Missing Defence Assets (merged)
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Twas always so.
Originally Posted by TerminalTrotter
During WW2, when ball bearing factories were being bombed in Germany, and there was a threat that tank production would be reduced as a result, Albert Speer sent squads out round QM stores and liberated all the buckshee bearings that storemen were holding onto 'just in case' and they managed to actually increase production of tanks while the production of bearings was brought back normal.
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where's it all gone then..............
How about checking out the ex Trade Assistant General who sold a crashed Puma for scrap to the local pikies who was later employed in Odiham stores several years' ago, as a civvy and then decided to start his own 'retail flying clothing business'...............(can't remember his name though..)
How about checking out the ex Trade Assistant General who sold a crashed Puma for scrap to the local pikies who was later employed in Odiham stores several years' ago, as a civvy and then decided to start his own 'retail flying clothing business'...............(can't remember his name though..)
The other was a storeman who noticed the hasp and clasp had been fitted to the clothing store door the wrong way round so you could unscrew it to get access, that was rumbled I believe when someone spotted the latest flying kit, something crews at Odiham couldn't get hold of because of shortages, being sold at a car boot stall.
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Nutloose is correct. I sat in on the Courts Martial (1979 or 1980?) of RAF Odiham personnel involved in the latter stores thefts, as an "Officer under Instruction". It was not an isolated incident and a number of people were involved. Stuff was being stolen from stores to order. IIRC, a local locksmith contacted the police after he was approached to make copies of certain "controlled" security keys.
The crashed Puma's pilot seat was obtained from a scrapyard near Blackbushe airport and it was spotted being used as a garden swing by a passing RAF engineering officer.
The crashed Puma's pilot seat was obtained from a scrapyard near Blackbushe airport and it was spotted being used as a garden swing by a passing RAF engineering officer.
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Think the RAF then had to buy it all back for the Board of Enquiry into the accident as well.
...............(can't remember his name though..)
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Something doesn't ring right here.
6000 radios gone missing. There's 200,000 blokes in the mob, so approximately 3 per 100. If ONE radio went missing during my time, there would be an enquiry, as they were "starred items".
Are these decommissioned Clansman radios, or new ones? Maybe Ptarmigan Triffid sets. Radios in aircraft that have been decommissioned?
I can't believe the MOD has seriously lost 6000 radios.
6000 radios gone missing. There's 200,000 blokes in the mob, so approximately 3 per 100. If ONE radio went missing during my time, there would be an enquiry, as they were "starred items".
Are these decommissioned Clansman radios, or new ones? Maybe Ptarmigan Triffid sets. Radios in aircraft that have been decommissioned?
I can't believe the MOD has seriously lost 6000 radios.
Something similar happened at Suffolk's Phinest Phantom base in the early 1980s. Some thieving SAC was caught trying to make off with a whole load of kit from stores one evening - which happened to be when I was SDO. Fortunately the RAFP had everything well in hand by the time I arrived at the Guardroom, so there was no risk of me screwing anything up. 'Chummy' was then 'banged up' looking rather sheepish.
I asked whether there was anything they needed me to do as there was nothing in the Ladybird Book of the SDO which gave me much guidance. Fortunately there wasn't - but I was asked to return when the 'Investigator' arrived from his call-out.
The 'Investigator' was straight out of The Sweeney. Close cropped hair, a black leather bomber jacket and about as wide as he was tall. He set up his desk and lined up his pen and notebook with precision. He told me what the procedure would be, then I asked if he would need me for anything further ('let the professionals get on with it and don't bugger about getting in the way' being my feeling).
"No it's OK sir. But I might need you if I have to tumble his drum though."
"Really? You can actually do that? I didn't think that sort of thing was allowed?"
"Err, oh, sorry sir, that's an expression we use in the trade. It means 'search his accommodation'.
"Thank heavens for that. I thought you meant you might need to smack the bugger around the swede to get him to cough!"
"Would I do that sir?", he asked with a pained expression, clearly offended at my doubting his professionalism, then continued with a wry grin. "Might get the answers a bloody sight quicker if I did though!".
So we had a cup of tea and a chat about the forthcoming procedure and off I went to write something in the SDO's report. I gather that 'Chummy' was subsequently given a little holiday in a Colchester holiday camp. But I'm quite sure that the 'Investigator' told all his Plod chums about the dumb Rodney who thought that giving suspected villains an encouraging little slap was all part of police procedure!
I asked whether there was anything they needed me to do as there was nothing in the Ladybird Book of the SDO which gave me much guidance. Fortunately there wasn't - but I was asked to return when the 'Investigator' arrived from his call-out.
The 'Investigator' was straight out of The Sweeney. Close cropped hair, a black leather bomber jacket and about as wide as he was tall. He set up his desk and lined up his pen and notebook with precision. He told me what the procedure would be, then I asked if he would need me for anything further ('let the professionals get on with it and don't bugger about getting in the way' being my feeling).
"No it's OK sir. But I might need you if I have to tumble his drum though."
"Really? You can actually do that? I didn't think that sort of thing was allowed?"
"Err, oh, sorry sir, that's an expression we use in the trade. It means 'search his accommodation'.
"Thank heavens for that. I thought you meant you might need to smack the bugger around the swede to get him to cough!"
"Would I do that sir?", he asked with a pained expression, clearly offended at my doubting his professionalism, then continued with a wry grin. "Might get the answers a bloody sight quicker if I did though!".
So we had a cup of tea and a chat about the forthcoming procedure and off I went to write something in the SDO's report. I gather that 'Chummy' was subsequently given a little holiday in a Colchester holiday camp. But I'm quite sure that the 'Investigator' told all his Plod chums about the dumb Rodney who thought that giving suspected villains an encouraging little slap was all part of police procedure!
Just because kit is "missing" or "lost" doesn't mean the MOD doesn't still have it. It could easily be sat in a box in the corner of a store without anyone knowing what it is.
If its £6.3 Billion then lots of it is gone as no way there is that amount of equipment hanging around unaccounted for.
Of course there is the other question about whether it ever really existed in the 1st place,not unknown for companies to invoice for something which has never been delivered.
Of course there is the other question about whether it ever really existed in the 1st place,not unknown for companies to invoice for something which has never been delivered.
