Pull up a sandbag ~ "I remember when..
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Wasn’t there a Chief that disappeared up in Scotland who simply asked a transiting US Aircraft heading back to the States for a lift and they said sure bud, hop on board, which he did.
I too had dayglo RAF on the bottom of my kitbag. It came in handy hitching.
Post a Friday Night Officers call at the Mess....mandatory attendance until the OC departed....and following consumption of far more to drink than I remember....was told I and a very lovely young Lady had won the Weekly Dance Contest....and me not being a Dancer when conscious warned me of the evil of harsh drink.
Post a Friday Night Officers call at the Mess....mandatory attendance until the OC departed....and following consumption of far more to drink than I remember....was told I and a very lovely young Lady had won the Weekly Dance Contest....and me not being a Dancer when conscious warned me of the evil of harsh drink.
My upbringing by a strict Southern Baptist Mom may have prepared me for a profession not taken and as I am just not a dancer but was a helicopter pilot....and assuming your theory is correct then maybe I should have been a Southern Baptist Preacher as I love Fried Chicken too.
The OCTU at South Cerney had an unitive test whereas the cadets had to hitch over the weekend and phone in on Monday to see who who had gone the furthest. One hitched to Fairford or Brize and blagged a trip over the pond. Monday's call was from some officer's club in the middle of the States.
They didn't run that exercise again.
They didn't run that exercise again.
The OCTU at South Cerney had an unitive test whereas the cadets had to hitch over the weekend and phone in on Monday to see who who had gone the furthest. One hitched to Fairford or Brize and blagged a trip over the pond. Monday's call was from some officer's club in the middle of the States.
They didn't run that exercise again.
They didn't run that exercise again.
Gentleman Aviator
as I am just not a dancer but was a helicopter pilot...
AS Thoreau (sort of) put it, we of the helicopter persuasion "hear a different drummer...."
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NAAFI Leave Centres in Mombassa.
The NAAFI club in Chippenham.
The Chevrons Club just off Baker Street in London.
The Britannia Club in Singapore.
KD with buckles at both sides of the shorts and the rubber buttons.
Woolen KD socks.
All Bomber Command personnel had to have up-to-date Smallox, Yellow Fever and Cholera certificates.
Jnr Techs, Cpl Techs and Chf Techs in the General Office and Accounts - and in the Cookhouse and in Stores.
Cookhouse, Accounts, General Office.
When we had Clks Personnel, Accounts, Postal, Organisation and Administrative Assistant.
TAGs that worked in the Tin Room - What a job !
ay.
'We knew how to whinge but we kept it in the NAAFI bar.'
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Khormaksar Days
Philrigger
The MEAF comment made me wonder who else recalls the Mukeiras airstrip which we used during the Radfan campaign. At times it was immensely busy with a variety of AAC and RAF short haul a/c such as Twin Pins , Beverleys and Beavers.
I thumbed a lift in a Beverley back to Khormaksar after a few days with 45 Commando. He was taxying down the strip as I arrived and a quick jerk of the thumb caused an immediate halt and an opened door. They were good lads on 84 Sqn. Are things still as casual - and as effective ?
The MEAF comment made me wonder who else recalls the Mukeiras airstrip which we used during the Radfan campaign. At times it was immensely busy with a variety of AAC and RAF short haul a/c such as Twin Pins , Beverleys and Beavers.
I thumbed a lift in a Beverley back to Khormaksar after a few days with 45 Commando. He was taxying down the strip as I arrived and a quick jerk of the thumb caused an immediate halt and an opened door. They were good lads on 84 Sqn. Are things still as casual - and as effective ?
...and Habylayn, Ataq. Went to them on days off. Being on MRT made it that much easier.
Roebuck
Post a Friday Night Officers call at the Mess....mandatory attendance until the OC departed....and following consumption of far more to drink than I remember....was told I and a very lovely young Lady had won the Weekly Dance Contest....and me not being a Dancer when conscious warned me of the evil of harsh drink.
I am not sure I would want the Woman that would have me as a Husband....her thinking would sure beg questioning.
However, as the State Lottery schemes did not exist in those days....marrying an Army Helicopter Pilot in those days and having Life Insurance on him had a much better chance of a payout than any lottery ever had.
For real....the family Insurance guy heard I was in town and dropped by the house in an effort to sell me some Life Insurance....and was happily taking down my application as I was between combat tours and was on Leave prior to going back to my second tour.
