Catering Tales

[MPN11]

How to keep slim. Afternoon shift in Strubby GCA meant you had to leave Manby before Lunch. Morning shift meant you got back to Manby after Lunch. A Day-worker covered the overlap of the shifts, who probably got no Lunch either!

[Dan Gerous]

That pic brings back the memories MPN11. I well remember the SAS catering tent. I recall the Pizza's as being pretty good, and there was always a rush to get there and get one before they ran out. I don't remember them doing them every day, but I may be wrong. I was there Dec82-May 83, so if you were in part responsible, thanks. I worked over at those 4 Rubbs (Called Spandrells), in the background, which was Ground Equip/GSES. At the join in your pic where the sea meets land, the 3 section tent to the right of the dark mound, was where the "proper" mess was located. I think this was RAF run, but the Army had a say in the portion sizes, and they were small, so most of us just used to go to the SAS for Scooby Snacks. Meat, cheese and jam on 3 slices of bread, in one large convenient serving, with no plates to wash after. I think most of us put away a lot of food down there and never seemed to put weight on, but one guy who did gain a little, earned the nickname Spandrell Belly.

[MPN11]

Not me, Dan Gerous ... I was there May-Sep 83, so just missed you! SASDet was, of course, very conveniently located opposite ATC. As was the "Sapper Crapper"* just out of shot to the right.


* Slight thread drift: ATC had a proper flush toilet on the ground floor [the old passenger terminal). One of my young ATCOs dived into the tower water tank and repaired the 30mm cannon holes in it, so that it [largely] held water again. Topped up by the fire section, and the key held by the ATC Supervisor! Access by ATC and OC Ops (C4) only, unless someone wanted to do some trading for the use of it!

[Saint Jack]

1. As a Boy Entrant at St. Athan circa 1962 the food in one of the messes (not ours) was so bad that two entire entries boycotted a meal time, needless to say it got someone's attention as the CO was a Group Captain.
2. Seletar circa 1966, West Camp Airman's Mess, one of the best lunch buffet spreads I've ever seen on a military installation. the cheeseboard was extraordinary.
3. Not military, but on an offshore oil installation tied-up at Shanghai I had one of the best lunches I've ever had - roast lamb, roast potatoes and ALL the trimmings, would have cost a fortune elsewhere.

[Kerosene Kraut]

Great thread. However I'd miss some pictures please.

[Onceapilot]

Delivered a Tonka to Honnington from Bruggen in mid '80s, with a VIP Andover laid on to return us, sharpish, back to Bruggen (due on in QRA!). Anyhow, the Andover was available to take us as it had been on standby for a task transporting Mrs T somewhere. The Andover was pristine so, felt a little incongruous trying not to soil the decor in full Tonka kit! Andover crew were great, full silver service, fine teas, salmon sandwiches, vol-au-vents and clotted cream scones all served with style and a smile in the plush, sound deadened VIP transport! Apparently, Mrs T had taken the train instead, the aircraft was released to transport us and, we got Mrs T's grub! Great!

OAP

[Pontius Navigator]

Stn Cdr at Akrotiri, Air Cdre Stacey, was an extrovert Alpha Male and loved to show off. Lord Carrington was staging through an route Far East and arriving at dawn. Naturally this was too good an opportunity to show boat so Stacey laid on a full white-glove, silver-service breakfast on the cliff tops as the Sun rose.

Style.

[Dan Winterland]

VC10 tanker self catering on Operation Provide Comfort (Incirlik) often included 'Betty Crocker' cake mixes. The cake would be mixed en-route to the towline, baked while 'sausage side' and eaten with coffee on RTB. We used to take a lot of American passengers on these trips as they couldn't fly in their own nation's aircraft and also because if they crossed the border, got yet another medal. A PA would be made stating that we were now over enemy territory and that the US passengers could have a medal, all passengers of other nations could have a slice of cake. One day we had a news team from the Washington Post flying with us who reported the cake baking activities in their journal. The British Ambassador to Washington read it and choked on his morning croissant. The news reached us at lightning speed the day after the flight concerned. We continued to bake cakes.

