Giving Govt. property a good home.
 

My wife has just mixed a huge quantity of mystery ingredients in a massive bowl bearing the Government Broad Arrow [Pheon?] stamped underneath, and year 1965.

Like a fair number of artefacts scattered around the house it was variously acquired via "breakage allowance", "Class C stores", auction at Station closure, auction at Mess closure, and inadvertent theft.
[The latter category is represented by several nice coffee spoons at stand-up dos, for which I had no use, so stuffed them in top breast pocket.]

The most unusual item is a massive EPNS salmon salver, with detachable head and tail, bought when the Mess at HQRAFG JHQ auctioned its plate before being merged with the army.

The least useful was a complete set of RAF bright orange 3-piece suite chair covers, packed in error by our removers. Undetected at march out, found when unpacking, and rejected by stores when I contacted them. Unloved at any moment in their lives, they ended up in the bin.

The most loved is a very large tall white jug, with blue and yellow lines on the rim, which holds kitchen "spoons, ladles, long things assorted" by the stove.

I am sure there is a lot of stuff out there, beyond the usual valedictory tankard and silver. Any offers of an anecdote please?

Back in the early 1980s, the quantity of items that went into a fully furnished quarter was reduced....the occupants of the quarter could choose to buy the non-scaled items, which included the card table, the standard lamp, the dinner trolley, and much of the kitchen equipment including said large mixing bowl (which I still use after 35 years).

I can only say one thing about those chair covers. AAAAARGH! Whoever designed them (and those other dreadful colours) was either blind or a sadist.

I bought a card table (still useful, but we've never opened it up and played cards on it either in my RAF days, or the 25 years since) and the drinks trolley, which my wife has always hated, but she still puts a load of her stuff on it. I also bought a few assorted cutlery items and utensils (some of which are still in regular use in the kitchen for their intended purpose) and I use a pair of thin spring steel bladed dinner knives as gasket scrapers when I'm working on my engines! The standard lamp was converted into a display stand and is used in my wife's shop.

Soldier's First Field Dressing, issued to me in 1966, was old then, but now has seniority in my workshop first aid kit.

I think we did chinagraph pens in a previous thread. I still have some in the workshop.
Also 4B [I insist , 4B] leads for pencils, propelling ......... synoptic chart analysis on fax paper.

I've no illicit items but I had a wry smile when I found a shirt on a coathanger bearing a Naafi price tag.

One of my UAS QFIs had been on B(I)8s at Geilenkirchen as it was closing. One day he was outraged to see a whole pile of brand-new G-plan furniture being smashed up and burnt. The excuse was that it would have been 'too expensive' to return it to the UK - and 'the rules' didn't permit it being sold off to the locals....

Amongst his possessions, the QFI had rather a good cine camera. So he filmed this utter vandalism and told OC Admin Wing that if ever he was charged for anything at an OMQ march-out, the film would go straight to the media.

That didn't go down too well - so he found himself sent to Rissy to become a Chipmunk QFI, rather than getting the Buccaneer posting he'd been promised.

Couple of packets of Biscuits Brown turned up in a loft clear-out the other year. I have no idea how (why) they even made it home, let alone into a storage box.

They hadn't changed...

Our OMQ inventory at Gütersloh in the early 80's included some rather nice cut glasses with accompanying jug (sorry, pitcher for our American cousins!). On March-out it was stated that these had been broken and when I protested, it was pointed out that they were priced at 10p an item. Needless to say, they are still in use now.

As are my Boots, Flying, Winter (with flaps) and Coveralls, Aircrew, Inner (both knitted and acrylan), which are both extremely useful in the Tiger at this time of year.

mog

I have a plastic pouch, adorned with the Government Arrow, containing four instrument screwdrivers. These have been most useful over the last 38 years for tightening loose spectacle legs and adjusting watch straps. I doubt if they ever went near an ‘instrument’.

Funnily enough I was using our mixing bowl yesterday afternoon to make a chocolate and orange marble cake... yummy. Our bowl is stamped 1973. Its actually made by TG Green, the people who made the well known "Cornishware" pottery range and the bowl is of excellent quality. I think the only other surplus MQ stuff I have is a garden spade and some garden shears.

I bought some ex MQ bits at a sale in Horncastle in the early 80s, I still use the carving fork and the steel (knife sharpener)

Brize had a 'sell-off' in the 70s and I bought 2 'tables, kitchen, formica-topped', one white, one red at £1 each! The quality was exceptional - high grade multi ply tops with 'proper' Formica surface. 4 wing nuts to dismantle and simple to modify to required size. The white one remained with ex-wife on divorce and the red, much modified, is still the daily meal table. Best purchase - ever!
Other ex-Service items? Flying boots (survived total immersion in house destruction and flooding), Lightning seat safety pin!, dinghy knife and holster, leather flying helmet, throat mic, modified 4a helmet box, whizz wheel, protractor, nav box and the inevitable chinagraph collection!
Attempts (half-hearted) to return these on PVR were ignored ... perhaps because during my time, traditional 'Stores' morphed into 'Supply' but "plus ca change...'

Apart from my original 1968-issue Mk9 flying suit and a later Mk14A, neither of which were on my clothing card and were in any case obsolete, the only item I asked to keep was a pair of combat highs. Great for walking to Waitrose in the winter when the roads were too dangerous.

