TACEVAL stories
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Realism and restraint
On one exercise in Germany an EngO I believe had been driving back and forth through the same checkpoint several times. Now it might have been the presence of the Taceval umpire on this occasion but the guard requested the EngOs ID card.
After much blustering and 'I've been thorough here !!!!' the guard remained intransigent. Realising he wasn't going to be let past our hero jammed the Landrover in to reverse whereupon the guard cocked his weapon and pointed in the sqn ldr's face.
The windscreen was no obstacle
After much blustering and 'I've been thorough here !!!!' the guard remained intransigent. Realising he wasn't going to be let past our hero jammed the Landrover in to reverse whereupon the guard cocked his weapon and pointed in the sqn ldr's face.
The windscreen was no obstacle
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TACEVAL
Gutersloh, 1987 (I think). Being the work hard/play hard unit that it was, turn out at the annual Officers/SNCOs games night in the Sgts' Mess was comprehensive. The station powers had done all the right things and the function had definately been lodged in the RAFG and TACEVAL Team's calendar. A good night was had by all with a very large proportion of the Gutersloh staff at or above the rank of Sgt very much under the influence. As the Stn Cdr steps out of the Sgt's Mess in the early hours he is greeted by the wail of the station exercise siren. TACEVAL Part 1 --- "What the *£^%!"
Many of the participants of the party had already gone home and slept through the siren. Some considered that driving back in wasn't a good idea and those that did make it to their places of work were incapable of doing anything useful. As a result the Gutersloh wing of 2 Harrier squadrons, 1 Chinook squadron and a Puma squadron, not to mention the rest of the station, was generated by the remaining personnel, all Cps and below. The station received a 'one,' the highest possible result..
Many of the participants of the party had already gone home and slept through the siren. Some considered that driving back in wasn't a good idea and those that did make it to their places of work were incapable of doing anything useful. As a result the Gutersloh wing of 2 Harrier squadrons, 1 Chinook squadron and a Puma squadron, not to mention the rest of the station, was generated by the remaining personnel, all Cps and below. The station received a 'one,' the highest possible result..
Last edited by Grobling About; 7th Aug 2013 at 12:08.
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The talk of those with white caps and flashing blue lights made me recall another episode at Kinloss which was recalled to me. Our section had been volunteered to be rent-a-mob for a demonstration by one of the crash gates. Loads of noise, jeers, water balloons, flour bombs etc, before the "demonstrators" breached the gate and moved onto camp. Station guard and plods surrounded the protestors and detained them prior to shipping them off to some form of detention. The process was to search each demonstrator, then stick them in the back of a sherpa.
After the first couple of demonstrators were put in the sherpa it was noticed that the front seat was empty, and the keys were still in the ignition. Demonstrator 1 then leant across the front seat, took the keys and passed them to demonstrator 2 before hopping over the front seat and out the front door. The mob of still-to-be-searched ruffians were congregating at the side of the sherpa with only a couple of plods and guards in attendance, so demonstrator 1 joined the throng to be searched again.
This could have developed into a total face, but before it did those in the sherpa decided to try their luck at hijacking the van. So as the 8th or so demonstrator was put into the back, the one nearest the front hopped into the front seat, closed the door, started the engine and drove off, leaving the plods looking at each other trying to work out who was driving....
After the first couple of demonstrators were put in the sherpa it was noticed that the front seat was empty, and the keys were still in the ignition. Demonstrator 1 then leant across the front seat, took the keys and passed them to demonstrator 2 before hopping over the front seat and out the front door. The mob of still-to-be-searched ruffians were congregating at the side of the sherpa with only a couple of plods and guards in attendance, so demonstrator 1 joined the throng to be searched again.
This could have developed into a total face, but before it did those in the sherpa decided to try their luck at hijacking the van. So as the 8th or so demonstrator was put into the back, the one nearest the front hopped into the front seat, closed the door, started the engine and drove off, leaving the plods looking at each other trying to work out who was driving....
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I have a vague memory of the dining out of the Stn Cdr who was at Waddington during that exercise. With the permission of the PMC, the doors into the dining room had been replaced by some cheaper replacements and these were chain-sawed during the speeches! (or was it when we dined out the Nimrod)?
