Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II
Warmtoast,
I have commented on your pic on another thread. But just to recap when doing multiple lifts at PTS (Abingdon) we never replaced the para doors in flight. Given their willingness to leave the a/c we only replaced them in flight whenever absolutely necessary. Now has anyone a pic of the Hastings rigged for the airdrop known as 'Roller Conveyor'. This was done with the cargo door removed ! Interesting times.
I have commented on your pic on another thread. But just to recap when doing multiple lifts at PTS (Abingdon) we never replaced the para doors in flight. Given their willingness to leave the a/c we only replaced them in flight whenever absolutely necessary. Now has anyone a pic of the Hastings rigged for the airdrop known as 'Roller Conveyor'. This was done with the cargo door removed ! Interesting times.
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You can't keep a Good Story Down.
Before leaving the two glorious pictures of Chugalug's Magnum Opus (#4787 p.240 & #4816 p.241), it occurs to me that we've not yet exhausted the possibilities. First, perhaps he will confirm that a giant blow-up of #4787, suitably framed, has pride of place over the Adam fireplace in Chugalug Hall - and if not, why not ? (Limited Edition of framed prints shortly to be available).
Secondly, what an entry for a Caption Competition ! (Gulfstreamaviator set the ball rolling in #4788 with the current front-runner):
"I am sure....don't want to be nosey"
For starters, I'll give you:
"You see, Boss, it was like this..."........"They lied - Gravity sometimes does let up !"......." Damn' Moles !"......"What did you do in the Cold War, Daddy ?"
No judging - all shall have prizes !
(Sorry Chugalug, but it is Christmas and it's all Warmtoast's fault, anyway - he put it in).
Cheers, everybody. Danny.
Secondly, what an entry for a Caption Competition ! (Gulfstreamaviator set the ball rolling in #4788 with the current front-runner):
"I am sure....don't want to be nosey"
For starters, I'll give you:
"You see, Boss, it was like this..."........"They lied - Gravity sometimes does let up !"......." Damn' Moles !"......"What did you do in the Cold War, Daddy ?"
No judging - all shall have prizes !
(Sorry Chugalug, but it is Christmas and it's all Warmtoast's fault, anyway - he put it in).
Cheers, everybody. Danny.
Last edited by Danny42C; 19th Dec 2013 at 13:27. Reason: ADD EMPHASIS
Checkpoint Alpha
A few years ago, a colleague and I were working at Airbus Bremen. We then had to attend a meeting at Elbeflugzeugwerke at Dresden airport the following day. "No problem", I thought and looked at the Lufthansa timetable.
But my colleague had other ideas and elected to drive. 480 km across Germany in mid-Jan with some pretty serious snow around didn't seem like the world's best plan to me, but off we chugged in a VW Touran....
At Helmstedt, we came across the old Checkpoint Alpha. Now just run down, sprayed with graffiti and looking desolate. As was the little of the landscape we could see which wasn't covered in snow.
Despite having been a navigator, my colleague didn't have much of a clue about where we were and the map he had wasn't much use. But I'd just bought myself a nice new toy on my way through Birmingham airport, a Garmin SatNav. Which found our hotel without any snags some 5 hours or so after leaving Bremen. Despite all the rebuilding, much of eastern Germany was still rather ugly and run down in a Funeral in Berlin kind of way, but the hotel was fine. As was the rather 'ethnic' Köhlerhütte pub nearby, where a pot of Schwabentopf mit Käsespätzle each and a few Dunkelbiers soon brightened things up!
After the meeting I went back to the UK. But I dug my heels in and flew back from Dresden to Birmingham via Munich. Whereas I subsequently learned that my navigator colleague in the Touran, scornful of my SatNav, took the wrong Autobahn turning at Halle and then tried to navigate cross-country through snowy lanes back to the A2. It took him hours - because sign posts were still rather sparse away from main roads and his map was all but useless.....
Rule 1 - Never let the navigator drive!
Rule 2 - If compliance with Rule 1 isn't possible, make sure you've got a SatNav!
But my colleague had other ideas and elected to drive. 480 km across Germany in mid-Jan with some pretty serious snow around didn't seem like the world's best plan to me, but off we chugged in a VW Touran....
