Flying finished at Gutersloh
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Flying finished at Gutersloh
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Just finished reading the biography of AVM John Howe. 'Upward and Onward' by Bob Cossey.
AVM Howe was a one time Station Commander, RAF Gutersloh. It's a jolly good read.
AVM Howe was a one time Station Commander, RAF Gutersloh. It's a jolly good read.
What a shame!! Had the best days there in the early 70's Loads of flying and drinking far too much beer!
Where will it all end?
Wonder if we can get back all the stuff we paid for after we broke them at dinner nights?
Where will it all end?
Wonder if we can get back all the stuff we paid for after we broke them at dinner nights?
Last edited by newt; 11th Oct 2013 at 16:51.
'twas even better during its Harrier era!
Best tour of my life - despite the odd moment which was not something to remember fondly.
Lovely Station - great flying - excellent social life.
I visited the place last year - and it really wasn't the same under Army control as it had been under RAF control.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be!
Best tour of my life - despite the odd moment which was not something to remember fondly.
Lovely Station - great flying - excellent social life.
I visited the place last year - and it really wasn't the same under Army control as it had been under RAF control.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be!
Last edited by ex-fast-jets; 11th Oct 2013 at 20:05.
Purveyor of Egg Liqueur to Lucifer
My brother was at Gutersloh tech'ing on the 4 Sqn Harriers; then as life's paths weave their way, I was there flying Gaz & Lynx.
Happy days for us both during our different 'Gutersloh days'
Happy days for us both during our different 'Gutersloh days'
and the Met. presence has been reduced to a single adviser to the army until they put the lights out and throw away the key. My melancholy task in the 1990s was to pull our people out of Wildenrath, thin out JHQ and start the run down at Brueggen, Laarbruch and Detmold.
I KNOW we were a golden and very fortunate generation,
I KNOW we were a golden and very fortunate generation,
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A Germany towline was a highly sought after sortie at Marham, it meant you had a weekend at Gutersloh. Managed several visits over my years on Victor tankers but without any doubt the best was the weekend we managed to be there for the summer ball. The Marham summer balls were fantastic but the Gutersloh ball was better, more like a Roman orgy of food wine and women.
Perhaps my memory is not as clear as it could be! I recall one Monday getting airborne to tank some lightnings but our frequency was in use by some USAF flight passing flight plan details to the controller. Having waited several minutes to get a break, our captain lost his patience and pressed the transmit to utter " Fu*k off Yank ". By return the ground station replied " station calling say again" Our man responded instantly with " You too cloggie" Silence fell for a few moments and we made contact with the fighters.
Perhaps my memory is not as clear as it could be! I recall one Monday getting airborne to tank some lightnings but our frequency was in use by some USAF flight passing flight plan details to the controller. Having waited several minutes to get a break, our captain lost his patience and pressed the transmit to utter " Fu*k off Yank ". By return the ground station replied " station calling say again" Our man responded instantly with " You too cloggie" Silence fell for a few moments and we made contact with the fighters.
Sad to see the end of flying at Gut...
Did EX. BOLD GAUNTLET there when I was on F-4s and it was an excellent week. Flying was dull (apart from 'paying a visit' to the Eder and Möhne Dams on the 40th anniversary of OP. CHASTISE...
), but the social life was generally excellent! On one occasion, a SSAFA sister took a shine to one of the FAF Mirage pilots with whom we were having a beer and flung her arms around him. He simply put down his beer, took his cigarette out of his mouth and placed it butt end down on the bar, then disappeared down to the Keller bar with her. A few minutes later, he re-appeared having clearly DCO'd, picked up his beer, replaced his cigarette and carried on his conversation... Quelle sang froid! Vive le sport!!
Several trips there in later years in the FunBus doing double IRTs and beer runs - always excellent.
There is no way it can have had the same life during pongo times - but I'm sure they enjoyed it too in their own way.
Did EX. BOLD GAUNTLET there when I was on F-4s and it was an excellent week. Flying was dull (apart from 'paying a visit' to the Eder and Möhne Dams on the 40th anniversary of OP. CHASTISE...
), but the social life was generally excellent! On one occasion, a SSAFA sister took a shine to one of the FAF Mirage pilots with whom we were having a beer and flung her arms around him. He simply put down his beer, took his cigarette out of his mouth and placed it butt end down on the bar, then disappeared down to the Keller bar with her. A few minutes later, he re-appeared having clearly DCO'd, picked up his beer, replaced his cigarette and carried on his conversation... Quelle sang froid! Vive le sport!!Several trips there in later years in the FunBus doing double IRTs and beer runs - always excellent.
There is no way it can have had the same life during pongo times - but I'm sure they enjoyed it too in their own way.
Apologies for my digression but does anybody have any idea when the Pongos move out and they finally lock the gates?
Considering a job there but I'd like to be assured there'd still be at least some semblance of life about the place, or whether I'm being sold a dead duck.
Cheers
Cooch
Considering a job there but I'd like to be assured there'd still be at least some semblance of life about the place, or whether I'm being sold a dead duck.
Cheers
Cooch
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Gütersloh Princess Royal Barracks – to be vacated by the end of 2016.
http://www.sce-web.com/_files/users/...3605E578E6.pdf
http://www.sce-web.com/_files/users/...3605E578E6.pdf
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Was on the Puma and Chinook servicing flight (PCSF) 1982-83 and deployed with 230 Sqn great times been back to visit a few times but as previously said not the the same, just the memories.
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Ahh, Goering's Room.
We had a number of great events in that small room but....
On one occasion, the MD of Boeing Helicopters was visiting 18 Sqn. We decided to have a lunch in Goering's Room, to show him how well preserved it was. He entered the room, looked around, and promptly walked out again! During the Second World War, the MD had flown B17s over Germany, and had lost hundreds of colleagues at the hands of Goering's pilots. He was outraged that Goering's Room was kept as a shrine to a war criminal, and would not enter it again.
It just goes to prove - one man's preservation of history is another man's disrespect to the dead.
We had a number of great events in that small room but....
On one occasion, the MD of Boeing Helicopters was visiting 18 Sqn. We decided to have a lunch in Goering's Room, to show him how well preserved it was. He entered the room, looked around, and promptly walked out again! During the Second World War, the MD had flown B17s over Germany, and had lost hundreds of colleagues at the hands of Goering's pilots. He was outraged that Goering's Room was kept as a shrine to a war criminal, and would not enter it again.
It just goes to prove - one man's preservation of history is another man's disrespect to the dead.
