Nice to hear the aircrew were such a bunch of happy party animals. I recall 72's groundcrew as being a miserable bunch of punch drunk louts on Bersatu Padu, who couldn't hold their beer and got fighting drunk like some bunch of illiterate highland pongoes. It couldn't have been an effect of being sent "up-country" in the jungle, since both the resident 103 and 110 wobbly-copter menders were a proper bunch of gentlemen and scholars, who regularly kept us in beer and ice-cream.

Did you know that JJ is going to be a Beefer soon, no doubt all his presentations at groundschool will be on drink making.

You youngsters didn't invent getting pissed on 72, you should have been there in the days when FOLA was made up of the likes of Welham, Warner, VDB, Davey, North, Weir(2nd time there I think), SlackDick, Wang (first time round) and many more.

The 2006 72 Sqn Association Reunion date has just been announced as Saturday 6 May 2006. The location is reasonably central so perhaps we should aim to turn up mob handed.

PM me for the location, but I guess those of you that aren't paid up Association Members will have to cough up for the £12 annual subscription.

Anyboby interested?

HPT

Omigawd crab@ what do you think hearing you talk about "youngsters" does to me!! I note that your list of "old hands" includes several wg cdrs and gp capts; discuss!

But you should have seen 72 in the early 70s ...... ;)

Blimey Blacksheep, BP was 35 years ago (IIRC), not nursing a grudge are we??

... and as for the behaviour of some of the pongoes the night before Waterloo .......

OHHHH My God....when are you coming JJ?

I nurse lots of grudges teetering head - I'm an Old Fart, its what I do. ;)

...especially after being fined ten quid for fighting when I was actually bounced without provocation, while popping out into Changi village for a Keema Roti and mug of Milo while on duty fitter. I mean, I wasn't even out on the p*ss or anything. Stone cold sober and in uniform.

Those 72 louts were long gone when the snoops got involved and suffered no penalty. Four onto one was fair enough odds, but it all seemed so unjust. Ten quid was nearly a week's wages for a singly corporal at the time... :(

Hueymeister

JJ a 'Beefer' - why do think I PVR'd??????:-)

Nice pic of OC POLA trussed up in the bar at 'grove - photo albums still in one piece on 72R. It appears Brim Blunt went through them with a pair of scissors!!

"Aldergrove by the mountain, oh, Aldergrove by the sea,
Just like Odiham, without the grass,
you can stick them both, right up your ar5e,
Aldergrove by the mountain, oh Aldergrove by the sea!"

..JJ at SARTU, miles from the fleshpots. He'll go insane.

Anyway, back to the thread...

FOLA badges, OK for studes who are grads or not?

Nope, unless there's been a rule change!

FOLA - NI - no studes in NI.

Wings that sings etc etc

FOLA is an NI thing, as is INLA. Unless you have flown in NI Ops, you cannot be a member of FOLA. You may wear the FOLA badge outside of NI if you've previously been a member.

If you're going get picky, unless you've carried out the 5 FOLA Fuch ups, then you aren't a member of FOLA.

Where as the boys and girls on 72(R) may be able to get to the money shot with the Boss' offspring/wife------I'd like to see them try and fly under the Harland & Wolf cranes or the OLD Londonderry Bridge in a Fucano!!

All the x 72 blokes that have posted,

Fellas, what a great thread. It reminds me of the green machine when one first started. Congrats for the old stories and long may you all reign!!

Again, thanks and mines a STARFISH!!

:yuk:

ISITD

LFOGOOTFW

then there was a very pissed Paul Luker who wrapped a landy around a tree between mess and sqn - insisted on showing his 1250 to the policeman's dog as he felt it had more inteligence than the handler.

Then there was Lex Brown !!!!!

Crewman's 13600!

Banoffee pie at Omagh.

WSx 1 bouncing thoose troops around all night.

Just a few memories or two.

A great time in our lives.


