Ex Lionheart/Spearpoint '84

[mopardave]

Gents.....do any of you have any fond (or otherwise) memories of Lionheart/Spearpoint '84? I found my Lh/Sp t shirt the other day.......(no, it didn't fit!) the memories came flooding back!:{ Happy days!! Apologies if it's been covered before. MD

[Sloppy Link]

Nah, I was in Londonderry....remember Crusader 80 though.

[NutLoose]

I was at Bruggen.

Lasting memories of Lionheart

Walking into a pitch black HAS to find a lad sent over from UK to take part working on a Jag in the pitch black, because he didn't read German and no one had shown him how to turn the lights on nor how to use the phone.

Although we only took part in the exercise ourselves for the early phase, the jets continued to play for the whole exercise.... However, the Armourers were "injured" early on and were injected into the exercise and were being evacuated by military hospital train, they spent a week moving from siding to siding as the train was worked into the normal train timetable, eventually ending up full of casualties with dwindling resources on board and a pissed off Army crew onboard taking it out on the punters, they turned up a week after we had finished severely peeved, even more so when they found out we finished the exercise literally an hour or so after they left.

The German soldier that went AWOL with his weapon and who they had issued an arrest warrant for, that turned up a week plus after Endex still sitting in his trench guarding the bridge he had been left at and forgotten, it was only after a local villager, one of the many that had taken pity on him and had been feeding and watering him (as he had ran out of everything) phoned up the Army to complain at his treatment, that the penny dropped.

..

[Wander00]

Both this one and the huge outload exercise in 79, as I was about to leave the TA - I was working the docks at Harwich and Felixstowe as a RCT TA Movements Officer - and was reminded by yesterday's M20 accident of a very long signal (about 6ft of paper) detailing how clearance for some of the equipment under German autobahn bridges was to be checked - with a long pole tied to the side of a land rover - apparently resurfacing since all the standard movement orders had been written meant there was doubt that some equipment on low loaders would have clearance. If the pole did not clear the underside of the bridge the equipment was to be unloaded, driven under the bridge under its own power, and then reloaded, which the signal prescribed in great detail.


Lionheart was my intro to working for Aunty Joan (Hopkins), an education in itself. it was during this exercise a couple of armed guards noticed a young woman in the fields outside the wire. "What are you doing?" said one. "Looking for wild oats" said the woman. "You are welcome in here" said the guard. Woman had no sense of humour and complained. Guards had one sided interview with the Boss.

[ExGrunt]

Hi Wander00,

IIRC the reinforcement part of LIONHEART was called Ex FULLFLOW. It involved the movement of 32,000 troops and over 14,000 vehicles from the UK to BAOR, which fielded two armoured divisions and one infantry division for the exercise.

Back when we had a real army.

EG

[charliegolf]

I had it rough. Out of all the crewmen on 230 Sqn, I got the **** job of being on the VIP Puma! I was crewed with MW (Handle mustache+bar) as pilot, and we had 2 weeks flying brass around. Not one smelly troop of any nation did we lift. God it was hard!

Highlight for me: we were carrying Gen Leopold Chalupa (German huge cheese) to a demo of some sort, along with hid Brit host/klingon, a half colonel I think. We arrive on the time, but we see wires across the landing zone. MW orbits, and we choose a muddy field about 100m away and land. Lt Col turns purple- the Gen will get his immaculate boots dirty, not acceptable. Just before MW puts him in his box, The Gen says, "Ve are solchers, ve vill valk- Komme!" He then thanked us both sincerely and strode off toward the demo. Proper soldier and gent.

Recall the scale of the exercise was huuuuge.

CG

[MightyGem]

Flying my Gazelle down the main street of a German town low enough to wonder whether I should stop at the red light. :eek:

For those too young to remember, or those old 'uns who have forgotten, see here:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ex+lionheart+84

[mopardave]

Interesting memories gents. My first was arriving at St George's barracks, Minden.....grabbing a Bedford TM and racing through the town, polizei at every set of traffic lights holding up the traffic and us just sweeping straight through! As a 20 year old, I was most impressed!!! From then on, the memorable moments kept coming thick and fast. The shouts of "stand to".....searching farm buildings for the missing squaddie thought to have been abducted by "peace" activists.......watching a crashed fuel tanker (I think) being lifted from a river.....being handed an envelope (quite) full of cash complete with a generous LOA.......plus many, many more.......happy days! As much as I loved it, it confirmed my desire to join the RAF......but that's another story.
MD:{

[ShyTorque]

I had the "privilege" of leading a convoy from Shawbury to Wildenrath. It took three days and the Landdrover I was given was totally unsafe in that the steering wheel had almost half a turn of free play.

Thankfully they gave me a Gazelle to play with on arrival and I had a highly enjoyable time based back at my old stomping ground based at Gutersloh. Single crew... Air Control Order of not above 150 feet agl... Licensed hooliganism luxury and no-one to answer to.

[MightyGem]

watching a crashed fuel tanker (I think) being lifted from a river.
Yes, it was.