Then a couple of years ago I wore them to AeroExpo at Sywell, having been advised that the car parking field and exhibition area were rather muddy. But the wretched things disintegrated - large chunks of the soles fell out. I gather that this is not an uncommon phenomenon with combat highs of that era - perhaps that's why I was allowed to keep them?

But why do flying suits shrink in wardrobes?

Purchased a couple of formica topped chest of drawers at the 431 MU furniture sale in the late 80's - still providing excellent service in the garage as tool/garden kit storage. Well worth the 5DM each!

Rolls-Royce-Turbomeca Adour engine i/d plate (no engine number) probably from an engine transit case. My son worked in the engine bay on a Jaguar unit.

Now, own up all those who have a perspex Lockheed C130 badge from the control column yoke!

Govt Property
 

I would recommend someone pays a visit to the home in Spain of ACM RAF Wilson (Rtd) where they can view some fine examples of furniture that were somehow 'acquired' from Air House at JHQ Rhinedalen when the house was finally vacated by the RAF.

Proletarian

We have a handsome glass vase with the old RAF crest just below the top rim, also an oval glass bowl used for trifle making since my childhood. Both items were taken by mistake and put into storage on leaving RAF Binbrook for Khormaksar in 1951, retrieved on return to RAF Leuchars, and still in occasional use today. They don't make 'em like they used to :rolleyes:

A Mappin & Webb plated cruet set dating back to the de-scaling of OMQs at Rheindahlen in 1982, though the card table and drinks trolley have long gone. Also a very fine coffee table constructed by one of the station chippies (German civvy) from the legs of a scrap bed and the back of a scrap wardrobe in return for 200 cigs and a bottle of brandy.

In about 1979, the station padre came to my office in workshops at Henlow clutching a hallmarked silver chalice, slightly bent. It transpired that it had been thrown out in Malta (1975 presumably) and he somehow acquired it. I managed to straighten it with my bare hands!

I still have the card table but somehow the trolley has disappeared; I finally sold my No 1 and No 5 uniforms only last week. Still got the OP shoes but I'm sure they don't fit.

I was informed that one of his Gp Capts failed in his attempt to take his office desk with him: shopped by his Wg Cdr.

After I left JHQ the handsome office barograph was coveted by several VSOs, but it was unexpectedly declared beyond repair [needed more ink!] and thus went to a good and deserving home, where it is cherished and in continuous service.

My parents, in married quarters, Laarbruch 1970's, had a large quantity of Teutonic crockery.
Complete with Swastika on the back of each piece.

We have two rather nice mahogany bedside tables, nicely inlaid ribboned edges and lions head drawer pulls. Picked them up for a song (£10 for the pair) about 20 years ago from RAF Quedgerley. Also picked up a set of six heavy silver plated crested napkin rings in a junk shop in Shrewsbury for...£6. I've made sure I've kept the receipts for all items pending an RAF Police knock on the door.

Of stuff that was packed by mistake we still have the small cork-covered bathroom stall and the kitchen steps. Both doing sterling service after 24 years of married life.

I told my wife about this thread. She said "tell them about the wine glasses with the RAF badge engraved!"

I forgot them ........ they are in "t'trophy cabinet" as a visitor called it, the contents of which are removed, dusted/polished and replaced annually or thereabouts. Or when HM the Queen is due for tea.

There is also a more useful large collection of steins from Oktoberfests all over, and the end of Wildenrath MDA, and various other excuses. Very expensive to fill properly.

When the RAF were getting set to leave Malta in 1978, my wife and I were lving in a MOD furnished hiring. We accepted the offer of being able to purchase most of the furniture and equipment. Transport to the UK was in a shared container on a RFA bound for Pompey. This included the contents of Lounge, Dining Room and 3 Bedrooms including carpets and curtains, as well as crockery and kitchen equipment. We nearly got away with the 8 settings of siver plate cutlery but OC supply said that wasn't for sale. I wonder if that made it back to the UK? As I recall, the purchase, packing and delivery to our rented home near RAF Kinloss cost a little over £1500! There was minor damage en route but this was covered by insurance. As we had never owned or furnished a house we thought this an absolute bargain! An oak chest of drawers, the drinks trolley and card table are still in the house after 40 years and several moves, and bedroom dressing tables do stalwart service in the garage and Mrs Olddog's crafting room. I think the oldest artifact in daily use is a MOD marked saucepan dated 1965!:)

Having (unintentionally) helped close a few stations, I bought five wardrobes and two kitchen tables as Gutersloh closed. I have two wardrobes and the tables, even now, in my Garage and the rest has become flooring in the Loft and Garage roof....oh! - and a complete workshop tool kit!

It's funny how these thing stay in families, we have my wife's grandfather's military issue fife/flute from WW1, sadly cracked and unplayable. Her father was in signals in WW2 and we have a range of tools that are still used today, and some I have no idea of the purpose of.

To take an opposing view, we celebrated the day when we declared our MQ ‘unfurnished’, having acquired all our own stuff. Somehow the prospect of looking at MoD stuff forever didn’t appeal, and nor did having a house that looked like everyone else's!

I do however have a reel of para-cord, and a 5l tin of PX24/WD40.

An SLR cleaning kit plastic oil bottle, I can't remember how how or why. It's been used to keep my engineering thread taps in for over 40 years.

Has the tin gone rusty?

:) :) :) :ok: