Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II
Danny
The terrain from JHQ to Ostend is boringly flat so no chance of that, but if the route involved a steep mountain pass with a long straight downhill and with a following wind who knows what would have happened!
I reckon you've got an Angle of Attack on there which should get you airborne if you could get it to go fast enough.
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Slightly off topic but hopefully fits in re cars "taken apart".
For a number of years I worked at an aviation bookshop on the A4 Great West Road that was located by a junction that had its fair share of serious accidents. For anyone who might have known the area it was by the Master Robert Motel.
One year we had two fatals at the junction, both caused by someone jumping the traffic lights.
Shortly after the second accident the Met Police Accident Prevention Unit came for a weeks visit posting motorcycles units at several lights. They would give words of advice to anyone who stopped with any part over the white line or jumped the light. Their used our junction as a base because of a large concrete area suitable for parking a few vans etc so we got chatting to them at them.
Along comes a London taxi, couple of pax in the back and stops with the front well over the white line. Officer indicates him to pull over, which he does. From the shop we can see he's quite annoyed, oh dear, big mistake.
Officer stops another taxi and pax are "transferred". About 45 mins later a black van appears and a few lads jumped out and start to take a good look at the offending black cab, panels get taken off with a bit of poking and prodding. Even light bulbs are taken out and looked at. Finally the taxi is handed back to the driver for his garage to collect as he has not the means to put some of the bits back correctly.
He had clearly forgotten a simple point, the Mets are the controlling authority for the licencing of the cabs and so they had called up the relevant lads. He walked away with a large bill as they found quite a few faults with the cab including, we were told, having too high a wattage on the headlight bulbs.
And all because he didn't want to hear a 30 sec piece of advise.
For a number of years I worked at an aviation bookshop on the A4 Great West Road that was located by a junction that had its fair share of serious accidents. For anyone who might have known the area it was by the Master Robert Motel.
One year we had two fatals at the junction, both caused by someone jumping the traffic lights.
Shortly after the second accident the Met Police Accident Prevention Unit came for a weeks visit posting motorcycles units at several lights. They would give words of advice to anyone who stopped with any part over the white line or jumped the light. Their used our junction as a base because of a large concrete area suitable for parking a few vans etc so we got chatting to them at them.
Along comes a London taxi, couple of pax in the back and stops with the front well over the white line. Officer indicates him to pull over, which he does. From the shop we can see he's quite annoyed, oh dear, big mistake.
Officer stops another taxi and pax are "transferred". About 45 mins later a black van appears and a few lads jumped out and start to take a good look at the offending black cab, panels get taken off with a bit of poking and prodding. Even light bulbs are taken out and looked at. Finally the taxi is handed back to the driver for his garage to collect as he has not the means to put some of the bits back correctly.
He had clearly forgotten a simple point, the Mets are the controlling authority for the licencing of the cabs and so they had called up the relevant lads. He walked away with a large bill as they found quite a few faults with the cab including, we were told, having too high a wattage on the headlight bulbs.
And all because he didn't want to hear a 30 sec piece of advise.
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clicker,
It's never a good idea to start a fight you can't win (or to "buck the system" - for the system will always "buck" you !)
In any encounter with the Guardians of the Peace, adopt an attitude of humble cringing penitence: "Yes, Sergeant" (to a Constable) or "Yes, Inspector" (if a Sergeant), etc. Goes down well. "A ticket for the Police Ball ? - Certainly, Officer - I'll take two !"
Belligerence is not a good idea (particularly in foreign parts). A neighbour in the Volkspark had a German girl in as a baby-sitter one night. The boy friend turned up at the door, somewhat miffed as (he maintained) other arrangements had been made for that evening. The altercation became extremely heated; the Polizei were called.
They arrived with commendable speed. "Now, quieten down and go home, sonny", they said. But Sonny was having none of it. Without further ado, a Polizeist whacked him over the head with his nightstick, threw the recumbent form into the back of the Combi, and off he went for a night in the cells.
Peace reigned once more...D.
It's never a good idea to start a fight you can't win (or to "buck the system" - for the system will always "buck" you !)
