Anyone else remember "The Swamp" at APC?
ahhhh...memories...
Thanks green & yellow hat! first thread i've enjoyed for a while..... was a crewman in belize in '76, very happy days - only marred by losing the lads at Salamanca, top crew, with the totally barmy and brilliant Master ALM who lived life to the full.
The 'Big C' the night ALL the Aircrew from RAF & AAC had a party there including the stood down duty crew in flying suits. The dodgy RAF plaque that departed at speed from the fan and whacked the (tosser) GSM on the head. The AAC SSgt Pilot who grew tired of the Parrokeet and hit it with a squash racket, and as for the Sioux that didnt quite manage Cadenas...... almost dropped it as an USL on the way back to APC laughing. Golden Lex Brown days..... mad git, brilliant pilot.
The 'Big C' the night ALL the Aircrew from RAF & AAC had a party there including the stood down duty crew in flying suits. The dodgy RAF plaque that departed at speed from the fan and whacked the (tosser) GSM on the head. The AAC SSgt Pilot who grew tired of the Parrokeet and hit it with a squash racket, and as for the Sioux that didnt quite manage Cadenas...... almost dropped it as an USL on the way back to APC laughing. Golden Lex Brown days..... mad git, brilliant pilot.
! + Stingray bite + Medallion + much, much, more.........
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Fantastic memories and skyhigh morale .......
What a detachment that was.....'first of many times I lived in the swamp was Jan '79. I remember Mutley the flea ridden dog at the airfield - hated locals and used to chase them down the road barking like mad running after them on their bikes....the original 'Big C' which burnt down only to be replaced with another...yes you've guessed it 'Big C'. I remember the Mamma being interviewed on early evening TV back in UK trying to convince the somewhat cynical interviewer that the 'Big C' was a nightclub and not a brothel! My kids asking me all sorts of questions which I had to reply with somewhat white-ish lies! Being called out on night standby to pull a hooligan with meniningitus out of Blue Hole Camp (smallest clearing in Belize at the time surrounded by the biggest trees). Vortex ring on the way in! That was bloody close! Being shown the BGS task by Short Fat Stan ending up with a wingover over the Guat camp! Harrier mate MINJO in the LHS thought it was great sport until he also got a bollicking from CBF for letting us wander into Guat (No GPS or Decca there!). Bloody green parokeet which had sustained a tip strike with mess fan (!) was grounded for a couple of weeks and spent the time being taken out on people's shoulders - ruined the flying suit with gwano down the back. Being warned not to leave my flying boots on the swamp floor as John F....r would p@ss in them! One night being awoken by a helluva noise of cursing, metal coathangers being banged around in a wooden wardrobe as JF (too many G&T's) had trapped himself inside the wardrobe looking for the light switch! The Sunday standby at San Pedro when the only building on the beach was Ramon's Water Lodge - he used to give us a free Sunday lunch of Lobsters and Crabs (the edible kind!) every week. Aaaaaaaagh...happy days..
Avoid imitations
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Ah, yes... and those Iguanas, huge ones, living in the drains by HQ.
The Force "Bedding store", manned by wiry, slighly long haired "stores personnel", often seen cleaning "non standard" weapons, who seemed to be deciding if you were likely to be trusted to fly them to places you were often glad you weren't going to.
Anyone else remember the day the "post AOC's" BBQ on Caye Chapel which ended up with every single Harrier and SH pilot stranded offshore due to the Air Commander's launch breaking down and the duty Puma's #2 engine deciding it wasn't going to start? The AOC was still there and had to authorise the single engine transit off the oiled sand strip back to APC to get a replacement aircraft. We arrived back overhead in the dark, to start ferrying everyone back to APC, to find the place in total darkness and everyone pi$$ed in the bar. So much for the promised HLS lighting, thanks guys!
The Force "Bedding store", manned by wiry, slighly long haired "stores personnel", often seen cleaning "non standard" weapons, who seemed to be deciding if you were likely to be trusted to fly them to places you were often glad you weren't going to.