[mopardave]

MightyGem.........it was surreal!


pm sent.


MD

[SilsoeSid]

Prior to Lionheart and it's memories of MK bowsers, 'FARP'ing' in full NBC kit, washing, shaving then putting cam cream back on before being allowed breakfast ... was the CPX 'Able Archer'. This had the Soviet Union moving its resources into Poland and E.Germany and was the closest to the button being pressed since Cuba. Did you wonder what was just over the border the time?

Anyway, don't know if you caught it but there was a tv series called 'Deutchland '83' recently that caught the time well and I thought pretty entertaining considering being there & what was going on at the time.
Anyone remember Rainer Rupp?

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/deutschland-83/on-demand/62893-001


SPyehFasscE

http://www.asam.co.uk/imx/ht85a.jpg

[Wander00]

What was the major outload exercise in 1979 ish - "Crusader" strikes a chord


Hmm, just looked it up in Wikipedaia, says autumn 80, but I know I was outloading through Harwich and Felixstowe, before I left the TA and rejoined the RAF, and that was in April 1980. So a bit puzzled by that. Indeed I remember loading Dana Anglia (star of "Triangle", the TV series) with QRIH, a field hospital and 4RGJ. Indeed I met a squadron commander from QRIH at Binbrook a few months later. he was somewhat puzzled by the change of uniform.

[ShyTorque]

I heard not too long back about a theory that we were placed "on exercise" due to increasing concerns about a very poor food crop harvest in the Soviet states.....

[late-joiner]

Learned the value of the 2 letters in front of a 6 figure grid reference. A TA recovery vehicle turned up at my location (a German farm) from UK insisting they had come to the grid they were given. They had driven 100 km too far east.

[NutLoose]

http://www.asam.co.uk/imx/ht85a.jpg

Ahh...I remember watching a member of the RAF Regiment spending hours fishing in one of those, he was dipping the tanks in the morning and leaning over to look into the tank, saw the bowser keys slip out of his shirt pocket and disappear into the murky gloom of a nearly full bowser, it wasn't helped by the fact we needed fuel and hence he needed the keys. :E

[diginagain]

Flying my Gazelle down the main street of a German town low enough to wonder whether I should stop at the red light. :eek:

Hameln, wasn't it?

[Union Jack]

Flying my Gazelle down the main street of a German town low enough to wonder whether I should stop at the red light area. - MightyGem

Fixed that for you!:ok:

Jack

[MightyGem]

Hameln, wasn't it?
No, Lemgo, I think.

I should stop at the red light area.
Sadly no suitable HLS. :)

[unmanned_droid]

I heard not too long back about a theory that we were placed "on exercise" due to increasing concerns about a very poor food crop harvest in the Soviet states.....
I understand that the Russians etc staged their exercises around Harvest time in case the crops failed and there was no food on the Eastern side.

I have read that this is one of the reasons for keeping grain mountains, butter mountains, milk lakes etc. The eastern side could be sent our reserves to keep everyone happy.

This is the reason why I find it very hard to believe that they'd use NBC weapons of any kind if they'd come across the border - they would be after food and food production so why taint it?

[NutLoose]

Anyway, don't know if you caught it but there was a tv series called 'Deutchland '83' recently that caught the time well and I thought pretty entertaining considering being there & what was going on at the time.

Yes, I really enjoyed it.

[mopardave]

I thought it was superb......very evocative.

[Rigga]

I was on Air Eng Flt at 431MU...did a few hours pretending to be BDR at 17 Sqn before retiring to the GIZZIT teabar.

[NutLoose]

My sincere commiserations to you, I did 2 months on the MU in the engine shop as the squadron was disbanding, so a couple of us got shuffled to complete our tours on the MU, and I found it dire

You had to bloody clock in on a time clock! First and last time I ever had that to do thank God, one felt like a lab rat.

Shows how much I enjoyed the place, whenever anyone asks my service career details, it never pops up on my radar.

[Rigga]

No such clock when I was there! But we turned up to work and got sent to wherever for repairs/recoveries or sent into the Bruggen shed (can't remember the number now) for Cat 4/5 projects. Jobs I did were re-skinning after the replacement of Harrier Main u/c beams. Trail Mods for Jag Chaff/Flare on engine doors. Fin1064 for Jag Avionics. New Jag Drag-Chute door mods. Repairs to Bucc outer wings. Strip & Recover a Bird-Striked Jag from a GAF Station.

Variously good times for Riggers & I enjoyed 431 tremendously.

[glad rag]

Flying my Gazelle down the main street of a German town low enough to wonder whether I should stop at the red light. :eek:

For those too young to remember, or those old 'uns who have forgotten, see here:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ex+lionheart+84
Epic. BAOR at its finest.

How did we win?

[SilsoeSid]

How did we win?

Not sure we did :confused:
In 1982 there was 'Ex Quarter Final', again in 1985 and also one in 1990; I don't recall us ever making it to the Semi's ;)

[glad rag]

Not sure we did :confused:
In 1982 there was 'Ex Quarter Final', again in 1985 and also one in 1990; I don't recall us ever making it to the Semi's ;)
I distinctly remember the win word being used in the pa (tannoy) debrief by the SC in '84 after a couple of exercises..

