Wasn't ex-SFC Stirrup an ex-Apprentoid and member of 97 B? The entry with the lemon-and-corkscrew 'bitter and twisted' entry tie? Not a nice bunch generally, but Jock was one of the better guys, it has to be said.

The most deplorable thing about the whole UAS dumbing-down was that the outcome of the so-called 'UAS survey' had been decided beforehand. But at least one Gp Capt of high moral values resigned in protest - a very nice chap and utterly stitched up by a system he'd naiively trusted and believed in.

It wasn't all that long ago that the RAF had an efficient flying training system second to none. UAS, BFT for all (not that FJ prima donna nonsense known as 'BJFT'), AFT, TWU and OCU. Now look at it - an utter disaster with clapped out old aeroplanes, increasing numbers of elderly civvie instructors and the appalling prospect of 'we can't afford it' MFTS looming on the near horizon.....

When did it begin this death spiral? Roughly 1992, as far as I can work out. May those responsible forever boil in hell in a vat of their own excrement.

Still, NetJets are snapping up those few people who might otherwise have joined the RAF as pilots. Hardly surpising really.....

"and then there was........"
 

Saturday morning parade ( yes that's what I said ) and the lad who couldn't find his RAF blue gloves - it was a greatcoats parade - so he pulled on a pair of socks. It would have been ok except that he hadn't completely fastened the top button of his overcoat When the inspecting officer told him to do it up.............

And Greene King draught bitter in the Mess at 11p per pint.

Better than a real job

Hear hear... I remember going home for weekends and walking into the pub on Saturday lunchtimes and there were all my "mates"... Same barstool, same pint, same bag of crisps in the same job, with the same boss and still never having left the county. They were astonished by the tales of my travels, (Catterick to Otterburn, Catterick to Thetford, Catterick to Aldergrove, Catterick to... Sennelager :eek: ). I gave up going home after a couple of years, there was nothing there I "knew" any more... :sad:

As a LAC MTD
 

Driving the CO of Coltishall G/C Roger Topp around all the Stations in East Anglia in a Standard Vanguard to the Inter Station Boxing Competitions.
Prior to the fights going to the back door of the Officers Mess and being fed superb Meals.
COs Drivers perks extra Best Blue without it was being charged to your clothing account.
Having your kit inspected at the end of March so you could get back what you had not spent of your clothing account in your pay.
Seeing the huge pay rise when the Military Salary was introduced in April 1970 and then the realisation that all the extras we had taken for granted free food, free accommodation, living out ration allowance, cheap quarters rent etc etc had disappeared.

And Boggie Street and Change Alley, Strait Street, TakiJamSheet (sic?) in Tehran, Black Mac's Track, Lazy Leopard Lounge (Omaha), Dirty Dick's in Lalinea, Nairobi :}

And before political correctness set in.

Finningly main mess. Massive shower room with line of shower separated by curtains.

Instructor casts off towel, goes into shower.

Another body arrives and uses next shower.

Instructor humming away in tenor, barritone or whatever.

Soprano behind the curtain :eek:

He said he had never had such a long shower - on his own. We believed him!

Showoff... <LOL>

II Sqn RAF Regiment were no longer "world travellers" when I got there. I did NI, NI, NI with a lot of Brecon, Thetford, Salisbury Plain, Sennelager, Otterburn etc. amongst them and, as a special treat, we had a Cyprus thrown in somewhere.

33 Sqn was better... That was Belize, Belize, Belize, Belize, Belize with Germany, Denmark, Norway amongst them in varying amounts and, as a special treat, we had a Jamaica thrown in somewhere.

Luckily, all locations had beer... :ok:

I Remember etc...
 

When me and the rest of the "Sigs Det" walked into the Local bar at Nanyuki (Was it the Sporting Farmer)? I await to be corrected, and we all got the once over from the "Local Ladies" and were all immediately called
"Fresh Meat" and had to get the "VodiKa" and "White Top" drinks in!!

Always remeber Big Grace Though!! (I was set up)!!:ouch:

See... It has been the experience of _many_ of my friends that any lady whose nickname begins with "Big" was a setup from the start... :eek:

Hope you feel better now... ;)

When quarters were really really dire.

When really dire quarters were better than what was available in civvie street
When you couldn't afford a house in civvie street

When you had to live in a hiring if there were no quarters

When you had to live in a caravan on a dispersal if you were too young to marry.

When officers could not get mariage allowance until they were 25

When flt lt could captain a V-bomber at age 23.

When Chiefs ran the line

TY 3Putt, as well as age I plead illness.

PN
 

When Officers could only get marriage allowance after 25 years of age.

3P:ok:

I thought it was £250-ish marriage allowance pre-25 and £425-ish over 25?

Per annum, of course.

I remember as well when Officers had to ask their CO's permission to get married. A chap did that at Scampton - when the boss asked him if he was sure, he responded "Well, boss, do you want an invite to the wedding....or the christening?"

I remember when you had to be Sqn Ldr or over 30 to be allowed to have a bottle of alcohol in your room in the OM.... Nothing mentioned about the boot of your car or a disused air radi shelter, of course.

I remember when a 49 year old Specialist Aircrew Sqn Ldr wasn't allowed to have any alcohol in his possession on a Timmy trip to the Malvinas.... But some Turners' oaf could, of course...:rolleyes:

I remember:
1. Folks being allowed to smoke on aircraft and the groundcrew got an extra payment to empty the ash trays added to the payment for emptying the toilets.
2. The Days when you put a travel claim in AM and most times it was ready for collection PM, or at the latest the following morning.
3. Exercises that were started at all hours and weekends and sometimes went on for a week or more.
4. Having pick axe handles as guns.
5. Having a piece of paper stating that you have an CPX NBC kit.
6. Minesweeping in the NAAFI bar when an exercise was called after all the keen people ran off immediately to go to work.
7. Not being allowed to use the HPS during exercises for more than one night/day due to H & S reasons.
8. Being able to strip search anybody during exercises regardless of the weather.
9. Being posted and there being quarters/accomodation readily available.

I'll check.

Certainly remember the TOS.

Marriage allowance and pension at 38 was both £401 pa.

Terminal grant was £1728 at 8 years and £4000 at 12.

You could buy a house with your gratutity at 38.

.... so that would include Big Eileen from Templepatrick then ....

.....Templepatrick 319 rings a bell ............;)

When:

Caravans were allocated as MQs at N Luff in early 60s - Thor days!
Four of us bought huge yankmobile (5000 cc engine - 5 galls/mile!) for £10

In 70, just round the corner from my downtown MQ in St Ives (Cambs) a 3-bed terrace was £3250, but being pre Military Salary, couldn't afford it!

Families Offices and Families Officers existed - at least you could speak to a face and get things sorted rather than the DHE helpline they have to put up with now! Yet another agency success story!!

When the corporal used to come on in the Minstrels' Gallery in College Hall during port and coffee and play the Post Horn Gallop on a Lee Enfield rifle.

Gadget :ok:

Somebody mention Nairobbery. I remember when the Long Bar was still quite short.:ok:
Britannia detachment hiding/stealing a sick shack overnight cos the dripping oil embarrassed them.:mad:
Listening to the world Cup Final 1966 in the Spread Eagle hotel.:eek: Must try and find out who won sometime.:confused:

s37