[spekesoftly]

Originally Posted by MPN11

How to keep slim. Afternoon shift in Strubby GCA meant you had to leave Manby before Lunch. Morning shift meant you got back to Manby after Lunch. A Day-worker covered the overlap of the shifts, who probably got no Lunch either!

Things had improved by the early 70s. ATC could take an early lunch in the Manby 'aircrew diner'. There were also catering facilities at Strubby itself, where the Morning and Day shifts could eat at lunchtime.

[TLDNMCL]

Solo Pax on a Tristar!

A very long time ago, I was ear-marked to be the next Dulles Red-Eye groundcrew member on the regular VC10 "Diplomatic" trips. We were carrying a coupleu of fuel computers / regulators for a Tristar which had gone sick in Anchorage. The idea was that we would drop in at Goose, the Tri would transit Canada on two engines, we would hand over the spares and be on our way.
On arrival, an apparent Eskimo wearing RAF Sgt. stripes boarded, "Got a TLDNMCL on board?" "Yep, that's me."
"Read this" (Hands me a signal print-out).
In short, the weather was so buggered across Alaska, that the Tri couldn't leave to make the trip to meet us. I would have to courier the spares via Dulles, then civvy flights to Salt Lake City, ditto to Anchorage pending weather improvements, (The 10 was scheduled for other tasking, had to continue the planned Red-Eye) hence plan B.
Got there, handed over spares and off to the hotel. When I awoke, I realised I had not received any re-joining instructions! Call back to Brize "Cadge a lift back with 216 when their aircraft is fixed."
Aeroplane fixed, flight crew plus one very bored steward on the leg back from Alaska - UK; oh and one passenger. Couple that with an over- catered aeroplane, no in flight entertainment, and a steward with sod all to do. I think the flight crew did rather well out of it too...

[Dougie M]

In Riyadh during the Gulf war we had two Caterers who were tasked to reduce the cost of HOTAC and were known collectively as Melchett and Darling. They decreed that preflight meals would be taken at King Khaled International feeder where the airfield defence force dwelt in the stygian gloom of the subterranean offices. At the outbreak of hostilities the Saudi Air stewards and cooks mysteriously vanished but undeterred this stalwart team brought on the B team and posted that "A simple egg meal" would be provided. This consisted of a foot wide Saudi flatbread, slit open at a point on the circumference, into which a lightly fried egg was delivered with force by a surly Cpl cook. The trick was then to carefully bite into the flatbread without squirting egg all over your lap. Melchett and Darling wrote each other up so laudably that they got an OBE and MBE on returning to the U.K. It makes you proud to serve.

[turbroprop]

First Gulf Shindig

Billy Smarts Bahrain.

[132bod]

Originally Posted by turbroprop

First Gulf Shindig

Billy Smarts Bahrain.

Nice food if you didn't mind the LOX store next door! When a new larger tank was going to be installed, I queried "You really want that here?" and explained the consequence of damage.

The new tank got installed out in the boondocks, no lights and a half hour baggage tractor drive each way.

[ivor toolbox]

RAF Swinderby, Jul/Aug 79, and our entry is off to the Catterick training area for a weeks camping, known as MFT. Arrive on site, build tents and dig latrines etc, first nights food, a stew, supplied in hot boxes that had come all the way from Swinderby at 45mph in 4 tonner with rest of convoy. Trouble is, hot boxes came with an added bonus bug... cue lots of running about in the dark and full latrine trenches overnight and a visit from the Swinderby MO with 'Immodium' in a jab format for 180 airmen. Yours truly, and one of the DI staff had declined the stew the night before, and only had mashed potato, so we didn't suffer, but we weren't popular next day.