In any encounter with the Guardians of the Peace, adopt an attitude of humble cringing penitence: "Yes, Sergeant" (to a Constable) or "Yes, Inspector" (if a Sergeant), etc. Goes down well. "A ticket for the Police Ball ? - Certainly, Officer - I'll take two !"
Belligerence is not a good idea (particularly in foreign parts). A neighbour in the Volkspark had a German girl in as a baby-sitter one night. The boy friend turned up at the door, somewhat miffed as (he maintained) other arrangements had been made for that evening. The altercation became extremely heated; the Polizei were called.
They arrived with commendable speed. "Now, quieten down and go home, sonny", they said. But Sonny was having none of it. Without further ado, a Polizeist whacked him over the head with his nightstick, threw the recumbent form into the back of the Combi, and off he went for a night in the cells.
Peace reigned once more...D.
I once caught a taxi from Tanguu to Tianjin. The taxi driver should have refused the fare becaused he would certainly have known that taxis in Tianjin have a system to cut down traffic congestion. Taxis with odd numbered licence plates are allowed in the city centre on odd days; even numbered plates on even days.
I hadn't noticed but his plate ended with 3 and it was the 12th. All went well until we crossed the Imperial canal and stopped at a junction where a policeman was on point duty, (remember that?) He pointed at our taxi and firmly directed it to the base on his podium.
He then stopped ALL the traffic, strode down to road level and gave the driver the most horrendous ballocking that I have ever received or witnessed in my life. Even though it was nothing to do with me I was cowering against the passenger door.
He then turned to me. With a searing look and a wave he motioned me out of the vehicle. Realising that I wasn't going to be in it any more I reached into my pocket to pay the fare as it was quite a distance. "MAYO" (no-nothing) he shouted and pointed at the pavement.
In China you do what policemen say, the carry a shooter on their belt. I stood and watched whilst my taxi driver got another couple of minutes of vitriol and then he pointed him back to Tanguu and a relieved driver floored the throttle.
There was no shortage of taxis. Whlst this had been going on the traffic had backed up about four blocks in every direction so I had a convoy of them come my way.
The taxi driver used to be outside the hotel where I stayed so next time i saw him I gave him the 60 yuan for the trip. He hadn't had any action taken against him. Being Tanguu based being chased from Tianjin was far too difficult.
I hadn't noticed but his plate ended with 3 and it was the 12th. All went well until we crossed the Imperial canal and stopped at a junction where a policeman was on point duty, (remember that?) He pointed at our taxi and firmly directed it to the base on his podium.
He then stopped ALL the traffic, strode down to road level and gave the driver the most horrendous ballocking that I have ever received or witnessed in my life. Even though it was nothing to do with me I was cowering against the passenger door.
He then turned to me. With a searing look and a wave he motioned me out of the vehicle. Realising that I wasn't going to be in it any more I reached into my pocket to pay the fare as it was quite a distance. "MAYO" (no-nothing) he shouted and pointed at the pavement.
In China you do what policemen say, the carry a shooter on their belt. I stood and watched whilst my taxi driver got another couple of minutes of vitriol and then he pointed him back to Tanguu and a relieved driver floored the throttle.
There was no shortage of taxis. Whlst this had been going on the traffic had backed up about four blocks in every direction so I had a convoy of them come my way.
The taxi driver used to be outside the hotel where I stayed so next time i saw him I gave him the 60 yuan for the trip. He hadn't had any action taken against him. Being Tanguu based being chased from Tianjin was far too difficult.
Warmtoast, your tale reminds me of the experience I had 30 years ago when returning to the UK through Dover....
I'd been over for a few days visiting Her Loveliness at her flat in Frankfurt and had driven there in my less-than-a-year-from-new Opel Manta. I'd taken the 18:00 Oostende ferry back, which had taken ages as this was before the days of the excellent SeaCat. Over 4 hours, in fact, due to adverse weather. Finally we got to Dover and off the boat to the customs check.
Whereupon some nasty little $hit took a great interest in my car. He ordered me, rather than asking politely, to open the boot. Nothing there except a small suitcase and a carton of bottles - my precise duty free allowance. "Get those that the NAAFI, did you?", he queried (although there was nothing to indicate that I was a member of the Armed Forces).....
