When I handed in my kit . . .
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
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5aday, one of our copilots was posted with immediate effect (nothing bad - I think a CFS slot came up) and he was off. There was no question of clearing. Much fuss and bluster from the jobs lots.
We attached a photo to his clearly card "If you don't recognise this man, sign the card,". Job done .
We attached a photo to his clearly card "If you don't recognise this man, sign the card,". Job done .
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When it came my turn to be promoted to civilian, the final step in the process was to attend at Gen Office with the dance card all filled in, and sign the OSA and then go. I had been on the strength of four different stations in the last six months, so I was confident that nobody knew where I was, never mind what kit I had.
So I turn up with my partly falsified blue card full of signatures, some of my kit dispersed among the troops, some at home, and some in the car outside.
The young Cpl in charge, picks up two copies of the OSA declaration form. He hands one to me, and said, "sign here please" as he signed, and stamped as witnessed, the other one.
I signed one and gave it to him and he hands me the other saying, "sign that one now" as someone else spoke to him, so he turned away. I put the unsigned one in my folder with the rest of the stuff I had collected and walked out the door, a free man.
I still have that form which I have not signed, but it is countersigned and stamped to say that I have.
So I turn up with my partly falsified blue card full of signatures, some of my kit dispersed among the troops, some at home, and some in the car outside.
The young Cpl in charge, picks up two copies of the OSA declaration form. He hands one to me, and said, "sign here please" as he signed, and stamped as witnessed, the other one.
I signed one and gave it to him and he hands me the other saying, "sign that one now" as someone else spoke to him, so he turned away. I put the unsigned one in my folder with the rest of the stuff I had collected and walked out the door, a free man.
I still have that form which I have not signed, but it is countersigned and stamped to say that I have.
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Most companies give you a watch for long service. When I left after over 30 years service, I was charged for my pilots watch, which was over 20 years old. Unfortunately I could not find it to hand in and to this day I still can’t.
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Lots, the Squadron inventory holders were told to list what was lost and a lot of stuff lost beforehand and afterwards was added, it was such a rush job no one knew exactly what was on board, Odious was a hectic place, Chinooks were being modded, Puma was going, so company producing bags for them employed, then that cancelled and Wessex going as commonality with RN, then cancelled, helicopters swopping over to cover the NI detachments and then being cancelled, and then when the Conveyor went new Chinooks were having to be robbed to generate spares as a lot were now at the bottom of the Atlantic, even a Harrier turfing up to trial and see if a Chinook could be used as a glorified APU. They even lost ( as it was a civi ship ) all the cheques the guys had spent in the bar.
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Last edited by NutLoose; 29th Jul 2018 at 23:45.
A friend records in his autobiography, that I helped him resolve some deficiencies in his kit after an aircraft incident in some distant and inaccessible part of the Commonwealth.
As I was the supply officer at his unit, his claim that I helped him is a foul slur on my good name and reputation. I'm sure my exact words were: "Get your ass back up the jungle and don't darken my door again until you've found it all".
(I do have a professional modus to protect)!!!!!
Old Duffer
As I was the supply officer at his unit, his claim that I helped him is a foul slur on my good name and reputation. I'm sure my exact words were: "Get your ass back up the jungle and don't darken my door again until you've found it all".
(I do have a professional modus to protect)!!!!!
Old Duffer
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
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Conveyor
I was told, OK hearsay, that the Vulcan that crashed in Anglesey had a two-door cabinet with a load of docs on board. That was 20 years prior.
I think other aircraft that crashed also had all their kit, like engine blanks and wheel spats on on-board, so Atlantic Conveyor was not the exception.
I think other aircraft that crashed also had all their kit, like engine blanks and wheel spats on on-board, so Atlantic Conveyor was not the exception.
Atlantic Gonveyer
I was on Ascension a couple of days after the Atlantic Conveyer was sunk. I was talking to the Fg Off Supplier when we were joined by CAS. There was a continuous train of RN Helicopters loading and unloading the ships. The CAS asked the Supplier if there were any problems ,to be told that the Supplier was worried about accounting for the kit arriving and departing as there was no way of recording what went where. The CAS replied " Do not worry. We will work out what left UK, what gets back and everything else was on the Atlantic Conveyer."
I first heard of this practice in the early 60s when an RN helicopter Planeguard had to ditch from the hover after an engine failure. After all the lost tools, mess kits etc had been added it was found to be a couple of tons above MTOW!!
And then of course there was the "unfortunate" fire at the Army depot at Kineton, which cleared a lot of accounting problems!!