On the subject of tanks on exercise in Germany - a friend who's brother was a tanky in Germany told me of the occasion when in order to limit compensation to the local populace, a village in the exercise area was declared off limits by the expedient of declaring the through road mined and the road was therefore not to be used. Unfortunately an enterprising commander took his troop down the front gardens.....
From the same source - apparently, if you caught a kerbstone in the correct position with the track of a Chieftain then you could catapult the stone into the buildings next to the road.....
On the subject of tanks on exercise in Germany - a friend who's brother was a tanky in Germany told me of the occasion when in order to limit compensation to the local populace, a village in the exercise area was declared off limits by the expedient of declaring the through road mined and the road was therefore not to be used. Unfortunately an enterprising commander took his troop down the front gardens.....
From the same source - apparently, if you caught a kerbstone in the correct position with the track of a Chieftain then you could catapult the stone into the buildings next to the road.....
Exrigger
Unlucky, in the 60's, 51 Squadron did not participate in the vulgar game of Micky's/Micky Finn's, the tannoy message, invariably at 0dark30 on a Monday morning, stated "51 exempt".
Oh how we laughed out of the windows as 543 and 58 trudged off to generate their quota.
Unlucky, in the 60's, 51 Squadron did not participate in the vulgar game of Micky's/Micky Finn's, the tannoy message, invariably at 0dark30 on a Monday morning, stated "51 exempt".
Oh how we laughed out of the windows as 543 and 58 trudged off to generate their quota.
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Warthmonk said
Maybe the PPRuNEr who, by his own admission, has worn hats of varying colours (one of which was sandy) was one of the hooligans at Waddo that year....
Maybe the PPRuNEr who, by his own admission, has worn hats of varying colours (one of which was sandy) was one of the hooligans at Waddo that year....
Denachtenmai: your memory must be better than mine and I have no reason to doubt what you say, but for reasons I will keep to myself my time at Wyton and move from the Hydraulic Bay onto 51 around early to mid 78 was not one I will forget which is why I described the incident as post this move (in my minds eye I cannot visualise any other posting that fits the profile and all stations/Sqns I was on after 1979 were not required to strip search suspect intruders, if we ever had any), but it was the only exercise I remember post the move, I don't recall 51 getting involved in any other parts of any exercise i.e. flying, but was only there for approx 6 months before moving to Cranwell.
Talking of Cranwell, it was decided by the new regiment management that despite no real fence around the station, no guard posts, barriers or sangars and a public road right through the middle it would be fun to see how the station would work during an exercise. The clever regiment and execs decided to open as many of the air raid shelters as could be open and some of us engineers could play in them, but with no lighting, no communications, some with water in them and then all the biting insects it was decided that we had all had fun but maybe it needed thinking through and organising properly for the next one, which thankfully there was not another one before I left.
Talking of Cranwell, it was decided by the new regiment management that despite no real fence around the station, no guard posts, barriers or sangars and a public road right through the middle it would be fun to see how the station would work during an exercise. The clever regiment and execs decided to open as many of the air raid shelters as could be open and some of us engineers could play in them, but with no lighting, no communications, some with water in them and then all the biting insects it was decided that we had all had fun but maybe it needed thinking through and organising properly for the next one, which thankfully there was not another one before I left.
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Ogre, we did the same trick at Leuchars when the Scottish Gp Capt was there with even greater success.
The crew were bundled in to the back of the paddy waggon which had a metal screen twixt front and back. The search had been cursory and on or two captives were still armed.
A 9mm was produced and the driver directed by the prisoners. He stopped the waggon, jumped out and ran away. Another guard in the back also legged it leaving a number of slightly bemused intruder aircrew, a number of SLRs and the paddy waggon.
So, jumping in to the driver's seat one of the crew drives us all off. 'Unfortunately' we couldn't find the blue lamp OFF switch. As we approached the first barrier the guards raised it.
Game on.
We continued with barrier after barrier opened until we came to the main gate. Out we went into the dark Scottish countryside.
Eventually we stopped in a darkened village and took stock. There we were a bunch of escapees, fully armed and with a magic pass. Where to next
The crew were bundled in to the back of the paddy waggon which had a metal screen twixt front and back. The search had been cursory and on or two captives were still armed.
A 9mm was produced and the driver directed by the prisoners. He stopped the waggon, jumped out and ran away. Another guard in the back also legged it leaving a number of slightly bemused intruder aircrew, a number of SLRs and the paddy waggon.
