Some Puma days 'n nights at HMS Odious
230 74-76
You're spot on overTQ... Chunky 230 boss, handed over to DCW who finished as a retired Air Rank running BFPS/SSVC. The Crewmen heirachy had legends like Geordie Haswell from WW2 still....and then there was FOLA! 
I just looked in my logbook (No 1, I'm afraid) and found an entry (30 Aug 1977) with Rick Chaloner, me and Roger Lynn (C'man) that says XW229, Gut and somewhere illegible, via Mohne Dam. Not that we would have flown anywhere near it, of course! (Especially since it seems I was the Captain on that flight....)
Oh, Happy Days of Germany Trainers......
Oh, Happy Days of Germany Trainers......
Last edited by idle stop; 7th Feb 2007 at 10:15.
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Yep! Chunky was never Stn Cdr at Odiham. Gp Capt Bennett was the Stn Cdr until 1975 followed by Gp Capt Price 75-77 and then Gp Capt Moore. I left for a while in 78 so my recollection is a little bit vague but Reineck was there when I returned in 1981.
Avoid imitations
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Brian Wright was OC 230 after C-W, IIRC. He moved the Sqn across to RAFG in 1980 and handed over to David H-R.
I concur, crewman in pic certainly not Chris Fynes.
Turbulent times in those days, lots of detachments all over the place. I joined in '79. Well over six months later I was in the crewroom and got asked for my ID by Ian Struthers! Got him back though; I asked him for his! At least we weren't getting shot at much - hats off and all due respect to today's crews.
I concur, crewman in pic certainly not Chris Fynes.
Turbulent times in those days, lots of detachments all over the place. I joined in '79. Well over six months later I was in the crewroom and got asked for my ID by Ian Struthers! Got him back though; I asked him for his! At least we weren't getting shot at much - hats off and all due respect to today's crews.
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Idle Stop
Flew straight down the Mohne Dam (after trying to find the original way in by the Dam Busters, which was hard enough in twilight).
The Loadie had two torches down the loadpole hatch, and we put two chinagraph markings on the windows. Flew straight between the two towers (with some old German blokes sticking the F**K off sign up, as they were walking across the damn), calling bombs away, zoom climbing and thinking 'How good were THEY!'. I got in the S**t, but as a member of FOLA, did it really matter?
Bye the way Where is GB and where is Chips C? Please pm me if you know.
Flew straight down the Mohne Dam (after trying to find the original way in by the Dam Busters, which was hard enough in twilight).
The Loadie had two torches down the loadpole hatch, and we put two chinagraph markings on the windows. Flew straight between the two towers (with some old German blokes sticking the F**K off sign up, as they were walking across the damn), calling bombs away, zoom climbing and thinking 'How good were THEY!'. I got in the S**t, but as a member of FOLA, did it really matter?
Bye the way Where is GB and where is Chips C? Please pm me if you know.
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Shy Torque
When I joined the squadron as a fresh faced crewman in 78, Parker Ashley was the boss not C-W. Brian Wright replaced P-A. B.W was one of the best bosses I had while in the mob.
regards Wiretensioner
When I joined the squadron as a fresh faced crewman in 78, Parker Ashley was the boss not C-W. Brian Wright replaced P-A. B.W was one of the best bosses I had while in the mob.
regards Wiretensioner
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Wiretensioner, you are c..correct, it's my old brain - I knew it was a d..double-b..barrelled name! I joined just after he had handed over, in 79. 
I agree about Brian Wright, he was an excellent leader, best one I had. He showed me a great deal about good man management. Spoiled me for the rest of my time in the mob though.
I agree about Brian Wright, he was an excellent leader, best one I had. He showed me a great deal about good man management. Spoiled me for the rest of my time in the mob though.
Remember P-A acting as captain on a det to Gut. Lex B was to be in his LHS (or second a/c - I can't remember which). Lex made up the Trigraph 'Papa Papa Alpha'. Poor old P-A (who had a marked stutter) had so much trouble with the R/T using this that he handed over to Lex before Manston!
