The Good Old Days...
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Thanks Pete
I thoroughly enjoyed looking at your presentation. Great days. Many of the faces are known to me from my service time which also included 208 Hunters.
Sadly, most of my photos went into Squadron diaries, so I don't have this sort of record. Those I do have can be seen on Face "book" though.
Edited because I used the Face word!!
Sadly, most of my photos went into Squadron diaries, so I don't have this sort of record. Those I do have can be seen on Face "book" though.
Edited because I used the Face word!!
Join Date: Apr 2004
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Sorry but I need to revisit the purpose of a boxed landing.
I think there are possibly two. Having been qualified on the Main Runway De-Icer, where we used those kind of engines to blow snow and ice away, it could be:
No.4 sucks up all the FOD generated by the preceding aircraft, thus keeping the runway clean. If FOD is too big, said No. 4 can bang out without being run over.
Or:
No 4 is the aircraft shortest of fuel and his preceding mates are breaking wind for him, now usually achieved particularly well if everyone had a Balti and a few beers the night before.
Which of these fits as far as you're concerned?
Thanks again for the great pics. My dad was SWO at RAF Tengah in the 60s when we had 20 Sqn out there flying their Hunters - lovely looking aircraft.
Then we had 60/64 Sqns with their Javelins . . . 'nuff said.
I think there are possibly two. Having been qualified on the Main Runway De-Icer, where we used those kind of engines to blow snow and ice away, it could be:
No.4 sucks up all the FOD generated by the preceding aircraft, thus keeping the runway clean. If FOD is too big, said No. 4 can bang out without being run over.
Or:
No 4 is the aircraft shortest of fuel and his preceding mates are breaking wind for him, now usually achieved particularly well if everyone had a Balti and a few beers the night before.
Which of these fits as far as you're concerned?
Thanks again for the great pics. My dad was SWO at RAF Tengah in the 60s when we had 20 Sqn out there flying their Hunters - lovely looking aircraft.
Then we had 60/64 Sqns with their Javelins . . . 'nuff said.
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DD, steady on, you might upset us ex 60 / 64 blokes.......
We lost several Canberras 45Sqn? 14Sqn NZAF? (memory is addled). A few Hunters stoofed as well. It was a difficult time.
We came home from school and were filling sandbags at one point to make shelters in the monsoon drains in Quarters. Anyone else out there during confrontation.
Ah, on second thoughts, no wish to hijack the thread. Sorry Peter, runaway nostalgia.
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
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We lost several Canberras 45Sqn? 14Sqn NZAF? (memory is addled). A few Hunters stoofed as well. It was a difficult time.
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Join Date: Apr 2007
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All my squadron photos were 35mm Transparencies...That is what we used in those days as colour negatives and prints were pretty new then and the quality was not as good. Of course, I had to convert those transparencies to digital files for my presentation but I am very pleased with the results.
Thank you all for your comments on this thread, I have really enjoyed reading and replying to them.
Thank you all for your comments on this thread, I have really enjoyed reading and replying to them.
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Peter, thank you very much for taking me to my memories of my birthplace and where I underwent the tests and interviews to join the RAF in 1964!
That reference to the night club would the Sombrero as I believe it was the only one.
The East African Standard (the local rag) printed a magnificent photo of a Masai warrior, complete with full headgear, sitting in the cockpit of a Hunter. Needless to say, the canopy was not closed. The other photo I remember was of a Vulcan, taken by another, giving the impression that it was flying IN the crater of Kilimanjaro. Brilliant.
I did the tests and medical at Eastleigh and was interviewed by AOC East Africa Command at Air house behind the Mayfair Hotel on Slaters Road, Parklands.
I still have the droning of the Beverley engines runs (at 6 am each weekday) ringing in my ears.
Was flown in an Argosy of 105 Sqn to Khormakser on 4 Jan 64 and onto Gatwick by British Eagle trooper to sign on the dotted line to begin a 40 year career.
That reference to the night club would the Sombrero as I believe it was the only one.
The East African Standard (the local rag) printed a magnificent photo of a Masai warrior, complete with full headgear, sitting in the cockpit of a Hunter. Needless to say, the canopy was not closed. The other photo I remember was of a Vulcan, taken by another, giving the impression that it was flying IN the crater of Kilimanjaro. Brilliant.
I did the tests and medical at Eastleigh and was interviewed by AOC East Africa Command at Air house behind the Mayfair Hotel on Slaters Road, Parklands.
I still have the droning of the Beverley engines runs (at 6 am each weekday) ringing in my ears.
Was flown in an Argosy of 105 Sqn to Khormakser on 4 Jan 64 and onto Gatwick by British Eagle trooper to sign on the dotted line to begin a 40 year career.
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The East African Standard (the local rag) printed a magnificent photo of a Masai warrior, complete with full headgear, sitting in the cockpit of a Hunter. Needless to say, the canopy was not closed.
Dagama,
That was Pete Biddiscombe's Hunter and here is the photograph you mentioned:-
Dagama,
That was Pete Biddiscombe's Hunter and here is the photograph you mentioned:-
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Thanks very much for the photo of the Masai in the Hunter. You guys coming to Eastleigh/Embaksi and the resident Beverley Sqn doing famine and flood relief work inspired me to knock on the gates of RAF Eastleigh and ask to join the RAF, which I did!
Anyone got a photo of the white Vulcan 'flying' in the crater of Kili?
Anyone got a photo of the white Vulcan 'flying' in the crater of Kili?
Last edited by dagama; 17th Aug 2012 at 15:46.
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John Firth
Hi All,
My name is Patrick Firth. I am the grandson of John Firth, Who is pictured in the large group photo earlier in the thread captioned - Taken at Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe) in 1959.. (Hopefully I have attached a picture highlighting him). I realise it is a bit of a long shot but I was just wondering if anyone had any crew pictures or if anyone knew of him?
I have some slides from that era as well but they are mainly family pictures that wouldn't be of any interest to the group. Sadly he has passed away but it would be great hear from anyone that knew him. He went on to Zambia, Cyprus, and finally worked on Vulcans, after the RAF he went to Saudi with BA.
Many Thanks
Patrick
My name is Patrick Firth. I am the grandson of John Firth, Who is pictured in the large group photo earlier in the thread captioned - Taken at Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe) in 1959.. (Hopefully I have attached a picture highlighting him). I realise it is a bit of a long shot but I was just wondering if anyone had any crew pictures or if anyone knew of him?
I have some slides from that era as well but they are mainly family pictures that wouldn't be of any interest to the group. Sadly he has passed away but it would be great hear from anyone that knew him. He went on to Zambia, Cyprus, and finally worked on Vulcans, after the RAF he went to Saudi with BA.
Many Thanks
Patrick