"No - at some supermarket in Frankfurt. I think it was Kaufhof"
"Where did you get the car?"
"Ipswich"
"Not through the BFG?"
"No. Ipswich, Suffolk, England - perhaps you've heard of it? And if you want to know, yes, I am an officer in the RAF and I'm stationed at RAF Brize Norton in British West Oxfordshire. Now - is there anything else with which I can help you?"
"Err, no. On your way"
"On your way....SIR??!!"
Obviously the odious little creep had thought he'd been a smart alec and had spotted someone trying to bring a BFG car back without paying tax. Fortunately we don't have to experience the nastiness of such petty officials these days, thanks to the EU!
It would have been a long drive back to Brize that night (no M25!), so I'd taken the precaution of booking into an hotel in Dover. And one of the bottles of duty-free wine certainly helped me to simmer down after the treatment I'd had from that little so-and-so!
I'd been over for a few days visiting Her Loveliness at her flat in Frankfurt and had driven there in my less-than-a-year-from-new Opel Manta. I'd taken the 18:00 Oostende ferry back, which had taken ages as this was before the days of the excellent SeaCat. Over 4 hours, in fact, due to adverse weather. Finally we got to Dover and off the boat to the customs check.
Whereupon some nasty little $hit took a great interest in my car. He ordered me, rather than asking politely, to open the boot. Nothing there except a small suitcase and a carton of bottles - my precise duty free allowance. "Get those that the NAAFI, did you?", he queried (although there was nothing to indicate that I was a member of the Armed Forces).....
"No - at some supermarket in Frankfurt. I think it was Kaufhof"
"Where did you get the car?"
"Ipswich"
"Not through the BFG?"
"No. Ipswich, Suffolk, England - perhaps you've heard of it? And if you want to know, yes, I am an officer in the RAF and I'm stationed at RAF Brize Norton in British West Oxfordshire. Now - is there anything else with which I can help you?"
"Err, no. On your way"
"On your way....SIR??!!"
Obviously the odious little creep had thought he'd been a smart alec and had spotted someone trying to bring a BFG car back without paying tax. Fortunately we don't have to experience the nastiness of such petty officials these days, thanks to the EU!
It would have been a long drive back to Brize that night (no M25!), so I'd taken the precaution of booking into an hotel in Dover. And one of the bottles of duty-free wine certainly helped me to simmer down after the treatment I'd had from that little so-and-so!
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Dec '60 I brought my heavily laden 403 back to UK via Lydd courtesy of Silver City, the rest of the family having gone on ahead by train/ferry. No problems at all with Customs. In another later life daily went through crew customs in Queen's building, LHR, to be met by customs officers dressed like naval officers with a portcullis hat badge. Then a few years back drove off the ferry at Dover to be met by a phalanx of dayglo jacketed hatless, what I took to be baggage handlers, only to be shouted at and stopped as I tried to escape. As far as I could tell the only way they could be identified was if they turned their back to you and their job description was written in large letters. How times have changed.
Back to the Swinging Sixties
In 1969 I took my non-radio Tiger Moth to Paris -- oh, happy days when we could make such journeys. We crossed the Irish Sea to refuel at Blackpool, thence Halfpenny Green and Denham to the historic airfield at Lympne which was due to close. On arrival at Lympne I refuelled and was told to leave the aircraft where it was while I cleared Customs.
There is only one thing more recalcitrant than a Gipsy Major which won't start, and that's a warm Gipsy Major which won't start. I explained this to the Customs officer but he was having none of it. His regulations required the aircraft to be presented (his words) in the designated Customs parking area even though he could see it from his window.
Having swung vainly for about 10 minutes on a sweltering day my wife and I spent 15 more pushing the Tiger to the great man's Designated Area, where he spent all of two minutes stamping his paperwork. It took about 15 minutes to start the aircraft, at the end of which I was blown out as thoroughly as Mr. de Havilland's accursed creation had been.
During one swing I felt something go click in my shoulder, but as I cooled down over the Channel and descended into Berck-sur-Mer I forgot about it. The French Customs officer regarded the TM with disbelief: "d'Irlande? avec le Tigre? Formidable ma fou" and sent us off for a superb holiday.
