RAF Stanley
"The kit and construction materials, at least for the interim operating capability, seem to have been offloaded by a combination of Mexeflotes and RLC RCL's at a number of jetties in and around Port Stanley"
If my recollections are correct (I was there 11 July 82- Oct 82)there were two jetties, Sir Tristam was tied to one and the other was used purely for troop movements. There was one slipway in use that the Mexi floats and Landing craft brought all the stores and vehicles ashore at, this was a major choke point.
If my recollections are correct (I was there 11 July 82- Oct 82)there were two jetties, Sir Tristam was tied to one and the other was used purely for troop movements. There was one slipway in use that the Mexi floats and Landing craft brought all the stores and vehicles ashore at, this was a major choke point.
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I have seen this image a few places but I think relevant
And a couple of comments from the post I linked to earlier
when I was at 17 P&M years later there was a great story about a mexe cox’n during this period moving civilian plant equipment ashore in slightly lumpy seas; the digger or whatever it was shifted on deck and simply slipped over the edge into the oggin whilst the mexe continued serenely on. For whatever reason the cox’n simply tried to bluff it out when questioned later about the missing kit, claiming he couldn’t remember whether it had been loaded or not
and a follow up to that one
Have read the vessel logbook you are on about the vehicles were called haulmatics but were soon renamed aquamatics!!! according to the logbook they were recovered and eventually returned to service
And a couple of comments from the post I linked to earlier
when I was at 17 P&M years later there was a great story about a mexe cox’n during this period moving civilian plant equipment ashore in slightly lumpy seas; the digger or whatever it was shifted on deck and simply slipped over the edge into the oggin whilst the mexe continued serenely on. For whatever reason the cox’n simply tried to bluff it out when questioned later about the missing kit, claiming he couldn’t remember whether it had been loaded or not
and a follow up to that one
Have read the vessel logbook you are on about the vehicles were called haulmatics but were soon renamed aquamatics!!! according to the logbook they were recovered and eventually returned to service
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I was at Stanley from Dec 82-May 83, and was living on the Rangatira in Stanley Harbour. We had to get to and from the airfield everyday, by landing craft to the Stanley Jetty, and then trucks to the airfield. I say Stanley jetty, but not sure of the names for them all, but it was the main one with the shop just of to the left, as you got off the jetty. I can't recall seeing anything bigger than a landing craft using that jetty. The Tristram was tied up to the left, East, of that jetty, didn't ever hear it called anything, for the time I was there. There was a sort of beachhead landing area a bit further to the East of the Tristram, and I seem to recall it was quite busy and was used to land stuff of the mexifloat craft. It was quite impressive watching the Eager Beavers unloading cargo from them, and negotiating the slope, to load lorries.
(I say that we used to use the landing craft everyday to/from work, but one day the sea was to rough, and we had to use the company helicopter.)
(I say that we used to use the landing craft everyday to/from work, but one day the sea was to rough, and we had to use the company helicopter.)
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Dan Gerous ... IIRC it was called the "Public Jetty" during my time there (May-Sep 83)
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More Stanley memories of water taxis and water skiing
I remember the RN water taxi service which carried people to Navy Point and to the various ships in the inner (and sometimes also the outer harbour) which were I think crewed by a coxswain and a couple of matelots.
I remember a couple of shall we say "heavy landings" when some RN officer was given a turn at the wheel by the usually Petty Officer cox'n, supposedly to keep his hand in. All I can say is that the more junior the helmsman the more comfortable the trip! Though to be fair conditions could get a bit rough with a tricky crosswind.
I'm not sure of the class of vessel but they were brought in as deck cargo and craned off. They were not combat support boats (CSB's) which I also remember trying to water ski behind, I managed a couple of laps but after only a short time in the water your hands were too cold to grip the handle on the tow rope. The immersion suit was ok for normal ops, but when I fell I made the mistake of holding onto the rope too long and so entered the water head-first and the neck seal was shall we say, compromised.
The result being what felt like several pints of icy sea water but was probably no more than a quart, followed by a strong gasp reflex, a sharp constriction in breathing and then it worked its way down.....
Aged 25 it seemed like fun at the time.
MB
I remember a couple of shall we say "heavy landings" when some RN officer was given a turn at the wheel by the usually Petty Officer cox'n, supposedly to keep his hand in. All I can say is that the more junior the helmsman the more comfortable the trip! Though to be fair conditions could get a bit rough with a tricky crosswind.
I'm not sure of the class of vessel but they were brought in as deck cargo and craned off. They were not combat support boats (CSB's) which I also remember trying to water ski behind, I managed a couple of laps but after only a short time in the water your hands were too cold to grip the handle on the tow rope. The immersion suit was ok for normal ops, but when I fell I made the mistake of holding onto the rope too long and so entered the water head-first and the neck seal was shall we say, compromised.
