It seems clear that many, if not all units had the requirement for duty on high days and holidays. I started the thread, not bemoaning my bad luck at being "duty" local bloke, but thinking about those who get to experience being away from home at this time of the year. It strikes me that across the strata of ranks and occupation, we all have shared the experience. With a few hours to go can I send my best wishes to all fellow PPruners and servicemen of all "denominations" for a peaceful and prosperous New Year. I particularly hope that all serving their last tour in the sandbox stay safe and return home safely. With respect to ranks, serving or retired, thanks to all for being a source of fun and inspiration during the past year, I'm honoured to be a member. Blimey, my first New Years Honour !!!!!

Smudge:ok:

Leon Jabachjabicz,

Your quote: (Goblins on the back of flat beds...)

"You mean the MRD - Machine Runway De-icer..... Two Derwents on a rig with a small cabin for the luckless operator. Usually pushed around by a bowser until the Double Derwents' thrust overcame the bowser's clutch".

Or overcame the bowser's grip on the ice ! I well remember one day seeing a bowser bent on achieving Mach unity - backwards ! Luckily it ran onto some rough ground before it hit anything of value....D.

goudie,

I refer to your:

"was dropped off at the far side of the airfield, which bordered onto a pine forest.Walking up and down my stretch of patrol, in total darkness, I was convinced demons were going to leap out any moment, thankfully I did have a pick-axe shaft to ward them off".

Could it have been Geilenkirchen ? (sounds like it). If so, have a look at "Gaining a Pilots Brevet" (p.241 #4806). Your demons might just not have been entirely figments of your imagination !....D.

A Happy New Year to you both, and my commiseration to all "at the coal face" over the holiday (better luck next year !)
Danny.

Yup MRD qualified here too... Happy days stripping layers of Tarmac... Oops

The MRD course was interesting too.... All 10 mins of it lol, sit there, start those, off you go.

Still beat gritting roads by standing in the back of a 4 tonner and kicking it through the gap in the tail gate as it drove along.... I kid you not.


Best Chrimbo / New Year Duty was Q... So the married guys could spend it with their sprogs.... Spent the allowance on films and shhhhhh, drinkies etc and made a tree out of newspaper. Staish arrived and disgusted the Q Sgt hadn't allocated the budget for decorations ( we had but for the above ) so sent some bod to plunder the officers mess to decorate the soft..... Awwwwwww

Danny42C Actually it was Wahn but I believe a quite a few German airfields were surrounded by pine forests.

Your story re. Mrs D is very spooky

Come backs are great
 

Whilst teaching at RAF Halton one Christmas my students were stood down early for the holidays but the staff had to work on to clean up.


One of my students took the wee out of me because of this.


I said “Enjoy it while you can this could be the last Christmas you get off”


He laughed and was under the impression that this would never happen.


During the FI conflict I was seeing the 10’s through Daker and stood at the rear of the aircraft on the pan when this thing in green camo gear came running at me screaming his head off! “You b*****d that was the last Christmas I have had off since I left Halton”.


We had a good laugh http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...lies/wink2.gif

I have served on quiet Stations where the Station Commander did SDO on Christmas Day. I have dire memories of the Christmas Day soccer match at Akrotiri in 1961 (Off v Sgts) where the losers had to consume a large chamber pot filled with warm lager and hot dogs -Yuck!