V Force Boys by Blackman Tony; Wright Anthony; & Anthony Wright

Author:Blackman, Tony; Wright, Anthony; & Anthony Wright
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HISTORY / Military / Aviation
Publisher: Grub Street
Published: 2017-09-10T16:00:00+00:00

Things didn’t get any better when going down the A1 as most of us, apart from our officer in charge of the coach, and another squadron leader, decided that we were now hungry. The MT driver had to ignore the latter’s command for the coach to turn off the A1 for Cottesmore as the mob shouted for the driver to continue south to The Bloody Oaks petrol station. Which he duly did and we disembarked. In those days to be served anything more than petrol, oil and water was usually a bonus and so packets of crisps had to suffice which quietened everyone down.

However, just before our arrival at Cottesmore officers’ mess entrance the argument at the back of the coach erupted again. A nav plotter and the kidnapped officer had a set to and the squadron leader who decided to break it up got too close and accidentally, we believe, got punched in the eye for his trouble.

When the coach stopped the first two to get off at the run was the nav plotter hotly pursued by the enraged squadron leader, while the rest of us repaired to the Gents. While we all stood in a long line at the numerous ‘stand ups’ the plotter chased by the squadron leader entered by one door, rushed past us all and they both exited out of another door at the end.

The next day all the station commanders of those personnel attending were summoned to HQ Bomber Command for a major dressing down. The result was that on their return they were all expected to administer the same to us. Therefore, the next morning, a Saturday I believe, we were all summoned to be in the Operations Wing briefing room for the official bollocking. This was carried out by OC Operations Wing whilst trying to keep a straight face, just like the rest of us, and concluded by saying that the station commander believed that none of us were to blame. The fact that the huge RAF Waddington crest in flowers and a neatly rolled up fire hose, both liberated from Waddington, were strategically positioned on the front steps of the officers’ mess at Cottesmore clearly was dismissed as irrelevant.

At the time none of us wanted to attend the fiasco. Moreover, after the dust had settled I for one, and echoed by many attendees, said that HQ 1 Group would never have another – and they didn’t. Since that day it has been quietly airbrushed out of history although many have heard about it second or third hand. With hindsight, this was an experience not to be missed.

A Fishy Tale

A regular haunt, particularly for the Valiants and Vulcans, was to visit Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Goose Bay, Labrador. The main aim was to fly low level across the remote and vast areas of pines and lakes as far as Hudson Bay and return. In 1964, on 148 Squadron, I had been one of the two Valiant crews from RAF Marham selected to initially test the first low level routes in such a desolate area.

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