..like yourself I did wonder just what "win" actually meant at the time...

[Sandy Parts]

Slighty Off-Thread (well, loads actually) - for the ex-431 MU guys - what was the story behind the RN Gannet aircraft sat in the back of one outdoor storage areas? I remember seeing it as a scaly brat in 83-86 and always wondered how it ended up at Bruggen? (it was too ugly to even get a date at the Crossbow Club disco!)

[NutLoose]

Do you remember the MU Gate Guardian? as it was in effect a Station within a Station the bod in charge decided they should have a Gate Guardian to like the Jag outside Bruggens SHQ, so an old Artic cab unit was painted and stuffed on the ramps? near the entrance.

[Jumping_Jack]

Went to RheinD as a 'helper' as an OTC cadet for Ex Lionheart. With a couple of mates though it to be a great idea to go down a line of Landies that the Hofficers had parked up for a meeting and turn the underseat fuel tank taps to the mid position. Meeting ends, and a line of Landies conk our about 300yrds down the road......tsk tsk...student humour!

[Rigga]

I think the Gannet was supplied to be used as a BDR trainer but no-one ever took a hammer or axe to it - I also believe it ended up in a Deustche Museum.

[BEagle]

Fairey Gannet AEW3 XL450 is now at Flugausstellung Hermeskeil in south-west Germany.

It was sold in 1984 and moved from Brüggen to Bruntingthorpe, before being relocated to Germany the following year.

The largest private aircraft museum in Europe - quite a list of exhibits: Flugzeuge Flugausstellung Peter Junior (http://www.flugausstellung.de/flugzeuge.html)

[Sandy Parts]

cheers Rigga. It looked a museum piece then!

[NutLoose]

It appears to be well looked after too

http://www.aviator.nl/images/X/XL450-20110607-P1050842-big.jpg

https://www.planespotters.net/photo/183782/xl450-royal-navy-fairey-gannet-aew3

Fairey Gannet AEW3, Royal Navy, Registrierung XL450, Seriennummer F9433, Copyright Karsten Palt, Foto ID 1506 - flugzeuginfo.net (http://www.flugzeuginfo.net/galleryphoto_en.php?photoid=1506)

[KPax]

I think it was the Argyles and the Irish Rangers who were deployed to reinforce JHQ. 1st disco in walk 10 Para's one shouts to the Irish 'that Jock is dancing with one of your girls' and then walks away'. Carnage ensued it was very funny to see the fallout the next day. Also wasn't this the exercise when a certain Puma pilot decided to reposition a Puma closer to the trees and got a lot closer than advised.

[charliegolf]

Also wasn't this the exercise when a certain Puma pilot decided to reposition a Puma closer to the trees and got a lot closer than advised.

A 33 Sqn pilot, obviously. Oh, or was it an OCU pilot on one of those, 'war readiness' jaunts- they generally kept those boys out of sight-better to be safe!

CG

[Q-SKI]

On returning to Gutersloh in our trusty Puma from the south, the reply from ATC was something like "your clear to join, 12th in line behind 3 Pumas 2 chinooks 4 Blackhawk and 2 Lynx but not necessarily in that order!". Oh, and to Charlie Golf who was on the vip puma, we got diverted mid task to go to Hannover to pick up some very top brass Americans in our very muddy pursuit ship and on delivering them to HQ flt was castigated by Brit army senior officer for the state of our aircraft, fortunately American chap who outranked him thought it was authentic and swell! Good for him;)

[ShyTorque]

A 33 Sqn pilot, obviously. Oh, or was it an OCU pilot on one of those, 'war readiness' jaunts- they generally kept those boys out of sight-better to be safe!

CG
Cheeky beggar, that's why they made us lead your task formations....

I must admit to stealing one particularly "onerous" 230 Sqn task though, but not on the exercise in question. I arrived direct from Odiham to A Flight's deployed field site with full war games kit for a winter exercise. I was not looking forward to it, from past experience the squadron SH aircrew were particularly badly looked after in the field. OC A was the only occupant of the CP and had just been presented with a signal which caused him some concern. He said. "I need to find a self authorising crew for a noduff deployment. I also need to get a flight sub imprest from somewhere.... That's going to be a big problem right now..."

I reminded him that all OCU QHIs were self auths and pulled the fsi from my nav bag. Half an hour later my crewman and I were on our way to southern Germany, where we were forced to live in a nice Gasthof for the remainder of the week. I did feel slightly guilty but didn't miss the 5 by 7 tent and NBC kit that was on offer up north.

[charliegolf]

Cheeky beggar, that's why they made us lead your task formations....


Ha ha, we only followed for laughs! And you never failed to deliver! Learn summat new daily... I had no idea you were a QHI before you came to Gut (or did you leave Gut to become one? Confused myself now.)

Q-Ski, have I asked if I know you (7 secs have gone by since I did- if did!)

CG