Not for the queasy, and not to be read at meal times and long
There is a detachment to remember.
Fareastdriver,
Nice pics.
'THE' most memorable 214 tanking detachment during my time was the time that we sent one of our own Valiants non-stop to Singapore.
This was early 1960. We were to position tankers in Cyprus and Karachi to re-fuel the Singapore a/c. I was in the party that was in Karachi (Mauripur).
Before the trip we were briefed that we were the 1st RAF people to return to Pakistan since Independence, I have since learnt that this was probably untrue.
We were also warned of the dangers of 'disease' and we were to be given pills to alleviate 'stomach problems'. These pills were in 3 strengths and different colours. We were also to keep a 'score sheet' of our bowel movements! Complete with an indication of the consistency, as 'H' for hard, 'S' for soft and 'L' for liquid. We were also allocated a Medical Officer from SSQ and a Supply Officer from Stores.
We were paid in shiny new Pakistan Rupee notes, generously supplied at the official exchange rate, R13 = £1, by the Pakistan High Commission in London.
Transport Command kindly allocated a Hastings for us ground crew and our spares. This meant a 3 day journey, each way, with night stops in El Adem and Khormaksor and re-fueling stops at Luqa and Khartoum.
On arrival at Mauripur we were segregated. Officers were to have the privilege of being accommodated on base in the Officers Mess. We non-commissioned types, which included all of the technical ground crew and about 3 or 4 NCO aircrew, were to be accommodated in a hotel in Karachi. Guess who got the better deal?
Anyway, after a couple of days our score cards were getting well used. It quickly became apparent which of the pills were the strongest, but only by a day or so. Our M.O. was the hardest worked guy on the trip. He quickly organised a supply bottled soft drinks from the local Coke supplier, we were told to not even clean our teeth with the tap water. I, fortunately, had bought a bottle of duty free Gin in Aden. It was used for teeth cleaning!
In general life was simply ‘orrible.
When hailing a Taxi, before being asked for a destination, we were asked if we had any Sterling, Dollars or Travellers Cheques and offered R20 = £1 as a start. R22 was easily got with a little negotiation. As a consequence the shiny new notes didn’t get spent.
To re-fuel the return flight of the non-stop a/c from Singapore, our tanker air crews flew with towels as ‘nappies’! They had the benefit of wearing their oxygen masks while flying, but when they landed and the door was opened, they got out, but no ground crew entered for some considerable time.
The return trip by Hastings also had its moments.
When we landed at Khormaksor, the M.O. read out a list of 6 names. These guys, who had been working doing pre-flights that morning, were to be loaded onto the Ambulance that met the Hastings taken to SSQ and to be returned to the UK when fit.
We were also told that to rest the Hastings crew, who had done nothing for nearly 3 weeks! We were to stop over in Khormaksor for 2 nights. It was Whitsuntide Weekend, remember when that was a holiday?
The rest of nominally ‘fit’ guys were told to rest and drink plenty of liquid. To which of course some wag shouts out, ‘Does that include beer Doc?’ To which the M.O. replies in the affirmative. This advice I have being following ever since.
So we spent the spare day at the NAAFI Club at Steamer Point gently drinking and steaming.
The next morning we had an early take off and when we were in the air, the M.O. noticed that some faces that should have been in SSQ at Khormaksor. They had broken out of SSQ, via the windows!
Next bit really messy.
Our flight from Khormaksor to Khartoum was of course over Ethiopia and its mountains. Now remember the Hastings was un-pressurised so we flew below 10,000 ft. This meant that we bounced about the sky quite a lot. The Hastings also did not have flush toilets, but was fitted with the dreaded Elsan’s.
Note the combination.
Low flying a/c, rough air, Elsan toilets and a load of pax with dysentery!
For all of the wrong reasons, it was the most memorable flight that I have ever made. Getting off for the re-fuelling stop at Khartoum was a wonderful relief, getting back on, for the leg to El Adem, was not.
When we returned to Marham, 214 took over a complete ward in SSQ. Even though we were all unwell, I’m sure that you can imagine the antics created by having such a group from the same Sqdn, all in SSQ together. I’m sure the staff of SSQ was very pleased to see the back of us.
We had one last problem, the shiny new Pakistan Rupee's. The Pakistan High Commission didn't want them back. But The Accounts Dept at Marham had to give us Sterling at 13:1. We were never given Rupee's in advance ever again.
I’m pleased to say that this was my last flight in a Hastings, Transport Command always managed to supply a Britannia after that. Pure luxury, pressurized, hot food, smoking allowed and oh, FLUSH TOILETS!
Last edited by ian16th; 7th Feb 2013 at 10:10.