It was a clear day when this 18 year old Halton apprentice graduate arrived at RAF Marham.
I was told to report to 101? Canberra Sqn at the other side of the airfield.
My J/T stripes were brand new but the tech W/O ordered me, and my National Service English Electric Apprentice LAC and SAC, to check out the fuel problem on a B2 Canberra on the ramp.
I knew nothing about the Canberra and the NS guys just wanted to go home for the weekend.
My Halton training and attitude meant I spent the weekend testing and re-testing. Monday morning, I reported that the fuel probe capacitor needed replacing. The W/O said "better be sure coz it means removing the cockpit to get to No 1 tank to replace the probe.' The NS guys shrugged in agreement and the A/C went to the hangar.
Almost the next day we were, as a Sqn, sent to Malaya. I sat in that jump seat referred in other posts, just below the pilot, through Habbanyia (Iraq) and Negombo (Sri Lanka/Ceylon) to arrive at RAF Butterworth for a secondment.
At this time the President of Egypt (Nasser) closed the Suez canal and UK/France declared war on Egypt. The Sqn, including me, was ordered back to Malta and continued on to bomb airports in Egypt.
I'm now 76 years old and accumulated over 20,000hours as an F/E on Hastings/VC10/B707/L1011 and finally 10 years on B747...... but cannot get out of my mind...
was it REALLY necessary to remove the cockpit module to replace the fuel capacitor probe on an EE B2 Canberra?