I first heard of this practice in the early 60s when an RN helicopter Planeguard had to ditch from the hover after an engine failure. After all the lost tools, mess kits etc had been added it was found to be a couple of tons above MTOW!!
And then of course there was the "unfortunate" fire at the Army depot at Kineton, which cleared a lot of accounting problems!!
Well possibly the two fires at Donington supply depot, the supply squadron at Lossiemouth, an RMAF Caribou in the Sabah rain forest and, I expect, many more!
O-D
O-D
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All went well on my departure from Wittering everything signed and accounted for including my PE kit. I must have been the only person who ever returned a a complete set. That was until I attempted to handed back the 1 (F) squadron transit spares inventory of which I was the holder. I was short of 11 wing tanks ! To this day i cannot fathom why it was an odd number or that stores even believed I had them stashed away somewhere for sale at a later date.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Thread Starter
On missing stores, I recall signing the arming log, 2986 or something close, pocketing a load arming pins, and returning with empty bomb racks. As far as I know we never reconciled what was loaded with where it ended up. Certainly if someone pitched up with the bomb serial number and a bill for a new greenhouse it could be checked back.
And the pins? Great for all the strong split rings.
,
And the pins? Great for all the strong split rings.
,
Thought police antagonist
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Being in Germany when my PVR date came through, nothing simple like clearing from Bruggen ( and the RAF ) was allowed thus my one, and only, visit to Innsworth was duly decreed.
The stores bit was "interesting " in that it became evident from the immaculately attired career jobsworth she disapproved of my decision to leave and thus was determined to extract money from me. The first problem was a greatcoat, or rather the absence of one. I explained it had long been disposed of at Valley, true, but sadly failed to add the disposal was via Bangor Uni when such items were "must have " fashion accessories for any self respecting student. We moved on to the legendary "deep sea box" made of wood many will recall. Again, I was ahead of my time with re cycling because the gliding club had been the beneficiary of this item ( the second tour version was cardboard and fitted nicely into a skip )
Undeterred, she asked for the towels.....success ! the first "kerching ! " on the bill....likewise with the PT kit, long since used for rags, and not having the allocated number of shirts...as " we don't want you masquerading as a serviceman when you leave ! "....immortal words really as I pointed out I had been doing so for a number of years anyway, and having wasted 18months of my life waiting to leave ( this was late 70's early 80's ) strangely I was in no great rush to impersonate anybody in uniform. The total was about £ 7 or £8 quid.
Then came the paperwork.....and proof of life after death. Enter a room with one poor SAC clerk, I did feel sorry for the guy, seriously, surrounded by about 6 or 7 W.O..s ( see life after death because they must have been resurrected every morning ) one of whom made the enticing offer to stay in.....alas, my response was not quite to his satisfaction and I was reminded of my status ...until I pointed out the SAC had my 1250 and had signed for it thus one was now a Mr.
My major interest was scanning the chinagraph scrawls on a board giving dates for those I had just left as these only appeared a matter of weeks before you departed....apparently there were some very confused and upset admin people at Bruggen when my mates broke the news to them "somewhat prematurely ".
The stores bit was "interesting " in that it became evident from the immaculately attired career jobsworth she disapproved of my decision to leave and thus was determined to extract money from me. The first problem was a greatcoat, or rather the absence of one. I explained it had long been disposed of at Valley, true, but sadly failed to add the disposal was via Bangor Uni when such items were "must have " fashion accessories for any self respecting student. We moved on to the legendary "deep sea box" made of wood many will recall. Again, I was ahead of my time with re cycling because the gliding club had been the beneficiary of this item ( the second tour version was cardboard and fitted nicely into a skip )
Undeterred, she asked for the towels.....success ! the first "kerching ! " on the bill....likewise with the PT kit, long since used for rags, and not having the allocated number of shirts...as " we don't want you masquerading as a serviceman when you leave ! "....immortal words really as I pointed out I had been doing so for a number of years anyway, and having wasted 18months of my life waiting to leave ( this was late 70's early 80's ) strangely I was in no great rush to impersonate anybody in uniform. The total was about £ 7 or £8 quid.
Then came the paperwork.....and proof of life after death. Enter a room with one poor SAC clerk, I did feel sorry for the guy, seriously, surrounded by about 6 or 7 W.O..s ( see life after death because they must have been resurrected every morning ) one of whom made the enticing offer to stay in.....alas, my response was not quite to his satisfaction and I was reminded of my status ...until I pointed out the SAC had my 1250 and had signed for it thus one was now a Mr.
