RAF KHORMAKSAR
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: UK
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21 Sqn.
JW411. Brilliant, brings back memories, flew in XM940 a lot and KN452 on CT although I was not the regular Nav. May have been pax on the Andover on a day out to Eastleigh, but we had two so could have been the other one.
I note from log book that we ferried XM940 to Muharraq arriving 13.09.67, after steady transit via night stops Salalah and Masirah, when 21 Sqn disbanded.We parked it up by the tower with one other and they were still there when I returned on Argosy detachment in 1969.
Keep them coming.
I note from log book that we ferried XM940 to Muharraq arriving 13.09.67, after steady transit via night stops Salalah and Masirah, when 21 Sqn disbanded.We parked it up by the tower with one other and they were still there when I returned on Argosy detachment in 1969.
Keep them coming.
105 Sqn took over the Mombasa leave run contract from Aden Airways in July 1965, when security on the civil side of Khormaksar was deemed to be unsafe. Five hours each way and two hours on the ground was a long day, but (Aden Airways) crew lunches in the terminal restaurant where very good.
This photo shows the passenger baggage on the rear sill 30 minutes before departure.
This photo shows the passenger baggage on the rear sill 30 minutes before departure.
One Friday lunchtime we were visited by three French Air Force Douglas AD-4N Skyraiders from Esc.21 based across the water at Djibouti. Their arrival caused a bit of a stir since they had failed to tell ATC that they were going to do a run-in and break! They duly taxied in and parked outside 105 Squadron. Apart from the pilot upstairs they had managed to shoe-horn five or six passengers into each of the navigator's compartments downstairs. The object of the visit was to have a weekend's R & R and to collect some cheap booze.
Join Date: May 2008
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Yes, indeed, I remember having a look at those Skyraiders - and comparing their downstairs accommodation rather unfavourably with my upstairs desk in the Argosy. (Of course, I was quite unaware of the luxury that awaited some years later on the Belfast!)
233 Sqn Khormaksar
Engine problem at Mogadishu en route to Eastleigh, Nairobi from Khormaksar. Photos taken May 1962.
U/S in Mogadishu May 1962
Air Guitar by the Wing Pilot with Air Sig 'Tannoy' Brown, Sqn Ldr Ken Denham and F/L John Williams enjoying the performance! Tannoy called for spares with his morse key, one engine running
Rescue airframe brought spares. Somali Air Force DC3 in background
Could be the fire truck or the ration wagon or maybe they have just emptied the Elsan. Whole place was run down.
Waiting to become serviceable
U/S in Mogadishu May 1962
Air Guitar by the Wing Pilot with Air Sig 'Tannoy' Brown, Sqn Ldr Ken Denham and F/L John Williams enjoying the performance! Tannoy called for spares with his morse key, one engine running
Rescue airframe brought spares. Somali Air Force DC3 in background
Could be the fire truck or the ration wagon or maybe they have just emptied the Elsan. Whole place was run down.
Waiting to become serviceable
Last edited by DeanoP; 24th Sep 2020 at 23:45. Reason: Reinserted images
233 Sqn Crew Room Khormaksar
Game of 'Kirky'. 105 Sqn Copilot Fg Off facing camera. Not very salubrious but air-conditioned! Taken 1963. The paper cups were thrown out of the aircraft after use and used as navigation aids on subsequent trips - well there wasn't much else to go on over the desert!!!
Door on the right was to the TV room but you have heard that one before.
Another view of the crew room. ( Found this photo on the net). Boss Sqn Ldr Barnard on left, M.Plt. Ward facing the camera and F/L Thomas on right
Door on the right was to the TV room but you have heard that one before.
Another view of the crew room. ( Found this photo on the net). Boss Sqn Ldr Barnard on left, M.Plt. Ward facing the camera and F/L Thomas on right
Last edited by DeanoP; 24th Sep 2020 at 23:59. Reason: Reinserted images
During my Twin Pioneer conversion with 78sqn in August 1959 we lost an engine on the way into Kamaran and had to night stop. HM's reprepresentitive was a real Peter Sellers type who put us up in a disused bungalow next the beach. Dimitri, the Greek owner of the only shop on the island, kept us supplied with copious amounts of beer and a good night was had by all. We were rescued the next day and the engine change was completed the following week.
His name was Archie Wilson and he was indeed a bit of a character. I took the C-in-C, Admiral Sir Michael Le Fanu (who was a wonderful chap) plus FOME and their two ladies up there to stay for the weekend. I have some photographs somewhere of Archie's residence. He asked me if I could post some mail for him when I got back to Aden. One piece had to go by registered post (it apparently contained his son's school fees for the coming year). Of course, I was happy to do this.
He asked me how many men I had on my crew? I told him five whereupon he summoned his major-domo and told him to fetch five crabs! I thought this was definitely eccentric but kept my peace. He duly came back with a cool box and Archie asked me to send it back to him with Richard Willey who was due to pick up his guests on the Monday morning.
I gave the cool box to that most wonderful of all Loadmasters, Tony Hughes, to look after. Shortly after take-off, Tony came upstairs and asked me if I had actually seen the crabs. Every single one was the size of a huge dinner plate and would have fed an army. Archie wasn't as eccentric as I thought!
Happy Days.
He asked me how many men I had on my crew? I told him five whereupon he summoned his major-domo and told him to fetch five crabs! I thought this was definitely eccentric but kept my peace. He duly came back with a cool box and Archie asked me to send it back to him with Richard Willey who was due to pick up his guests on the Monday morning.
I gave the cool box to that most wonderful of all Loadmasters, Tony Hughes, to look after. Shortly after take-off, Tony came upstairs and asked me if I had actually seen the crabs. Every single one was the size of a huge dinner plate and would have fed an army. Archie wasn't as eccentric as I thought!
Happy Days.
Khormaksar from the north-east in 1950.
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Thank you, everyone, for the wonderful pictures of Khormaksar. I had the 'pleasure' of visiting several times in the 1950s, including accompanying a party from 'Flight' magazine in 1952 who were touring the RAF in MEAF for a feature on 'The Queen's Air Forces', which appeared in the issue for 29th May 1953.