What did officers eat for lunch?
Not just AOC's days ....... practice lunch for a Royal visit was always well attended.
Wear the fox hat. Yes mother.
Wear the fox hat. Yes mother.
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There was an occasion back in the late 1950's when a member of the Royal family (possibly either Princess Margaret or Alexander)came to RAF Gutersloh to present a new Squadron Standard to either 14 or 20 Squadron The luncheon on that occasion surpassed anything most of us had seen or participated in during out service up to that time. Only problem was that after the event the Mess coffers were not only empty by owing funds to elsewhere. There were a few amongst our number who had never tasted caviar before, Russian of course. The consequence was that the meals in the Mess suddenly became absolutely appalling and frugal.
Normally doing Orderly Officer was seen as either a punishment or just a plain chore. It became a much prized duty as one could get really good meals in the Airmen's Mess where officially one was supposed to sample the food and seek "any complaints?". So instead of just sampling a sip of soup, or a chip, etc. one would sit down with the Squadron airmen and enjoy the full offering.
I have been reminded that on occasions those doing OO and that had partaken of a meal in the airman's mess would sneak back to the Squadron with a largish bag of chips.
The good old days!
Normally doing Orderly Officer was seen as either a punishment or just a plain chore. It became a much prized duty as one could get really good meals in the Airmen's Mess where officially one was supposed to sample the food and seek "any complaints?". So instead of just sampling a sip of soup, or a chip, etc. one would sit down with the Squadron airmen and enjoy the full offering.
I have been reminded that on occasions those doing OO and that had partaken of a meal in the airman's mess would sneak back to the Squadron with a largish bag of chips.
The good old days!
Last edited by DODGYOLDFART; 20th Jun 2022 at 14:51.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
IIRC nobody wanted to go to the lunch/dinner for Royal Visits by Princess Margaret.
The food was exceptional, paid for by those attending and the mess, but.....
She was notorious for barely touching the food, lighting up a cigarette and leaning back after a couple of minutes and a couple of bites of each course. The staff being instructed to clear the plates and present the next course as soon as she did so. And, of course, she got served first.
So they sat there looking at each course before having it snatched away before they had more than a bite - and in many cases eat anything at all...
The food was exceptional, paid for by those attending and the mess, but.....
She was notorious for barely touching the food, lighting up a cigarette and leaning back after a couple of minutes and a couple of bites of each course. The staff being instructed to clear the plates and present the next course as soon as she did so. And, of course, she got served first.
So they sat there looking at each course before having it snatched away before they had more than a bite - and in many cases eat anything at all...
Colerne had a famed lady, known as Lurch, who 'worked' in the Airmens' feed hall. She was renowned (allegedly) for having given a hand shandy to an airman colleague while seated at the dining table.
My only involvement was as Orderly Sergeant, accompanying the Orderly Officer (both of us ignorant of the goings-on) on his rounds, and learned about the aforesaid incident post event.
My only involvement was as Orderly Sergeant, accompanying the Orderly Officer (both of us ignorant of the goings-on) on his rounds, and learned about the aforesaid incident post event.
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The answer to the OP's question is.....nothing.
Deployed to the barren wilds of Bruggen, well ok, the trees where the Canberra decoys were poised to convince the Warsaw Pact the station had infinite resources, we were thoughtfully fed (solid food Airmen' s Mess, liquid came from the NAAFI) in pretty white boxes...alas, cometh the day, not once, but twice, our fearless leader managed to find his way, albeit not alone, to our covert location in time for lunch. It did not go unnoticed by the troops we had more boxes than there were of us...so we assumed an error in the Mess ( which is /was our excuse and remains so given we knew exactly why there was an extra box) .....and duly ate the additional boxes contents.
He was, apparently, quite mystified as to why he didn't get a white box...twice
Deployed to the barren wilds of Bruggen, well ok, the trees where the Canberra decoys were poised to convince the Warsaw Pact the station had infinite resources, we were thoughtfully fed (solid food Airmen' s Mess, liquid came from the NAAFI) in pretty white boxes...alas, cometh the day, not once, but twice, our fearless leader managed to find his way, albeit not alone, to our covert location in time for lunch. It did not go unnoticed by the troops we had more boxes than there were of us...so we assumed an error in the Mess ( which is /was our excuse and remains so given we knew exactly why there was an extra box) .....and duly ate the additional boxes contents.
He was, apparently, quite mystified as to why he didn't get a white box...twice
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The OH was tasked to be the clone of HMQ for the rehearsal of a Royal Visit to Locking. All went fairly well, except that the Mess Steward serving her the peas nearly deposited them in her lap due to nerves. It was almost certainly Lamb as the main course.
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Due to a Royal Visit at Shawbury which coincided with our Rotary Wings presentation parade we were not allowed to attend our own graduation lunch in the Officer's Mess - apparently were not worthy. We graduating students had to arrange our own lunch for our guests in a local pub. All they would provide was a plate of sandwiches. Visiting families, some of whom who had travelled very long distances were not overly impressed, TBH. Nor were we when a contribution to the Royal lunch appeared on our mess bills.
She was notorious for barely touching the food, lighting up a cigarette and leaning back after a couple of minutes and a couple of bites of each course.
Fokker 1000, I regret to say that in my time in the Service, (mid '50's to '80), this did occur more or less as stated! Not always welcome by us junior ranks!! Also, Shy Torque, when at Shawbury, mid-60's (CFI on UBAS), we had a Royal visit and the male toilets in the Officer's Mess were converted to female and I remember the senior WRAF officer having to use them before the visit, whilst the organising party listened outside!!
