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1966 - 10 Sqns first Headquarters (before we had any aircraft!) was in wooden huts, on the
other side of the airfield from
todays premises. With no VC10s to
play with, we made ourselves useful (and kept out of the way of “station
duties” etc.) by making the place habitable, I painted a signboard to show we
existed, and led a quiet peaceful life….
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We even had an Ops Room up and running before the first VC10 arrived, complete with
wall map to show the position of route aircraft round the globe. Navigators drew
it, I painted it – then kept the job going and out of being grabbed for
Station Duty NCO, parades and other pains in the butt, by painting almost 100
little cartoons all over it to keep the future Ops Officers amused.
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…and after all that the whole place burned down and we got brand new premises on the
“operational” side of the airfield.
OK – it wasn’t like Michaelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel, but
the fire crew could have at least saved the wall….!
And I never took photos of the little cartoons all over it – what a
loss to posterity (or even longer)
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Training of Air Loadmasters on VC10 cabin crew work was
partly carried out with BOAC at their Cranebank facility at Heathrow – all had
to wear civilian clothes not to upset the local BOAC staff having to associate
with the “brutal and licentious soldiery”.
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All other
“operational” training of Loadmasters was done at Brize Norton, followed up
after “check flights” as a supernumerary, and then at frequent intervals
thereafter one of the Transport Command Examining Team would suddenly board the
aircraft at some unexpected spot and do the next leg of the flight behaving like
Torquemada and the Spanish Inquisition (without the thumbscrews).
These gentlemen were known as “The Trappers” (amongst other things!)
especially when they gave you a list of your misdeeds afterwards marked
“3/10 Try Harder” This
on top of 6 monthly examinations. (Left
– Trapper gives 2 Loadies a hard time en route)
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Base Hangar Brize Norton
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Shiny Ten undergoing maintenance |
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Naming Ceremony XR810
“David Lord VC” (Click
to read the VC citation, use the 'Back' button to return here)
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“RAFAIR 1001” (New
flight numbers) First scheduled VC10 trooping flight to Hong Kong – XV103
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Note: This does not
agree with Scott Hendersons book “Silent, Swift, Superb” page 172 quoting
XR808 making 1st scheduled route on 4.4.67. My logbook shows XR808 Lyneham-Nairobi-Gan-S’pre-HK and
back via Bahrain 16-22/12/66, and Fairford-Changi-Fairford 27-31/1/67, XV101
Lyneham-Changi-Lyneham 18-21/3/67 (amongst others) |
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RAFAIR 1001 refuelling
stop RAF Muharraq, Bahrain
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RAFAIR 1001 at RAF Kai
Tak, Hong Kong heading homeward
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Representative Air Support Command types at RAF Abingdon for Queens visit at RAF 50th
Anniversary Celebrations, 1968
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Some of the
cartoons I did which were hung on the walls of 10 Squadrons Crew
Room 1967 – wonder if any are still in existence? (If you know where they
are: Send an E-mail)
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“Clampers”
at Brize again…..but the “sweeper” aircraft that picks up all the crews
along the routes to get them home for Christmas always gets in!
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We got tanked up before they even thought of VC10 tankers!
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