:cool:

Sorry oldbeefer, P.L. wasn't pissed, Walter swore he'd only had about 2 small glasses of beer! - and anyway it transpired the Landrover didn't exist on any records anyway. Ancient Scottish Rock Apes MTOs can be very useful allies!!!

Good party though!

More Lookout

I have yet to taste better Banoffee! Sheer heaven and a nice respite from the usual bollac5s. Pie was so nice that had to send Wx off with one pilot whilst I finished my cuppa (allegedly)

Teeteringhead.

Early 70s? Were you in the bar when John S played, on the piano, "My Rhubarb refuses to rise", and several mates did the actions, on the piano, and Graham P took one step too many to his right and came OFF the piano?

Fortunately, he was flying again the next day!

Wwyvern ... most certainly was ... shared a room with him (Paskett) on at least one Det.

... well, I was there on at least one occasion when Vasco de Pasco fell off the piano doing the rhubarb song, but it may not have been an isolated incident.....:ok:

Nivs was just about to set his chest on fire (again) but was stopped by his missus. :\

:zzz: Sir Thomas falling asleep on Kenny Mac's sofa and Swamping!

10,000' above the Swift at Omagh stood outside on the step shouting get me down quick I can't get back in!

25/30 anniversary ALL the crewmen Pi$$ed in Mess not up to much for mess dinner/party next night.

Bunting and doing Crucifix and knocking my self out!...... How many captions?

Girls playing Hurly at XMG showing T$ts as we make approach... go around again, go round again...... might be a come on....... Yes it certainly was!

JJ in the taxi....

Jock Brown ND with pistol.......

72R wearing FOLA badges ........ No leave that to the real FOLA boys.

Orange Whip........... To Rude for Fixed wing

Those were good days.... at times.

Hoist to crew winching over and Out!

Going to the Coastguard Station at Donaghadee, the tour consisted of the chief coxwain opening the door to the 'kit room' saying "you know what a boat looks like..right boys?", then showing us the bar for 3 hrs...a lot of beer flowed. Picture the scene....Wobbly (floppy link saved his life once when he swallowed his tongue whilst flying...neat trick not to be tried at home by the studes on 72 R please!!) and Gav OVLOV...not a happy pair (they couldn't stand the sight of one another), come to pick up 13 inebriated aircrew, who, once airborne, run en mass to either ends of the cabin making the c of g move...wobbly then decides to quieten us down and bunts....We all do the NASA space walk around the cabin....Nivs swings his arms up to somersault and hits me full in the chops with his expensive BIG watch....smashes my tooth out. I don't feel a thing being anaesthetised....but have the forethought to pick up the bits and put them in a sick bag. Ac lands....starts to hurt....go to sick bay....now really hurting....no duty dentist at R813....must go to Palace Barracks .....in Belfast....no duty driver....HAD to self drive in an MT provided motor.....ah them's were the days!!!

Quality thread. Was also in what was then called OS(One-Stripe)LA as a Plt Off for 6 months starting Jul 78, when Brin was a sqn shag (tripods in Hamburg - allegedly) and NI was a det from Odious and Yeovilton. Senior member then (for quite some time, too - Scott was a pale emulation) was Pablo "Just Off to Visit My Niece" M. Best sqn to start a career (in the uncontrolled descent sense of the word). Can remember the Bersatu Padu stories - photo albums were a good way to while the time when you couldn't get near the uckers board.

OSLA folded when a visiting Air Commode decided he wanted to be a temporary member; turns out he'd once visited a yooniversity so obviously that couldn't be allowed to continue.

Was outside the office when Lex went to greet A A Nicholson after the latter took over. Must've been hoping for a re-run of Salalah days - couldn't happen in the UK. Lex could see Jock over the ND and raise him one - there must be only one part of the human foot where a 9mm-diameter object could go through without causing any lasting damage, and Lex found it.

Used to go back to the Province after converting to double-headed dump trucks; always found the new NI-bound 72 to be a pleasant, welcoming place. Never wore any badges, but bought the "1000 hours MTV" because it seemed appropriate.