Originally Posted by
smujsmith
Perhaps someone can remember this one, ex Vulcans more than likely. Akrotiri 73/74 and the standard Taceval saw Bomber Wing, 9 and 35 Squadrons, jump in, rev up and depart (not sure where, but I "didn't need to know"). At endex we would be rewarded with the mass return of our heroic drivers airframe and supporting cast. On this particular exercise, the V's never took off, our guard commander went missing along with all other officers (Engineers etc). After around 6 hours we were told that the exercise, that we believed was to be a full Taceval, was over. Back to the Keo then.
A few days later the station rumour mill churned out this little gem. It seems that the attacking force for the exercise was our pals from Hereford. Having done a bit of recce, they discovered that the Staish had decided that all officers were to be briefed in the 'O's Mess before start of exercise. Somehow they got to the Mess and effectively captured every Officer on base, including the Staish. And nobody else noticed their absence. Di staff, said fair cop and after several hours cancelled the exercise when it was realised that the only people left to play were the Herbert's and Hensios out doing the guarding. Now I know that I stood guard on that exercise, and it was very short, but does anyone remember if the rest is true ?
Smudge
Not Taceval but the annual security exercise. Some years the opposition would be a visiting battalion other times RM Commando. Now the prime target was the nuclear deterrent. One year they would take out the aircraft and another the aircrew.
Having lost the aircrew one year the station would take such effective measures that the aircraft would be vulnerable. However imagine a white football pitch lit by stadium lighting. How do you intrude in to that? Come the dawn every aircraft had a chalked white cross on the nose wheel.
The year we lost the aircrew in the mess, we had pairs of aircrew armed with 9mm pistols, but no torches, patrolling the perimeter. One pair on IX, who for reasons unknown wouldn't talk to each other, we off on patrol.
There was a "psst" the trailing man stopped and the other carried on. There was a second "psst" and with that the mess was unguarded. Then a lazy Cyp worker who had been repairing the mess roof for some days swung, tarzan like, off the roof, knife between his teeth, Stirling in one hand and hand grenade in the other. He was immediately disarmed with a pint of beer.
The other time OC Bomber, Mike Beavis, had a cunning plan. If there were no aircraft and no aircrew then the 'enemy' could not win. Sure enough, we all decamped to Malta and a great time was had by all.
On the actual Tacevals however the staish Air Cdre Eric Stacey was a wild card. He would not mix live armed guards and unarmed personnel. We were all issued with live ammunition.
The ground crew did the bizz and got all 16 jets up and ready. After dropping off the weapon we all flew off on a NEAF exercise profile. On return, as far as NEAF was concerned, it was endex. Not for Stacey.
As we taxied back in the groundcrew were waving round again. The aircraft were re-roled from nuclear to conventional. 21x1000 live HE were loaded and we launched again. This time our target was specific points on the airfield which would give the gunners practise. Also, wholly unpractised, we formed up in 3-ship Vic at Larnaca and ran in against the Bloodhounds and AA. The vics were mixed sqn but no common freq had been briefed and we had never practised formation flying.
As we approached the airfield, OC IX leading 2 35 Sqn crews, OC IX sets course for his target cutting across the front of #3 whose target was the other side of his leaders track and close to #2s. It worked but it were an example how not to do it.