RAF base awaits fighter decision
BEagle,
At last they have had a good twenty years out of the upgraded Leeming, many a fine permanent RAF peace time station failed to make that at all!
At last they have had a good twenty years out of the upgraded Leeming, many a fine permanent RAF peace time station failed to make that at all!
What about the overseas bases?
My first ever school was at RAF El Adem, Tobruk, Libya. Flew there in a Comet via Malta where we stopped for tea! Prior to that my Dad was stationed in Tripoli.
El Adem was great, we lived in Tobruk and were bused to school every day. The NAAFI was in an old white fort on the outskirts of town and the RAF used to lay on 5 tonners to take us to the beach at weekends. Back then, personnel were allocated beaches based on rank. Airmens beach, Sgts beach etc. Our beach had a Cafe, nice secluded swimming area and some great fishing spots. The airmens beach was a shack on a huge expanse of rough coastline. You would not get away with that today.
My first ever school was at RAF El Adem, Tobruk, Libya. Flew there in a Comet via Malta where we stopped for tea! Prior to that my Dad was stationed in Tripoli.
El Adem was great, we lived in Tobruk and were bused to school every day. The NAAFI was in an old white fort on the outskirts of town and the RAF used to lay on 5 tonners to take us to the beach at weekends. Back then, personnel were allocated beaches based on rank. Airmens beach, Sgts beach etc. Our beach had a Cafe, nice secluded swimming area and some great fishing spots. The airmens beach was a shack on a huge expanse of rough coastline. You would not get away with that today.
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How much was spent bringing Leeming up to the state it is today for the F3? A whole new road off the A1, plus gazillions on infrastructure.
Beags - word of advice - Whenever your talking about defence WRT government, Dont mention the shortcomings of New Labour. I'm not a supporter of them myself but I also know that other parties are no better.
May I suggest "The current Government"
Gut Fawkes - The only person to enter parlement with honest intentions
I'm the first to criticise past Tory ar$es such as Duncan Sandys..........1957 Defence White Paper
Or Old Labour such as Denis Healey and Harold Wilson........TSR2, P1154 and HS681.
But by now the lessons should have been learned. NooLabia called out the regular reserves for the first time since Suez for a war of questionable legality.
No Tory government in the last 50 years has tried to punch above its weight as much as has NooLabia.
And yet some fools still voted them back in....
Or Old Labour such as Denis Healey and Harold Wilson........TSR2, P1154 and HS681.
But by now the lessons should have been learned. NooLabia called out the regular reserves for the first time since Suez for a war of questionable legality.
No Tory government in the last 50 years has tried to punch above its weight as much as has NooLabia.
And yet some fools still voted them back in....
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Funnily enough, because of this thread, I drove into Tangers on the way home yesterday. Admittedly I have flown over it many times since it closed but driving in really hit me as to what a huge part of my youth and our history has been destroyed. It is worse in a way than derelict airdromes. At least one can sit on disused runway and imgine the sights and sounds of our past.
BEagle,
Are you saying that a Michael Howard Government would NOT have gone into Iraq, or Afghanistan?
I think that if the Tories HAD got in the only difference would be that the forces would still be in all the places they are in now but with a more commercialised, privatised and contractorised infrastructure and supporting element.
Are you saying that a Michael Howard Government would NOT have gone into Iraq, or Afghanistan?
I think that if the Tories HAD got in the only difference would be that the forces would still be in all the places they are in now but with a more commercialised, privatised and contractorised infrastructure and supporting element.
Perhaps they would. But I think there would have been less American - or rather, Bush - influence and more listening to the UN.
Perhaps even an exit strategy?
Perhaps even an exit strategy?
OK - 49 then...
From the BBC:
Considered to be the most significant turning point in post-war British foreign policy, the Suez Crisis refers to the British decision to join with France and Israel in a military intervention to attempt to prevent General Nasser from nationalising the Suez Canal in the autumn of 1956. Nasser was promoting Arab nationalism throughout the Middle East and had become an increasing source of irritation to the British and the French.
The Anglo-French assault upon Egypt, which began on 31 October 1956, provoked a furious response from the USA. President Eisenhower's condemnation of the attack triggered a sterling crisis which forced the government to withdraw from the venture. This angered the French, and further revealed Britain's growing dependence on the support of the US.
One of the first signs of a weakening UK. And yet barely 12 months later that utter ar$e Duncan Sandys started the destruction of the RAF which has continued ever since.
From the BBC:
Considered to be the most significant turning point in post-war British foreign policy, the Suez Crisis refers to the British decision to join with France and Israel in a military intervention to attempt to prevent General Nasser from nationalising the Suez Canal in the autumn of 1956. Nasser was promoting Arab nationalism throughout the Middle East and had become an increasing source of irritation to the British and the French.
The Anglo-French assault upon Egypt, which began on 31 October 1956, provoked a furious response from the USA. President Eisenhower's condemnation of the attack triggered a sterling crisis which forced the government to withdraw from the venture. This angered the French, and further revealed Britain's growing dependence on the support of the US.
One of the first signs of a weakening UK. And yet barely 12 months later that utter ar$e Duncan Sandys started the destruction of the RAF which has continued ever since.