So, jumping in to the driver's seat one of the crew drives us all off. 'Unfortunately' we couldn't find the blue lamp OFF switch. As we approached the first barrier the guards raised it.
Game on.
We continued with barrier after barrier opened until we came to the main gate. Out we went into the dark Scottish countryside.
Eventually we stopped in a darkened village and took stock. There we were a bunch of escapees, fully armed and with a magic pass. Where to next
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Tanks....Darkness....and afoot! The Piney Woods of Fort Stewart in Georgia can be a very interesting place when an Armored unit is wandering about the place in the pitch dark. This was pre-NVG days.....errrrr....nights.
Add in some overcast skies, ground fog, and I am quite happy to say they scared the Hell out of me!
In a Readiness Test called OSD Test II which was to determine if National Guard Units, given the kit and some extra training days, could be ready for combat deployment within six weeks of activation....we got to play Army.
The Regular Army saw no need for the Weekend Warriors to be able to leave the Maneuver Area (Gators, Snakes, Mozzies, Chiggers, Poison Oak....and swampy ground) to places that had Showers, Beds, Beer, Broads, and other necessities of life.
They forgot.....Weekend Warriors looked at the Rules as something that got in the way of getting things done.
By using creative thinking the Regular Army reckoned they had us bottled up in the middle of no where....all roads blocked by Checkpoints with MP's in attendance and to them problem sorted.
To us....with our 1000 Horsepower engined VTR's (Tank Retrivers with dozer blade attached thereto) we saw scant problem plowing a track to the nearest State Highway in complete disregard of the Regular Army and a few barbed wire fences and boundary signs.
After all....our Beer and Soda Machines (image....Coin operated Vending Machines mounted on the back of a Unit Five Ton Truck and powered by a Generator) needed replenishing. When told we could not take such things to the field as they were not TO&E Equipment....we reminded the Regular Army of the Waiver in the Regulation that said the Local Commander could deviate from the Regulation Kit List if found to be Combat Essential.
We as Weekend Warriors consisted Beer, Soda, and Showers to be just that.....combat essential!
Plus....we whipped the Regular Army Aggressors in a Walk!
Add in some overcast skies, ground fog, and I am quite happy to say they scared the Hell out of me!
In a Readiness Test called OSD Test II which was to determine if National Guard Units, given the kit and some extra training days, could be ready for combat deployment within six weeks of activation....we got to play Army.
The Regular Army saw no need for the Weekend Warriors to be able to leave the Maneuver Area (Gators, Snakes, Mozzies, Chiggers, Poison Oak....and swampy ground) to places that had Showers, Beds, Beer, Broads, and other necessities of life.
They forgot.....Weekend Warriors looked at the Rules as something that got in the way of getting things done.
By using creative thinking the Regular Army reckoned they had us bottled up in the middle of no where....all roads blocked by Checkpoints with MP's in attendance and to them problem sorted.
To us....with our 1000 Horsepower engined VTR's (Tank Retrivers with dozer blade attached thereto) we saw scant problem plowing a track to the nearest State Highway in complete disregard of the Regular Army and a few barbed wire fences and boundary signs.
After all....our Beer and Soda Machines (image....Coin operated Vending Machines mounted on the back of a Unit Five Ton Truck and powered by a Generator) needed replenishing. When told we could not take such things to the field as they were not TO&E Equipment....we reminded the Regular Army of the Waiver in the Regulation that said the Local Commander could deviate from the Regulation Kit List if found to be Combat Essential.
We as Weekend Warriors consisted Beer, Soda, and Showers to be just that.....combat essential!
Plus....we whipped the Regular Army Aggressors in a Walk!
Grob.............
And it was a German Public Holiday - so it was a no-fly day. Hence the O'Mess/Sgts' Mess games night the evening before!! What other nation would have accepted a TACEVAL on a German Public Holiday!!
That TACEVAL should be immortalised!!
There is so much more to be said about that one.....................
I leave it to others to say it!!
But thank you for remembering it............
I can, but only just.................!!
That TACEVAL should be immortalised!!
There is so much more to be said about that one.....................
I leave it to others to say it!!
But thank you for remembering it............
I can, but only just.................!!
