Gutersloh, Mid 70s
Yes I remember the rain ice on one occasion in the late 70s. A new meaning for the phrase armoured car.
It is probably a completely apocryphal story but does anyone remember the two locals driving around the ring road at Gut, with their heads out of the driver's windows, in thick fog, who hit heads?
ps I thought Pete Stone's Lightning was pulling more alpha as it passed the tower. Maybe that one is the leader of the pair?
It is probably a completely apocryphal story but does anyone remember the two locals driving around the ring road at Gut, with their heads out of the driver's windows, in thick fog, who hit heads?
ps I thought Pete Stone's Lightning was pulling more alpha as it passed the tower. Maybe that one is the leader of the pair?
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Late 1970s and my regiment was based not far from Guetersloh. Then-Mrs G was due to sprog with our first, and one Godfather-desig was JENGO on 18 Sqn.
As was the custom in those days, “Hatches” were often announced by means of some witty signal. So, when the young master made his appearance, I despatched the following signal, clearly addressed to JENGO, 18 Sqn: ”Ref underslung-load tests commenced [DTG] Results produced [DTG] showed Moment About Load Equivalent of 2.2kg”
Nothing was heard back. Many weeks later, I drove over to Gut, where said JENGO was surprised to hear that I had signaled, but he had seen nothing. As we were having a coffee in his office a head popped round the door and announced, something on the lines of: “Ah, better still, BOTH of you are here. Boss wants you, hats on (in my case beret). Now. Finish your coffee, I gather none will be offered.”
Mystified, we drained our mugs, donned headgear and headed off to see Sandy Hunter.
It transpired that the signal had arrived in the commcen but, evidently, somebody had failed to note the addressee. Station Commander (Ge***e O**, IIRC) apparently took it amiss that somebody had been playing with his helicopters without informing him. Nobody else, it seems, had any idea [there’s a surprise], so a request for a full report on these ‘tests’ was punted off to HQRAFG. No idea there, either, so the matter was referred back over the channel to all those who might have had knowledge of the matter.
Eventually, somebody spotted the original addressee and the matter winged back to Gut. Hence our summons!
There was some talk about a report being sent to my CO ref incorrect use of service facilties, but I have to admit I heard no more of the matter: other pending problems might have taken my CO’s eye off this particular ball: something to do with taking a squadron of Chieftains over a bridge without seeing the “Class 10” sign!!
As was the custom in those days, “Hatches” were often announced by means of some witty signal. So, when the young master made his appearance, I despatched the following signal, clearly addressed to JENGO, 18 Sqn: ”Ref underslung-load tests commenced [DTG] Results produced [DTG] showed Moment About Load Equivalent of 2.2kg”
Nothing was heard back. Many weeks later, I drove over to Gut, where said JENGO was surprised to hear that I had signaled, but he had seen nothing. As we were having a coffee in his office a head popped round the door and announced, something on the lines of: “Ah, better still, BOTH of you are here. Boss wants you, hats on (in my case beret). Now. Finish your coffee, I gather none will be offered.”
Mystified, we drained our mugs, donned headgear and headed off to see Sandy Hunter.
It transpired that the signal had arrived in the commcen but, evidently, somebody had failed to note the addressee. Station Commander (Ge***e O**, IIRC) apparently took it amiss that somebody had been playing with his helicopters without informing him. Nobody else, it seems, had any idea [there’s a surprise], so a request for a full report on these ‘tests’ was punted off to HQRAFG. No idea there, either, so the matter was referred back over the channel to all those who might have had knowledge of the matter.
Eventually, somebody spotted the original addressee and the matter winged back to Gut. Hence our summons!
There was some talk about a report being sent to my CO ref incorrect use of service facilties, but I have to admit I heard no more of the matter: other pending problems might have taken my CO’s eye off this particular ball: something to do with taking a squadron of Chieftains over a bridge without seeing the “Class 10” sign!!
In my unofficial role as WW II armour guru, I was sitting next to the GLO and a few others in either 2 or 4 Sqn, going over images of unidentified tanks littering NW Europe.
A very young, and very very pretty, WRAC attachee to the GLO was expounding on the delights of free-fall parachuting.
"The greatest thrill there is!"
At which a slack handful of lecherous Hunter pilots attempted to educate her, including offers she couldn't refuse.
Never did ID the tank.
A very young, and very very pretty, WRAC attachee to the GLO was expounding on the delights of free-fall parachuting.
"The greatest thrill there is!"
At which a slack handful of lecherous Hunter pilots attempted to educate her, including offers she couldn't refuse.
Never did ID the tank.
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Pete Stone's departure from Gutersloh
Bonajet
Reference Pete Stone’s Lightning departure from Gutersloh.
