Happy 105th Birthday 18(B) Squadron
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Happy 105th Birthday 18(B) Squadron
Happy 105th Birthday to Odiham finest
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1982 the Sqn provided the sole Chinook in the Falklands Campaign.
The Argentine Air Force also provided one.
Last edited by Fareastdriver; 11th May 2020 at 11:03.
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Not quite true Fareastdriver. They left one almost serviceable in Stanley behind the Governors house. About a day after the cease fire Langers fired it up but didn't like it and flew back to Port San Carlos to get some engineers and their tools or what little they had. They came back the following day but overnight the Para's had been through it souvenir hunting together with the perfectly serviceable Super Puma and trashed them both. Engineers just robbed some bits off it. I think the hulks came back to the UK
Odiham hasn't always shown 18 'the love', though - remember when we came back from Laar-parts only to find that the staish and OC7 had arranged for the Summer Ball to be held early (June or even May - too long ago to remember) so that no-one from the Sqn could attend? Then there was the first test of the fire 'curtain' in the brand new hangar - which promptly completely unravelled in a distinctly-not-airtight heap on the floor as the contractors hadn't attached it to the roller...
18 Squadron, formed as part of the Royal Flying Corps at the RFC Military School, Ruislip, which became Northolt. The Royal Air Force was only formed on the 1st April 1918 with the amalgamation and transfer of personnel from both the the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) .
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Not quite true Fareastdriver. They left one almost serviceable in Stanley behind the Governors house. About a day after the cease fire Langers fired it up but didn't like it and flew back to Port San Carlos to get some engineers and their tools or what little they had. They came back the following day but overnight the Para's had been through it souvenir hunting together with the perfectly serviceable Super Puma and trashed them both. Engineers just robbed some bits off it. I think the hulks came back to the UK
The Puma was flying the RAF having been rebuilt, but is no longer, as is the Chinook, or at least its arse end is/ was.
https://www.helis.com/database/cn/200/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...Falklands.html
