Brakedwell: Apropos 'Johnnie' Johnson's garden & the David Shepherd painting, he did receive his cummupence eventually and what a cummupence it was! As for JJ's Eastleigh visits,did he not insist on the AQM being Dave Tipton due to Dave being a six handicap at golf? Not that I knew JJ personally, he wasn't a known visitor to the NAAFI bar, unless I missed him on the very occasional night I was unable to attend. The aircraft he used for those flights would be XP412, it being allocated the VIP flights as I recall, but I'll stand corrected. I had a foot in two camps being ground crew on MRT, but did enjoy a couple of end of month Saturday morning refreshment sessions in 105 Sqdn HQ.

Regards

Roebuck

Was '413 the Christmas Tree we used to rob blind? There was an Argosy in the hanger at Khormaksar that I don't believe flew in my eighteen months of doing First Line on MRT. The number doesn't strike a chord, whereas with all the other MRT a/c, the numbers resonate. I arrived C, September '65 and have no recollection of an Argosy going surfing stories.

Roebuck

413 was a good one, shame it became the "flying boat", came home , was rebuilt and continued flying for many years, don't recall any of them on 105 being hangar queens , we utilised them well, although we did have various problems, pressurisation being one of them, Dart corrosion around the compressor case, hydraulic leaks in the rear roof but nothing we couldn't cope with to keep them flying.i

Was that because of Bernie D's redress re the Andover incident ?

Don't know about that, but I have read a certain aoc afme had his treasured car transported from Aden to the UK on an R.A.F. aircraft, which proved a bridge too far for the powers that be. Said car owner lost his job and pension and was surcharged for the cost of the transportation. Ouch.

Pray tell us about Bernie D's redress vis the Andover incident.

Paul H

Roebuck, the aircraft we used for JJ to Eastleigh was 412. I don't think JJ was charged for his car being flown back as it was standard practice to bring back 2 or 3 private car on maintenance flights in UK. I brought my Wife and young son back on a ferry flight very near the end of my tour and they slept well in a Peugot 404 as it was much quieter inside the car! I think JJ was clobbered for the flight in which his private boat was flown to Masirah in a Beverley.

Brakedwell, for all his alleged misdemeanors, I have a lot of sympathy for JJ and wouldn't wish his fall from grace on anyone. I quoted from an article I read which actually displayed a photo of the car and described the later events, I certainly wasn't in on the know. No matter, Now here's the thing, are you sitting comfortably?

That post on another thread where you describe going u/s at Blantyre on the way back from Swazi - I WAS ON THAT FLIGHT! I was the ground crew for the trip and was bunked with the Co, sharing a room at one of the local ATC ers homes. I was frightened f****less but the Co was a smashing chap, put me at ease, and we had some great late night chats.

You may recall his name, which I don't, but looking at the Co's on the Ardet gallery, the nearest I could come up with is Malcolm Wilson One evening the hosts served avocado prawn starter with lake fish to follow and whilst they probably explained the fish was special, I didn't find out but a few weeks ago that lake Nyasa, as it was then, contained a fish unique to itself.

If you go to Ardet this year, I'll leave my Roebuck moniker at reception should you wish to make yourself known.
Roebuck
PS :Did you gravitate to Britannias post Argosy days?

Roebuck - Surprise surprise. I have looked through my logbook and see we arrived in Blantyre northbound from Matsapa on the 22 feb 1966 in XP410. On that leg I remember at least two inverters failing and we became well and truly stuck! Ksar sent spares down through Nairobi via East African Airways, then a Zambian Air Force Beaver set off with them from Lusaka, but lost an engine and forced landed! More spares were sent down and we eventually left Blantyre after a very pleasant stay on March 1st! I stayed with the SATCO/Airport boss, Mr Johnson who had flowndown to Matsapa with us to talk to the Air Traffic people. (He had an attractive 23 year old daughter) I am afraid I only have "crew" down in my log book, but Martin Willing (FO), Jock Reid (Eng) and Shaun Tuohy (AQM) were my usual crew. I did go on to Britannias after Aden, had eight years on them then left the RAF to join Civil Brits for 2 years before moving on to DC8s, 737s 757s and 767s. I am afraid I am a bit too old for Ardet does!

Is that the Martin Willing who had a Pembroke and a T-28 on the display circuit for many years and maybe still does?

Yes it is, he went to Cathay Pacific on 747's after leaving the RAF, then retired at his home in Jersey.