With all due respect to Eric Westersoetebier, who I imagined took the photo with a long lens from his usual vantage point on the Baillie Bridge over the Emms, I agree that the aircraft in the photo is very unlikely to be the one flown by Pete Stone during his infamous departure from Gutersloh. I suspect this aircraft is the leader of the pair (Jim Wilde) who performed a more normal overshoot down the runway at about 250ft before climbing steeply away.
I was on the balcony of the Tower and I remember that Pete descended very low on finals and was virtually hidden by the trees between the Tower and the 27 threshold. He then appeared from behind the trees, banked to the right and about 100-150ft and headed down the main ASP initially about level with the balcony. His flypast took him towards the ‘waterfront’ over a line of Lightning’s and various liney’s scattered as he came barrelling towards them. He then pulled up steeply and lit the afterburners, but only one lit and he started snaking from left to right, apparently struggling to control the aircraft. When he pulled up his heading also took him towards one of the main fuel dumps and there appeared a possibility that he might end up stall and end up actually crashing into the dump. He eventually recovered and departed for the UK where he beat up Waddington, damaging parts of the Officers Mess in the process. On his return to Gutersloh he was confined to the camp, awaiting a bollocking at HQ RAFG and spent most evenings in the Keller Bar, getting plastered.
Pete Stone was a ‘character’ in every sense of the word, but I guess you could have almost predicted what might eventually happen – a sad loss, particularly as characters like Pete just can’t really exist in todays RAF.
Visitation
Reference Pete Stone’s Lightning departure from Gutersloh.
With all due respect to Eric Westersoetebier, who I imagined took the photo with a long lens from his usual vantage point on the Baillie Bridge over the Emms, I agree that the aircraft in the photo is very unlikely to be the one flown by Pete Stone during his infamous departure from Gutersloh. I suspect this aircraft is the leader of the pair (Jim Wilde) who performed a more normal overshoot down the runway at about 250ft before climbing steeply away.
I was on the balcony of the Tower and I remember that Pete descended very low on finals and was virtually hidden by the trees between the Tower and the 27 threshold. He then appeared from behind the trees, banked to the right and about 100-150ft and headed down the main ASP initially about level with the balcony. His flypast took him towards the ‘waterfront’ over a line of Lightning’s and various liney’s scattered as he came barrelling towards them. He then pulled up steeply and lit the afterburners, but only one lit and he started snaking from left to right, apparently struggling to control the aircraft. When he pulled up his heading also took him towards one of the main fuel dumps and there appeared a possibility that he might end up stall and end up actually crashing into the dump. He eventually recovered and departed for the UK where he beat up Waddington, damaging parts of the Officers Mess in the process. On his return to Gutersloh he was confined to the camp, awaiting a bollocking at HQ RAFG and spent most evenings in the Keller Bar, getting plastered.
Pete Stone was a ‘character’ in every sense of the word, but I guess you could have almost predicted what might eventually happen – a sad loss, particularly as characters like Pete just can’t really exist in todays RAF.
Visitation
Gentleman Aviator
Visitation ... your description matches my recollection exactly!
An inbound-to-Gut Puma trainer from the OCU was diverted to Binbrook (?) IIRC to pick up the errant Stoney and bring him back.
Didn't spend all his time in the kellerbar surely - not with that 6 ft blonde fraulein of his in tow.
The RAFG bollocking took a long time to be delivered, and we wondered if Stoney would stand the pace - and I still don't mean the kellerbar.
He was built like a racing snake anyway, but I'm sure he lost a lot of weight while waiting .......
An inbound-to-Gut Puma trainer from the OCU was diverted to Binbrook (?) IIRC to pick up the errant Stoney and bring him back.
Didn't spend all his time in the kellerbar surely - not with that 6 ft blonde fraulein of his in tow.
The RAFG bollocking took a long time to be delivered, and we wondered if Stoney would stand the pace - and I still don't mean the kellerbar.
He was built like a racing snake anyway, but I'm sure he lost a lot of weight while waiting .......
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735 SU RAF Gutersloh
Just seen your thread, the unit was located by a few redundant Lightnings at the end of the airfield. I was based at this unit from 1982 to 1985 and lived on Leipzig Strasse, next to the Scnellie, pub and ice cream parlour, in Blankenhagen.
The unit was 735 su and had 2 bases, one at Gutersloh, which was the permanent base with a couple of cabins, a mobile ops room and an RTS2 short range radar sitting on a 30 ft tower.
The 2nd was at a German Luftwaffe site named Auenhausen, based out on the Teutenberger? range, some 60 miles away. We operated a mobile RTS2 and a couple of old Boufers gun platforms that had been modified to simulate an old Russian J Band jammer. We also used them to lock onto, both by manual and Radar, Tornado, A10, Starfighter and F111 aircraft if we locked for more than 15 seconds they were 'dead'!