At Helmstedt, we came across the old Checkpoint Alpha. Now just run down, sprayed with graffiti and looking desolate. As was the little of the landscape we could see which wasn't covered in snow.
Despite having been a navigator, my colleague didn't have much of a clue about where we were and the map he had wasn't much use. But I'd just bought myself a nice new toy on my way through Birmingham airport, a Garmin SatNav. Which found our hotel without any snags some 5 hours or so after leaving Bremen. Despite all the rebuilding, much of eastern Germany was still rather ugly and run down in a Funeral in Berlin kind of way, but the hotel was fine. As was the rather 'ethnic' Köhlerhütte pub nearby, where a pot of Schwabentopf mit Käsespätzle each and a few Dunkelbiers soon brightened things up!
After the meeting I went back to the UK. But I dug my heels in and flew back from Dresden to Birmingham via Munich. Whereas I subsequently learned that my navigator colleague in the Touran, scornful of my SatNav, took the wrong Autobahn turning at Halle and then tried to navigate cross-country through snowy lanes back to the A2. It took him hours - because sign posts were still rather sparse away from main roads and his map was all but useless.....
Rule 1 - Never let the navigator drive!
Rule 2 - If compliance with Rule 1 isn't possible, make sure you've got a SatNav!
Re Danny's caption contest, and with acknowledgments to Hargreaves the great aviation cartoonist:
"That wasn't what I meant when I told you to keep your tail up, Hoskins".
"That wasn't what I meant when I told you to keep your tail up, Hoskins".
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A civilian transit 1968
Firstly BEagle I find your rules rather offensive. I always know where I have come from, mostly I know where I am, likewise I know where I am going and generally know how to get there.
Danny, I suspect a number of the rules applied for your trip were for your own safety and secondly to cause inconvenience to Herr Ulbrich and his minions. In uniform you were official and could not be classified a spy. Five minute spacing to cause maximum inconvenience. Was 100 kph their rule? A Wartburg could not catch up if you went any faster. They probably lay hidden like today's traffic police, a 1 mile tail chase is easier than trying to catch another car with 5 minutes start.
Anyway my story arrive Helmstedt, big sign and arrow "All Military Traffic" points to a large building. So that's where you all went. Can't remember if there was a West German out control. Continuing forward through a longish zigzag to a very substantial barrier, have to turn right into a parking lot. Park up and motioned into a long hut. Given a long form to fill in, realise this is for a transit visa, no we want a proper entry visa not transit. A conference behind the counter and searching of papers on desks, "We have no visas for you". Produce letter of invitation, another conference followed by telephone calls. "Your visas are in Berlin, please complete this form." Complete transit visa form. "Many Deutch marks please and fill in this form". But this for insurance, "I already have insurance", show green card. "No this insurance is for the DDR, you are not entering the DDR, this is for transit insurance." Give up and hand over more DM. Given back passports and transit visa and told this visa is only valid for x? hours you must complete your journey in this time. Complete the journey having cruised at about 85 mph, big queue to exit the DDR due to every vehicle being thoroughly searched for refugees. Decide we driven enough for 1 day (from Bracknell virtually non stop) and there will more entertainment and comfort in the West Berlin.
Next morning proceed to Check Point Charlie, greeted by a saluting American MP, "Are you sure you want to go in there?" "Yes". Waved on under the barrier to be directed into another parking lot with a smaller long hut. Present passports, a quick glance and "Ah Mr xxx and Mr xyy we were expecting you yesterday"!!!!!!!!!
There much more but its even more off topic.
Danny, I suspect a number of the rules applied for your trip were for your own safety and secondly to cause inconvenience to Herr Ulbrich and his minions. In uniform you were official and could not be classified a spy. Five minute spacing to cause maximum inconvenience. Was 100 kph their rule? A Wartburg could not catch up if you went any faster. They probably lay hidden like today's traffic police, a 1 mile tail chase is easier than trying to catch another car with 5 minutes start.
