Gutersloh, Mid 70s
Here's an Air Trafficker who was at Gutersloh from '88 until the end (as we knew it) in '93. Lived in Blankers (Spiekergarten then Dresdner Strasse) and fondly remember cycling home extremely unsteadily down Nottebrocksweg after Happy Hour. Moved to Avenwedde (Kastanienweg) where getting home was more of a problem but didn't seem to spoil the enjoyment of Happy Hours or Beer Calls in the Block 3 Bar. It was definitely a Top Tour for all sorts of reasons (the Gutersloh Christmas Market springs to mind at this time of year)but I'm surprised that we've almost filled two pages on here and no one has yet mentioned Wobbly. The town of Warstein certainly had a lot of headaches to answer for!
Last edited by Distinctly; 27th Dec 2007 at 15:57. Reason: spelling
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Guetersloh 1974 -1995
I spent over 2 years on VASF as a sooty (engine Mechanic) at wonderfull RAF Gut, I was there from 74 till 77 on VASF was then sent to Brawdy and then Kinloss, but within 6months was back in Guetersloh as a Civi. the RAF regiment was 63Sqdn, 18Sqdn Wessex choppers were there too, and 2 Squadrons of the best Aircraft the RAF ever had or ever will have, Lightnings but then I was posted to Guetersloh from 5 sqdn and My father was on 11 sqdn same base. I seem to remember that there was also a group of 21 signals on RAF G and a small contingient of Bundeswehr Radar people. Fluegies is a place I sort of remember well, was never sober then, but in later years I was the only Brit cab driver in Gutersloh so I was sober then and remember it. After living in Guetersloh for over 21 years I came back to Scotland. Only thing I didn't like about Germany was the Divorce laws, nuff said.
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Crash Guard Duty
I was in VASF and had to guard that crash site too, luckily I was one of the few that could speak german so I had to run about on my motorbike telling the Germans that it was a restricted area. even got petrol coupons for doing it. That was the crash where the Camp CO and the CO of a visiting Belgian Squadron were flying a T5 isn't it? I was on the VASF pan watching them take off and thought oh oh something just fell off the aircraft, only then did I realise that it was 2 Martin Bakers saving lives
Late 70s
A nostalgic thread...
Anyone else watching the Lightning pairs departure to UK as the squadrons left? With the wire down the pan and the reheat failing to light? Lightning sinking below the tower?
The guy from public buildings and works, who connected his quarter's electricity supply to the airfield power grid.
Hermann Goering's bending beam in the Officer's Mess tower.
Draught Wobbly in the Kellar Bar - plus the flooding of the Kellar bar for naval battles. (earlier, more a Lightning pastime?)
Ad hoc ten a/c DACTs over the Dummesee.
Anyone else watching the Lightning pairs departure to UK as the squadrons left? With the wire down the pan and the reheat failing to light? Lightning sinking below the tower?
The guy from public buildings and works, who connected his quarter's electricity supply to the airfield power grid.
Hermann Goering's bending beam in the Officer's Mess tower.
Draught Wobbly in the Kellar Bar - plus the flooding of the Kellar bar for naval battles. (earlier, more a Lightning pastime?)
Ad hoc ten a/c DACTs over the Dummesee.
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"Hermann Goering's bending beam in the Officer's Mess tower."
Officers' Mess.
Although admittedly sometimes hard to believe, there was usually more than one of us.
Officers' Mess.
Although admittedly sometimes hard to believe, there was usually more than one of us.
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Anyone else watching the Lightning pairs departure to UK as the squadrons left?
They did'nt all go. This photo was taken in winter '79 and there are 5 Lightnings on this photo and as many more out of shot.
real aircraft!
Gutersloh
Anyone remember the stone engaving over by 3 (F) Sqn that said something (in German) along the lines of "Here lies the bodies of 17 soldiers from Russia", who were killed there during the 2nd WW? Legend had it that the Russians didn`t know it was there or they would have been allowed to visit under the Commonwealth War Graves Commission rules - or so rumour control had it anyway. Anybody else out there throw any light on this?
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The Russian war graves (behind 3 Sqn Harriers in the woods ) were indeed a feature of life at the Station, as it was used as a pretext for an annual "visit" by our friends with snow on their shoes.
Also, there was the case of the remains of an Me 109 by the main runway threshold, some bits later appearing in the Goering Zimmer
In addition, the covert removal of an American WW2 1000lb UXB very close to 4Sqn . (The RIC did have some purposes!)
The Ghosts.
The ongoing discovery of various items of WW2 "memorabilia" in the roofs of the airmans' blocks.
All about 30 years ago now.
Also, there was the case of the remains of an Me 109 by the main runway threshold, some bits later appearing in the Goering Zimmer
In addition, the covert removal of an American WW2 1000lb UXB very close to 4Sqn . (The RIC did have some purposes!)
The Ghosts.
The ongoing discovery of various items of WW2 "memorabilia" in the roofs of the airmans' blocks.
All about 30 years ago now.
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They did know of its presence and on occasion the airfield closed down totally for a day to allow a formal 'visit' to take place. I have a photo of it somewhere, I shall dig it out.
Here lies 17 fallen Russian Soldiers
1942-1945
Here lies 17 fallen Russian Soldiers
1942-1945
Gentleman Aviator
Anyone else watching the Lightning pairs departure to UK as the squadrons left? With the wire down the pan and the reheat failing to light? Lightning sinking below the tower?
