Recce Reminders from Yesteryear
Fond memories of Brawdy, late 70's, Harry Staish gets fed up with recce brief by proxy, ie someone turning on the sound-on-slide projector (remember them?) for the absent student presenter. He declared sound-on-slide as unacceptable as it meant there was no opportunity for questions, therefore no more such presentations etc.
Next morning, R*y Cr****y is due to present on the Bear. Cue sound-on-slide display and furious glares from Staish trying to eyeball R*y, who wasn't there! Until the last slide, which said: "Gentlemen that concludes my presentation, are there any questions?" A voice at the back piped up with "Yes, how big is the crew?" and the slide said: "Twelve, thank you very much!"
Briefing room predictably collapsed in uproar. To his credit, Staish (once a semblance of order had been resumed) simply said: "Excellent, very funny. But no more..."
Next morning, R*y Cr****y is due to present on the Bear. Cue sound-on-slide display and furious glares from Staish trying to eyeball R*y, who wasn't there! Until the last slide, which said: "Gentlemen that concludes my presentation, are there any questions?" A voice at the back piped up with "Yes, how big is the crew?" and the slide said: "Twelve, thank you very much!"
Briefing room predictably collapsed in uproar. To his credit, Staish (once a semblance of order had been resumed) simply said: "Excellent, very funny. But no more..."
The Bear-J had a canoe-shaped ECM pod mounted ventrally so we were taught it as 'J for canoe'.
It didn't make any sense; so how come it's the only thing I can remember 29 years on?
It didn't make any sense; so how come it's the only thing I can remember 29 years on?
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The Royal Armoured Corps had a staff officer who wrote witty doggerel to aid in identifying 'hard skin' vehicles. The one for the PT-76 went something like:
Some smart red designer man,
Took an upturned frying pan,
Built a hull both square and squat,
And placed his frying pan on thot!
Some smart red designer man,
Took an upturned frying pan,
Built a hull both square and squat,
And placed his frying pan on thot!
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MT-LB always used to be "Mini-Turret, Long Body" until the USAF exchange officer offered "Motor Transport for Lenin's Boys"...
S41
BRDM - Bolshie Russians Don't March (they ride around in scout cars)
PMP - People's Mobile Pontoon
BTR-60PA Command - has a square rail to carry the laundry on (PA= personal accessories)
BTR-60PU-12 (The BTR-60 Air Defence Command vehicle without the laundry)
TOMBSTONE - because it looks like the one it creates
GRAVESTONE - only more so!
And so on, and so on...
S41
BRDM - Bolshie Russians Don't March (they ride around in scout cars)
PMP - People's Mobile Pontoon
BTR-60PA Command - has a square rail to carry the laundry on (PA= personal accessories)
BTR-60PU-12 (The BTR-60 Air Defence Command vehicle without the laundry)
TOMBSTONE - because it looks like the one it creates
GRAVESTONE - only more so!
And so on, and so on...
MT-LB always used to be "Mini-Turret, Long Body" until the USAF exchange officer offered "Motor Transport for Lenin's Boys"...
In early RAAF F-111 maritime ops, we had problems identifying grey boats. The Oz Navy still had Daring-class destroyers (DD) and Yarra-class Type 12 frigates (DE).
Our clue was if side structure went down near the front (the bow I think), it was "dip early", ie DE. If it went down further towards the back of the boat (the stern?), then it was "dip delayed", DD. Easy really.
I was part of a group which sat open-mouthed as Puddy briefed the recce features of locks - as in the gated canal feature.
Puddy - "any questions?"
Audience member - "yeah, what is it next week Puddy, birds of Great Britain?"
Puddy - "any questions?"
Audience member - "yeah, what is it next week Puddy, birds of Great Britain?"
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Suffren Class (D602)
99, Puddy also had a recce interest in ships. One fine day, discovering one of HM's war canoes in the middle of Hartland range, he nipped down in Sir Winston (complete with banner still attached) "To get the bugger's number!", as he put it.
It was HMS Bronington. Commanded at the time by HRH Prince Charles....
On another occasion I was sandbagging in a T7 with Puddy; it had been snagged for aileron restriction and he had been asked to do the air test. Up high, he took it back to a speed I've never seen in an airborne Hunter before, we were in the heaviest of heavy buffets as Puddy moved the control column from side to side..."Nothing wrong with this", he announced. Then he started peering over the side, whilst muttering "Where is the damn thing...ah, there she blows!"....
His recce skills had allowed him to spot the Fishguard to Rosslare ferry. So, over onto our backs and into a steep dive, then supersonic to drop a boom on the boat. "That'll teach the Paddies a lesson!", he chuckled.
Great times in the RAF of the 1970s!
It was HMS Bronington. Commanded at the time by HRH Prince Charles....
On another occasion I was sandbagging in a T7 with Puddy; it had been snagged for aileron restriction and he had been asked to do the air test. Up high, he took it back to a speed I've never seen in an airborne Hunter before, we were in the heaviest of heavy buffets as Puddy moved the control column from side to side..."Nothing wrong with this", he announced. Then he started peering over the side, whilst muttering "Where is the damn thing...ah, there she blows!"....