Anyone else remember the day the "post AOC's" BBQ on Caye Chapel which ended up with every single Harrier and SH pilot stranded offshore due to the Air Commander's launch breaking down and the duty Puma's #2 engine deciding it wasn't going to start? The AOC was still there and had to authorise the single engine transit off the oiled sand strip back to APC to get a replacement aircraft. We arrived back overhead in the dark, to start ferrying everyone back to APC, to find the place in total darkness and everyone pi$$ed in the bar. So much for the promised HLS lighting, thanks guys!
Last edited by ShyTorque; 24th Jun 2007 at 11:47.
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TM, the interesting 'flora' in The Swamp garden had also been planted outside both police sections, in the Air Commanders garden and the CBFs garden 'just in case'. Picture the scene if you will; Cpl Plod gently moving aside stalks of said flora, totally oblivious as to what it was, as he "searched for evidence of an explosive device" the morning after the night of the visit of the door removal service.
I particularly liked the dit about Medallion Mike M when, during the Queens visit, he 'lifted' the glass, complete with lippy smudge, used by HMTQ after a G&T in the Sgts Mess and hid it in the Swamp. Enter Richie and JW who wiped the glass clean and had the buxom laundry lady re kiss the glass. Mike treasured that souvenir.
Priceless!
I particularly liked the dit about Medallion Mike M when, during the Queens visit, he 'lifted' the glass, complete with lippy smudge, used by HMTQ after a G&T in the Sgts Mess and hid it in the Swamp. Enter Richie and JW who wiped the glass clean and had the buxom laundry lady re kiss the glass. Mike treasured that souvenir.
Priceless!
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Angel the Jaguar athe Belize Zoo... You could pet her through the fence and she'd purr like a kitten
A card I received from my then wife that sum's it all up really...
Airport Camp in Feb 1987
My Barracuda, Caye Chapel... Strewth indeed...
The main square from the top of the Great Pyramid, Caracol Ruins, 1987.
25 Flt AAC over the Jungle
Journey's End on any Sunday
All ready for a "Swamp Bash"
The result of a "Swamp Bash"... This gentleman was suitably nicknamed Swampy
The Belize River from somewhere over APC looking towards Belize City
The Swamp doors with my running gear drying on the line
I have tons more but most have people in that are clearly recognizable and I don't have permission to post... So I won't.
A card I received from my then wife that sum's it all up really...
Airport Camp in Feb 1987
My Barracuda, Caye Chapel... Strewth indeed...
The main square from the top of the Great Pyramid, Caracol Ruins, 1987.
25 Flt AAC over the Jungle
Journey's End on any Sunday
All ready for a "Swamp Bash"
The result of a "Swamp Bash"... This gentleman was suitably nicknamed Swampy
The Belize River from somewhere over APC looking towards Belize City
The Swamp doors with my running gear drying on the line
I have tons more but most have people in that are clearly recognizable and I don't have permission to post... So I won't.
I match the Trendy Masters thong and raise you Fitz-S's sarong!!
What a sight!
Nice pics, I shall try to post some when I get home, "down route" at the moment.
TTFN
lsh
What a sight!
Nice pics, I shall try to post some when I get home, "down route" at the moment.
TTFN
lsh
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So LSH (oh how long that moniker has stuck) do you remember when FitzS did the jungle course, got some sap of some tree in his eyes and was blinded. He had to come back by Landrover as they would not let the duty crew aeromed him out.
Memories of the swamp. No F in it arriving and spending his first night sleeping outside after we told him the Swamp was full. Burning Steve R..e's letter to his missus after taking three hours to write it (FitzP's idea not mine), taking Mancub down the Big C for his 21st. Happy times, good flying and yep then best take off WAS the one with you onboard.
Memories of the swamp. No F in it arriving and spending his first night sleeping outside after we told him the Swamp was full. Burning Steve R..e's letter to his missus after taking three hours to write it (FitzP's idea not mine), taking Mancub down the Big C for his 21st. Happy times, good flying and yep then best take off WAS the one with you onboard.
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b600
Sorry about the pic size, I'm still getting to grips with the system,
Hi ginge, nice pics, where are you now, like the airborne bit, you need to let go of the Reg............
Hi ginge, nice pics, where are you now, like the airborne bit, you need to let go of the Reg............
memory overload!!!
