Taceval, Maxival and Minival
Rules for over 60s:
1. never trust a fart
2. never waste an erection
3. never pass up a bog-break.
1. never trust a fart
2. never waste an erection
3. never pass up a bog-break.
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We were used by DISTAFF to test unit responses to a defecting Russian aircraft. With Soviet speakers on the sqn it gave a degree of authenticity to the exercise.
I engineered one for a Station Maxeval. It arrived a week or two before the event, when the Station was at an enhanced Alert State [I can't recall the exact terminology, but you know which one I mean]. It was part of a slow build-up to "Day One", and which most people seemed to ignore!
Anyway. The aircrew were all friendly. So friendly, in fact, that one of them even had the Raid Plan for the first day of the Maxeval in his Nav Bag (kindly provided by myself, just to see what would happen).
Nothing happened. I don't know whether the bag was never searched, or just ignored as a piece of "Exercise paper", but the raids happened exactly as scheduled, with everyone being surprised by attacking aircraft
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We had a delightful minival at Alconbury. The first the Base Commander knew was when he saw us trundling slowly down his runway. We were met by a follow me vehicle and guided around the airfield.
The Base Commander then did us the honour of inviting us to the debrief.
Naturally they should have bottled us up and got us out of the aircraft. He then told his fire chief, a Top Master Sergeant or something that he should use his fire trucks as blocking vehicles.
The Sgt replied that he was not about to risk his $100,000 trucks thus proving he had a firm grasp of the inessentials and never seen the big picture
Very illuminating.
The Base Commander then did us the honour of inviting us to the debrief.
Naturally they should have bottled us up and got us out of the aircraft. He then told his fire chief, a Top Master Sergeant or something that he should use his fire trucks as blocking vehicles.
The Sgt replied that he was not about to risk his $100,000 trucks thus proving he had a firm grasp of the inessentials and never seen the big picture
Very illuminating.
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We were used by DISTAFF to test unit responses to a defecting Russian aircraft. With Soviet speakers on the sqn it gave a degree of authenticity to the exercise.
We did hear a rumour that the Soviet Embassy formally objected to the dayglow stars added to the shack for these exercises.... this one was taken heading for Colt. The offending star is under the beam window.
We did hear a rumour that the Soviet Embassy formally objected to the dayglow stars added to the shack for these exercises.... this one was taken heading for Colt. The offending star is under the beam window.
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I like the picture of the Jag trying to keep up 
Hat/coat/taxi
Hat/coat/taxi
Avoid imitations
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During a TACEVAL on an extremely windy day in northern Germany, our squadron electricity supply was soon "knocked out" by "injects" and everything was running on a big portable standby generator located between our hangars. On leaving the main hangar by the rear door, on my way to lunch, I spotted a large round, drab olive painted, metal object lying in the grass immediately adjacent to the path. To me, it looked suspiciously like a "land mine" of some sort, obviously put there to cause further chaos, possibly to deny access to the generator. I reported it to Ops, whereupon the duty Rockape was sent to investigate. He came back shortly afterwards, confirming my suspicion. The hangar evacuation plan was immediately put in motion. I went to lunch, which was my original destination, taking an alternative route....
The incident soon caused much confusion and consternation amongst the TACEVAL team, because it turned out not to be an "exercise inject" of theirs. The plot thickened, which caused further planned exercise scenarios to be abandoned.
The item turned out to be the metal air filter cover from the big generator, which had vibrated loose and been blown by the strong wind, like a frisbee, fifteen metres across the grass!
The incident soon caused much confusion and consternation amongst the TACEVAL team, because it turned out not to be an "exercise inject" of theirs. The plot thickened, which caused further planned exercise scenarios to be abandoned.
The item turned out to be the metal air filter cover from the big generator, which had vibrated loose and been blown by the strong wind, like a frisbee, fifteen metres across the grass!
