Beruit '84 Chindet

[rolandpull]

Interesting stuff. I was on the first det and was the only guy to go to the 'boat' and collect a single Ferret IIRC - unmarked/unpaited by the colonials. Unless a second det done something similar? 1 x Ferret always meant that pax/mail was available to be flown in.

I can remember loading a Ferret aft of the hatch and overstowing that with a multi-gym - interesting W & B exercise.

To be honest the only time I can recall ever putting two Ferrets on a Chinook was on the OCU when they formed what was known as the MAUM load - the last one of those I did we had a winch cable break with a Ferret aft of the hatch - amazingly the flailing cable missed the four of us in the cabin..

[SirPeterHardingsLovechild]

This was one of my most memorable dets, if only for the shennanigans in the Pen Club each night. If my memory serves me right we had:-

12/208 Buccs
Chindet
56 Sqn Phantoms (on APC)
RN Sea King det
100 Sqn (on APC)
2 Para
34 Sqn RAF Regt

You couldn't look around without seeing a naked man running around with a burning rolled up newspaper between his buttocks. Or turn a fan on without risking a turd flying off it. And God help you if you didn't stand when 2 Para got drunk and sang the National Anthem.

Although I was on Tatty Ton, I was a member of a 12/208 flying wedge that took out half of 56 Sqn's tables, chairs and bottles of charlie one particular violent night. I still bump into people who claim they were in that wedge. Carnage.

And a guy off 12/208 and a Para (I think) took their fight straight through one of the wire re-inforced glass doors. Hole in it like a Tom & Jerry cartoon.

And me on the Banner Wagon getting buzzed by Bucc's doing their practice airfield attacks.

Happy Days that will stay with me forever.

SPHLC

[Lonewolf_50]

Probably one of the most interesting aspects of the det was operating with and through the immense US fleet off the Lebanese coast...including the largest battleship ever!

Hmmm... Aug 83 to mid 84.

By the time you guys left, we were on station off the coast (May through June 84). At that point, the "immense fleet" had shrunk to our destroyer, the USS Nassau (LHA 4), a couple of other amphibs (Ponce and an LST whose name I don't recall), usually accompanied by the obligatory Soviet tail (sometimes a Krivak FFG and sometimes an AGI). While we were there an Israeli SAAR patrol boat pulled over pretty large vessel and escorted back to harbor (I think it was escorted back to Tripoli, in northern in Lebanon. Does that ring a bell? )

The ship we relieved had been there from winter 83 to spring 84 -- about your term there on the land.

That battleship on station was USS New Jersey, BB-62.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...rsey_Sails.jpg

A friend of mine was Maintenance officer on the helicopter det on that ship.

A high school classmate of mine was on USS Virginia (CGN-38) during your det period. They did quite a bit of Naval Gunfire with their 5 inch guns, not quite the earth shaker of the Jersey's 16 inchers, of course.

I don't envy you all the feet dry fun and games.

Around that time, a friend in the USMC was in a CH-46 (small version of Chinook) that took an RPG through the aft end. From his accouting, it had the courtesy not to explode, but instead went through the bird and kept on going. Lucky man.

Ring a bell?

[Ploughman'sBreakfast]

No longer a post virgin..........

I remember it well. Followed the cabs out to Akrotiri by Herc on 6 Sep 83. Had the pleasure of driving a Ferret scout car up Akrotiri runway at midnight after dropped it off post USL training at Dhekelia.

I was on the trip that had the Eng Chip on to Enterprise. The Americans were keen to start flying operations as we struggled to get the chip out. They gave us 10 minutes to get it sorted or they would remove our blades and park us in the corner or bulldoze us off the side. We didn't think they had the tools to take our blades off, but they assured us that a circular saw would do the job.

Chip was removed in time, found to be covered in swarf, wiped clean on sleeve and refitted. TheFerrets were then left on board and we scarpered west. Sqn Ldr G****n W****y was the captain.

[Tallsar]

Thanks LW50 for your memories...although I was there before you...it certanly brought another perpsective and some memories. The comment re the Krivak tail reminded me of our first DL on Fort Austin...the USN LPD (equivalent to Fearless/Intrepid - only bigger!). We had to Land 0n as the "Beach was hot" prior to our first daylight visit to Beirut airport and the Brit det LS.

As the 1st Brit 47 in theatre it was not very long before the Krivak was a few yards off the stern sussing out who we were. At the time we had the nightsun fitted tthe forward under nose mount, some suitable gaffers taping of a few broom handles later made it look very like the latest gatling gun mount!!! Spoofing or not eh?

More to our amusement....the young USMC officer who met us after rotor shutdown.....Capt James T Kirk :-) .....no one would want to upset him...he was a Huey Cobra pilot but looked as though he could break your legs by just lookng at you! Thoroughly suppressing our smirks and our Brit ironic laughter,,,,we were led below by him for "only" a coffee and a stern briefing on how all USN ships were "dry". I will of course never admit to delivering a pallet of tinnies (and it wasn't Coke!) from the Naafi at Akro on a future mission.....who would dare!

Cheers

[glug]

Give blood

This was when the waggons came down to the beach and asked everyone with O Neg blood to climb aboard. The US marines barracks had been hit by a lorry bomb and the casualties were evaced to TPM Hospital.
Being O Neg I and some of the others on 12/208 jumped in and pretty soon were donating pints of red stuff to the Marines. After giving blood we are all sitting waiting for the coffee and biscuits. Nurse Gives out cups with coffee granules in and brings the boiling kettle. Young SAC armourer gets the water in his cup and then faints!
Cup of boiling water descends into his crotch. Nurse puts him in the recovery position without noticing. Lad spent some days in hospital due to blistered tackle!
Hey ho.

[Lonewolf_50]

"Dry" ships: the scourge of the US Navy, thanks to that Joesphus Daniels.

Thanks for your reply, we missed some of the more exciting times that you gents were there for.