His recce skills had allowed him to spot the Fishguard to Rosslare ferry. So, over onto our backs and into a steep dive, then supersonic to drop a boom on the boat. "That'll teach the Paddies a lesson!", he chuckled.
Great times in the RAF of the 1970s!
Last edited by BEagle; 26th Jul 2012 at 17:17.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
TFD, easier just to remember what they were.
Ascoteer, and how did you recognise a Krivak 2?
Lordflasheart, nice one but HWs bone dome was a rear crew one without a visor or visor track. In the early 60s there was still the thought of not providing visors for rear crew in non-ejector seat aircraft.
Ascoteer, and how did you recognise a Krivak 2?
Lordflasheart, nice one but HWs bone dome was a rear crew one without a visor or visor track. In the early 60s there was still the thought of not providing visors for rear crew in non-ejector seat aircraft.
Lordflasheart, nice one but HWs bone dome was a rear crew one without a visor or visor track. In the early 60s there was still the thought of not providing visors for rear crew in non-ejector seat aircraft.
Gentleman Aviator
I'm sure Pontius and LordFlash are sort of both right. I well remember the photo of Wislon in the back-to-front bone dome.
The giveaway?: not the visor (or not) but the "pigtail" emerging from the centre of his forehead.
My how we laughed .......
There must be a copy of the picture somewhere.....???
The giveaway?: not the visor (or not) but the "pigtail" emerging from the centre of his forehead.
My how we laughed .......
There must be a copy of the picture somewhere.....???
HW in a helo...
...I believe he never really forgave the RN for that. After the completion of the "HMS Tiger" talks in Gib he presented a photo to the wardroom. It is alleged that after she sailed back to UK a "subbie" was detailed off the chuck it over the stern. On a later visit to Tiger by the PM he "noted" the picture's absence.
Earlier when we maritime oiks were on that big island to the east of Africa (never mentioned by name) we tried to get a photo of HW to accompany the one of the Queen AND Ian Smith on the "mess" dining room wall. His personal secretary wrote sniffily to say that the PM had better things to do than send us a signed photo. Ian Smith's military PA on the other hand was most helpful. One of our chaps was a Rhodesian and his mum lived next door to Ian Smith's mum so that's how the connection was made. The PA also said that he felt sure we understood that no "official" invitation could be made, but that no obstacles would be put in the way of "private" invitations to spend Christmas in Salisbury (Harare today).
Coastal Command were not amused.
The Ancient Mariner
Earlier when we maritime oiks were on that big island to the east of Africa (never mentioned by name) we tried to get a photo of HW to accompany the one of the Queen AND Ian Smith on the "mess" dining room wall. His personal secretary wrote sniffily to say that the PM had better things to do than send us a signed photo. Ian Smith's military PA on the other hand was most helpful. One of our chaps was a Rhodesian and his mum lived next door to Ian Smith's mum so that's how the connection was made. The PA also said that he felt sure we understood that no "official" invitation could be made, but that no obstacles would be put in the way of "private" invitations to spend Christmas in Salisbury (Harare today).
Coastal Command were not amused.
The Ancient Mariner
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Pontious:
As he said, 2 guns at the back = Krivak
The Krivak 1 had 2 x Twin 76mm turrets, whereas the Krivak 2 had 2 x Single 100 mm turrets - any fule kno that....
Ascoteer, and how did you recognise a Krivak 2?
The Krivak 1 had 2 x Twin 76mm turrets, whereas the Krivak 2 had 2 x Single 100 mm turrets - any fule kno that....
During the Cold War, in Germany, our Naval exchange junior officer, obviously tired of tank and aircraft recce photos, decided to give us some "alternative" lessons after morning brief.
A photo slide of the first ship went up; no-one had a clue what it might be.
From the rear came a grumpy Scottish QHI's voice (that of the late George Blackie): "That's a B Zero Eighty!"
"No", said the the NEO, "It's actually a Warsaw Pact Blah Class Blah, blah".
Next slide...totally different photo, no-one knew its ID. Same voice "That's another B Zero Eighty!"
"No, that one's a Blah Class Blah Blah....
......and what exactly is this B Zero Eighty, George?
GB stood up, walked to the front, picked up some chalk and wrote "B.O.A.T." on the blackboard, bid us good morning, and walked out.
Rude, but GB made the point well. There were no ships in our operating theatre (the Central German Plain) and we went nowhere near the coast.
A photo slide of the first ship went up; no-one had a clue what it might be.
From the rear came a grumpy Scottish QHI's voice (that of the late George Blackie): "That's a B Zero Eighty!"
"No", said the the NEO, "It's actually a Warsaw Pact Blah Class Blah, blah".
Next slide...totally different photo, no-one knew its ID. Same voice "That's another B Zero Eighty!"
"No, that one's a Blah Class Blah Blah....
......and what exactly is this B Zero Eighty, George?
GB stood up, walked to the front, picked up some chalk and wrote "B.O.A.T." on the blackboard, bid us good morning, and walked out.
Rude, but GB made the point well. There were no ships in our operating theatre (the Central German Plain) and we went nowhere near the coast.