Have been following this thread and am surprised no-one has mentioned 'Micks' & 'Micky Finns' a la Scampton mid/late Sixties. I arrived there fresh from Boy Entrant training and the first time the hooter/tannoy went at some ungodly hour, it was a choice between jumping into my hairy blue and hightailing it to the hangar or to spend my last four minutes on earth in bed... (They never announced such things as 'Exercise' until later in the game).
My first Mickey Finn saw us crammed into a Whistling Tit and despatched to Kinloss. Return post-Ex was on a Hastings. We disembarked at Scampton to be greeted with the news that another Hastings had crashed with the loss of all on-board. (Incorrect assembly of elevator controls?).
There was a feeling at times that 'Micks' were sometimes called to generate frames in an attempt to meet that month's flying hours target. Could have been disgruntled 'rumour control' at work of course due to the frequency of such activities. Scampton in general (at least amongst the ground-crew) was generally considered not to be a happy place but my eighteen months there gave me an interesting and educational introduction to being a 'rigger.' An experience I always looked back on in a very positive light.
My first Mickey Finn saw us crammed into a Whistling Tit and despatched to Kinloss. Return post-Ex was on a Hastings. We disembarked at Scampton to be greeted with the news that another Hastings had crashed with the loss of all on-board. (Incorrect assembly of elevator controls?).
There was a feeling at times that 'Micks' were sometimes called to generate frames in an attempt to meet that month's flying hours target. Could have been disgruntled 'rumour control' at work of course due to the frequency of such activities. Scampton in general (at least amongst the ground-crew) was generally considered not to be a happy place but my eighteen months there gave me an interesting and educational introduction to being a 'rigger.' An experience I always looked back on in a very positive light.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
LL, lots of mentions just no names.
I remember the Hastings crash, in 1965 with a load of para on board.
Hastings were grounded world wide and crews grounded with them. We were at El Adem and a Hastings crew was attached to OC GD Flt - not happy bunnies.
I remember the Hastings crash, in 1965 with a load of para on board.
Hastings were grounded world wide and crews grounded with them. We were at El Adem and a Hastings crew was attached to OC GD Flt - not happy bunnies.
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At Akrotiri 1965-67 there were no Tacevels or suchlike but there were 3 or 4 "base alerts". I worked in the commcen which ran 24/7 with 4 shifts. Upon "base alert" being called we simply moved to a 3 watch system with the watch on "day off" splitting into 3 and joining the other 3 watches; the ops room staff did the same. However, the squadrons (and there were a LOT of them) did their own thing and the messes found this very difficult to deal with.
The staish was a pint-sized Air Commodore with a double-barrelled name who became highly agitated whenever "shapes" were being shuffled around the Canberras. Always nice to be in the Ops Room "secure cell" watching the goings on thru the one-way glass!
Being a shift worker overseas meant working a 42 hour week, just as it was in the UK, whilst everyone else worked a 30 hour week (or less!)
I was also at RAF Driffield in 1962 when things got very tense and our USAF friends with their/our Thor missiles were a bit trigger-happy
The staish was a pint-sized Air Commodore with a double-barrelled name who became highly agitated whenever "shapes" were being shuffled around the Canberras. Always nice to be in the Ops Room "secure cell" watching the goings on thru the one-way glass!
Being a shift worker overseas meant working a 42 hour week, just as it was in the UK, whilst everyone else worked a 30 hour week (or less!)
I was also at RAF Driffield in 1962 when things got very tense and our USAF friends with their/our Thor missiles were a bit trigger-happy
some years ago, an emergency services colleague of mine used to take great delight in telling me about his time in the M.T......mainly in RAFG in the early '80s. During one taceval, he reckoned he turned over in bed in his mq and went back to sleep when the balloon went up. For another, when he was single, he'd just got back to the accommodation in the early hours. TACEVAL kicks off......unfortunately, he'd been dancing the night away to Boney M and assorted sh*t euro disco pop and his feet were rather swollen. He had to spend most of the TACEVAL wearing cowboy boots! Then there was the time he and his partner in crime borrowed the staish's staff car....complete with flags. The SWO did a double take as he wafted by in the rear of said staff car!