... and I thought it was Handbrake House he was "mushing towards" 'til the burners lit - it was impressive tho'....
..... was met on arrival in UK by a diverted Puma trainer to bring him back for the AOC's b%ll%cking ....
...... which took months to arrange so he had to spend all this extra time with his 6 foot blonde German girlfriend ......
.. got posted to the Sim as punishment - then finished up flying Harriers .. and speared in ..... at Gutersloh .......
Top Bloke
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Was there ever any truth in the rumour of the large concrete swastika that was "hidden" under the grass of God's Acre by the camp entrance?
It apparently could be see in the summer from the air when the grass dried out a bit.
It apparently could be see in the summer from the air when the grass dried out a bit.
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Belgian Airforce visit
I seem to remember that in either very late '76 or early '77, we had a visit from a Belgian A/F Squadron. Being on VASF we had to work with the Belgian Groundcrews on their Dasault Mirages. Rumour control had it that our C/O had been boasting to the Belgian C/O about how much better the Lightning was. Unfortunately he decided to prove the point and took the Belgian C/O up in a T5 to do so. The aircraft went hurteling down the runway with half the camp watching it. The C/O did a perfect Tactical take off. "up to speed , retract undercarriage and rotate. The aircraft shot up vertically and was almost out of sight when we noticed 2 wee black things that appeared to fall off the aircraft, at this point the nose went down and the T5 landed vertically in a field close to Fluegies. As luck had it, the 2 objects seen falling off of the kite were the ejector seats. Never did find out what the Belgian C/O thought of our aircraft.
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Not a happy place for 2 x Wing Co and 2 x Gp Capt in the 70s and early 80s.
One was suspended from Admin and dispatched back to Blighty PDQ for something he should not have been doing with PSI Funds.
Second, a pilot, was court martialled for drink driving and also went away.
Third was too volotile to command and went away less than happy, never to get a 'star'.
Fourth eventually got a 'star' but a dismal post up north, where the least effective of his rank were sent as a last resort before taking a pension.
One was suspended from Admin and dispatched back to Blighty PDQ for something he should not have been doing with PSI Funds.
Second, a pilot, was court martialled for drink driving and also went away.
Third was too volotile to command and went away less than happy, never to get a 'star'.
Fourth eventually got a 'star' but a dismal post up north, where the least effective of his rank were sent as a last resort before taking a pension.
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I spent only one night in Gutersloh, in March 1973. Our Wessex detachment had been on exercise in Norway, and, because the fuel crisis meant there was a paucity of fuel up country, had spent a lot of our detachment time in Bergen. It was a tough call, but our new Boss insisted that he stay with the field party in tents, and I had to be with the flight crews in the hotel. The imprest holder had done a good deal with the "Bristol Hotel" and, during our protracted stay, we acquired a large number of "Bristol" stickers. The younger members of the detachment reported that many young ladies in down-town Bergen had their fronts adorned with these stickers.
En route back to UK, we night-stopped in Gutersloh. Many of the Gut icons were "Bristolled", including the bald head of the officers' mess barman and the inside of the Goering bending beam. But, when the Lightning pilots came into the mess after night flying, they became particular targets. They all seemed so very young, and much more immature than when I had been on 1 (F) Squadron with their flight commander. Every time their flight commander was zapped, on of the JPs would delicately peel the sticker off him. The only time our stickers were left in place was when we invited him to stand up to see something special (I can't remember what) and when he sat down again on the bar stool, he sat on a sticker.
The next day we transitted back through Wildenwrath. There was a messaqe waiting for me to contact the Officers' Mess at Gutersloh. Did I have in my possession the OM Board with the gold-plated list of office-holders? Unable to find this in the short stop-over, the crews were assembled on the tarmac back at Odiham, and it transpired that by some amazing coincidence, the board had been smuggled, without our knowledge, into one of our aircraft.
Some days later, I was summoned into the Boss's office to meet the PMC of the OM at Gutersloh. He happened to be travelling in UK and was interested in retrieving his Board. Fortunately, he saw the funny side, and the Board was returned, almost certainly with a Bristol sticker on the back.
En route back to UK, we night-stopped in Gutersloh. Many of the Gut icons were "Bristolled", including the bald head of the officers' mess barman and the inside of the Goering bending beam. But, when the Lightning pilots came into the mess after night flying, they became particular targets. They all seemed so very young, and much more immature than when I had been on 1 (F) Squadron with their flight commander. Every time their flight commander was zapped, on of the JPs would delicately peel the sticker off him. The only time our stickers were left in place was when we invited him to stand up to see something special (I can't remember what) and when he sat down again on the bar stool, he sat on a sticker.
The next day we transitted back through Wildenwrath. There was a messaqe waiting for me to contact the Officers' Mess at Gutersloh. Did I have in my possession the OM Board with the gold-plated list of office-holders? Unable to find this in the short stop-over, the crews were assembled on the tarmac back at Odiham, and it transpired that by some amazing coincidence, the board had been smuggled, without our knowledge, into one of our aircraft.
Some days later, I was summoned into the Boss's office to meet the PMC of the OM at Gutersloh. He happened to be travelling in UK and was interested in retrieving his Board. Fortunately, he saw the funny side, and the Board was returned, almost certainly with a Bristol sticker on the back.
Alias
This one was brutally punished as I recall.......
........ he was posted to Hong Kong!
CG
Second, a pilot, was court martialled for drink driving and also went away.
........ he was posted to Hong Kong!
CG