Two years later I began to have increasing pain in my right shoulder to the extent that I could not sleep or even lie on my side. Even I could see the calcium deposits around my shoulder joint in the X-ray. The specialist suggested it could be the result of a sporting injury but when I demonstrated the twisting, pulling action of the propellor swing he announced a new diagnosis which he would call Swinger's Shoulder. This would doubtless be a conversation piece provided Tiger Moth was not mentioned.
One steroid injection into the joint hurt like hell but provided instant remedy, for that night I had my first decent sleep for over a year. Thirty-four years later the joint is still fine ... it's the other bits that are the problem.
There is only one thing more recalcitrant than a Gipsy Major which won't start, and that's a warm Gipsy Major which won't start. I explained this to the Customs officer but he was having none of it. His regulations required the aircraft to be presented (his words) in the designated Customs parking area even though he could see it from his window.
Having swung vainly for about 10 minutes on a sweltering day my wife and I spent 15 more pushing the Tiger to the great man's Designated Area, where he spent all of two minutes stamping his paperwork. It took about 15 minutes to start the aircraft, at the end of which I was blown out as thoroughly as Mr. de Havilland's accursed creation had been.
During one swing I felt something go click in my shoulder, but as I cooled down over the Channel and descended into Berck-sur-Mer I forgot about it. The French Customs officer regarded the TM with disbelief: "d'Irlande? avec le Tigre? Formidable ma fou" and sent us off for a superb holiday.
Two years later I began to have increasing pain in my right shoulder to the extent that I could not sleep or even lie on my side. Even I could see the calcium deposits around my shoulder joint in the X-ray. The specialist suggested it could be the result of a sporting injury but when I demonstrated the twisting, pulling action of the propellor swing he announced a new diagnosis which he would call Swinger's Shoulder. This would doubtless be a conversation piece provided Tiger Moth was not mentioned.
One steroid injection into the joint hurt like hell but provided instant remedy, for that night I had my first decent sleep for over a year. Thirty-four years later the joint is still fine ... it's the other bits that are the problem.
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On reflection and having read Geriaviator's contribution I am not sure where the Silver City Bristol Frightener landed in the UK. I seem to remember they called it "Ferryfield".
In 1985 I imported a VW Golf from Berlin. That time the biggest problem with customs was at the German/Dutch border where I had to search for a German customs officer (it was lunchtime) to have a stamp on the car documents proving it had been exported.
In 1985 I imported a VW Golf from Berlin. That time the biggest problem with customs was at the German/Dutch border where I had to search for a German customs officer (it was lunchtime) to have a stamp on the car documents proving it had been exported.
BEagle
Thanks for your contribution. When I was with 99 Sqn at Lyneham 1959 - 63, we were always pestered by Customs on return, especially when back from the Far East. With all the desirable goods on offer from the shops in Changi village, or duty-free from Aden etc. we HAD to be examined. But it wasn’t too bad as long as one declared the valuable and attractive items that were subject to duty and purchase tax, even with these added to the original “silly” prices one paid for cameras or watches in Changi or radios and electrical items from Aden they were considerably cheaper than UK shop prices which were firmly ruled by retail price maintenance which was enshrined in UK law ISTR to keep prices artificially high.
My brother-in-law was in the music business and had a friend a quite well known music arranger. At a party the music arranger saw the watch I had on my arm (a Rolex GMT-Master) he asked how much I’d paid for it in Singapore - when I told him (about £20 I think) he said could I get one for him too and said he’d pay the duty and VAT. As far as I was concerned no problem, so next time I was down the route and armed with his money for watch, duty and purchase tax I bought the watch for him - he was really chuffed because the same watch in the UK was selling at around £75. So the Changi village price plus UK tax and duty paid to HM Customs at Lyneham bought iy up to about £30 - £35 in all. Having done it once, friend wanted more, he was well-off, in the music industry and wanted to impress his friends with what seemed expensive gifts so asked me to help. He was the entrée to some fabulous parties usually populated by gorgeous girls so I was more than willing to help!