Anyway my story arrive Helmstedt, big sign and arrow "All Military Traffic" points to a large building. So that's where you all went. Can't remember if there was a West German out control. Continuing forward through a longish zigzag to a very substantial barrier, have to turn right into a parking lot. Park up and motioned into a long hut. Given a long form to fill in, realise this is for a transit visa, no we want a proper entry visa not transit. A conference behind the counter and searching of papers on desks, "We have no visas for you". Produce letter of invitation, another conference followed by telephone calls. "Your visas are in Berlin, please complete this form." Complete transit visa form. "Many Deutch marks please and fill in this form". But this for insurance, "I already have insurance", show green card. "No this insurance is for the DDR, you are not entering the DDR, this is for transit insurance." Give up and hand over more DM. Given back passports and transit visa and told this visa is only valid for x? hours you must complete your journey in this time. Complete the journey having cruised at about 85 mph, big queue to exit the DDR due to every vehicle being thoroughly searched for refugees. Decide we driven enough for 1 day (from Bracknell virtually non stop) and there will more entertainment and comfort in the West Berlin.
Next morning proceed to Check Point Charlie, greeted by a saluting American MP, "Are you sure you want to go in there?" "Yes". Waved on under the barrier to be directed into another parking lot with a smaller long hut. Present passports, a quick glance and "Ah Mr xxx and Mr xyy we were expecting you yesterday"!!!!!!!!!
There much more but its even more off topic.
Danny42
As it's all my fault I think that makes me eligible to enter the caption competition, so here's my contribution:
"I told you I'd be dropping in for Christmas!"
but it is Christmas and it's all Warmtoast's fault, anyway - he put it in
"I told you I'd be dropping in for Christmas!"
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SAAF WWII Veterans interviews
SAAF WWII Veterans interviews
I've plugged a number of Tinus le Roux's interviews previously, but he's now set up a new web site to consolidate his work
SAAF WW2 Pilots, Spitfire SAAF
PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)
I've plugged a number of Tinus le Roux's interviews previously, but he's now set up a new web site to consolidate his work
SAAF WW2 Pilots, Spitfire SAAF
PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)
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It has taken me months to work my way through the 243 pages that are currently here and I have been fascinated much of the time. I tend to only look at PPrune at work and therefore, lunchtimes etc but well worth the effort. I have read many posts that have left me in awe and I feel under qualified to add – but add I will.
The tales of the slightly more recent basic training struck so many chords, though after Swinderby in the very early 80s I went to Cosford rather than Halton as that is where the cream of trades, the Armourers had recently moved, leaving the ancillary trades down south for a few more years (without the armourers all you would have would be a glorified flying club etc). While at Swinderby I saw racism and some bullying, but mostly I saw instructors that were very good at their job and turned us raw civvies into what we had to be to become cold war warriors. Almost 20 years later, in the very late 90s I was subjected to IOT and the SNCOs were very similar in attitude, but more politically correct than the ones that I had first met all that time ago. Again, excellent at their job. It was the flight commanders that I thought varied more as for some it seemed to be a punishment tour. My flight commander was excellent, but others seemed to revel in petty rules and catching people out. Overall a very good course, but in need of a re-vamp – which has now been carried out and is hopefully even better.
Over the years I have worked fairly regularly with the Army, Navy and Marines (both as a ranker and as an officer) and I have enjoyed the experience – but it has always reinforced my gratitude that I completed the paperwork in the RAF CIO all those years ago rather than elsewhere, having seriously considered the REME for a while. With more than 33 years in uniform (I am now full time reserve) I would do it all again if I had to – but my experiences pale into insignificance when I read the early postings in this thread and wonder if I could have done the same.
I accept that my first post on this thread has added nothing of value - but I wanted to add my praise to Danny and all who have made it what it is.
The tales of the slightly more recent basic training struck so many chords, though after Swinderby in the very early 80s I went to Cosford rather than Halton as that is where the cream of trades, the Armourers had recently moved, leaving the ancillary trades down south for a few more years (without the armourers all you would have would be a glorified flying club etc). While at Swinderby I saw racism and some bullying, but mostly I saw instructors that were very good at their job and turned us raw civvies into what we had to be to become cold war warriors. Almost 20 years later, in the very late 90s I was subjected to IOT and the SNCOs were very similar in attitude, but more politically correct than the ones that I had first met all that time ago. Again, excellent at their job. It was the flight commanders that I thought varied more as for some it seemed to be a punishment tour. My flight commander was excellent, but others seemed to revel in petty rules and catching people out. Overall a very good course, but in need of a re-vamp – which has now been carried out and is hopefully even better.