Those were the days (maybe)!!
Those were the days (maybe)!!
At the Brüggen one the mess had brand new tables, but because of the shape of the Dining Room it appeared at the 'Practice' lunch (we peasants just attended briefly, only the wheels had lunch) it appeared that where Princess M was to sit the Royal thighs would be, ahem, parted.The Mess Manager (I think Stan Hughes) was ordered to get the table to the chippy shop where the brand new table was sawn in half and then attached to the the outside wings of the top table.
At Marham, despite the Menu being sent from Clarence House, when she was presented with the Strawberries and Cream (possibly Ice Cream) she declined to eat it. The Staish (John S) was in the invidious position of whether to hoover up his sweet or not. In the event he declined and then the PMC got stuck in, as did the rest of us minions. She then put her handbag on the table, opened it, and put some lippy on - I'm not making this up !
I went to two lunches with her, one at Brüggen and one at Marham.
At the Brüggen one the mess had brand new tables, but because of the shape of the Dining Room it appeared at the 'Practice' lunch (we peasants just attended briefly, only the wheels had lunch) it appeared that where Princess M was to sit the Royal thighs would be, ahem, parted.The Mess Manager (I think Stan Hughes) was ordered to get the table to the chippy shop where the brand new table was sawn in half and then attached to the the outside wings of the top table.
At Marham, despite the Menu being sent from Clarence House, when she was presented with the Strawberries and Cream (possibly Ice Cream) she declined to eat it. The Staish (John S) was in the invidious position of whether to hoover up his sweet or not. In the event he declined and then the PMC got stuck in, as did the rest of us minions. She then put her handbag on the table, opened it, and put some lippy on - I'm not making this up !
At the Brüggen one the mess had brand new tables, but because of the shape of the Dining Room it appeared at the 'Practice' lunch (we peasants just attended briefly, only the wheels had lunch) it appeared that where Princess M was to sit the Royal thighs would be, ahem, parted.The Mess Manager (I think Stan Hughes) was ordered to get the table to the chippy shop where the brand new table was sawn in half and then attached to the the outside wings of the top table.
At Marham, despite the Menu being sent from Clarence House, when she was presented with the Strawberries and Cream (possibly Ice Cream) she declined to eat it. The Staish (John S) was in the invidious position of whether to hoover up his sweet or not. In the event he declined and then the PMC got stuck in, as did the rest of us minions. She then put her handbag on the table, opened it, and put some lippy on - I'm not making this up !
Wasn't the Brüggen Andover departure delayed by c 30 min because HRH and a few of the entourage hadn't got their duty free bottle and 200 hundred ?
IIRC nobody wanted to go to the lunch/dinner for Royal Visits by Princess Margaret.
The food was exceptional, paid for by those attending and the mess, but.....
She was notorious for barely touching the food, lighting up a cigarette and leaning back after a couple of minutes and a couple of bites of each course. The staff being instructed to clear the plates and present the next course as soon as she did so. And, of course, she got served first.
So they sat there looking at each course before having it snatched away before they had more than a bite - and in many cases eat anything at all...
The food was exceptional, paid for by those attending and the mess, but.....
She was notorious for barely touching the food, lighting up a cigarette and leaning back after a couple of minutes and a couple of bites of each course. The staff being instructed to clear the plates and present the next course as soon as she did so. And, of course, she got served first.
So they sat there looking at each course before having it snatched away before they had more than a bite - and in many cases eat anything at all...
Fortunately the right sister was the senior.
Male toilets converted to female? Surely this old fule remembers RAF Marham had a well-organised conversion kit, whereby the elephant's ears [or pig troughs] were concealed at the drop of a hat?
My subconscious is scarred by the experience of wandering into one such, desperate for relief, and finding the lot, concealed by tasteful RAF blue boxes.
Or was it a dream driven by prostatitis?
My subconscious is scarred by the experience of wandering into one such, desperate for relief, and finding the lot, concealed by tasteful RAF blue boxes.
Or was it a dream driven by prostatitis?
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Was this Bruggen visit '74 or ' 75 by any chance ?....prior to which, the MQ's on the road past the NAAFI supermarket leading to the crossroads by the Airmen's Mess / Mally etc suddenly received a glorified paint over and general clean up hitherto unknown..
As toilets have been mentioned, a member of the WRAF, as was, found herself positioned outside those in the Airman's Mess, not that there was the remotest chance of Mag popping in, whose sole purpose it appeared afterwards was to run the taps should said toilets be used for the purpose they were intended for...however briefly.
I recall that, strangely, there was an exodus involving even the usual glued to their chairs brigade from our little section of 431 to Laarbruch / Wildenrath for the day.
As toilets have been mentioned, a member of the WRAF, as was, found herself positioned outside those in the Airman's Mess, not that there was the remotest chance of Mag popping in, whose sole purpose it appeared afterwards was to run the taps should said toilets be used for the purpose they were intended for...however briefly.
I recall that, strangely, there was an exodus involving even the usual glued to their chairs brigade from our little section of 431 to Laarbruch / Wildenrath for the day.
Wattisham 1980's, After first light airfield inspection the firecrew would drop off wonderful, enormous field mushrooms at the Q shed, delicious! and shared by all.
Nothing matters very much, most things don't matter at all.
Nothing matters very much, most things don't matter at all.