The moral of this story is that provided one declared everything of value to HM Customs on return to the UK and paid any relevant duties and tax you were doing no wrong, I never had any problems with HM Customs the whole time I was with 99 Sqn, which is why the only sour note is of my experience with customs is on my return from Germany in 1975, as recounted above.
Thanks for your contribution. When I was with 99 Sqn at Lyneham 1959 - 63, we were always pestered by Customs on return, especially when back from the Far East. With all the desirable goods on offer from the shops in Changi village, or duty-free from Aden etc. we HAD to be examined. But it wasn’t too bad as long as one declared the valuable and attractive items that were subject to duty and purchase tax, even with these added to the original “silly” prices one paid for cameras or watches in Changi or radios and electrical items from Aden they were considerably cheaper than UK shop prices which were firmly ruled by retail price maintenance which was enshrined in UK law ISTR to keep prices artificially high.
My brother-in-law was in the music business and had a friend a quite well known music arranger. At a party the music arranger saw the watch I had on my arm (a Rolex GMT-Master) he asked how much I’d paid for it in Singapore - when I told him (about £20 I think) he said could I get one for him too and said he’d pay the duty and VAT. As far as I was concerned no problem, so next time I was down the route and armed with his money for watch, duty and purchase tax I bought the watch for him - he was really chuffed because the same watch in the UK was selling at around £75. So the Changi village price plus UK tax and duty paid to HM Customs at Lyneham bought iy up to about £30 - £35 in all. Having done it once, friend wanted more, he was well-off, in the music industry and wanted to impress his friends with what seemed expensive gifts so asked me to help. He was the entrée to some fabulous parties usually populated by gorgeous girls so I was more than willing to help!
The moral of this story is that provided one declared everything of value to HM Customs on return to the UK and paid any relevant duties and tax you were doing no wrong, I never had any problems with HM Customs the whole time I was with 99 Sqn, which is why the only sour note is of my experience with customs is on my return from Germany in 1975, as recounted above.
Silver City used to fly from Lydd/Ferryfield. As Lympne had closed while we were away, we returned to Lydd where the Customs were very pleasant considering that the Tiger Moth was nearly presented in their Customs Hall.
Lympne was a prewar grass airfield, Lydd had acres of concrete which was like an ice-rink to the Tiger Moth's tailskid. Before a 20 kt breeze she sailed across the apron like a stately galleon, requiring me to bale out and grab the wingtip while my wife administered full rudder and a burst of throttle to swing her into wind.
The kindly controller gave us a green light for an unconventional departure into wind across the apron and taxiway, a technique we also used on the Isle of Man. With such a breeze the Tiger was airborne in a mere 50 yds.
Lympne was a prewar grass airfield, Lydd had acres of concrete which was like an ice-rink to the Tiger Moth's tailskid. Before a 20 kt breeze she sailed across the apron like a stately galleon, requiring me to bale out and grab the wingtip while my wife administered full rudder and a burst of throttle to swing her into wind.
The kindly controller gave us a green light for an unconventional departure into wind across the apron and taxiway, a technique we also used on the Isle of Man. With such a breeze the Tiger was airborne in a mere 50 yds.
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ISTR a 20 Sqn (C Flt) Single Pioneer doing a similar crosswind landing at Tengah, in 69/70, and gently pottering straight ahead into the dispersal in front of the Officers Mess.
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Gaining an RAF pilots brevet in WW2
Ah, HMC&S
Living in Brussels in the early 60, s I visited the UK on occasion
Arriving at LHR one day I declared a bottle of Grand Marnier. The little man seized it and put it on a table out of my reach.He then announced that as a US citizen living in Belgium I had no duty free allowance.If I had been able to I would have dropped the bottle but I was given an alternative---pay 2/6 and the bottle would be kept in Queens Storage and could be picked up when I left the UK via Dover---and this system did work.
New Years Eve 1961 we ferried over from Ostend to Dover and were met at Customs by a nasty little man with a flat hat--again I declared a bottle of GM and he then insisting on seeing it.I tried in vain to get it by opening the boot/trunk on our Mini.Later finding out that my son had broken off a pencil in the lock.So it was an impasse with him insisting on seeing the bottle and me unable to get it out of the boot. Then somehow he realised we were not , as he thought BAOR ,but US citizens---he waved us through!