Over the years I have worked fairly regularly with the Army, Navy and Marines (both as a ranker and as an officer) and I have enjoyed the experience – but it has always reinforced my gratitude that I completed the paperwork in the RAF CIO all those years ago rather than elsewhere, having seriously considered the REME for a while. With more than 33 years in uniform (I am now full time reserve) I would do it all again if I had to – but my experiences pale into insignificance when I read the early postings in this thread and wonder if I could have done the same.
I accept that my first post on this thread has added nothing of value - but I wanted to add my praise to Danny and all who have made it what it is.
Pompax wrote: Dakotas landing on 23 at Waterbeach, each aircraft on finals would switch on a single powerful light which seemed to be angled more downwards than forwards
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Geriaviator,
Seems the likely answer, perhaps I should have said "short finals".
Thanks, Nick........Gerigator.........I gottah threeu yeer start on yorr buoy!!!
OMG sorry my schule never taught us to spell propa local despite being inside of a polygon bounded by Wyton, Oakington, Waterbeach, Whitchford & Mepal.
P.S. On a hot summer's night with window open and Double British Summer Time it was a hard job for a 6 year old to go to sleep with about 300 Merlins just outside. I even remember asking the Squadron Leader who was billeted with us if he could ring them up ask them to go the other way round. He did so (obviously pretending but enough to fool me).
Seems the likely answer, perhaps I should have said "short finals".
Thanks, Nick........Gerigator.........I gottah threeu yeer start on yorr buoy!!!
OMG sorry my schule never taught us to spell propa local despite being inside of a polygon bounded by Wyton, Oakington, Waterbeach, Whitchford & Mepal.
P.S. On a hot summer's night with window open and Double British Summer Time it was a hard job for a 6 year old to go to sleep with about 300 Merlins just outside. I even remember asking the Squadron Leader who was billeted with us if he could ring them up ask them to go the other way round. He did so (obviously pretending but enough to fool me).
Last edited by Pom Pax; 20th Dec 2013 at 14:34. Reason: To add ps
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Come on in, the Water's Fine.
Educated Armourer,
Welcome aboard our Happy Ship ! Everyone who has ever "Taken the King or Queen's Shilling" for service in an Air Force (of whatever hue), or is connected in any way with those who have, must have a story to tell - and this is the place to tell it ! (as PPRuNe spells out near the top of every page).
Admittedly it has wandered far from the rather limited Thread title with which Cliff Nemo (RIP) endowed it seven years ago, but that has been at the discretion of our Moderators, who've always ridden it on a very loose rein indeed and so allowed one of the most popular and long-lived Threads on the website to develop. Long may it continue.
"I feel underqualified to add, but add I will", you say. So carry on - you're in now !
I'm sure I speak for all, Danny.
Welcome aboard our Happy Ship ! Everyone who has ever "Taken the King or Queen's Shilling" for service in an Air Force (of whatever hue), or is connected in any way with those who have, must have a story to tell - and this is the place to tell it ! (as PPRuNe spells out near the top of every page).
Admittedly it has wandered far from the rather limited Thread title with which Cliff Nemo (RIP) endowed it seven years ago, but that has been at the discretion of our Moderators, who've always ridden it on a very loose rein indeed and so allowed one of the most popular and long-lived Threads on the website to develop. Long may it continue.
"I feel underqualified to add, but add I will", you say. So carry on - you're in now !
I'm sure I speak for all, Danny.
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Danny sums up his fortnight in Gatow.
Compared with my total recall of the journey into Berlin, I seem to have almost complete amnesia where RAF Gatow is concerned. What I can remember is that it was a solid, well built, comfortable place (I understand that it had been Hitler's "Cranwell") and that it had an MPN-1 on the field.
Why on earth hadn't they replaced this museum piece with a more modern CPN-4 before ? I at first asked myself. For now, if push came to shove, what was certain was that the Russians would frustrate any attempt to get a CPN-4 in by road or rail, even supposing that they did not close these two routes completely (as they had done before in '48). And I still don't believe we had anything which could fly in a load so big and awkward, and so heavy.
