I did four months in the sandy wastes of Als garage, and before going out there I was issued with the required kit which included a full set of goretex, a rather comfortable sleeping back and liner and a Bergen to carry it all in. When I got back I I was told it was a pretty good chance I would be going back again so I was to keep the uniform kit, but they wanted the Bergen and sleeping bag back pronto. Somehow they forgot the goretex, but about three months later I got called into stores to be issued with something that was a replacement for something else. As everyone on site was getting rekitted they took the old one back at the counter, signed off your blue book as having returned it, handed you your blue book and told you to go through the door to the other room and pick up the new stuff which would be added to the blue book there.

I am not suggesting that between being handed my blue book and handing it back again there was a point where the signatures for a couple of choice items in the "returned" were filled in with a meaningless squiggle, but when it came to hand back all my kit when I left there was no request for the goretex to be returned.....

Handing back the kit consisted of rocking up at stores with several black bags of mostly blue uniform, and a "well I'm going into the reserves" excuse. I'm still wearing a set of high leg boots for gardening, and there are a few items in cupboards, but at least I keep dry when I walk the dog in the rain

I was a great believer in the magic of multi coloured pens, I at several stations looked at my clearance chits and thought, never been there.... signed... no point clearing there.... signed.. never was queried, same with clearing accomodation etc, having stood on my mattress when moving out I was horrified at the dirty great footprint on it, promptly circled and signed... not a problem, the sword isn't mightier than the pen. Bruggen had the best system, it went round the internal mail.

I have one of the 'orrible plastic ones that were issued with KD in 1962.

Seeing as got an accompanied passage and lived out all of my tour, it only ever saw service as a shaving mug.

A task that it fulfils to this day.

I arrived at 38 Group Support Unit, RAF Tangmere in 1968 and after a couple of months I was sent on a 2 year detachment to 24 (Air Portable) Brigade. At the end of the 2 years I discovered that 38 Group SU had moved to RAF Benson (or was it Odiham?). Have you ever tried clearing from a station on which you had never arrived? The MO was quite upset to discover that I had been admitted to HMS Drake (RN Hospital, Plymouth) for 6 weeks after which I was downgraded to RN medical category P7 (unfit for sea-going duty) and neither the Army or the RN had told the RAF (presumably each thought that the other had done so).
I realised the mentality of some blanket-stackers when my friend at Mountbatten had a "Tool kit, Telegraph Fitter, for the use of" (it was a long time ago). He was deficient of a pair of "shears, watchmakers" and stores had nil stocks of that item so they sent him what they considered to be a suitable alternative - a hefty pair of 3 foot long bolt croppers...

The clearance card was something of a farce when it involved clearing from sections you'd never visited during your tour. One such was the 'Station Bicycle Store'. If someone asked you where the heck it was, the advice was to ring and check as the opening hours were quite restricted and you couldn't get cleared out of hours....

"What's the number?" - "It's extension nnn"
Ring...ring...ring - "Hello?" (some female voice)
"Is that the Station Bike Store?"
"NO IT IS NOT!! I am Flt Lt (W) nnnnn, OC WRAFs - and I'm getting fed up with these silly prank calls!"
:E

At RAF Marham in the 60s we were wearing the old heavyweight blue flying suits (Yes I know they are coveralls!). My crew was selected to be the Squadron Static Display crew for Open Days and RCDS etc. As we had to look smart we were given a second suit to wear on public occasions ( we had to buy our own badges of course). Then we changed to the lightweight blue suit. Same thing happened. Shortly thereafter we changed to the heavyweight green suit, and inevitable "parade" version. Finally we got the lightweight green suit and yet another smart one.

OC Supply was very upset and we had to return the second one of each. Which we duely did, only for the Stacker to write them off and hand them back to us. OC Supply was happy!!

Some time later my leather soled Flying Boots needed re-soleing, so I took them to Flying Clothing for repair and went on two weeks leave. On return I went to collect them to be told they would not be ready for a couple of months!! I requested another pair to fly in, but was told that I already had a pair, and could not have a second pair as I was not entitled. There were also none to be had on loan. OC Supply was adamant that I could not have a second pair, and that having sent them for repair by the RAF it was my problem. I reported to the Boss that I could not fly as I could not comply with GASOs, which required Flying Boots. It escalated to Wing Commander level before the Station Commander had to order the issue of a second pair ( which I had to return when my original boots eventually returned). The new ones were then written off and given to me.

When I retired from Regular Service, at RAF High Wycombe the stores had no facilities to take any kit, so I was asked by the stacker to please take it away and do what I want with it. He then cleared my Record Book.

Ah, clearing the Stn Bicycle store. I had to do that after graduating from BFTS at Cranditz, despite the fact that BFTS studes weren't allowed a Stn bike.

Bloody stackers.

I have always liked Navigators since a mate engineered a pair of those lovely soft suede lined ones. Served me handsomely for many years on Bisley Ranges, instead of those clod-hopping Combat Boots. They are still in good fettle, 2-3 decades along the line. Thanks, Pete!

NutLoose ... imagine being picked for Guard Commander at AOCs, and having to BUY, with MONEY, a new Officers No. 1 Home Dress. Damn, the original was only about 10 years old, and hardly worn. I can not remember the cost, but in the early 70s it would have been knocking on for £500 I guess. Mercifully, I never had to buy another for the next 20 years.

After a couple of previous tours on SH I was a newly arrived QFI (fixed wing) on the station and I was unexpectedly summoned to the Station Commander's office for a "welcome" interview.

I grabbed my "working" SD hat and got myself over there in double time. On entering his office, I stood smartly to attention and saluted.

He took one look at my SD hat and told me to come back and see him again when I'd got myself a new one.

To be fair, it was a bit tatty - SD hats suffered a hard life on SH because they spent a lot of time living in field conditions. The rest of my SH flying kit was all condemned by the "Squippers", too.

In SH context Shy, you were the smartest officer I remember on 230! The rest...:=

CG

I'd obviously let myself go a bit since then....

:(

Our Co at Cottesmore acquired little putt putt, 125cc or similar, painted it RAF blue, added roundels and possibly B/1.

OC Eng came across this bike from MT and played hell that one of his vehicles was being concealed in the OM. When he found out it was a private vehicle he was incandescent. A posting to CFS and a successful career in civil aviation followed.

Shy Torque.
I could never understand young officers deploying to the field with SD caps.You could not even wear it from the crew-room to your aircraft.
There was a wide choice:primarily the beret: easily rolled & stuffed in a pocket. Then that horror,the side cap,always badly worn & with a
badge that did not distinguish an officer from a warrant officer. And when camouflage two-piece flying overalls arrived,a camouflage
baseball cap,also easily stowed.
My SD cap was new in 1968 and lasted until I retired in 1979; it never once went on a field deployment.
Cafesolo
Join Date 2018
Age 84
Location:
Urcal,Almeria.

Caf, surely you would be pleased to be mistaken for a Warrant Officer.

Cafesolo your dates give the clue.

The EOD School was a stickler for wearing headgear when defusing. In 1982 a picture appeared of an RAF Officer, resplendent in new SD Hat defusing a bomb in the Falklands. There were questions and it was only after that that berets came back in for officers.

In the V-Force before that it was normal for crews to wear SD Hard even when on a scramble. We even flew with a large folding suit carrier in which all our uniforms were carefully folded.

PS

My issue beret lasted 48 years, I managed with 2-3 SD Hats and for sheer practicality several C-Caps, one an RNZAF one stolen by a USAF Officer, and the last made by Mr Stitch at Coningsby.