Having devoured this thread, I now know for certain that he wasn't bullsh*tting me! And they reckon firefighters are miscreants!!
Brilliant thread!!
MD
Having devoured this thread, I now know for certain that he wasn't bullsh*tting me! And they reckon firefighters are miscreants!!
Brilliant thread!!
MD
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Richardson
North Lewis I presume.
The staish was a pint-sized Air Commodore with a double-barrelled name who became highly agitated
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Then there was the time he and his partner in crime borrowed the staish's staff car....complete with flags. The SWO did a double take as he wafted by in the rear of said staff car!
I was pleased to note that on the next exercise he was in a rag-top SWB LandRover, otherwise I would have engineered his 'exercise demise'
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MPN, Stacey at Akrotiri used a white landrover with silver hand rails in the back so that he would be noticed. One exercise NEAF kept track of him sending Canberras from 39 to watch him.
Next time his landrover was camouflaged, Vulcan grey/green and high gloss. Asked why by a mate off 56, he explained that at first he needed a white landie so the troops would get to know him. Once they had he went tactical.
Next time his landrover was camouflaged, Vulcan grey/green and high gloss. Asked why by a mate off 56, he explained that at first he needed a white landie so the troops would get to know him. Once they had he went tactical.
langleybaston
I wish I'd taken a bog break prior to reading this.....off to get some clean duds! Thanks LB!!
MD
Rules for over 60s:
1. never trust a fart
2. never waste an erection
3. never pass up a bog-break
1. never trust a fart
2. never waste an erection
3. never pass up a bog-break
MD
Last edited by mopardave; 16th Oct 2015 at 19:53. Reason: spelling
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According to Taceval scenarios Balmullo was full of Soviet sleepers just waiting to run amok on Leuchars if the balloon went up.
Personally, I never trusted the ladies in the feeders!
Personally, I never trusted the ladies in the feeders!
Lyneham Lad, I am so pleased that your recollection is the same as mine. My working life started at Waddo in the 60s, and like you, my memory is that at no time was it ever mentioned that it was an exercise when the hooter went. I mentioned this on another thread on here and was flamed. Perhaps we were living in a parallel universe?
My plan as to how I spent my last four minutes involved a sprint to "Manchester" block as the WRAF accommodation was called at that time. Scampton did not have the luxury of females on camp in those days.
My plan as to how I spent my last four minutes involved a sprint to "Manchester" block as the WRAF accommodation was called at that time. Scampton did not have the luxury of females on camp in those days.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
dkh, what was said by the girls doing the off base callout was often "an Irish gentleman has come and called." The exercise names were classified Restricted but never-the-less not bandied around as parts of the exercise were Secret.
There were not enough exercise rounds so warshot were loaded on Mickey Finn and then off loaded before dispersal. On Mick it was warshot all the way.
When fully generated on a Mick almost the whole force was ready at 15 minutes, fully armed and go bags issued.
Pick the wrong moment and you could have started WW3.
There were not enough exercise rounds so warshot were loaded on Mickey Finn and then off loaded before dispersal. On Mick it was warshot all the way.
When fully generated on a Mick almost the whole force was ready at 15 minutes, fully armed and go bags issued.
Pick the wrong moment and you could have started WW3.
Could start a whole thread about exercises at B...k on the bump in the early eighties, well "ground" side any way. All exercise injects Erie well planned, and as distaff I learned as much a I "taught". Included letter bombing and hoax phone calling the stash, and a Taceval Pt 1 that started not at 00silly but 1220 (apparently idea was to catch staish napping and thus engineer change at the top). However, station entire for it at and passed. Another poster on here will know what went on in the higher echelons, but at my level it was all good natured, and quite good fun. Thought we had seen the end of polythene NBC shelters until w saw film of the Ebola clinics in W Africa last year. Maybe they would have worked.
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My working life started at Waddo in the 60s, and like you, my memory is that at no time was it ever mentioned that it was an exercise when the hooter went.
and a Taceval Pt 1 that started not at 00silly but 1220