Then I got to thinking. The old "Bendix" had one thing going for it: it could be moved from one site to another to cover PAR approaches to 08 and 26. Sadly, I cannot now remember the approach pattern for 26 (but there looks to have been room for one in our Zone); as for 08, we were so close to the edge of the Zone that the approach can only have been started with the aircraft still in the corridor.
Either way in the '48 Airlift, landing in the winter with 10 tons of braunkohle behind you on only 2,000 yds of icy runway, the last thing you needed was a tailwind. They must have used both ends then and would do so again.
And the superior aspect of the CPN-4 lay only in its PPI "Search" capability (about double the range of the "Bendix"). A properly set up Talkdown tube in an MPN-1 could work every bit as well as the simpler, more advanced one in the CPN-4. At the end of the day, the limiting factor in all PARs is the length of the talkdown: 3½ minutes (say 7 miles).
You couldn't feed them in any faster than that whatever you'd got . The old MPN-1 could do that, and at Gatow there was no "search" involved, they all came in off the middle of the corridor (otherwise they'd have been shot down before they got to you); you just picked them up from there (or so I'm told).
Of course the first thing we had to do was to re-familiarise ourselves with the old "Truck". It had been three years since I last saw one, but everything came flooding back. The only thing was - there was hardly any practice ! I think a Communications "Pembroke" came in from time to time, and BEA (?) had a DC-3, but that was about all. No matter, if the balloon went up we'd soon have all the work we could handle (in fact it never did).
In the Tower there was little to do other than watch the E.German watchtower just over the boundary fence on the far side. With binoculars, you could usually see the watchkeeper there with his binocs, keeping an eye on you. We waited for something to happen. Names ? - all forgotten now.
In our spare time, we went round to see a bit of Berlin. I was impressed with the Gedachniskirche, a severely bomb-damaged church which had been left in that state as a permanent reminder of the reality of war. The yachts on Havel Lake made a pretty picture in the sunshine, a visit to the large US "PX", which served their garrison, was an eye-opener; it showed what can be done by way of looking after your troops if you really try. They had a huge range of electrical "white" goods at very modest prices, and were quite happy to sell them to us, but we couldn't take advantage as they were all 115 v.
On the Sunday a group of us went out to lunch at the Belgian Army Officers' Club (which was somewhere in our Zone) : all I remember was how smart their people looked in their red-tabbed khaki and how good the steaks were (almost certainly horse, but we didn't know it then).
Everybody went to have a look at our side of the Brandenburg Gate; somewhere a smaller Russian memorial of the Battle of Berlin was a tank on a plinth. All the openings were welded shut, but local legend had it that the skeletons of the crew were still inside. Regular guided tours of the E.German Zone were available, but I didn't bother.
One particular road traffic control system was interesting: a long straight boulevard had a number of crossroads. The timings of the traffic lights was fixed so that, if you kept exactly to the 50 kph (30 mph) limit, it would be "greens" all the way. I never remember meeting anything like that anywhere since.
At the end of two weeks our reliefs came in and I was anxious to be off on the road home. The panic didn't last more than a few weeks (IIRC), and it was all over before it came to my turn again. The zone transit was far more relaxed in the West direction, I don't think the autobahn police "buzzed" me at all. It had been an Experience.
Goodnight, chaps,
Danny 42C.
"This Airlift is a Piece of Gâteau" (worst pun of the decade).
PS: (À propos of nothing at all : The German equivalent of our "Oom-pah-pah" is "Tsching-dérassa-boom"; a good example to "get those arms up !" is Paul Carl Lincke's "Berliner Luft" [the unofficial Berlin "anthem"], available on You Tube - #Berliner%Luft%20 -).
Why on earth hadn't they replaced this museum piece with a more modern CPN-4 before ? I at first asked myself. For now, if push came to shove, what was certain was that the Russians would frustrate any attempt to get a CPN-4 in by road or rail, even supposing that they did not close these two routes completely (as they had done before in '48). And I still don't believe we had anything which could fly in a load so big and awkward, and so heavy.
Then I got to thinking. The old "Bendix" had one thing going for it: it could be moved from one site to another to cover PAR approaches to 08 and 26. Sadly, I cannot now remember the approach pattern for 26 (but there looks to have been room for one in our Zone); as for 08, we were so close to the edge of the Zone that the approach can only have been started with the aircraft still in the corridor.
