Danny finds that we all have our troubles.
First, let me thank all of you who've replied to my "cri de coeur" for the unanimity with which you've endorsed my wish to stay where I am - here! The kind words said about me and my generation of war survivors truly leave me humble. For, as I've earler said (in another context): "We just did what we had to do, and we all got away with it". Now, (having shot my next few foxes - for we all know the end, don't we ?), I'll fill in some more details of my time at Thornaby.
At the end of June I was off on my annual 2-week Refresher. This time it was to CFS at South Cerney. They'd given the "Balliol" up as a bad idea and gone back to the Harvard (good one). (I saw a thread here recently about a Harvard which is being fettled up, and something about it being adopted by the BBMF as a lead-in for the new boys who'll be flying tail-draggers for the first time - note they didn't try to beg, borrow or steal a Spit IX(T) - far too nice for the job - and the RAF certainly couldn't afford to buy one in any case).
So I was quite at home with the Harvards at S.C., and hoped to borrow one to take up to Thornaby for the weekend. But I had no valid I/R, it was no-go, and I had to stay, champing on the bit, for the whole fortnight.
And then 608 went for their Annual Camp. Far afield this time - El Adem, no less. How did they get that far ? I've a vague recollection that they staged through Orange. Could they have done that ? (France was holding aloof from NATO). With L/R tanks, I suppose they would have had the range.
Then a tragedy. At the very end of their time at El Adem, they lost a Vampire and a pilot. 608 were always cagey about it and I don't remember any details of the accident. And then there were two "blacks" put up, one bad and the other worse. The coffin was flown back to Thornaby (whose Coroner was in the North Riding), and taken over the bridge to a hospital in Stockton (Coroner in County Durham). We hadn't asked for the proper permission to do this, a sort of demarcation dispute flared up, and we were in grave danger of incarceration in the Tower for contravening some medieval statute. It took the intervention of TAAFA to smooth the two Coroners' ruffled feathers.
There was worse to come. Although the Squadron's Ground Party was flown out and back in a Hastings (probably), the coffin came home separately in a Dakota. Of course, the sad reception ceremony was held in the Mess, as it was only for the mourners and 608's private grief, so everyone else stayed away.
We have all had moments in our lives when some unguarded words have slipped out, and we wished the earth might open and swallow us up. The young man was very recently married, his desolate widow thanked the Dakota pilot for bringing him home. "It was a pleasure", blurted this poor devil (he'll live with that to his dying day).
There's still quite a bit to come about Thornaby, but meanwhile,
Cheerio - (and ACW418, get well soon, please !)
Danny42C
You can't win 'em all.