I found myself posted to 115 Sqdn at Cottesmore when the "other" V-Force went to Cyprus and left me behind. Vulcan to Varsity in a couple of weeks! Initially, one felt somewhat miffed, 2 doses of Vulcans with a tour in 2TAF in between and then propellers and AVGAS!
'Kinell!
However I soon got quite attached to the "Pigs", gently grunting their way around the taxi-ways, freely dispensing oil (OMD 370??) on all and sundry. At that time 115 still had a good few Varsitys, being in the process of upgrading to Wheelbarrows.
Lots of fond (?) memories, both in the air and on the ground, including;
The occasion when one of our riggers (name withheld) mistakenly connected the ground air bottles supply to charge the radiator cowls (450 psi ?) to the filling point for the hydraulic reservoir (connections the same size and adjacent) resulting in the contents of said reservoir vapourising through the vent in the reservoir cap (thank Mr. Vickers that it had one) and filling the fuselage with a surreal pink OM-15 mist (like a Boeing roll-out ceremony, but 20 years ahead!).
Or when airborne (as rigger/looker-afterer of said flying machine) getting struck by lightning somewhere over the alps on the way to Luqa from Cott. (about 11 hrs with a refuel at Nice) amazingly impressive flash and matching bang which had me running forward from my seat at te rear to enquire of the driver as to our continued airworthiness (all OK - confirmed by a good look-over at Nice). Just as well, I recall my bale-out procedure involved donning the harness (in a bag on the floor by my side) collecting and attaching the 'chute (stowed "forrad" behind the pilots) returning aft and going out throught the entrance door, remembering to roll/somersault out to avoid denting the tailplane with me 'ead.
On the return flight, seeing the pilot wind open the triangular window at his side and throw the remains of his (fairly disgusting) in-flight sarnie out - somewhere over the med...
Or the occasion when we got a call to say that one had "done a wheels-up landing but he's OK and returning"!! Turned out that he was on approach (forget where - Shawbury?) and a JP had taxied onto the runway, the Varsity had initiated a go-around (wheels up etc) only to see the JP go across the runway and clear it. End effect was that our man recommenced the approach, forgetting the wheels. The aircraft actually contacted the runway (at the back of the "pannier/bomb bay) as the crew realised and opened up. They then landed for a look-see, minor damage to the fuselage and a broken downward ident light was the result. They then declared themselves fit to return home, hence the phone call. We reckoned there was about a foot-and-a-half between the prop tips and concrete as it lurched back into the air - close enough!
WJ 911 was a mystery to us all....it had all sorts of special racks installed which held strange kit, some of which was removed on landing and taken away by unknown persons (some in civilian clobber) who flew in it. I remember its door was secured with a SPECIAL Chubb padlock ( hardened steel, 1 : 10,000,000 key or similar) which was inserted through two alloy brackets firmly secured to the fuselage by 3 or 4 pop rivets. It did lots of multi-day "Navex's" and seemed to be attracted to Gatow...
For anyone interested, here's a list of 115's Varsitys mid 1969:
WF383, WJ911, WJ946, WL622, WL636, WL678, WL685, WL692.
Here are some Varsity pics dragged out from my old slides (please excuse the scratches/general quality and possible non-appearance!);
"X" at Wittering 1975/76
WL 692, landing at El Adem 1967 with the only tree for miles!
WL 692, El Adem 1967 - proving it wasn't the slowest thing there.
WF 382 at Wittering 1977
WF 379 Wittering 1976
Rigex