Either way in the '48 Airlift, landing in the winter with 10 tons of braunkohle behind you on only 2,000 yds of icy runway, the last thing you needed was a tailwind. They must have used both ends then and would do so again.
And the superior aspect of the CPN-4 lay only in its PPI "Search" capability (about double the range of the "Bendix"). A properly set up Talkdown tube in an MPN-1 could work every bit as well as the simpler, more advanced one in the CPN-4. At the end of the day, the limiting factor in all PARs is the length of the talkdown: 3½ minutes (say 7 miles).
You couldn't feed them in any faster than that whatever you'd got . The old MPN-1 could do that, and at Gatow there was no "search" involved, they all came in off the middle of the corridor (otherwise they'd have been shot down before they got to you); you just picked them up from there (or so I'm told).
Of course the first thing we had to do was to re-familiarise ourselves with the old "Truck". It had been three years since I last saw one, but everything came flooding back. The only thing was - there was hardly any practice ! I think a Communications "Pembroke" came in from time to time, and BEA (?) had a DC-3, but that was about all. No matter, if the balloon went up we'd soon have all the work we could handle (in fact it never did).
In the Tower there was little to do other than watch the E.German watchtower just over the boundary fence on the far side. With binoculars, you could usually see the watchkeeper there with his binocs, keeping an eye on you. We waited for something to happen. Names ? - all forgotten now.
In our spare time, we went round to see a bit of Berlin. I was impressed with the Gedachniskirche, a severely bomb-damaged church which had been left in that state as a permanent reminder of the reality of war. The yachts on Havel Lake made a pretty picture in the sunshine, a visit to the large US "PX", which served their garrison, was an eye-opener; it showed what can be done by way of looking after your troops if you really try. They had a huge range of electrical "white" goods at very modest prices, and were quite happy to sell them to us, but we couldn't take advantage as they were all 115 v.
On the Sunday a group of us went out to lunch at the Belgian Army Officers' Club (which was somewhere in our Zone) : all I remember was how smart their people looked in their red-tabbed khaki and how good the steaks were (almost certainly horse, but we didn't know it then).
Everybody went to have a look at our side of the Brandenburg Gate; somewhere a smaller Russian memorial of the Battle of Berlin was a tank on a plinth. All the openings were welded shut, but local legend had it that the skeletons of the crew were still inside. Regular guided tours of the E.German Zone were available, but I didn't bother.
One particular road traffic control system was interesting: a long straight boulevard had a number of crossroads. The timings of the traffic lights was fixed so that, if you kept exactly to the 50 kph (30 mph) limit, it would be "greens" all the way. I never remember meeting anything like that anywhere since.
At the end of two weeks our reliefs came in and I was anxious to be off on the road home. The panic didn't last more than a few weeks (IIRC), and it was all over before it came to my turn again. The zone transit was far more relaxed in the West direction, I don't think the autobahn police "buzzed" me at all. It had been an Experience.
Goodnight, chaps,
Danny 42C.
"This Airlift is a Piece of Gâteau" (worst pun of the decade).
PS: (À propos of nothing at all : The German equivalent of our "Oom-pah-pah" is "Tsching-dérassa-boom"; a good example to "get those arms up !" is Paul Carl Lincke's "Berliner Luft" [the unofficial Berlin "anthem"], available on You Tube - #Berliner%Luft%20 -).
Last edited by Danny42C; 21st Dec 2013 at 15:55. Reason: Typos and Sorting it out after Messing it About.
Danny, I see you are out to make mischief of my unfortunate parking incident. I'm afraid that I have no further comment to make other than, "I subbose you dink dat's vunny!".
Your description of the road journey via East Germany to West Berlin reminds me of the journey I took in the opposite direction. I had purchased a brand new UK spec VW Polo in W Berlin when it was profitable to do so to import into the UK (list price saving mainly). I had been briefed on every aspect of the deal, down to equipping myself with a warning triangle as required by the West Germans. What I had not been briefed on was the actual drive to West Germany. Like you I imagined it was a single Autobahn without junctions and most probably security fenced off from the DDR. Nothing of the sort! One was faced with the choice of many destinations, from Warsaw to Prague. Only by careful attention to the road signs could one remain on track for the West German frontier checkpoint destination. Even then it transpired later that one had a window of ATA there. Too late and you were labelled a spy, too soon and you were done for speeding.
