Odiham 63

[NutLoose]

Brings back memories of my first service posting 240 OCU and the old hangar with the bomb dump, before even the pans were built, it would have been HOCF then I believe, shows the good old Wessex HC2 coming into service.. Tower over near the 33 sqn site not yet built, that came after a collision because the Tower over near SHQ could not see the sunken apron on the OCU.

Enjoy

https://youtu.be/SZ05nWA8oaQ

[sycamore]

....before the `arse-burning `exhausts were fitted...

[Herod]

Also before the ice-making machine was fitted to the nose.

[D120A]

Even before HOCF I think, Nutloose, before 1966 it was the SRCU, the Short Range Conversion Unit.

SRCU's other aircraft type was the Twin Pioneer, of which we had a couple. They were clearly away in the hangar for that (Press?) photo day, but an Odiham Twin Pin pilot would tell you that's where they seemed to spend most of their time anyway...:uhoh:

[Herod]

It was still SRCU in '67. I know because I trained there. As to the collision, that was late '70.

[NutLoose]

It would be early 70's the crash happened as I arrived 76 and the new tower was there and in use. The new useless concrete pans were there too, designed to fit a helicopter they didn't allow room for the Landrover and towbar resulting in a mud ridden deep moat around them as you tried to manoeuvre the aircraft off the pan, the offices by then had been painted camo green, and later 78 ish we got the Pongos to surround the place in barbed wire in return for some free flights.

[Herod]

Without going into Wiki, I can date the collision as late Nov or early Dec '70. I left 72 at the end of October, to do an Ops Officer's course at Upavon, then went to work at Thorney Island. I was still living at Odiham at the time, and heard the noise, followed by the plume of black smoke. Tragic.

[Fareastdriver]

I arrived at Odiham (again) in March 1971. 33 Sqn was just forming and occupied the southern hanger, apron and offices. I was on about the third Puma course so I skived off my holding in ops to build the coffee bar and generally get in the way.

Despite Bunny Austin's attempts (I'd been on 230 Sqn before) I returned to 33 after my course.

240 OCU and 33 had large concrete aprons so I think that the circular pans near the tower were the tie down bases used by 72 Sqns Wessex.