Bondu 1435 Flt cat. RIP

[raytofclimb]

Sad to announce the death of 1435Flt's longest serving member who died on 11 August after a distinguished career at Mount Pleasant.

Much loved by some and a nuisance to others especially in his latter years he will be missed by all the F3 Aircrew and Groundgrew who knew him.

Was burried this morning next to Rambo with full honours in a short service led by OC 1435 Flt and the Padre.

RIP Bondu.

[VP8]

Were there any relatives left to take over the role??:sad:

VEEPS

[extpwron]

I guess he’ll be Cat 5 then?

[Vim_Fuego]

I am sorry to hear of his passing. He was a magnificent cat in size and character. To give those who never knew him an idea how strong this animal was I remember one day back in '95' flicking a pencil back and forth to amuse him (and me) when he gripped it between his teeth and bit it in two...

He made 'Q' and the rest of my utterly pointless time down there more bearable...RIP

[BEagle]

Rather luckier than the 1312 Flt cat. He'd been there since the flight moved to Albert Square. But when he was very old and infirm, some cruel, heartless sods (groundcrew) took the old chap out into the bondhu and drowned him.....

Poor old bugger. Friends to many, he deserved better.

[Maple 01]

Poor old SAS was never the same after they dropped an ISO on him at Kent (it was an accident) South Atlantic moggies we salute you!

[The Rocket]

Does this mean we are going to have to p1ss in our own immersion suits now, just to maintain that distinctive Bondu smell:}

One of the first lessons you learn upon arrival at Q is never to leave any kit on the floor, or risk finding a nice Bondu surprise.

[stillin1]

RIP you piddling, pooing, sleepy old "institution". Having known you from kitten to grouchy old feline - ta ta you loverly smelly old git:{

[MrBernoulli]

Does anyone know if 'Whoosh' is still the resident cat at 1312 Flt?

[ZH875]

Is Taz still protecting The Timmy Hangar/Eng Wg HQ?.

[VC10 5OOT1E]

"Whoosh" was still around in Jul 03 but it's days were numbered due to the impending moves that were afoot of 1312. Last heard it was going to stay with Q-crew who were to remain over at Albert Sq.

Cheers

[6foottanker]

Hmm, yes, Whoosh apparently resided over on 1312 Q house until it got a bit annoying. It was given to someone else, but found its way back.
Given it wasn't in very good health it was taken somewhere and sent off 'to a better place' by the ginger beers.

[BEagle]

I know that the cruel sods killed one old 1312 cat, but did they really kill another one?

'It got a bit annoying'......so they killed it?

Nice people :mad:

[Maple 01]

There's a bloody vets in Stanley - why in God's name can't the cats be put down gently when they become too old or ill? They deserve something better after their service - and let's skip the usual jokes for once - how many times have the cats boosted someone's flagging morale just by being there - More than a CSE show that's for sure, - or have enabled gruff men to show a little tenderness to another creature without feeling embarrassed?

[gedney]

And is the 78 Sqn cat still p*ssing in the aircrew crewroom on a daily basis?

[Wycombe]

I witnessed one moggy being taken for a one-way trip to a residential area in Stanley when I was in the FI a few years back
(seems quite humane now compared to some of the stories here)

And I saw a CSE show...thought it was quite good :D

[Navaleye]

If I caught anyone under my command drowning a cat, their feet would not touch the fecking ground. I would make it my personal business to make whoever's life it was a misery for the remainder of their service career. As short as possible if I had anything to do with it. End of rant.

[Lima Juliet]

Bye Bye Bondu...

[BEagle]

In the 1312 Flt crewroom, it wasn't just the moggie which used to make the place smell of wee......

[flipflopman RB199]

Is that a spot of self deprecating humour there Beags?

;)

[OKOC]

Whatever happened to "Larry the lamb" (a full grown sheep which weighed about half a ton) which we wokkered from Goose Green to Kelly's Garden when GG shut. He was flown on a specially authorised trip and (for the movers-not that we had any down there in those days) he was authorised and cargo netted for the short hop to Kelly's.

Many a visitor was taken to see our "pet lamb" with much ceremony and promptly head-butted (by Larry) if they didn't provide him with his treat ie a Mars bar within 30 seconds of meeting.

[steamchicken]

1312...78..1435..EngWG...is there anyone down there who hasn't got a cat? Half the defence budget must be going on Whiskas!

[lj101]

Whoosh was alive and well in Feb (when i was last in MPA) having being relocated to the other side of the airfield by a cat hating boss and ground engineers at that time.....believe all are now back in the UK. i had been told he was killed but thankfully this was not the case.
Sad news about 1435's moggie. Hope it was a painfree death.

[BEagle]

Who was the 'cat hating Boss'? Not 'The Boy', complete with cabbage kit and pistol holster, perchance?

[iccarus]

Fellas, just seen the signal sent to all F3 units--top work but condolences at same time. Syph -anything to do with you?

