I came into contact with SOXMIS during my time on the Harrier Force. It was during Op Horrendous Farce, or Hard Frost, I know it began with HF.
It was the GR5's first trip out into the woods and consequently of great interest to Ivan. We were lumbering along the autobahn in convoy heading for Bergen somewhere in our Bedford 4 ton trucks. The convoy was obliged to travel at the speed of the slowest vehicle, this being the AEC Mammoth de-min water tanker, the very same that had followed Monty across northern Africa: thus we travelled very slowly.
Ivan appeared in my wing mirror and commenced a very slow overtake of the exceedingly slow convoy taking snaps of the GR5 spares loaded under the tarpaulins. This included spare Pegasus, replacement wings, and assorted ground equipment. I was driving the tail end truck as Ivan dropped back alongside with Igor happily snapping from the passenger window. Prior to departing Gut we had been briefed that SOXMIS were likely to pay us attention and our response was to make it difficult for him. Knowing that my Bedford's acceleration was no match for Ivan's
4x4 that had been cast from solid ore I attempted to "squeeze" him into the central barrier. Twice I drifted into his lane, each time he backed off until I moved back to the right whereupon he again came alongside with Igor snapping away vigourously.
After two "squeezes" Ivan must have been pretty sure he'd found the truck with the GR5 ordnance on board as he was getting quite fixated photographing the tarped load on my truck. It was then that the convoy outriders on their CanAm Bombardiers finally caught up with the solid ore
4x4 and shooed him away.
Ivan was right to concentrate on my truck at the back of the convoy as it was indeed carrying the most important element of a Harrier Force deployment......... 4 tons of Herforder pils; aka Herfy Handbags!
Zazdrovje Ivan