My affinity for Grand Marnier for gifts was that at that time I think it was only $3.50 a bottle at duty free stores
Living in Brussels in the early 60, s I visited the UK on occasion
Arriving at LHR one day I declared a bottle of Grand Marnier. The little man seized it and put it on a table out of my reach.He then announced that as a US citizen living in Belgium I had no duty free allowance.If I had been able to I would have dropped the bottle but I was given an alternative---pay 2/6 and the bottle would be kept in Queens Storage and could be picked up when I left the UK via Dover---and this system did work.
New Years Eve 1961 we ferried over from Ostend to Dover and were met at Customs by a nasty little man with a flat hat--again I declared a bottle of GM and he then insisting on seeing it.I tried in vain to get it by opening the boot/trunk on our Mini.Later finding out that my son had broken off a pencil in the lock.So it was an impasse with him insisting on seeing the bottle and me unable to get it out of the boot. Then somehow he realised we were not , as he thought BAOR ,but US citizens---he waved us through!
My affinity for Grand Marnier for gifts was that at that time I think it was only $3.50 a bottle at duty free stores
You try and bring in a cheap Changi watch now. It will be in the bin faster than it can tick.
A friend came out for a short detachment to China. Shenzhen has a plethora of conterfeit goods. He loaded up: Rolexs, electric, £10, clockwork, £20. he bought seven of them. For his kids he bought Adidas trainers at £7 a throw and for hinself he flashed out £50 for a full set of Ping clubs. We tried to persude him to use them on a driving range 200 metres away so they would be second-hand but he wasn't having any of it.
He went back to the UK with KLM via Schipol and then to Aberdeen. At Aberdeen he went through customs and they confiscated everything, the whole lot.
Not a happy bunny.
I always came back with BA through Heathrow. My baggage would be labelled ABZ at Hong Kong. I would arrive in Aberdeen on a domestic flight and by the carousel was a notice to the effect that if somebody from oversea had something to declare would they pick up the adjacent telephone.
I never had an occasion to do that.
A friend came out for a short detachment to China. Shenzhen has a plethora of conterfeit goods. He loaded up: Rolexs, electric, £10, clockwork, £20. he bought seven of them. For his kids he bought Adidas trainers at £7 a throw and for hinself he flashed out £50 for a full set of Ping clubs. We tried to persude him to use them on a driving range 200 metres away so they would be second-hand but he wasn't having any of it.
He went back to the UK with KLM via Schipol and then to Aberdeen. At Aberdeen he went through customs and they confiscated everything, the whole lot.
Not a happy bunny.
I always came back with BA through Heathrow. My baggage would be labelled ABZ at Hong Kong. I would arrive in Aberdeen on a domestic flight and by the carousel was a notice to the effect that if somebody from oversea had something to declare would they pick up the adjacent telephone.
I never had an occasion to do that.
Last edited by Fareastdriver; 19th Feb 2014 at 18:28.
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Warmtoast,
Your: "I bought the watch for him - he was really chuffed because the same watch in the UK was selling at around £75".
An Omega GMTMASTER ! How times have changed !...D
Fareastdriver,
I suppose I was lucky getting my "West End Watch Company" (aka Longines) home in '46 - but the Liverpool Customs shrank from us as potential plague carriers, and passed us all through without a murmer !..D.
This natter is going on splendidly - exactly as a Forum should. Btw, I seem to have been the trigger for the advts appearing here recently for artificial ice-rinks (they must read us). It's nice to see PPRuNe getting a bit of revenue from our efforts !
Cheers, Danny.
Your: "I bought the watch for him - he was really chuffed because the same watch in the UK was selling at around £75".
An Omega GMTMASTER ! How times have changed !...D
Fareastdriver,
I suppose I was lucky getting my "West End Watch Company" (aka Longines) home in '46 - but the Liverpool Customs shrank from us as potential plague carriers, and passed us all through without a murmer !..D.