When we got to "Occupation" and he heard Army Helicopter Pilot....he slowly shut his note book and said that even if his company would issue a policy.....I would not be able to afford the Annual Premiums.
I suppose they knew something I did not.
it did come to me in a flash so to speak a bit over two months later. The good news is the incident shaved ten months off a twelve month deployment....with two of those ten months laying around in bed listening to my skin grow..
However, as the State Lottery schemes did not exist in those days....marrying an Army Helicopter Pilot in those days and having Life Insurance on him had a much better chance of a payout than any lottery ever had.
For real....the family Insurance guy heard I was in town and dropped by the house in an effort to sell me some Life Insurance....and was happily taking down my application as I was between combat tours and was on Leave prior to going back to my second tour.
When we got to "Occupation" and he heard Army Helicopter Pilot....he slowly shut his note book and said that even if his company would issue a policy.....I would not be able to afford the Annual Premiums.
I suppose they knew something I did not.
it did come to me in a flash so to speak a bit over two months later. The good news is the incident shaved ten months off a twelve month deployment....with two of those ten months laying around in bed listening to my skin grow..
Originally Posted by philrigger View Post
NAAFI Leave Centres in Mombassa.
The NAAFI club in Chippenham.
The Chevrons Club just off Baker Street in London.
The Britannia Club in Singapore.
etc.
NAAFI Leave Centres in Mombassa.
The NAAFI club in Chippenham.
The Chevrons Club just off Baker Street in London.
The Britannia Club in Singapore.
etc.
Arthur gently vomiting onto a meat platter that he continued eating.
On HF deployment a Regt flt cdr dug his own trench which he lined with straw then slept in it. The Rocks used it as a latrine.
Orderly dog. A knock on the window, one of the troops asking for a cup of tea at 3am. Great night he said, got pissed, had a fu*k, had a fight. Didn't know you had car says I, no, I found it said he. Get out of here, take it back to where you 'found' it and don't come back here.
Tired and emotional cpl staggering through the gate at Wildenrath. The police wanted to lock him up. You can't do that, I'm the Duty Armourer.
Armament Assistant asked to use the iron, yes, but you can only use that much electricity - pointing to a level on the conduit, he reckoned that would be enough. He had to get ready as he was fighting Billy Two Rivers in Lincoln Corn Exchange.
Flt Cdr to Armament Assistant (another one) XXX give me a lift over to the bomb dump, at which the AA swept him off his feet in a fireman's lift.
It just ain't like that anymore.
On HF deployment a Regt flt cdr dug his own trench which he lined with straw then slept in it. The Rocks used it as a latrine.
Orderly dog. A knock on the window, one of the troops asking for a cup of tea at 3am. Great night he said, got pissed, had a fu*k, had a fight. Didn't know you had car says I, no, I found it said he. Get out of here, take it back to where you 'found' it and don't come back here.
Tired and emotional cpl staggering through the gate at Wildenrath. The police wanted to lock him up. You can't do that, I'm the Duty Armourer.
Armament Assistant asked to use the iron, yes, but you can only use that much electricity - pointing to a level on the conduit, he reckoned that would be enough. He had to get ready as he was fighting Billy Two Rivers in Lincoln Corn Exchange.
Flt Cdr to Armament Assistant (another one) XXX give me a lift over to the bomb dump, at which the AA swept him off his feet in a fireman's lift.
It just ain't like that anymore.
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you’d need a decent sized bag to carry your carving materials - to make all those carbolic soap on a rope cocks you were so proud of. You know, the ones all the WRAFs loved back in the day. Must have been such a hit.
The Union Jack Club in Singapore
I remember it well, having stayed there whilst on leave from Gan in 1958.
My pic below.
I remember it well, having stayed there whilst on leave from Gan in 1958.
My pic below.
Last edited by Warmtoast; 5th Aug 2021 at 21:25.
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Waking up to the smell of burning, looking down the corridor horrified to see smoke pouring from under next room door, bangs on door no answer, looks through keyhole see drunken bod sitting on bed feeding the fire in his waste bin with magazines, bangs on door pleading, no answer, wake everyone then legs it down guardroom as one of Sqn on duty Sgt hoping he might make him see sense. Everyman and his dog called out and fire extinguished, guy looses his single room and moved back to dorm block. Thanks me for it.
Ah, the Brit Club. Amusing to watch well-oiled Pongoes volunteering to be lifted up to try and stop the big ceiling fans with their heads. Not so funny when they threw (full) cans of Tiger up into the fans for a random distribution pattern around the room.