I was to work on 4th Line, The Servicing, Repair And Modification of aircraft guns, small arms and Canberra bomb beams, from RAF Sqns/Armouries around the world. I nearly made it to 77 hangar where they were working on your big white birds, doing the work you mere mortals could not handle at squadron level. Whilst here I went to Bisley with the station shooting team in 61 and met Ex 8t7, George Little, he was at RAF Chivenor then. St Athan turned out to be a fair posting as far as social life was concerned, but l yearned to be let loose on aircraft , after all wasn't it what we joined up and trained for.
My next posting was to RAF Stafford (still no aeroplanes) the HQ of 5131 Bomb Disposal Squadron, my allocated Flight (6226), HQ was Based at RAF Colerne near Bath, I was then informed the Flight was detached to RAF Goldsborough near Whitby N Yorks and given a Travel warrant to what is now known as heartbeat country. The Flt was clearing UXBs and other miscellaneous ordinance from Fylingdale moor along with 6217 Flt (it was originally their task) from RAF Newton. Can you imagine 50 odd armourers pacing all over the moors toting metal detectors and spades it was not glamorous, far from it. Quite a lot of the guys were National Servicemen (the end of an era), so you can imagine some of the moans. The RAF Station was really quite quaint. Goldsborough was an ex radar station that had been mothballed, the domestic site being re commissioned purely for our use with the usual back up facilities, and not an RAFP in sight.
The task lasted some 12 months for us seeing the end of it, it was all to do with building the early warning station at Fylingdale ( Yanks wanted it built during the cold war), and the fear that when it was up and running the leftover war ordinance would cause a problem, the Army/Navy and RAF had used the moor as a live explosive exercise range . From here we went, (our Flt) not back south to Colerne, but to RAF Lindholme, our task this time to clear the old bombing range in front of RAF Misson (A Bloodhound missile base), It was here Tex Lee joined us, l was becoming disenchanted with my lot now, I didn't want to watch the white birds from Finnningley flying over on their take off/landing approaches, I wanted to be closer to aircraft, nearer than our new Flt HQ in a redundant hangar at Lindholme, with Bomber command bombing schools Hastings, parked nearby on the perimeter track. These by the way had not long replaced the Lincolns!! Tex was also disheartened and purchased his discharge to fight an election campaign (A ploy to get out cheaply at 100 pounds, the cost of putting his name forward as a candidate) and went back to work near his parents /girlfriends home in Lyndhurst, doing quite what I don't know .
I was sent on an ejection seat familiarization course to RAF Sealand (things beginning to look up maybe), after all modern aircraft have these things don't they? And then to RAF Weeton on an armament course, here I met two ex 8t7 armourers Jim Peach and Paddy T; also bumped into Pete Monk taking his spec qual for promotion to Cpl Tech. After completion of the course it was back to my Flt. Good news, completed two and a half year tour on BD so due a posting off.
Posted to RAF Bassingbourne 231 OCU, operating Canberras B2, PR, T4 and interdictors. Reported to my boss, a laid back Master Tech, who gave me some bad news. The aircraft servicing and first line was undertaken by Airworks company, we were the only aircraft trade on camp, and our remit was to supply the armament stores required by the respective Flts and of course the Stn Armoury. We did however have a detail on dispersals for arming up. I ended up in the bomb dump along with a Snr Tech and four other lost souls, becoming a milkman in the mornings delivering practice bombs, flares and engine starter cartridges. I trained for this!! I was amazed we didn't even staff the ejection seat bay. The only reason we were there was because Airworks didn't have the necessary explosive licensing certification
April 64. Great news, after only three months here, I'm on PWR for overseas posting, somebody up there likes me!! Down to Gen Office to make my three choices of posting (Academic I know) and wait. Next step another course, RAF Melksham for an electronics course for 6 weeks (don't they know I'm a Plumber!!); turns out its for servicing electronic acoustic torpedoes. The course members are a refreshing bright bunch, a WO, Ch Tech, Snr Tech, two Cpls and four of us J/Ts. It was all rather confusing to me the AC theory side, but somehow I managed a pass. Back to my Unit for a couple of weeks and then up to RAF Kinloss for 4 weeks practical experience. AIRCRAFT, ok only Shackletons, MR MK3 but nonetheless aircraft, oh the joy to be involved in the not so modern Air force. Passed the practical exams, (I'm now considered Qualified Advanced Underwater Weapons), back to my parent unit and joy of joy my postings come through, Royal Air Force Far East SINGAPORE.
