Bizarre Postings
 

Back in the days of the big air force, when we had enough squadrons and aircraft types to get the job done by midday Friday and every weekend was a long'un, there were a number of quiet backwaters where one could relax a little further still.

I'm sure we've all heard about engine fitters getting posted to glider squadrons but I've just recalled a number of even stranger postings. A regular posting for airframe riggers was Headley Court, (I think this was to the south of London in Surrey), where their expertise was put to use making prosthetic limbs.

But stranger still I recall one airframe chum posted to Headley Court to make model aeroplanes for use in recruitment office windows. He even had to attend a "build off" to beat other applicants.

How bizarre is that? Can anyone beat this?

RAF Headley Court is still alive and well, though it is now the Defence Medical Services Rehabilitation Unit. I spent a very painful 7 weeks there in 1997!

I'm assuming this was in the pre-Airfix days...

Haaah!! amateur, I spent 16 weeks there in '98, and had to lick road clean wit tongue!:ok:

Not all that bizarre but:

Many moons ago I was sat in the audience at a BEM presentation ceremony. One of the gongs went to a Chf Tech rigger who lived in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Every so often the customs officers would confiscate a drug smuggler's aircraft, and his job was to inspect/repair/maintain these random aircraft as they were soon put back into service by customs and used to catch the next drug runner.

Sounds like the procurement strategy behind the TriStar fleet...

Some years ago I was posted to represent the U.K. in a new position within the European Community (EC). All my incoming U.K. correspondence was then persistently forwarded by Innsworth to a rather bemused Air Attache in Equador.

Turks and Caicos Islands
 

In the very early 60s a colleague of mine was sent to serve as ADC to the Governor of the said Islands- that must have been really cushy! Can't think of anything very cushy and recent though!

Not a posting per se, but I understand that the job of scorer for the RAF Cricket Team is a cushy number; travel around the world, registering 'dot balls', all the beer you can handle, and without having to actually put in the effort of playing!:ok:

Talking of the RAF Cricket team; I remember them being kicked off the Timmy in Oman on our way to Malaysia many moons ago. Oh, how I laughed!!!

RAF Liasion Officer Hickham Field.

Just to ease the way for the annual Vulcan exercise to Singapore and the odd VC10.

They were very odd in those days what with VC10 Sqn Ldrs.

The RAF Staple err sorry Stable belt wearing team. Very cushy once you had figured out which way up it went.:cool:

RAF The White Ox
 

How about the Regional Liason officer, RAF 'The White Ox', Penrith, Cumbria.

RAF The White Ox is a pub in Penrith where the RAF Regional Liaison Officer (ie poor sap who had to deal with Cumbrian farmers who claimed their ewes had aborted due to low-flying aircraft) had his office. It was owned by the MOD and was in use until c 1999 - might still be now. Not a bad tour for a fast-jet back-seater Wg Cdr who was over 55...

In reply to 'dum my' entry number 5


I believe this was a friend of mine from Lyneham Days. He saw the post
advertised and applied for the job not thinking that he had a chance of getting it. He attended the interview in London and was surprised to find that he was the only one there!

He was offered the job at the interview and the next time that I saw him he was grinning from ear to ear -"lucky B" :ok:

What about those who went to that nice cushy number at the "common cold research establishment" at Porton Down? A lovely 25p per day extra pay, as I think it was advertised in SROs.

(Common cold? My Arse!)

Bizzare Postings
 

Akrotiri bad Boy. Give credit where it's due. The chap would have been sent there for medical rehabilitation in that most excellent unit (as many of us were), and making model aircraft would have been part of his rehab exercises, rather than perhaps making chairs/buffets/rugs. He would not have been posted there just to make theM!

a rigger I knew way back in the lateish 90's went for a jolly trip to the glasshouse, straight SAC mach no chance of a fitters course as of us mech/tech !!!!!!s were trolling thru Cosfrod. Well he did a good few weeks in clink, came back won two grand on the RAF sports lottery, was PWR'd and posted to 84 sqn in Akrotiri, had his welcome chat with Jengo and was told don't bother to unpack, in about 9 months you're off to Cosford for an FT course.

Moral of the story is to get a nice tour, you got to go via some marching and ironing and PT for bad lads, still be better than a tour sandyside though

I was detatched from (Leuchars) to St.Lucia-Antigua was for the first Caribbean wings on the Lord Trenchard, the detachment was even posted in the station movements listings.:}

I seem to remember that Chessington was where prosthetics were made (when the RAF still had such skills), but I may be wrong. I have also heard that riggers were employed in the setting up of such items once upon a time.

not a posting
 

Its not a posting but my mate who has left now.
He was a Painter same as me The RAF wanted a CPL to escort a Rapier missle unit back from Falklands islands.
He spent i don't know how many weeks aboard a boat back to Portsmouth.
stopping at all the sunny spots along the way.
and spending most of the time getting drunk with the philpin crew (i know no spell check)
lucky git

Is there some sort of hidden joke re English and grammar in the last 4 or 5 posts?

Flaps

I too thought that. It took me a while to work out rafmatts' last post. He's a painter; maybe he's been a bit close to the thinners agian .....

Do we still have anyone at BIOT?

green flash

how do you spell again again?

i know my grammers bad so :mad: off lol

Ah, good, you noticed after all. There's hope, then.

hope of what

Thank you.

Re the Porton Down issue.

A friend of mine applied for a couple of weeks "rest" at the above.

He was invited to sign the relevant paperwork by the engineering training school warrant officer.

Before he signed the paperwork, the warrant officer rolled up his sleeves to reveal a rather startling array of scars the result of blister agent testing.

About face and back to the hangar at speed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a chance of doing a few months at Malvern back in the early/mid '80s - On the back of 'being into computers'

The Boss knew I'd got a Sinclair Spectrum the previous Christmas!

L Tech AC were posted to the Marine Craft Units.

In days gone by they also used to do the electronics on Torpedos, so got posted to Torp bays.

"
Do we still have anyone at BIOT"

Yes - the RN has around 50 people there, its a great posting if you're into watersports or keeping fit. If not then its a very long year indeed! I went there 4 years ago - loved it, but probably wouldnt go back if I can help it.

There can't be many numbers as cushy as the Air Movements unit in Brunei. We had a C130, a VC10 and a Tri-Star came here last year. Nothing with roundels on so far this year. All other movements are via civil aircraft. Phone the RBA Reservations desk and make a booking.

I used to wonder why you chaps couldn't manage that yourselves. Then I realised most of the bookings were for infantry officers. :p

RAF Calgary
 

Nice little number this one in a great city. Google RAF Calgary for details.

Rehab?
 

Scroggs:

Was that before or after you fell on the C.O.? And where did he go and for how long?!

"Nothing with roundels on so far this year."

Strange that as I was there 2 weeks ago, and a week previous to that a C17 was there and in 2 days there will be another Tristar there..

I remember going through Wake Island, miles from anywhere in the Pacific, in an Albert in 75ish and was surprised to be met by two ground equipment techies. They were there to look after the V force ground equipment, not too demanding a posting!

Back in early 90s, a RAF Cpl P&A Clk I worked for at Boscombe Down got posted to Bermuda. Tour was with his family and came with a beach front villa. His job was to be the admin geezer for any visiting RN ships that decided to dock there :confused:. His other duty was to be the fireman covering the helipad when any choppers arrived (helicopters not politicians)!!

Until the mid 90's there was a small RN Unit in Bermuda known as HMS MALABAR which provided support to vessels in the region. Closed after its raison d'etre of WW3 ended.