We arrived as a family of six for our second tour in BFG in the summer of 1978, with the IRA well into an indiscriminate bombing campaign.
As no MQ was available [funny old thing] we had perforce to stay in Cassells' House, very near the JHQ NAAFI. Outside sat our brand new shiny car, a VX 2300 Estate.
We had only been in residence a few nights when the mother of all car bombs was discovered 100 yards away in the NAAFI car park. I never found out if it was discovered as a result of a partial detonation, or as a result of belated efficiency by the security people.
Either way, Cassells was evacuated as an emergency to ? Salmond ? House, and in the panic some sh1t damaged our car sitting peacefully at rest.
I think we missed the usual nasi goreng for dinner, but Salmond riustled up some grub. After the bomb was made safe, we were allowed back to Cassells. "The cheese and crackers are still out, but the crackers have gone soft!" ...... my youngest.
Regarding the MQ, we were gazumped for the first allocated one, but the gazumper did us a favour because we clicked for Portadown Way, surely the best and friendliest street [a close, in fact] on the patch.