Sept 64, arrived in Singers and transported to RAF Changi. It was a Thursday I was entitled to a days acclimatization leave, which meant I wasn't officially to arrive until the Monday. I Strolled into the Malcolm club to quench my thirst, it was so humid Id drunk gallons of ice water and lemon squash, to be met by a chorus of moony chants, led by none other than Jack McKee. A whole weekend of drinking and catching up ensued. I was a poor sight for the OC Arm Flt to behold on the Monday morning.
Disappointment again, The two Cpls and three other J/Ts from my Torpedo course were posted in with me, and only one QAUW was required on the squadron (205, operating even more antiquidated Shacks Mk 2 Phase 3) mainly because the Mk44 Torpedo hadn't reached the Far East Air force yet!!. One of the Cpls got the Squadron, I and my cohorts the Servicing and Fusing-up sheds working on Mk30 Torps. Our new Facility for Mk 44 was in the throes of being completed in the new purpose-built bomb dump.
Jan 65, Moved into new facility and set about preparations to welcome our weapons from UK a new Chiefy and Sgt. The new Ch Tech was a dour scot, how he passed the QAUW course l will never know. The Ch Tech on course with us and who was supposed to arrive apparently died of a heart attack . The work was interesting enough, but we all vied after several months to get on the squadron. As a couple of new guys arrived (QUAW), two more places for QUAW became available on the Sqn, but my opos beat me for the places. Its a hard life.
My time at Changi was probably the best of times I remember. The work was ok , Torp exercises were good, a day at sea on the RAF High Speed Launch, operating the target gear and recovering the weapons/sonobuoys, high speed runs towing skids behind for the Shack to bomb, or on the pinnace doing the same but at a more leisurely pace, the aircraft disappearing and carrying out an S&R, reappearing low flying over the mast head where we attached our SARBE beacon, scaring the living daylights out of the boat crew. On the HSL we would find a small islet to have a swim and lunch (the time on exercise being around a 8 hour day, but on the pinnace the day at sea was much longer around 14 hours). These exercises were a monthly routine, and a welcome break from the Torpedo workshop.
All good things come to an end and my two and a half years soon passed. Once more down to the Gen Office to choose my home posting preferences, I couldn't be lucky twice surely. I'd put my tapes up while in Singers and wondered if indeed I would strike Lucky, but fate dealt me a cruel hand: 6204Flt BD RAF Bicester Oxon. Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!!. An immediate application for an exchange of posting and advertisement in the RAF News saw no takers ( wily characters these plumbers, it might have appealed to young upstarts but not to the world and wily NCOs).
After three weeks disembarkation leave l arrive at RAF Bicester and walk into what appears to be an old Haltonian reunion of the 8t7entry, well not quite, but there to greet me are Pete Monk, Flash Nash, Pat Achilles and I think Brian/Barry?, Mills, (cant think of his first name ,old age creeping in), He was quite suave, owned a Morgan two seater sports car. All were at the time Cpls except Pat who had his third up. They where all posted off soon after I arrived, Except Flash who lasted about a year longer. Apparently I had just missed Johnnie Owens who had left the mob to go and join the Hong Kong Police!! I'd just missed Dave Green in Singers too when I arrived there. Pete and Flash put their thirds up on postings off.
The BD tasks hadn't changed much in my absence, still clearing ranges and the like. Attended an aircraft crash scene in Wales to search and sweep for missing ordinance, but on the whole the work was routine and mundane. Detached from Bicester most of the time to RAF stations Cranwell, Swinderby and Bawdsey. Sent on an Advanced BD course to the Royal Engineers Training School at Chattendean Kent (had completed the Elementary course on my first tour as a J/T), here I met Johnnie Duncan who had just completed the elementary course and remained to do the advance course. He was on the Newton Flt.
I was now like Tex all that time ago, disenchanted with my lot and seriously thought about leaving the mob. I couldn't see myself putting up with another 18 months of this. I saw the careers officer on one of my brief visits back to Bicester, and the outlook was dim. The service was going through a transition and our trade group was classed restricted entry and open to exit, we were apparently NCO top heavy ( That was obvious, we had more NCOs on BD than airmen, where on my last tour it was a ratio of 4 :1 the other way). I enquired about discharge and was surprised to find the service amicable to my request, after some soul searching I decided to go for it, at least I wouldn't have to fight an election!!. October 1968 I left the service. What was I, an ex RAF Armourer, going to do, my trade options were limited to say the least. I thought about a career in a commonwealth Air force, emigrating to Oz, New Zealand or Canada, maybe the Police Force, but I still had aircraft in my blood.