The result being what felt like several pints of icy sea water but was probably no more than a quart, followed by a strong gasp reflex, a sharp constriction in breathing and then it worked its way down.....
Aged 25 it seemed like fun at the time.
MB
Underwater Haulmatics
I was sat at the back of the General's morning brief in HQ BFFI when the door was pushed open by his ADC. This was normal, and usually he just showed a "thumbs up" to indicate that the daily morale-boosting flight by Hercules from Ascension had passed the half-way point and thus had mail etc en route. This time the ADC told the General that there had just been a problem in Stanley Harbour and all the Haulmatics had tipped overboard from a Mexeflote taking them out to a ship which was to take them and their full loads of stone from the airfield quarry round to San Carlos (if my memory is correct). Great consternation - how quickly could they be replaced? Some months, as they would have to be bought and shipped by sea. REs and Navy clearance divers tasked to sort out, and all were recovered, including one or two complete with loads of stone, within a couple of weeks. REME got them dried out and running, and, apart from copious dents, cracked or missing windscreens and wads of seaweed, they carried on regardless. Haulmatics (if that was the right name) were huge dumper trucks, and ISTR there were at least half a dozen on the Mexe, which was a large proportion of the total at the quarry.
Can't remember when this was, but I was there Nov 82 - Mar 83, and I would think this was in early 83.
Can't remember when this was, but I was there Nov 82 - Mar 83, and I would think this was in early 83.
REME got them dried out and running, and, apart from copious dents, cracked or missing windscreens and wads of seaweed, they carried on regardless.
Didn't one of them run around with a life belt hanging on the front of the radiator grill..until a certain SO had a sense of humour failure?
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...all the Haulmatics had tipped overboard from a Mexeflote taking them out to a ship which was to take them and their full loads of stone from the airfield quarry round to San Carlos (if my memory is correct).
Can't remember when this was, but I was there Nov 82 - Mar 83, and I would think this was in early 83.
Can't remember when this was, but I was there Nov 82 - Mar 83, and I would think this was in early 83.
Christian
I think I saw the first one driving about within a couple of days of their "total immersion". The logo had been adjusted by some wag to read "Aquamatic."
Nothing matters very much, most things don't matter at all.
Nothing matters very much, most things don't matter at all.
CAW
Can't honestly remember why the stone was going to San Carlos or wherever. Although there was stone all over the islands, the only stuff that was processed into decent sizes was the stuff from the airfield quarry. There have been various threads about the flight safety/health and safety/barking madness of blowing up huge amounts of rock in the middle of an airfield, but in those days needs overrode logic a lot of the time.
Can't honestly remember why the stone was going to San Carlos or wherever. Although there was stone all over the islands, the only stuff that was processed into decent sizes was the stuff from the airfield quarry. There have been various threads about the flight safety/health and safety/barking madness of blowing up huge amounts of rock in the middle of an airfield, but in those days needs overrode logic a lot of the time.
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Ahh, them big trucks!! Here's one being led by GEF's "GT Tractor" towing something 
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AVM Ian Macfadyen
AVM Ian Macfadyen talking about the development of flying from Stanley in 1982 -83 at London Society of Air Britain. Wednesday 12th March. Victory Services Club starts at 19.30
AVM has featured a few times recently. FL put a photo up relating to the Banquet. Also mentioned in the alternative to the Red Arrows thread.
AVM has featured a few times recently. FL put a photo up relating to the Banquet. Also mentioned in the alternative to the Red Arrows thread.
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Those Haulmatics
I was recently at the Interim port and storage system and spotted them still working!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...4&l=6dfdd6cd62
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...4&l=6dfdd6cd62
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I come back again hoping for someone to clarify something for me.
Here´s the thing: was there an Operation CANNONBALL during the war of 1982? (As I understand it, it was supposed to be an air-trasport operation, a RAF only-operation? I don´t know) or was it something that started after Operation CORPORATE ended?
Was it actually related with air-transport or did it include all air traffic between ASI-RAF Stanley?
Thanks to you all,
Christian
Here´s the thing: was there an Operation CANNONBALL during the war of 1982? (As I understand it, it was supposed to be an air-trasport operation, a RAF only-operation? I don´t know) or was it something that started after Operation CORPORATE ended?
Was it actually related with air-transport or did it include all air traffic between ASI-RAF Stanley?
Thanks to you all,
Christian
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Cannonball was the name we used on 216 Sqn for the bi-weekly run to ASI. The Cannonball crew flew the leg to ASI then handed over to the pre-positioned FI crew who carried on to MPA. The Cannonball crew overnighted at ASI and then flew the return leg back to BZN. I did it a few times, left BZN on Thursday night, spent most of Friday and Friday night on the beach etc at ASI before returning to BZN on Saturday night. This may or may not be the Cannonball you are referring to.