Ttfn

[Pontius Navigator]

RAF South Cerney, winter '61 in the Brecons, no hot locks. Lunch first day, peel spuds, put in water dixies, bring to the boil and boil and boil. Some hours later they were still like rocks.

Lunch time approached and minced beef and mashed potatoes served and all fellow cadets satisfied with our efforts.

Post lunch the DS made us retrieve the rock like spuds from the river, chop them up into smaller pieces and try again. They were ready for summer.

No one any the wiser and we his the powdered potato tins.

[Nomendum]

Coltishall, 1965.

J.R.'s Mess had a very bad cockroach problem, around the server.

Cue comment in Mess Comments Book:


"At supper last night, there were more cockroaches than dinners, If you cannot get rid of them, please can you arrange a separate sitting for them".

A sad tale from an otherwise super station.

[Tengah Type]

In the early days of the VC10K the" Powers that be" had decided to save money by not having ALMs on the crews. The "Cabin Supervisor" duties could be carried out by a spare aircrew member. We had also acquired a stock of ex-BA First Class cutlery and crockery. It was also agreed by Accounts that, to save money when down route, they would pay $10US per head to self cater which was a big saving on the cost of airline meals trucked in from miles away. It became a matter of pride to do a great job of catering if you were the Cabin Supervisor, sometimes with unforseen circumstances.

On one trip across Canada we had 2 VIP seats installed on the port side of the cabin for a 4* and his PSO. VIP meals were trucked in at vast expense for them . After they had been fed their very nice but very small VIP meals, they were able to watch the groundcrew the other side of the aisle enjoy the usual home cooked meal. Fish Platter as starter, 16oz Steak cooked to order with Onions, Mushroom and Baked Tomato served with Jacket Potato and sour cream, Salad and choice of Dressings .This was followed by a choice of several Ice Creams and Cheesecakes. Together with a glass of Chilled Grape Juice, all this on Gold Rimmed Crockery with proper cutlery. Jealous!

This was a better service than the F4 crews received on one flight between FI and Ascension. They had requested bite sized sandwiches, Mars Bars, apples and containers of drinks. After a few hours airborne the first box was opened and found to contain All the sandwiches. The other box on that aircraft had All the Mars Bars!! The other crew had all the apples and all the drinks!!

Still that was better than a subsequent Tornado F3 flight where the in flight meals contained Pot Noodles - our suggestions for a scource of fluids to use were not well received.

My best memory was when we had two VC10Ks operating over Northern Iraq with the entire RAF fast jet contingent. It was my 50th Birthday and the other crew had baked me a birthday cake, over Iraq on an operational mission. Thanks Rupe.

#27 Fareast driver ref Sepulot. I flew in to there in a Twin Pin in Dec 63. The resident company of the KOYLI had been on Stand To over night, and when one of the crews returned to their gun pit, after breakfast, they found a 15ft python in it which had probably been their all night. We had it for lunch!!

[BEagle]

I recall a trip in ROZ2 over Northern Iraq with Tengah Type navigating and his-excellency-the-future-mayor-of-Cartoontown as Air Eng. Between them they took it in turns to cook up the most superb meal of beef olives in the little galley after the FJs had left and we were waiting for them to return for their double dip 30 min later. That set the scene for future flights, so much so that the co-pilot and I had to plead just to have a sandwich or two later in the week after having dined on Basil's 'kangaroo flip-flop' and shrimp tava the previous evening!

[multum in parvo]

RAF Wyton,86-88, a catering officer that was not afraid to push out the boundaries. Stewards were taught to flambe a steak at the table and, during a FI detachment, a request for oak chippings so that smoked trout were delivered by return. Outstanding.

[Pontius Navigator]

RAF Cottesmore, 65, bit of a speaker clash between senior married and junior livers in with Mess social functions liver out orientated. In retaliation livers in started to go to dinner at the same time on Saturday nights and in DJs. It was informal but the staff to the occur and Saturday dinner was not to be missed.

PMC, very old school, turned up in sports jacket, thought he had got the dress code wrong and departed