RAF Transport Command Route to the Far East mid-1950's
Thread Starter
RAF Transport Command Route to the Far East mid-1950's
Can someone refresh my memory as to the route Transport Command Hastings aircraft flew to the Far East in 1956/57.
I know the last bit I think: Karachi (Mauripur?), Negombo, Changi. But what stops did they make between the UK and Karachi?
TIA
I know the last bit I think: Karachi (Mauripur?), Negombo, Changi. But what stops did they make between the UK and Karachi?
TIA
I recall RAF Habbaniya (outside Baghdad) was before Mauripur (west-east) but cannot remember before that....unless RAF Idris in Libya or maybe RAF Luqa in Malta?
Was Syria already a nogo by then? If not, Luqa, Akrotiri, Habbaniya? Otherwise, El Adem, Nasser's Corner, Khormaksar...?
El Adem was one stop.....
.....not highly sought after.
I had a skipper on the kipper fleet whose criterion on the seriousness of any snag was the ask the flt eng and the crew chief "would it keep us at El Adem on Christmas Eve?" (He'd spent many years on Transport Command)
If the answer was "Err, no" we went.
The Ancient Mariner
I had a skipper on the kipper fleet whose criterion on the seriousness of any snag was the ask the flt eng and the crew chief "would it keep us at El Adem on Christmas Eve?" (He'd spent many years on Transport Command)
If the answer was "Err, no" we went.
The Ancient Mariner
I came across this on the RAF forum, which might help. I'm off for a walk around the old RAF Clyffe Pypard tomorrow, did a bit of research, and found this post re a trip to the East by Hastings;
"After a week at Insworth being kitted out with KD etc about half a dozen of us were bussed out to Clyffe goodness knows why as we spent the rest of the day lounging about.I seem to remember we took a walk outside the camp to see what was around there;nothing to see no one about and didn't come across any sign of civilisation.
Next morning we were bussed over to Lyneham and boarded a Hastings;they had to clear the snow off the wings this being November so the winter was arriving and we were departing.First stop was Luqa where we had to stay a couple of days because of an engine change.Next stop Fayid arriving in the early hours of the morning.On a bus again to El Hamra ;all the way we could hear gunfire and see lots of searchlights;our arrival in hell !!!
Happily only a week spent here then on to Habbaniya via Mafraq and then to Mauripur.
cheers
jhy"
I'm sure many will know where these stops were, I hope someone can enlighten me, the Alberts used to go a bit further before stopping for a few beers.
Smudge
"After a week at Insworth being kitted out with KD etc about half a dozen of us were bussed out to Clyffe goodness knows why as we spent the rest of the day lounging about.I seem to remember we took a walk outside the camp to see what was around there;nothing to see no one about and didn't come across any sign of civilisation.
Next morning we were bussed over to Lyneham and boarded a Hastings;they had to clear the snow off the wings this being November so the winter was arriving and we were departing.First stop was Luqa where we had to stay a couple of days because of an engine change.Next stop Fayid arriving in the early hours of the morning.On a bus again to El Hamra ;all the way we could hear gunfire and see lots of searchlights;our arrival in hell !!!
Happily only a week spent here then on to Habbaniya via Mafraq and then to Mauripur.
cheers
jhy"
I'm sure many will know where these stops were, I hope someone can enlighten me, the Alberts used to go a bit further before stopping for a few beers.
Smudge
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El Adem was a source of very cheap Gordon's Gin in the early/mid 1950s. I understand from reliable witnesses that it was a good source of revenue on trips to Karachi.
Thread Starter
Smudge
Thanks for details. Seems a complicated route fussing around the Med and beyond, but if that's what the man did - OK
Re. Clyffe Pypard
I remember it well. When I joined 99 Sqn at Lyneham in 1959 the mess accommodation was full and until a mess room could be found I had to stay in the Clyffe Pypard transit accommodation.
The "Goddard Arms" at Clyffe Pypard was nearby and I took this photo of the pub in summer of 1959. I see the sign on the pub says "Northgate Beers", doesn't ring a bell with me!
Thanks for details. Seems a complicated route fussing around the Med and beyond, but if that's what the man did - OK
Re. Clyffe Pypard
I remember it well. When I joined 99 Sqn at Lyneham in 1959 the mess accommodation was full and until a mess room could be found I had to stay in the Clyffe Pypard transit accommodation.