Last edited by ex-fast-jets; 8th Aug 2013 at 09:22.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
BomberH, same at Scampton in Blue Steel days. Not the only station diary entry to be forgotten or not passed up the line. Again all the got to bed as the sirens sounded. Well not quite all, a fair number were still at it in the mess at 4am.
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Cows getting Bigger
Same scenario @ Wildparts in early 80's Germany. Lowly SAC (me) was sent up to local to find FS raving like a loon on the tannoy with door to local locked from inside. DI staff say what you going to do? Looks at FS looning like a real nutter - climbs onto railing cocks SLR gives him 2 rounds and says situation over would climb in through window open door for replacement controller to take over. Distaff not impressed expecting 15-20mins incident over in 5 mins.
Also we used alternate sandbagged sangar at entrance of Tower for security access and put glims in concrete pillbox to confuse intruders. many shot trying to attack that!
Wont mention the Trip flares we managed to get hold off for better defence
Happy Days
Same scenario @ Wildparts in early 80's Germany. Lowly SAC (me) was sent up to local to find FS raving like a loon on the tannoy with door to local locked from inside. DI staff say what you going to do? Looks at FS looning like a real nutter - climbs onto railing cocks SLR gives him 2 rounds and says situation over would climb in through window open door for replacement controller to take over. Distaff not impressed expecting 15-20mins incident over in 5 mins.
Also we used alternate sandbagged sangar at entrance of Tower for security access and put glims in concrete pillbox to confuse intruders. many shot trying to attack that!
Wont mention the Trip flares we managed to get hold off for better defence
Happy Days
Last edited by VP8; 8th Aug 2013 at 00:38.
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Odiham, front of 72 Sqns hangar when sudden sangar silly season began, mounted on pallets for drainage a pretty impressive sandbagged sangar built... Following morning gone... Located outside stores entrance where a set of forks had been used during the night to simply lift it and the pallets complete and relocate it... Same forks used to return it.
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Mid 80ies and SAC N4 was sent to Imber for FIBUA training (Why...??) with a couple of teams of UKMAMS finest. Got dropped off on the main road and walking into Imber with all our kit when a landrover suddenly appeared. Asked who we were and what we were doing there. He didn't seem impressed to be told we were RAF. Turned out he was an umpire we were wandering along the road which was between two opposing tank groups and there was an attack schedule imminently.
With that, a large bush not too away started it's engine and reversed back at a great rate of knots as the Scorpion recce screen had seen the enemy and were legging it out of the way. The umpire said stand next to any trees and not run around and disappeared as well.
So 12 or so MAMS Commandos stood next to trees and hoped the Chieftain tanks would obey orders and go round them.
-------------------------------
Lyneham 1984/5 TAC/MIN EVAL and some of the intruders are local ATC cadets. One of them was rifle butted in the back of the head after capture. A couple of days in hospital sorted out his concussion.
The guard was court martialled and left not long after. ATC not used again as intruders.....
With that, a large bush not too away started it's engine and reversed back at a great rate of knots as the Scorpion recce screen had seen the enemy and were legging it out of the way. The umpire said stand next to any trees and not run around and disappeared as well.
So 12 or so MAMS Commandos stood next to trees and hoped the Chieftain tanks would obey orders and go round them.
-------------------------------
Lyneham 1984/5 TAC/MIN EVAL and some of the intruders are local ATC cadets. One of them was rifle butted in the back of the head after capture. A couple of days in hospital sorted out his concussion.
The guard was court martialled and left not long after. ATC not used again as intruders.....
PN: Not sure whether there is a mix up I was involved with both the hydraulic bay and 51 itself from 77 -79 with Nimrod R1 and as confirmed from the 51 website extract below:
Anyway back on topic, Deployment exercise on some farm in the middle of Germany with 18 Sqn: One evening told as guard comander that we might be attacked and to make sure my guards were alert, we now had night vision goggles and I very soon got a report that there were some intruders approaching the site and how many etc, I asked the guard who reported the sighting how he can be so precise and I was invited to his hole in the ground so he could show me, how we laughed when it became apparent that there was a flaw in the new Gortex kit that the intruders were wearing as they all glowed a lovely shade of yellow.