Mercifully I got through unchallenged and now had to concentrate on the most vital aspect of all, getting my papers stamped at the opposite frontier when leaving West Germany at Venlo. My new car was thus officially exported. Next tick in the box, load it up with wine at the Channel before making my booked passage on the Hovercraft to Dover and there to pay HMC&R their Dane geld. Longest journey I've ever made by road, or ever likely to.
I've a horrible feeling I've told this tale before as well, if so apologies especially to you Educated Armourer, as it would be fresher in your mind having just read your way through the entire thread. Interesting that you savoured both RAF welcoming committees and can testify to their differences. The bitter Flt Cdrs observation certainly rings bells! Welcome Sir, and pray tell us your tale.
Oh, just for you Danny,
Your description of the road journey via East Germany to West Berlin reminds me of the journey I took in the opposite direction. I had purchased a brand new UK spec VW Polo in W Berlin when it was profitable to do so to import into the UK (list price saving mainly). I had been briefed on every aspect of the deal, down to equipping myself with a warning triangle as required by the West Germans. What I had not been briefed on was the actual drive to West Germany. Like you I imagined it was a single Autobahn without junctions and most probably security fenced off from the DDR. Nothing of the sort! One was faced with the choice of many destinations, from Warsaw to Prague. Only by careful attention to the road signs could one remain on track for the West German frontier checkpoint destination. Even then it transpired later that one had a window of ATA there. Too late and you were labelled a spy, too soon and you were done for speeding.
Mercifully I got through unchallenged and now had to concentrate on the most vital aspect of all, getting my papers stamped at the opposite frontier when leaving West Germany at Venlo. My new car was thus officially exported. Next tick in the box, load it up with wine at the Channel before making my booked passage on the Hovercraft to Dover and there to pay HMC&R their Dane geld. Longest journey I've ever made by road, or ever likely to.
I've a horrible feeling I've told this tale before as well, if so apologies especially to you Educated Armourer, as it would be fresher in your mind having just read your way through the entire thread. Interesting that you savoured both RAF welcoming committees and can testify to their differences. The bitter Flt Cdrs observation certainly rings bells! Welcome Sir, and pray tell us your tale.
Oh, just for you Danny,
Last edited by Chugalug2; 21st Dec 2013 at 09:44.
Danny - in the late 50s/early 60s there was a road with timed lights in Slough -ISTR they were set for 30mph so we did it on bikes (young fit teenager then) at 15mph, though a friend claimed to have done it at 30mph
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Timed lights in Alexandria, VA on Route 1 (Old Town, North Patrick St and North Henry St) to encourage adherence to the 20 mph limit ... and trucks confined to the centre lane of 3 to keep them away from the 'historic' buildings.
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Wander00 Danny - in the late 50s/early 60s there was a road with timed lights in Slough -ISTR they were set for 30mph so we did it on bikes (young fit teenager then) at 15mph, though a friend claimed to have done it at 30mph
I averaged 15.6 mph. I'm 54
The Slough 'experiment' was on the main West Rd, i.e. the A4, and had loads of lights all set to make you do either a steady 30 mph or if you were quick and lucky (Velocette 500 MSS) 60 mph.
Slough was where the Citroen Bijou was manufactured as an alternative to the 2 CV on the same chassis, but with a rather pretty plastic/Fi glass (?) body. The underworks were still lightly built steel rails and suffered from the usual ravages of the tin worm.
I've a feeling the whole idea of timed lights was dropped and in the UK we succumbed to wholesale deployment of roundabouts, nowadays reduced to vestigial white circles.
mike hallam.
Slough was where the Citroen Bijou was manufactured as an alternative to the 2 CV on the same chassis, but with a rather pretty plastic/Fi glass (?) body. The underworks were still lightly built steel rails and suffered from the usual ravages of the tin worm.
I've a feeling the whole idea of timed lights was dropped and in the UK we succumbed to wholesale deployment of roundabouts, nowadays reduced to vestigial white circles.
mike hallam.