Colishall - Akrotiri - Bahrein - Karachi -
There is a detachment to remember. The Javelins and admin staff were accomodated in the Speedbird at the airport. Poor old tanker air and ground crew were accomodated in Miniwallah, somewhere in the slums; apparently used so they could put a Brit. load of passengers in it if neccessary.
There were four lift shafts but only enough money for two lifts so two shafts were empty; no gates, no barriers, no lights, nothing.
The rooms had four taps on the basins. One pair had obviously gunged up so badly that they had renewed the entire water system; and had left the old one, complete wtih taps, there.
The kitchens were extensively fly-screened; so as to stop the flies getting into the dining room.
tanked Javelins to somewhere in India for some exercise, that would have been between Oct 62 and Oct 64.
That was Exercse Shiksha at the end of October 1963, which was a token reinforcement of the Indian Air Force whilst they were having a noisy discussion with the Chinese about strips of land in the Himalayas. A joint effort with four 90 Sqn tankers assisting. This one at Bombay is taxiing to our dispersal after refuelling.
We were only there for a few days during which they lost a Javelin and some were then tanked onwards to Tengah.
Some of you may remember the the towing facilities for the ground power units.
The medical officer who came with us to Butterworth is worth another thread.
Correction. They didn't lose the Javelin. The navigator saved the aircraft by ejecting when the pilot overpitched it.