The "Goddard Arms" at Clyffe Pypard was nearby and I took this photo of the pub in summer of 1959. I see the sign on the pub says "Northgate Beers", doesn't ring a bell with me!
If you look carefully under the Pub Name you will see Wadworth. The Northgate is the entrance to the brewery and the sign is still in use today. Not old enough to remember the route but as a true Moonraker and ex Albert Loadie I would recognise the local brewery anywhere. I am sure Smudj will tell you they still deliver the beer by Horse and Dray around Devizes.
I remember I did a trip on a Hastings as a ground-crew member of a Canberra squadron from RAF Binbrook. It was just before the Suez crisis.
The Hastings picked us up at Binbrook and I'm fairly sure it was Luqa, El Adem, Habbaniya, Mauripur, Negombo and Butterworth in Malaya; where we started our communist bombing detachment.
Whilst there Nasser closed the Suez and we were returned...I was one of the G.Es that travelled in the back of the Canberra as support. I think we did Habbaniya-Akrotiri-Binbrook but my recollection is clouded as I was nearly imprisoned for not declaring a cheapie watch I'd bought in Penang for my Dad.
I wouldn't be surprised if that customs officer is still wearing the watch he confiscated.
We were very quickly turned around and sent to base in Malta and bomb the airfields in Egypt. I again went in the rumble seat as tech and, because the Nav Bomber had to climb over me to get to the bombsight in the nose, and my trade was Inst Fitt and knew the bombsight well...I was allowed to do some bomb-drops...which I kept wishing was on the custom's shed at Binbrook.
The Hastings picked us up at Binbrook and I'm fairly sure it was Luqa, El Adem, Habbaniya, Mauripur, Negombo and Butterworth in Malaya; where we started our communist bombing detachment.
Whilst there Nasser closed the Suez and we were returned...I was one of the G.Es that travelled in the back of the Canberra as support. I think we did Habbaniya-Akrotiri-Binbrook but my recollection is clouded as I was nearly imprisoned for not declaring a cheapie watch I'd bought in Penang for my Dad.
I wouldn't be surprised if that customs officer is still wearing the watch he confiscated.We were very quickly turned around and sent to base in Malta and bomb the airfields in Egypt. I again went in the rumble seat as tech and, because the Nav Bomber had to climb over me to get to the bombsight in the nose, and my trade was Inst Fitt and knew the bombsight well...I was allowed to do some bomb-drops...which I kept wishing was on the custom's shed at Binbrook.
Last edited by Davita; 9th May 2014 at 00:40. Reason: thanks to ian16th...slip of the pen corrected.
Thread Starter
Thanks for the replies. A bit of Googling throws up various routings, but via Luqa, El Adem, Habbaniya, Mauripur, Negombo and then to Changi feature most.
Clyffe Pypard
!!
Pax-ed back from Akrotiri courtesy of 216 and arrived at Lyneham post midnight. Too late to go on, so taken to Clyffe for transit. This was sometime in the winter and the allocated room was stiflingly hot with a 'Tortoise' stove glowing red-hot! Climbed into bed at approx 0130 ... woke up at 0230 almost unable to move because of the cold. Staying in bed was too painful so got up, dressed, and spent the rest of the night walking around, trying to restore circulation!! Cannot imagine how anyone could have survived there for more than a couple of nights.
!!Pax-ed back from Akrotiri courtesy of 216 and arrived at Lyneham post midnight. Too late to go on, so taken to Clyffe for transit. This was sometime in the winter and the allocated room was stiflingly hot with a 'Tortoise' stove glowing red-hot! Climbed into bed at approx 0130 ... woke up at 0230 almost unable to move because of the cold. Staying in bed was too painful so got up, dressed, and spent the rest of the night walking around, trying to restore circulation!! Cannot imagine how anyone could have survived there for more than a couple of nights.
