Dougie M,
I tremble when even thinking this, but, as a young lad I always enjoyed the annual B of B day at RAF Gaydon in the late 60s. As the Varsities of No 2 ANS featured heavily in the display, perhaps you may have been involved. Instructor perhaps
thanks to all for the welcome back, it's been an "interesting" few weeks for Chateau Smudge, that has helped restore my faith in medics, we digress though.
The emergency radio bay, on the Left wing, just inboard of the life rafts;
I began my association with Albert on 8 March 1971, arriving on White team at RAF Colerne as a bit of a joke, no, not me, but someone at handbrake house Colerne decided that a Jnr Tech Smith, rumoured to be the son of the then team manager Flight Sgt Norman Smith, would be good for a laugh. It took me a few weeks to convince my contempories that we were not related. During my time assisting with Base 3 servicing I believe that a good proportion of the aircraft arrived from 70 squadron (then based at Akronelli). After clearing customs, it was usual to see the delivery crew attend the aircraft the next day, before we washed the frame, and "unload" the emergency radio bay. I'm sure it was basically cigarettes as a Demijohn might have suffered under high altitude flight conditions. Now, despite having served on ALSS through 87, as a GE 88 - 95 and as an AES team manager until 97, I can't for the life of me remember if the new wings included an emergency radio compartment. Can anyone enlighten my feeble brain ? And does anyone remember using the compartment for any "imports" ? After all these years, the statute of limitations must be invoked, and anyway, no names, no pack drill. As an aside, if the emergency radio bay was a good location, what about the dry bays
As a follow up, I had the pleasure of a return flight Akronelli to Malta, as I served my time with a certain Lightning Unit in the Med. The trip out, by Whistling Tit, the return by Albert. Anyone recollect the 70 mixed fleet of the 70s ? How did it work, and, were crews qualified on both types ?
Smudge
