RAF Sharjah

[SAROSKEETERMAN]

BP tanker!

Thanks Laurence I will PM you shortly with a couple of questions.
Here's something completely different! I think this "mobile 50 gallon drum" was only seen around the domestic site. Anybody remember it and what it carried? Photo' taken in 1966.

[fleigle]

SAROSKEETAMAN
Fi moya, perchance?

I worked in the Northern Oman mountains many decades ago looking to locate even more copper ore deposits than they were already mining, just west of Sohar.
The ore was beautiful stuff, about 6% copper as I recall.
The ex-pats working there told of finding old leather straps and suchlike deep in old workings.
I loved it there.
f

[Daifly]

RAF Sharjah Cemetary

Can anyone here help me out a bit on this please: I've been working in the Middle East for a while and recently visited the graves of a number of British servicemen who were buried at what was the RAF Churchyard and which now forms the back of the Anglican church in Sharjah city centre. It was abandoned for many years before an ex-RAF guy visited to pay his respects to some former colleagues - he then led the campaign, supported by CWGC to get it reparied. It's now in a good state and increasingly well cared for.

This is what it looked like just after it was re-discovered, it's now a lot smarter.
,


I'm trying to find out a bit more about the guys buried there, seems an awfully long way from home when they could easily have been taken back. Anyone help at all with any stories and background (sorry if it's a bit ghoulish, just trying to get a record a full history of them all)

Major Raymond Lewis 01/03/1926 18/04/1963 360420 9th/12th Royal Lancers Prince of Wales's
Trooper Roy Harold Brierley 14/10/1942 18/04/1963 23538132 Trooper 9th/12th Royal Lancers Prince of Wales's
Trooper Alastair Burton 23/05/1942 04/12/1963 23875168 Trooper Royal Tank Regiment
Senior Aircraftman David Alan Stewart 10/11/1940 29/02/1964 684069 Senior Aircraftman Royal Air Force
Edward James Horne 04/10/1964
Corporal Andrew William Day 22/03/1939 10/11/1964 23238330 Royal Corps of Signals. Died by drowning in a yachting accident.
Captain Harry Whittaker Brammall 27/02/1906 10/02/1967 DSO DSC Died at Sea.
Lance Corporal Keith Frederick Ainsworth 11/09/1940 08/07/1967 23836045 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
Lance Corporal Ernest Thomas Mills 25/03/1946 15/12/1967 23876415 R.E.M.E
Lance Corporal John Neil MacNaughton 03/02/1945 01/04/1968 23927506 Royal Army Ordinance Corps
Major Donald Perkin Tibbey 11/11/1919 18/04/1968 MBE Royal Army Pay Corps
Trooper Leslie John Philip Basford 10/05/1945 18/04/1968 24056529 Trooper Queen's Own Higlanders
Leading Aircraftsman Ian Robert Drysdale Clephane 15/04/1949 18/04/1969 4285432 Ldg.Aircraftman Royal Air Force. Died in a car crash on the Dubai-Sharjah road.
Warrant Officer II Collin Vietch Forth 01/05/1934 25/11/1972 22296093 Royal Corps of Signals

Thanks

[brakedwell]

I flew Twin Pioneers out of Sharjah during 1959/61. I never heard of any service graves which must have been laid later. However a bit of research uncovered the deaths of Major Lewis and Trooper Hardy in a Twin Pioneer crash at Buhafaffa in 1963.

[old,not bold]

Don Tibbey was Paymaster for the Trucial Oman Scouts at the HQ in Sharjah, and a larger than life character. On pay days, he did the rounds of the various TOS stations around the Trucial States with a tin trunk filled with coins, with an assistant. Both carried sidearms in case someone got greedy. He would be transported by the RAF in a Twin Pioneer to more distant places such as Mirfa and Al Ayn/Bureimi.

All went smoothly until the TP was retired in favour of Andovers. The problem wasn't the new aircraft, but that the casual drive to the aircraft side in a Landrover, load the trunk under a net, jump in and off, was suddenly replaced by a mini-Lyneham system, ie report to a desk 45 minutes before departure, check in, wait patiently, be escorted to the aircraft, blah, blah.

The first time he was confronted with the new rules, the crunch came when Don, already fuming, was told that the tin trunk had to be taken away and loaded while he sat in the waiting room. "That money is my responsibility, and I am not letting it out of my sight". But he couldn't beat the system; "Regulations, Sir" said the officer called to deal with him. "Regulations, eh?" he said, and he and the assistant picked up the trunk, unlocked the lid, and tipped the many hundreds of coins and small notes on the floor. "Our Regulations say that if we hand over responsibility for cash, the recipient must count it. Better get started, we're leaving soon."

[navstar1]

Brilliant outstanding way to deal with that sort on nonsense! Well done to the TOS

[Daifly]

Originally Posted by old,not bold

Don Tibbey was Paymaster for the Trucial Oman Scouts at the HQ in Sharjah, and a larger than life character. On pay days, he did the rounds of the various TOS stations around the Trucial States with a tin trunk filled with coins, with an assistant. Both carried sidearms in case someone got greedy. He would be transported by the RAF in a Twin Pioneer to more distant places such as Mirfa and Al Ayn/Bureimi."

Liked this story, nice to shed a bit of light onto the person behind the name.

[Daifly]

Originally Posted by brakedwell

I flew Twin Pioneers out of Sharjah during 1959/61. I never heard of any service graves which must have been laid later. However a bit of research uncovered the deaths of Major Lewis and Trooper Hardy in a Twin Pioneer crash at Buhafaffa in 1963.

Embarrasingly have to admit that having gone to National Archives at Kew to get the Station records for the period I didn't get anything come up on google. Apparently it's not my friend! Thanks for the steer.

[kaikohe76]

In reply to `Old Not Bold`s` amusing post.
84 Sqn with the Mk1 Andover was my very first operational tour as a brand new Co Pilot, a very enjoyable & most interesting time for sure. I would like to think, that had the TOS Paymaster been able to liaise direct with the Crew, the outcome may well have been rather different.
I remember a few flights in support of TOS, very professional chaps indeed. I think, when I was in Sharjah, their CO was a Colonel Ives?, I recall him as a very approachable & popular Boss.

Very nice also to see the posts regarding the Military cemetery at Sharjah, I like many were not aware this existed, so good to see it being taken care of.

[ricardian]

Apologies if

this film

has already been posted here

[Over the lights]

Bob, the Cemetery was re-dedicated on 15th January 2010.
What was your wife's maiden name?

[old,not bold]

Ricardian, I just came across the film; many thanks for that piece of history!

[Blue_Circle]

I'm not sure why I haven't looked through this thread before but thanks to everyone who's posted fascinating insights into life at RAF Sharjah. My late father in law was education Officer out there in the early 60s and as well as telliing the odd anecdote, he left a selection of slides taken at Sharjah and around. Fortunately he spent some time scanning and identifying locations and personalities so they might be of some interest and I'll try to post a few when time permits.

[Daifly]

Would be great to see, thanks!

[Clicol]

I am writing up a history of our family, and I wonder does anyone remember Flt.Lt./Sqn. Ldr Joe Coles, who was in Sharjah from May 1966 to May 1967. (He has OC Flying on his Log Book.) Any memories you feel you can share of him would be greatly appreciated.

[Bro]

The cemetery is listed in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, but no names are listed for the dead.

[captain_salman]

Hello Again

So it's been 8 years now I haven't been in touch with this thread, I thought I might just revive this beautiful thread again! Did any body visited Sharjah and its RAF Museum recently ?