This natter is going on splendidly - exactly as a Forum should. Btw, I seem to have been the trigger for the advts appearing here recently for artificial ice-rinks (they must read us). It's nice to see PPRuNe getting a bit of revenue from our efforts !
Cheers, Danny.
Last edited by Danny42C; 19th Feb 2014 at 14:21. Reason: Typo
I always came back with BA through Heathrow. My baggage would be labelled ADN at Hong Kong. I would arrive in Aberdeen on a domestic flight and by the carousel was a notice to the effect that if somebody from oversea had something to declare would they pick up the adjacent telephone.
I never had an occasion to do that.
Not surprising surely, if you arrived at ABZ, and all your baggage arrived in Colombia .....
Jack
PS Sorry - couldn't resist
I never had an occasion to do that.
Not surprising surely, if you arrived at ABZ, and all your baggage arrived in Colombia .....
Jack
PS Sorry - couldn't resist
Fareastdriver
The Changi village era I was describing was about was 54-years or so ago in the very early 1960's - and at that time these Rolex watches were the real thing. The Asian counterfeiting trade as we know it today hadn't taken off way back then and the only counterfeit goods I can remember from that time were imitation Parker pens - they were very good copies and worked well!
You try and bring in a cheap Changi watch now. It will be in the bin faster than it can tick.
When I did my tour on 48 in Changi (there until the withdrawal) Changi watches were guaranteed to last until the top of climb on the first trip you wore one !
By then we were mainly buying Seiko watches from HK.
By then we were mainly buying Seiko watches from HK.
In defence of Danny's erstwhile colleagues, they weren't all rabid anti HM Forces ogres. At Fairford we had our own guy, who was most accommodating. Arriving back from the Changi Slip, I duly declared my latest acquisition, a Tuner Amp.
"So that's a tape recorder then", he pronounced having seen it.
"Well it's actually a Tuner Amp", I replied (slowly so that he could take it in).
"Which would make it a type of tape recorder then", was his reply.
"OK, it's a tape recorder" I acknowledged in defeat.
"No problem then, it's free of duty as it's for educational use, isn't it?"
"Yes of course", I muttered, as pennies at last began to drop!
In contrast, the CPO at Lyneham in earlier times was renowned for being in a foul mood if Swindon Town (I think he sat on the Board) had been beaten that day. On inbound flights the Sigs duties included monitoring the Classified Football Results lest retribution awaited us!
"So that's a tape recorder then", he pronounced having seen it.
"Well it's actually a Tuner Amp", I replied (slowly so that he could take it in).
"Which would make it a type of tape recorder then", was his reply.
"OK, it's a tape recorder" I acknowledged in defeat.
"No problem then, it's free of duty as it's for educational use, isn't it?"
"Yes of course", I muttered, as pennies at last began to drop!
In contrast, the CPO at Lyneham in earlier times was renowned for being in a foul mood if Swindon Town (I think he sat on the Board) had been beaten that day. On inbound flights the Sigs duties included monitoring the Classified Football Results lest retribution awaited us!
Warmtoast.
In the early sixties, 1963 IIRC, the nav plotter on my Valiant crew, who had previously been on a Canberra tour at Tengah, sold me a Rolex for £35. I, being a mere co-pilot, believed his sales pitch and acquired what I thought was a bargain.
His time in the RAF then came to an end and he disappeared into the depths of Gosport.
The watch then stopped and innocently I took it along to the local high class jewellers for them to take a look at it. Their merriment was quite embarrassing.
I then had to crawl back to Flying Clothing Stores to draw back the aircrew watch that I had boasted that I would not need anymore.
In the early sixties, 1963 IIRC, the nav plotter on my Valiant crew, who had previously been on a Canberra tour at Tengah, sold me a Rolex for £35. I, being a mere co-pilot, believed his sales pitch and acquired what I thought was a bargain.
His time in the RAF then came to an end and he disappeared into the depths of Gosport.
The watch then stopped and innocently I took it along to the local high class jewellers for them to take a look at it. Their merriment was quite embarrassing.
I then had to crawl back to Flying Clothing Stores to draw back the aircrew watch that I had boasted that I would not need anymore.