In 1984, we moved from Auenhausen to Borgholzhausen permanentley, carrying out the same bomb plot and acquisition role.
I think the main site at Gutersloh closed in the late 80's, I have been out of the RAF for 16 years now and that posting was by far the best in my service. I also worked at 735 mrbssu, which was also called Tumby Bomb plot, and this was my 2nd best posting.
The unit was 735 su and had 2 bases, one at Gutersloh, which was the permanent base with a couple of cabins, a mobile ops room and an RTS2 short range radar sitting on a 30 ft tower.
The 2nd was at a German Luftwaffe site named Auenhausen, based out on the Teutenberger? range, some 60 miles away. We operated a mobile RTS2 and a couple of old Boufers gun platforms that had been modified to simulate an old Russian J Band jammer. We also used them to lock onto, both by manual and Radar, Tornado, A10, Starfighter and F111 aircraft if we locked for more than 15 seconds they were 'dead'!
In 1984, we moved from Auenhausen to Borgholzhausen permanentley, carrying out the same bomb plot and acquisition role.
I think the main site at Gutersloh closed in the late 80's, I have been out of the RAF for 16 years now and that posting was by far the best in my service. I also worked at 735 mrbssu, which was also called Tumby Bomb plot, and this was my 2nd best posting.
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Ah! Tumby Bomb Plot - called lots of times with simulated buckets of sunshine released over UK. It's now the kennels of the intelligencia of the RAF Police - or maybe that's now PFI to civvies.
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attic folk club gutersloh
my father was stationed at gutersloh in the early 70'sand he and my mum used to attend the attic folk club whenever they could. I was not old enough to go myself but remember how much they raved about the acts that performed there and indeed remember the lp's they bought, especially the McCalmans. I grew up listening to them and still remember the lyrics to a few songs. my parents were friends with a bloke called sean mcmahon and I know he played there with his little band there a few times. I went to school with his daughters. My sister and I were both interested in music from a young age and have done some performing ourselves. We both attended trenchard school and there was a little after school music club where we learned lots of folky tunes. My father was Peter Taylor and mum is Sandra. Father died just over a year ago. He was in RAF for 22 happy years. he was an aircraft electrician who served on 19 squadron.
AC,
You may be interested to know that the Macs did their final concert in Edinburgh in December (Ian is now 64 and his voice is going). There is a DVD available (look at their website), which is the farewell concert and also archive footage of the group.
I saw them live last November at the Park Gate Folk Club (Wirral) and I had a chat to Ian. He has fond memories of the Attic Folk Club in the '70s - as I do.
The last time I saw Sean McMahon was about 1983. He was the ground engineer on a VC10 I was on from Brize Norton to Akrotiri.
You may be interested to know that the Macs did their final concert in Edinburgh in December (Ian is now 64 and his voice is going). There is a DVD available (look at their website), which is the farewell concert and also archive footage of the group.
I saw them live last November at the Park Gate Folk Club (Wirral) and I had a chat to Ian. He has fond memories of the Attic Folk Club in the '70s - as I do.
The last time I saw Sean McMahon was about 1983. He was the ground engineer on a VC10 I was on from Brize Norton to Akrotiri.
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Darwen, I was at Gut from 86 to 89 and as far as I can remember the only 735 unit was at Borgholzhausen (with admin etc support from the base). I occaisonaly went up there to change over some kit and I'm sure they were on the old C2 site to the NW of the village along the ridge, for the by then defunct Dutch Nike Hercules battery just to the east of the village. (No, I'm not confusing it with Blomberg). Remember a German Tornado trying to sneak up on us from the N just over the ridge crest but they got him!
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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?"
Yes, the graves were over by the QRA hangar ( Though I remember the sign saying 3 or 7 Russian soldiers!). We used to try and trap rabbits there to supplement our rations whilst we were on Battle flight, endless games of "Risk" on a huge board. Rigger 92 Sqn 67/69 Geilenkirchen and then the move to Gutersloh.
Anyone remember the Hunter from the PR Sqn 2 or 4 that had the cannons go off inside the hangar ? I do.
Yes, the graves were over by the QRA hangar ( Though I remember the sign saying 3 or 7 Russian soldiers!). We used to try and trap rabbits there to supplement our rations whilst we were on Battle flight, endless games of "Risk" on a huge board. Rigger 92 Sqn 67/69 Geilenkirchen and then the move to Gutersloh.
Anyone remember the Hunter from the PR Sqn 2 or 4 that had the cannons go off inside the hangar ? I do.
Yes, I remember. It was a 2 FR Sqn aircraft that was on jacks in the hangar having some rectification, when due to an amazing combination of circumstances the Aden fired a round into the hangar wall. There were some very shocked airmen, I can tell you.I was the pilot on the Board of Inquiry from next door on 4 FR Sqn.
and I was the duty met man ..... heard the bang, saw the commotion and scuffle .........