My major interest was scanning the chinagraph scrawls on a board giving dates for those I had just left as these only appeared a matter of weeks before you departed....apparently there were some very confused and upset admin people at Bruggen when my mates broke the news to them "somewhat prematurely ".
Last edited by Krystal n chips; 31st Jul 2018 at 12:56.
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On my return from RAF Stanley in 1983, I proceeded to return to Supply Sqn at RAF Uxbridge all my issued Warry/Chilly/Tropical kit I had been issued at RAF Innsworth (following a long drive there to get it all in the first place). The latter items were apparently demed essential for the 2 days at ASI whilst waiting for SS Uganda to set sail. Anyway, I digress ...
Various heavy/expensive/bulky items are duly passed over the counter. There is, however, a DEFICIENCY!! Mugs, Plastic, Olive-Green, Brews for the use of, qty 1 (one). Somone had nicked mine in the Tower at Stanley, despite the 2.5 rings of white tape around it. At this point, MoD/Supply policies are inflexible ... it was issued by Innsworth, and Uxbridge doesn’t have the authority to write it off!! “That will be £1.87, Sir”.
On the plus side, I had managed to scrounge a couple of pairs of Trousers, Lightweight, OG from the Army down there, who clearly had a more flexible approach. I requested one pair for me and one smaller pair for the OH
Various heavy/expensive/bulky items are duly passed over the counter. There is, however, a DEFICIENCY!! Mugs, Plastic, Olive-Green, Brews for the use of, qty 1 (one). Somone had nicked mine in the Tower at Stanley, despite the 2.5 rings of white tape around it. At this point, MoD/Supply policies are inflexible ... it was issued by Innsworth, and Uxbridge doesn’t have the authority to write it off!! “That will be £1.87, Sir”.
On the plus side, I had managed to scrounge a couple of pairs of Trousers, Lightweight, OG from the Army down there, who clearly had a more flexible approach. I requested one pair for me and one smaller pair for the OH
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MPN11
I have one mug spare, no i did not nick yours. I was clearing out my attic last night in preparation for our last ever house move and i found my old one. I have no idea why i keep such Cra9
I have one mug spare, no i did not nick yours. I was clearing out my attic last night in preparation for our last ever house move and i found my old one. I have no idea why i keep such Cra9
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I keep telling myself to have a major purge, but what can one do with Greatcoats, No1 and No5 ... of both genders, as she has a magnetic field of her own!!
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I did four months in the sandy wastes of Als garage, and before going out there I was issued with the required kit which included a full set of goretex, a rather comfortable sleeping back and liner and a Bergen to carry it all in. When I got back I I was told it was a pretty good chance I would be going back again so I was to keep the uniform kit, but they wanted the Bergen and sleeping bag back pronto. Somehow they forgot the goretex, but about three months later I got called into stores to be issued with something that was a replacement for something else. As everyone on site was getting rekitted they took the old one back at the counter, signed off your blue book as having returned it, handed you your blue book and told you to go through the door to the other room and pick up the new stuff which would be added to the blue book there.
I am not suggesting that between being handed my blue book and handing it back again there was a point where the signatures for a couple of choice items in the "returned" were filled in with a meaningless squiggle, but when it came to hand back all my kit when I left there was no request for the goretex to be returned.....
Handing back the kit consisted of rocking up at stores with several black bags of mostly blue uniform, and a "well I'm going into the reserves" excuse. I'm still wearing a set of high leg boots for gardening, and there are a few items in cupboards, but at least I keep dry when I walk the dog in the rain
I am not suggesting that between being handed my blue book and handing it back again there was a point where the signatures for a couple of choice items in the "returned" were filled in with a meaningless squiggle, but when it came to hand back all my kit when I left there was no request for the goretex to be returned.....
Handing back the kit consisted of rocking up at stores with several black bags of mostly blue uniform, and a "well I'm going into the reserves" excuse. I'm still wearing a set of high leg boots for gardening, and there are a few items in cupboards, but at least I keep dry when I walk the dog in the rain
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I was a great believer in the magic of multi coloured pens, I at several stations looked at my clearance chits and thought, never been there.... signed... no point clearing there.... signed.. never was queried, same with clearing accomodation etc, having stood on my mattress when moving out I was horrified at the dirty great footprint on it, promptly circled and signed... not a problem, the sword isn't mightier than the pen. Bruggen had the best system, it went round the internal mail.
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Seeing as got an accompanied passage and lived out all of my tour, it only ever saw service as a shaving mug.
A task that it fulfils to this day.