Calling Transport Command veterans
Thread Starter
Calling Transport Command veterans
For a forthcoming book on the history of transport flying in the RAF, I am seeking contact with anyone who would like to contribute their experiences please. I am interested in all aspects; air crew, ground crew, etc. I have very little coverage so far of the following types; Valetta, Hastings, Beverley, Comet, Britannia but as I said, anything and everything, so please get in touch.
Many thanks
Many thanks
Join Date: Sep 2008
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Go on, I'll bite, I had a 12 month holiday in Transport Command and worked on Valetta's, Hasting's and Beverley's amongst other types that passed through Istres and Orange in 1957/8.
A great Command before it was consumed along with all the other great Commands into the various, here today gone tomorrow, ones that followed. Its motto was emblazoned proudly over its mighty portals:
No Tlicket, No fly-up!
No Tlicket, No fly-up!
Ian16th
In that case you probably took care of us in transit - Valettas '55 -'58 and Bevs 'til '61.
Aaaaah!!! Orange and the little bar with the collection of snipped-off tie ends and too large a stock of Pernod
In that case you probably took care of us in transit - Valettas '55 -'58 and Bevs 'til '61.
Aaaaah!!! Orange and the little bar with the collection of snipped-off tie ends and too large a stock of Pernod
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Cornish Jack,
Took care of lots of A/C no trouble, people were a problem to us!
We had minimal facilities for people at Istres and even less at Orange. Our worst nightmare was a Beverley full of Pongo's going U/S and having to overnight.
As for the bar with ties, no ties in my time. I preferred the bar arrangements at Istres, the bar was just along the passage, in the barrack block!
I was the 1st RAF guy at Orange. I was the Radar Fitter and I installed the Eureka VII in a little brick hut close to the Tower. This was a couple of weeks before we transferred all of the traffic. May 58, I left Sept 58.
As a Radar Fitter, from a previously cosseted existence in Bomber Command, I very quickly learn't all about A/C handling, re-fueling and re-oiling. The re-oiling especially on Beverley's! The engine guys were very keen to initiate all of the other trades in that 'skill'.
There was one very welcome Valletta, the once a month 'NAAFI Kite'. This came from Benson, with all of our 'duty free', it also brought our 'stores'. When it was parked and the door opened, the 1st thing we looked for was Oxygen Bottles. I dunno why we couldn't get supplies from the French, but we didn't, and this was always loaded as priority and they were bl**dy heavy. If there was too much weight taken up by 'stores' our Naafi load of duty free waited until 'next month'.
Odd memories from half a century ago.
Took care of lots of A/C no trouble, people were a problem to us!
We had minimal facilities for people at Istres and even less at Orange. Our worst nightmare was a Beverley full of Pongo's going U/S and having to overnight.
As for the bar with ties, no ties in my time. I preferred the bar arrangements at Istres, the bar was just along the passage, in the barrack block!
I was the 1st RAF guy at Orange. I was the Radar Fitter and I installed the Eureka VII in a little brick hut close to the Tower. This was a couple of weeks before we transferred all of the traffic. May 58, I left Sept 58.
As a Radar Fitter, from a previously cosseted existence in Bomber Command, I very quickly learn't all about A/C handling, re-fueling and re-oiling. The re-oiling especially on Beverley's! The engine guys were very keen to initiate all of the other trades in that 'skill'.
There was one very welcome Valletta, the once a month 'NAAFI Kite'. This came from Benson, with all of our 'duty free', it also brought our 'stores'. When it was parked and the door opened, the 1st thing we looked for was Oxygen Bottles. I dunno why we couldn't get supplies from the French, but we didn't, and this was always loaded as priority and they were bl**dy heavy. If there was too much weight taken up by 'stores' our Naafi load of duty free waited until 'next month'.
Odd memories from half a century ago.
Steve: Understood - it's to be a comprehensive approach. And assuming that it would then also include the work of overseas AT units in NEAF, MEAF, FEAF, you have quite a challenge ahead.