Hey WT.....must have been there in 76, I was there with no effing McC! How about when MGM didnt put the round catcher on his door mounted GPMG and 'feathered' the Puma tail? The boys catching a Guat dakota on the wrong side of Cadenus. The Queens Own Highlanders boat overloaded going into Cadenas, driver chopped engine and boat sank (Guats rolling around the floor laughing across the river - same time as Sioux departed backwards and ever downwards off cadenus.....)As for the QOH regimental dinners.......
The swamp fraterity in deep doodoo.....
'Hurricane' deployment to san pedro, Puma det challenged to a game of footy by the locals....we retired at half time to get monged having failed to stop their goal scoring frenzy even with 2 goalies...
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1976? How about 1972 before the Pumas arrived.
Christmas 1972– Belize.
Date and Time:- Three days before Christmas Day 1972.
Location:- Belize International Airport, Sioux dispersal.
Unit:- Sioux Flight Detachment 663 Squadron AAC.
A tasking had been received for a Santa Sortie to fly Father Christmas to a Children’s Party at Bird Island in Belize City. Planned time of take-off 1500 hours. 1500 hours arrived but no Santa. At 1530 hours a car arrived with a Santa who obviously had been having a little too much Christmas spirit. So whilst the Sioux was started and run up to operating temp Santa was told to sit on an oil drum and wait and he would then be taken to the aircraft and strapped in.Whilst seated he was given all the required safety instructions. This was in the days when the AAC Detachment hangar was a Romney Hut across on the airport side of the runway near the river opposite the fire station and an old hangar which was being used as a shirt factory.
Before many minutes we had several young kids standing watching Father Christmas all with large bright eyes only to witness Santa loosing his beard to the exclamation of “F*** this mother-of-f******” beard. We soon whisked him off strapped him in the aircraft and he was off he went to charm other kids at the party. The Sioux was being flown with doors off and as it banked away down the runway flight path Santa thought he was going to fall out and grabbed the pilot's arm. He soon received a thump and told to sit still which he obeyed for the rest of the short flight. Fortunately we did not undertake any more S**** Claus Sorties after that.
Date and Time:- Three days before Christmas Day 1972.
Location:- Belize International Airport, Sioux dispersal.
Unit:- Sioux Flight Detachment 663 Squadron AAC.
A tasking had been received for a Santa Sortie to fly Father Christmas to a Children’s Party at Bird Island in Belize City. Planned time of take-off 1500 hours. 1500 hours arrived but no Santa. At 1530 hours a car arrived with a Santa who obviously had been having a little too much Christmas spirit. So whilst the Sioux was started and run up to operating temp Santa was told to sit on an oil drum and wait and he would then be taken to the aircraft and strapped in.Whilst seated he was given all the required safety instructions. This was in the days when the AAC Detachment hangar was a Romney Hut across on the airport side of the runway near the river opposite the fire station and an old hangar which was being used as a shirt factory.
Before many minutes we had several young kids standing watching Father Christmas all with large bright eyes only to witness Santa loosing his beard to the exclamation of “F*** this mother-of-f******” beard. We soon whisked him off strapped him in the aircraft and he was off he went to charm other kids at the party. The Sioux was being flown with doors off and as it banked away down the runway flight path Santa thought he was going to fall out and grabbed the pilot's arm. He soon received a thump and told to sit still which he obeyed for the rest of the short flight. Fortunately we did not undertake any more S**** Claus Sorties after that.
Last edited by MReyn24050; 29th Jun 2007 at 20:04.
I have a photo of FitzS and Mancub on board the Puma en-route that Jungle Survival course, it was a pleasure to drop them off!!
(PS How do I post the photos?)
When Mancub and I first flew together we had a combined age of 41!
lsh
(PS How do I post the photos?)
When Mancub and I first flew together we had a combined age of 41!
lsh
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Airborne Aircrew said:
Angel the Jaguar athe Belize Zoo... You could pet her through the fence and she'd purr like a kitten
Not always; sorry its not in focus; I was busy ****ting myself at the time!
When I was there the Jaguars were: Maya / Pinto & Xuancha
A photograph of the 'city', the overhead banner says: One people, one nation, one destiny (in reverse), which is a strange thing to say in what is a very multi-race country.
1563 cab at Holdfast, probably whilst a Sqn Ldr who seemed to know the entire nation was visiting one of his mates.
Last edited by Tiger_mate; 30th Jun 2007 at 15:58.