Nimrods on Malta ?
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Tezzer, were you one of the detachment that had to be pulled out of Valletta one night because there was a bit of an anti-Brit nause going, shots fired etc?
You are right, air cadet camps were based at Hal Far - afaik the last time the old Officers' Mess there was used by British forces. I was based there for the whole summer of 1976 as Adj Air Cadet camps.
You are right, air cadet camps were based at Hal Far - afaik the last time the old Officers' Mess there was used by British forces. I was based there for the whole summer of 1976 as Adj Air Cadet camps.
I got my first flight in a Nimrod on that trip, plus a flight in a Gazelle. I recall that a squad of us cadets were doing a daylight navex and hitched a ride on the back of a truck full of gravel destined to be used on a runway extension (or was it harbour extension, the memory fades), a wonder we never fell off the thing. Joined up in '78 as a DE AEOp and a couple of years later ran into the guy who had been the cadet liaison officer in Malta in the Sgts mess at Kinloss; he reminded me of some other incidents from that trip... Happy days...
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Do you think camp photographs were retained by the RAF, if so where would I start as I am missing my RAF Luqa August 1977 (the week Elvis died!!) photo ?
Nimrods over Malta
Xv148:as far as retaining photographs for a station that was closed about thirty something years ago I would doubt very much. Most photo sections prior to digital had a bonfire annually as the prodigious amount of now totally useless photographs used to be difficult to store for more than a year or so unless it was something of special interest. The Photo section also had the work load of loading the film magazines for the hand held f134 camera and producing photos for the int. gathering on 203sqn. If we had a good flight with plenty
of trade the photos would be rushed through and the results back in ops during the debrief.
of trade the photos would be rushed through and the results back in ops during the debrief.
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August 1977
XV148, I was on the camp the week after you - I remember waking up to the news that Elvis had died on the morning I left for the camp. I've found my camp phote but despite subscribing to this thread cannot for the life of me work out how to load it up!! I've even read the instructions which is something I usually try to avoid!! Any clues anyone?
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Looking through my 3822 I can see that the BCal BAC1-111 flight out was on 10th August and returned on 19th August 1977. The BCal pilot informed us of Elvis on the flight back as we had been too engrossed at Luqa to worry about global news.
I always had in my mind that the Nimrod we spent some time (playing with the switches!!) on was XV243 but my research to date shows this aircraft not to have been with 203.
I am compiling a list of all Nimrods that at some time were based at Luqa, currently I have:
XV241, XV232, XV236, XV248, XV244, XV253, XV249, XV252, XV242, XV246, XV226, XV245 XV257, XV258, XV231, XV260, XV261, XV250, XV263, XV240, XV228
I always had in my mind that the Nimrod we spent some time (playing with the switches!!) on was XV243 but my research to date shows this aircraft not to have been with 203.
I am compiling a list of all Nimrods that at some time were based at Luqa, currently I have:
XV241, XV232, XV236, XV248, XV244, XV253, XV249, XV252, XV242, XV246, XV226, XV245 XV257, XV258, XV231, XV260, XV261, XV250, XV263, XV240, XV228
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Malta
XV148, I recall that we flew out in a BCal 111, my seat fell apart in some heavy turbulance and I remember struggling up to the gally with my seat belt to explain why I couldn't comply with the fasten seat belts instruction. The cabin crew were very busy eating so handed me an extension lapstrap. Being young and unable to make myself understood, I staggered back to my seat where I sat back down in the wreckage! As far as Nimrods go, XV263 is the aircraft in my camp photo. It was clearly allocated to 203 as it has the sqn seahorse on the tail.
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Brown Nimrod in Malta XV246 ?
Did the incorrectly painted (BROWN) Nimrod XV246 spend any time in its 'BROWN' scheme with 203 Sqn in Malta or was it all at St. Mawgan with 42 Sqn, does anybody remember ?