Jack, you, of all will be pleased to know that I traversed the base "Clyffe Pypard" on Tuesday this week. No sign of RAF habitation left that I could see, from your description perhaps a good thing. The Goddards Arms is still there, but not open as we passed, or we would not have passed (try getting two 60+ year old ex Herc GEs past an open pub). Especially as to get to the airfield we needed to do the equivalent of ascending the North face of the Eiger, that hill is a killer. Anyone who has supped at the Goddards Arms, and returned to his billet on RAF Clyffe Pypard has my full respect. From what I read the Northgate brewery was bought by Wadworths and went from strength to strength. This link will explain perhaps History of Brewers in Devizes Wiltshire
As for routes to the East by RAF transport aircraft, My own experience comes from being a C130 AGE from 1988 to 1995 ish. First night stop was usually Akrotiri (except that up to GW1, AKR closed to Herks on a Sunday so we usually night stopped Cairo), it was then a flag Bahrain for Columbo and points East. The chaps journey on the post I linked was a real adventure, and must have been bloomin hard work for the Air Engineer and crew, who usually did their own engine changes down route in those days. What luxury when the AGE came along, bloomin "hangars on"
Smudge
As for routes to the East by RAF transport aircraft, My own experience comes from being a C130 AGE from 1988 to 1995 ish. First night stop was usually Akrotiri (except that up to GW1, AKR closed to Herks on a Sunday so we usually night stopped Cairo), it was then a flag Bahrain for Columbo and points East. The chaps journey on the post I linked was a real adventure, and must have been bloomin hard work for the Air Engineer and crew, who usually did their own engine changes down route in those days. What luxury when the AGE came along, bloomin "hangars on"
Smudge
Last edited by smujsmith; 8th May 2014 at 20:50.
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I flew to Singapore on a Comet 2 and returned in a Britannia in 1960. The route was Lyneham to Nicosia, Sharja, Gan and Changi. We overnighted at Gan.
I imagine that the Captains had some discretion about the route, or that the RAF airfields across the world required regular visits, so it probably would depend on the day of the week.
I imagine that the Captains had some discretion about the route, or that the RAF airfields across the world required regular visits, so it probably would depend on the day of the week.
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A little late for your time-frame Warmtoast but here's one in May 1959. Hastings Mk II WD 476.
Colerne – Lyneham (Clyffe Pypard) – Luqa – El Adem – Khormaksar – Karachi – Katunayake – Changi – Labuan – Darwin – Edinburgh (Adelaide) and the same way back plus a refuelling stop in Khartoum. 19 calendar days, 118:25 hours day, 3:45 night. Double crewed freighter.
The routes used to change according to who our politicians had p****d off most recently, flight plans would be annotated “Avoiding France”, Avoiding Italy” or “Avoiding Greece”, I remember a Britannia flight plan which bore the annotation “Lyneham – Luqa avoiding Europe”.
Colerne – Lyneham (Clyffe Pypard) – Luqa – El Adem – Khormaksar – Karachi – Katunayake – Changi – Labuan – Darwin – Edinburgh (Adelaide) and the same way back plus a refuelling stop in Khartoum. 19 calendar days, 118:25 hours day, 3:45 night. Double crewed freighter.
The routes used to change according to who our politicians had p****d off most recently, flight plans would be annotated “Avoiding France”, Avoiding Italy” or “Avoiding Greece”, I remember a Britannia flight plan which bore the annotation “Lyneham – Luqa avoiding Europe”.
Lancman,
Superb, and an absolutely accurate description of Transport Ops. Many is the time I have left Lyneham to the crew expression, avoid returning to UK at all costs.
Smudge
Superb, and an absolutely accurate description of Transport Ops. Many is the time I have left Lyneham to the crew expression, avoid returning to UK at all costs.
Smudge
I was on 99 squadron Hastings at Lyneham in 1957/9. The USH (UK-Singapore-Hastings route varied, but a typical example was Lyneham, Luqa, El Adem, Habbaniya, Mauripur (Karachi), Negombo (Ceylon), Changi. Westbound from Luqa we sometimes staged through Orange in the Rhone Valley when the headwinds were too strong to make a direct flight.
Lancman is correct...and aided my memory...the airport in Negombo was RAF Katunayaka. Negombo is the name of the city in a country we used to call Ceylon.....now Sri Lanka.
When I was a Halton Brat (1952-55) there were a number of Ceylonese Apprentices..I recall they were champion boxers.
When I was a Halton Brat (1952-55) there were a number of Ceylonese Apprentices..I recall they were champion boxers.
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Brakedwell
..and I might have done the refueling
But that would only have been after May 1958, when we moved the RAF Liaison Party north to Orange from Istres.
Heavily loaded Hastings were pretty regular visitors, though our main traffic was fighters, Beverley's and Valletta's.
Westbound from Luqa we sometimes staged through Orange in the Rhone Valley when the headwinds were too strong to make a direct flight.
But that would only have been after May 1958, when we moved the RAF Liaison Party north to Orange from Istres.
Heavily loaded Hastings were pretty regular visitors, though our main traffic was fighters, Beverley's and Valletta's.
