me gone and had to paddle around to find milk and somewhere to camp. The removal had of course been disrupted and I got back to Amberley about 2 weeks later. 'Exigencies of the Service' I guess, but it all got too much after 5 interstate postings in 6 years so I baled out in 1978.
Last edited by Bushranger 71; 21st Jan 2011 at 19:05.