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TheBrown Job
As I recall, the brown painted Nimrod was KS based and did not ever come to Malta. I was on 203 from 1974 - 77 and was Assistant ACLO for part of the time. I well remember one night night searching for a cadet missing from his tent at Hal Far. He was found sitting in the dark at the top of a 200 ft cliff "admiring the view"!
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The flying t**d
Yes, it was definately at STM. We received it onto 42 from Kinloss. As far as I remember, it was some time after Malta closed 78/79?
It doesn't appear in my log book during my time at SM (74-80), but I am sure it was there. I did less flying from 77 - 80, ( well, I was supposed to be on a ground tour, only manage 450 hours in 3 years), so perhaps it was around then.
Story I heard was that a couple of lads in the paint hangar at KS opened the first tin, called the Chief over and asked if it was the right colour. He checked the Section / Ref. No., and told them to get on with it. Seems some clerk had transposed two numbers.
Story I heard was that a couple of lads in the paint hangar at KS opened the first tin, called the Chief over and asked if it was the right colour. He checked the Section / Ref. No., and told them to get on with it. Seems some clerk had transposed two numbers.
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The flying turd
XV246 came out of a Major servicing on 1 March 77 painted in that colour and returned to the NMSU early June and was repainted in the hemp colour by mid June 77. It is recorded that a paint spec number was changed in correspondence between RAE Farnborough and Kinloss. When it came to St Mawgan it had a large dayglo zap of an elsan toilet on the fin.
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XV246 came out of a Major servicing on 1 March 77 painted in that colour
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Just to complete the XV246 `Chokky Bomber' saga. The aircraft did visit Luqa, in its 2nd brown colour scheme, between the 20th and 23rd of August 1977. While it was in Malta `boffins' put temp probes in the fuselage, together with a recording system. They also identically probed a nearby (white) 203 Sqn ac. Local rumour suggested 46 was actually cooler inside than the based ac, which went against the basic physics of the time, for as white reflects heat, the 203 ac should have been the cooler over the 3 days of the trial.
Which leads me neatly, a little off topic, to RAF buses! In Malta, they were all white in 1975; then with the general tone down of the time, they were painted overall matt green. But, it was said, the heat inside these buses so affected visiting APC detachments that some were repainted, with the green roof restored to white. Then, someone, somewhere else, ran into an overall matt green bus in the dark. So the edict was issued to paint a yellow stripe along the side to aid visibility. There must have been a committee involved because we ended up with at least two, matt green, gloss yellow and gloss white buses until I left in 1978!
It is fair to say that The APC Specials turned many a local's head, especially when compared with the free-wheeling, lime green, local buses. Happy daze....
Which leads me neatly, a little off topic, to RAF buses! In Malta, they were all white in 1975; then with the general tone down of the time, they were painted overall matt green. But, it was said, the heat inside these buses so affected visiting APC detachments that some were repainted, with the green roof restored to white. Then, someone, somewhere else, ran into an overall matt green bus in the dark. So the edict was issued to paint a yellow stripe along the side to aid visibility. There must have been a committee involved because we ended up with at least two, matt green, gloss yellow and gloss white buses until I left in 1978!
It is fair to say that The APC Specials turned many a local's head, especially when compared with the free-wheeling, lime green, local buses. Happy daze....
The Nimrod indeed had a white top initially to help keep it cool. I understand that by the mid 70s a paint became available which was reflective to infrared frequencies ( good cooling ), whilst absorbing light, i.e. it could be made darker.
This would explain the results of the temperature trial WK622 refers to.
Malta to paint technology. Cracking thread drift, Grommet.
This would explain the results of the temperature trial WK622 refers to.
Malta to paint technology. Cracking thread drift, Grommet.
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Perfect...explains the images I have of 46 in the light hemp trial scheme on the pan at Luqa. Thanks for the trials and error details, this fills a gaps in the story. Has anyone any additional images of the 'chocolate' Nimrod ?