Another farm another day guards stood at the road to the farm when any army vehicle pulled up and was duly incapacitated and prisoners held, apparently this was not supposed to be the way things had been briefed to these guys and we had not been prepared for it either, it turns out they had had a navigational error and attacked the wrong site.
BDR was fun on helicopters as the people who threw injects in were more fix wing trained and on one exercise as the BDR assessor I was thrown this tail unit from some small helicopter with a hole about an inch in diameter one area. I assessed it and told the fella it would be sorted within half an hour with a quick file and speed tape, he pointed out to me that I had failed the test as I had not drawnt up a plan to put a thick slab of alumium on with a double row of jo-bolts as per the BDR manual (fixed wing as we did not have a helicopter one at the time). When I pointed this out to him and the construction of the peice of helicopter was fag packet thin aluminium skin attached with pop rivets and if I spent all day doing the repair his way the helicopter would crach on take off from overstress caused by vibration, he left in a bit of a mood.
The squadron moved to Wyton in March 1963, where Nimrod R Mk 1 aircraft arrived in July 1971. These were used alongside the Canberras and Comets until January 1975, when the Comets left and when the Canberras were retired in October 1976, the squadron continued to only operate the Nimrods. The squadron continued in this role until 2011 using the Nimrods, moving to Waddington in April 1995. Under the 2011 Strategic Defence and Security Review it was decided to retire the Nimrods before their replacements were ready and crews began training on the Boeing RC-135W 'Air Seeker' in the USA and will fly as crew members on USAF aircraft until the RAF examples are delivered in 2015.
Another farm another day guards stood at the road to the farm when any army vehicle pulled up and was duly incapacitated and prisoners held, apparently this was not supposed to be the way things had been briefed to these guys and we had not been prepared for it either, it turns out they had had a navigational error and attacked the wrong site.
BDR was fun on helicopters as the people who threw injects in were more fix wing trained and on one exercise as the BDR assessor I was thrown this tail unit from some small helicopter with a hole about an inch in diameter one area. I assessed it and told the fella it would be sorted within half an hour with a quick file and speed tape, he pointed out to me that I had failed the test as I had not drawnt up a plan to put a thick slab of alumium on with a double row of jo-bolts as per the BDR manual (fixed wing as we did not have a helicopter one at the time). When I pointed this out to him and the construction of the peice of helicopter was fag packet thin aluminium skin attached with pop rivets and if I spent all day doing the repair his way the helicopter would crach on take off from overstress caused by vibration, he left in a bit of a mood.
Last edited by Exrigger; 8th Aug 2013 at 09:39.
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Tanks and pubs
Beags, I seem to remember the story was related in a book "Try Not to Laugh, Sergeant Major" which was full of such tales. My copy has disappeared, but I've just managed to get a replacement from the folks up the river.
Avoid imitations
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Yes, TACEVAL teams in RAFG didn't "get" helicopters, at all.
During the first TACEVAL on our sqn (230) one Puma landed for a re-task and the umpire gave an "inject" of battle damage to the pilot (DB).
He asked where the damage was. The damage was on the cabin door. DB said no problem, that's non-structural, sorry, I'm on task now. The TACEVAL umpire, an engineer, wouldn't accept this so DB duly jettisoned the door and gave it to him to hold while he took off!
We also took off vertically from the same site and the TACEVAL umpire discovered exactly what seven tonnes of downwash does to your ring-bound classified file if you get too close! When we came back an hour later they were still trying to poke the last few pages out of a tree with a long stick.
During the first TACEVAL on our sqn (230) one Puma landed for a re-task and the umpire gave an "inject" of battle damage to the pilot (DB).
He asked where the damage was. The damage was on the cabin door. DB said no problem, that's non-structural, sorry, I'm on task now. The TACEVAL umpire, an engineer, wouldn't accept this so DB duly jettisoned the door and gave it to him to hold while he took off!
We also took off vertically from the same site and the TACEVAL umpire discovered exactly what seven tonnes of downwash does to your ring-bound classified file if you get too close! When we came back an hour later they were still trying to poke the last few pages out of a tree with a long stick.
Shytorque: I remember that being passed onto us by a mate on 230, they also used to suggest we did the same type of repair on rotor blades which made everyone on helicopters fall over laughing and the umpires thought we were taking the proverbial and needed more training as the first lot of training had obviously failed to get the message through of how to BDR aircraft properly.