Is it too soon to discuss the possibility of a replacement moggy?
Perhaps we could even discuss possible names - i for one would like to be the first to suggest the name "snatch". I think its quite appropriate bearing in mind theres f@ck all to be had down there!
Anyway, make the honoury fierey cross a good'n " or is it a matz crossing 250' - do the old fella proud!
icc

[lippiatt]

Sad to hear of Bondu's demise, looks like the MPA ATC cat Bodders has outlived his biggest rival.

Bodders even got a mention in a certain ex gulf war POW Nav's book. Long may he reign!

[mystic_meg]

...whatever happened to 1312's 'hairy thing?' Great sport feeding him/her/it raw mince from the feeder then watching it go bonkers for 30 mins or so....'Dear Trevor' nights in the Queen Vic used to be good too.....

[Metman]

Good to know Bodders is still going!

Is Crusty the Met. Office cat still attacking anyone who goes to the balloon shed at night, and casually rubbing himself up against the balloon as you fill it with Hydrogen?

[JT Eagle]

Does anyone have photos of any of these martial moggies (current or otherwise) on patrol?

JT

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Cat rubbing up against hydrogen balloon.... New keyboard required.:ok:

Reminds me of the Met monkey on a certain island who walked into the balloon room and straight into an inflated balloon with a lit ciggy in his chops. Almost blew himself back home and had the new balloon room named the *. *. G***e International Airport in his honour.

Unfortunately, moggs on island were all feral and a menace to the bird population...:(

[BEagle]

Ah yes, the great ASI cat saga.

Back in rum, bum and baccy days, some of pusser's wooden was canoes visited the place. The ships' rats thought it was Christmas and legged it out of said ships and into the local area as fast as their legs would carry them. The then bred like wildfire and became a distinct pest....

So some bright spark thought "Hmm, what animal catches rats?" Presumably the idea of hordes of Jack Russells rushing about was too expensive, because they introduced a few well-practised rat-catching moggies to the island. Which caught the odd rat - and, in the well-known feline life cycle (eat/sleep/shag/eat/sleep/shag/die) also bred like crazy.

But they'd also discovered that pusser's wily rats were too much like hard work and the indigenous bird population, never having seen a cat in their lives before, were a much easier target....

So now the feral monsters eat birds, baby turtles......but only the stupidest descendants of the ex-naval rats get caught.

[Stax]

Had the honour of meeting this mighty feline, sad to see him go. I have adopted moggies on most of my OOA's (including a mum with a family of 5 in Bosnia, 3 of whom are now resident in Germany with the RLC) There are a couple of monsters on the Rapier sites at Mare and Poon, the gunners can sleep safe when they are patrolling! RIP Bondu.

[scroggs]

Rather luckier than the 1312 Flt cat. He'd been there since the flight moved to Albert Square. But when he was very old and infirm, some cruel, heartless sods (groundcrew) took the old chap out into the bondhu and drowned him..... Poor old bugger. Friends to many, he deserved better.

Are you talking about Trevor, BEags? 'He' was a 'she', which came as a great surprise to 1312 personnel when a litter of baby Trevors was presented in early 1986. A speying was quickly organised, and Trevor resumed honorary male status...

I had the pleasure of transporting Trevor from Stanley to Mount Pleasant when 1312 moved. As the official Flight cat, it was deemed appropriate that Trevor should fly in a Hercules rather than go by road. Unfortunately, no-one consulted Trevor on the point, and she left us in no doubt that she wasn't over-impressed with the whole experience. Perhaps the litter was her revenge?!

[raytofclimb]

I'm sure someone on the fleet has a picture of the toothless singing hero- he actually howled the word "Delorian" in a discussion about the best 1.21 Giga watt cars. Don't know how to put pictures on here, can you just cut and paste, anyone?

I think the Flight is planning on a new moggie as soon as prac.

Iccarus- course not......... I'm a cat lover.

Ray.

[Navaleye]

We had a feral cat at Gib when I was there in the early 80s. His name was "Nelson" - cos he only had one eye. Only the brave ever tried to feed Nelson because if he saw you with food, he would attack at once and was completely fearless. Such a good mouser was he that even the rats would not come out in day light. Having tried to make friends and had my right arm savaged more than once by Nelson, I decided to put him on a starvation diet for 48 hours to teach the bugger a lesson. So fearless was he that I saw him attack a Herring Gull bigger than him, only to be attacked by two others, despite being badly wounded, Nelson killed all three of them, dragging the biggest home for dinner. Dat's my boy!

[Fox_4]

RIP Bondu.

Whos going to sneak into the tiny bedrooms and leave me good night gifts in my kit?!!

More importantly there will be no pussy to stroke whilst on a cold wintery night defending the free world at the mighty 1435!

:cool:

Im sure the padre (does a bishop outrank a padre OC1435?) gave him a good send off. Any excuse for a matz crossing!

[The Rocket]

RIP Bondu,

Even though sometimes you could be a miserable, smelly, incontinent, grouchy little cat, you still managed to make time in the Falklands a little easier.

Even when I had to go flying smelling like a bus stop.

I do hope somebody sat in the chair and rang the bell for Bondu last Saturday.