Weather decidedly not a factor, back to the charts ......
Weather decidedly not a factor, back to the charts ......
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Those were the days when the Hunter pilots all turned out to watch the solo Lightning aeros practise (Bill Wratten) so that as witnesses they could not be members of the Board of Inquiry.
Last edited by soddim; 24th May 2011 at 22:17.
FOD-Free Gutersloh until................
I remember arriving at Gutersloh from a particularly wet and muddy Harrier field deployment nearby - when we were based at Wildenrath.
Our field site had become unuseable, and we had to VTO from the site, land at Gut to refuel before returning to Wildenrath.
We landed and taxied in, dripping wet mud onto the pristine and FOD-free runway and taxiways. Then we got out of the cockpit and walked into the available crewrooms in our muddy flying boots.
As I recall, ATC and the resident Lightning community were unimpressed!!
Now both forces are assigned to history - but in their time..............!
Good times for most!!
Our field site had become unuseable, and we had to VTO from the site, land at Gut to refuel before returning to Wildenrath.
We landed and taxied in, dripping wet mud onto the pristine and FOD-free runway and taxiways. Then we got out of the cockpit and walked into the available crewrooms in our muddy flying boots.
As I recall, ATC and the resident Lightning community were unimpressed!!
Now both forces are assigned to history - but in their time..............!
Good times for most!!
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735 SU RAF Gutersloh
Hi Green Flash
You are right, we moved to the ex Nike site at Borgholzhousen, with all the kit we had at Auenhausen. I can't remember however, if we still operated from Gutersloh airfield when we moved, or if we had closed it down by then!
I remember the first time we went to the site, and were met at the gates by a Dutch airforce conscript wearing his helmet at an angle John Wayne would have been proud of, and what looked like a reefer hanging from his mouth. The site had been abandoned and stripped of all valuables, and he and a jnco were living there to guard the place.
I also remember that we had no running water at that time and we had to go into the village to fill up a bowser at the local fire station, used to sneak for a swim at the baths if it was warm.
I don't know if it was ever used but, I helped design a unit crest which incorporated a Tornado into the Borgholzhausen town crest.
Also, I made a mistake with Tumby, it was actually 705 MRBSSU and not 735!
You are right, we moved to the ex Nike site at Borgholzhousen, with all the kit we had at Auenhausen. I can't remember however, if we still operated from Gutersloh airfield when we moved, or if we had closed it down by then!
I remember the first time we went to the site, and were met at the gates by a Dutch airforce conscript wearing his helmet at an angle John Wayne would have been proud of, and what looked like a reefer hanging from his mouth. The site had been abandoned and stripped of all valuables, and he and a jnco were living there to guard the place.
I also remember that we had no running water at that time and we had to go into the village to fill up a bowser at the local fire station, used to sneak for a swim at the baths if it was warm.
I don't know if it was ever used but, I helped design a unit crest which incorporated a Tornado into the Borgholzhausen town crest.
Also, I made a mistake with Tumby, it was actually 705 MRBSSU and not 735!
Harrier Force in general was expediting the move from Wilders to Gut late 76 to early 77. Can't recall any " Green Gilberts": but then again we were fairly busy.
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RAF Gutersloh
Hi Sparkie,
RAF Gutersloh was a great experience for any young airman. I was stationed at Gutersloh in 1965/66/67. I was an air mover and worked in the joint services air movements unit.
What caught my eye was your reference to the Sally Ann club. The club was adjacent to our place of work so we would often go there for refreshment.
I got friendly with Christine she was so nice and very pretty. I do not recall her surname. I am assuming that there is a chance you may have married her sister.
In Gutersloh I celebrated my 21st birthday, I am now 65 been married 36 years and have brought up three great kids.
I am still working and I am on Facebook Nicholas price my profile is a burger as I am in the fast food business.
I would just like to hello to Christine and hope she has Had a great life.
I hope you and your family are well
Nick
RAF Gutersloh was a great experience for any young airman. I was stationed at Gutersloh in 1965/66/67. I was an air mover and worked in the joint services air movements unit.
What caught my eye was your reference to the Sally Ann club. The club was adjacent to our place of work so we would often go there for refreshment.
I got friendly with Christine she was so nice and very pretty. I do not recall her surname. I am assuming that there is a chance you may have married her sister.
In Gutersloh I celebrated my 21st birthday, I am now 65 been married 36 years and have brought up three great kids.
I am still working and I am on Facebook Nicholas price my profile is a burger as I am in the fast food business.
I would just like to hello to Christine and hope she has Had a great life.
I hope you and your family are well
Nick