Well, as we seem to be in to the area of espionage, intrigue and sabotage, perhaps a tale from White team, RAF Colerne, circa 1971 might add spice to "goings on". This is not speculation, rumour or hype, I was there, this happened.
White team was one of two of the six "second line" C130 servicing teams based at RAF Colerne at that time that was charged with carrying out Base 3 servicing of the C130K, the other four did Base 2 (Minor servicing). Base 3 was a month long major service on the aircraft that later became the major servicing carried out by Marshalls of Cambridge. I had arrived on the team from RAF Halton as an ex Craft Aprrentice, Junior Technician A Fitt A. Around 1971 we were seeing the increase in IRA threat and action, and hearing rumour that certain bases, Brize, Lyneham, Colerne, Benson and Abingdon (all involved in transport operations in to NI) were directly threatened by the terrorist organisation. So, imagine the reaction of our SNCOs and Officers when on a Monday morning the words "UP THE IRA" were found scrawled across the "****e" on the cargo door of our newly recieved aircraft, awaiting a pre service wash. All agreed that it wasn't there last night, so must have been done after the aircraft arrived for servicing. As a Jnr Tech, I then became the usual mushroom, but like every other tradesman on White team, was interviewed by the SIB as to my knowledge of the origin of the wording. Nothing came of these interviews, and the servicing continued.
As the servicing went along, a few "funny" things happened. An engine man reported that overnight a 16 lead plug had been cut off (by snips) and dumped in the bottom of the engine nacelle. An hydraulic line to the Utility system was found crimped, by what was assumed to be standard pliers, and finally all the exposed wiring to the Aux system Ramp and door controls were found cut one morning. Back came our SIB chums.
Surprisingly, when they finally got to the bottom of it, the miscreant was not really an IRA sympathiser, more likely someone with the same mental problems as AA62s former colleague. Surprisingly he was a Corporal, of some experience, and not of Irish, but Welsh extraction, he claimed he was acting in sympathy with his Northern Irish counterparts. I rather suspect I grew up a lot as a result of this occurrence, certainly it opened my eyes to the potential of the inside man. I know that there was a period of horrible suspicion across our team that caused a lot of social bother. The Cpl was "dealt with", we had no more incidents of sabotage in my time there thankfully. I doubt that Albert was the only service aircraft that suffered such actions.
Smudge
