100 years of the RAF

[John Findlay]

I was working last night so recorded this documentary and watched it this morning. I have to say I enjoyed it immensely.

For the junior of the three armed forces they have managed to pack in a hell of alot to feel very proud of in their one hundred years existence. Of course nowhere near the same league as us Royal Navy personnel but, not bad all the same.

Hats off to you RAF and here's to your next one hundred years.

[Thunderstruck]

Yes, indeed, a very good documentary and happy birthday to the “Women's Auxilliary Ballon Corps”.

 

There are events this weekend in the Edinburgh area (at East Fortune and at Wilkieston) - might be something to take kids along to see. 

 

https://www.raf.mod.uk/raf100/whats-on/

[Maple Leaf]

The RAF were my heroes as a kid, and when I reached military age I was all set to join the "Brylcreem Boys."

 

But they said, "Nah, we're full up," and I got shoved into the army instead. 

 

Per ardua ad astra.

[deesidejambo]

My Dad was in the RAF in East Lothian in WW2.

 

Hats off to the pilots and crews who risked their lives.

[Sharpie]

I always had great respect for the RAF, although it was never a choice I would have made for myself.  As part of our duties in Egypt escorting supply trucks to air bases was one.  It was the prize of details, we went to Fayid air base, were very welcomed to join them at the mess hall for lunch, I remember the surprise on our hosts faces when I and another guardsman were so excited that the custard had sugar in it and was nice and sweet.

[Kenbo]

Proud to serve. Best thing i ever did was join up

[John Findlay]

52 minutes ago, Kenbo said:

Proud to serve. Best thing i ever did was join up

Dhekelia, Cyprus?

[Nookie Bear]

Watched that. 

 

The bit where the two Vulcan bombers, tasked with carrying nuclear bombs, realised they could not return from their mission because there would be nothing to return home to...mind blowing. 

[Kenbo]

8 hours ago, John Findlay said:

Dhekelia, Cyprus?

Nah other end.

[Jambof3tornado]

Very proud to have served. 

 

Only 5 medals but plenty tea and biscuits.

[Les Izemore]

5 hours ago, Jambof3tornado said:

Very proud to have served. 

 

Only 5 medals but plenty tea and biscuits.

 

Hat on or hat off? ?

[Sharpie]

9 hours ago, Jambof3tornado said:

Very proud to have served. 

 

Only 5 medals but plenty tea and biscuits.

 

You have obviously served and have the tokens of appreciation, good for you.

[superjack]

11 hours ago, Jambof3tornado said:

Very proud to have served. 

 

Only 5 medals but plenty tea and biscuits.

Me too, although I only stayed in for 4 years.

I thought I could be an armourer in civil street.

[Maple Leaf]

12 hours ago, Jambof3tornado said:

Very proud to have served. 

 

Only 5 medals but plenty tea and biscuits.

 

Well done on the gongs.

 

No medals for me.  My claim to fame is that I was only charged once during my service, and that was on the last day!  There I was, standing in front of the CO, in my civvies, charged with being drunk on duty.  I'd got hammered the night before at my demob party.

 

The CO just laughed and told me to get the hell out of his office.  So I did, and headed straight to the train station.  I should have got a medal for the fastest exit ever.

[Jamhammer]

Joined RAF at 16 and left at 21. One of the best things I ever did. Was like UNI for me and got me to Edinburgh. Falklands War was a wake up call  that I might actually have to go to war. Nothing but respect for all the armed forces. 1 medal, plenty tea and biscuits and very proud to have served, however briefly.

[John Findlay]

12 hours ago, Jambof3tornado said:

Very proud to have served. 

 

Only 5 medals but plenty tea and biscuits.

That's three more than me. South Atlantic Medal and General Service with Gulf Bar is my total. It's more than enough. All with the Senior and best service. Royal Navy.

[Jambof3tornado]

4 minutes ago, John Findlay said:

That's three more than me. South Atlantic Medal and General Service with Gulf Bar is my total. It's more than enough. All with the Senior and best service. Royal Navy.

I dropped some kit off at Devenport once and was asked if I wanted lunch. The kit was going on to HMS Trafalgar and I didnt fancy the life of a submariner one bit!! Got a guided tour and was so glad to get back up top!!

[John Findlay]

11 minutes ago, Jambof3tornado said:

I dropped some kit off at Devenport once and was asked if I wanted lunch. The kit was going on to HMS Trafalgar and I didnt fancy the life of a submariner one bit!! Got a guided tour and was so glad to get back up top!!

Submariners are a different breed altogether!!!!!

[Sharpie]

Its good to read about the service of you guys.  I loved travelling in the United States, here in B.C. if you served with NATO troops you can get Veterans licence plates, when you change cars you keep the plates which is for life. When I was in the States someone seeing the plates would say thank you for your service, on trying to explain I was British army they say that doesn't matter you served and we thank you. It sort of makes you feel good. I am a mixed bag medal guy, Got a GSM for Canal Zone, Queens Jubilee medal for a combination of Military, Police, and Community service, and Police Exemplary Service medal in Canada.  The General Service medal was interesting we didn't get it iuntil the 1990's forty odd years after our service, the didn't issue it at the time as they didn't want to offend Egypt during the conferences to settle matters, it was later issued after a group pressured the Government.

[auldy19]

Still serving ! The proudness factor varies from day to day . Today ? Not so much ! ?

[davemclaren]

2 hours ago, bobsharp said:

Its good to read about the service of you guys.  I loved travelling in the United States, here in B.C. if you served with NATO troops you can get Veterans licence plates, when you change cars you keep the plates which is for life. When I was in the States someone seeing the plates would say thank you for your service, on trying to explain I was British army they say that doesn't matter you served and we thank you. It sort of makes you feel good. I am a mixed bag medal guy, Got a GSM for Canal Zone, Queens Jubilee medal for a combination of Military, Police, and Community service, and Police Exemplary Service medal in Canada.  The General Service medal was interesting we didn't get it iuntil the 1990's forty odd years after our service, the didn't issue it at the time as they didn't want to offend Egypt during the conferences to settle matters, it was later issued after a group pressured the Government.

That’s interesting Bob. My late father was in the canal zone during his national service in the late 40s. He was in the Royal Engineers. 

[Sharpie]

11 minutes ago, davemclaren said:

That’s interesting Bob. My late father was in the canal zone during his national service in the late 40s. He was in the Royal Engineers. 

 

Yes Dave the whole Zone was full of British miltary bases from before WW2 and through to our time there. Your Dad would probably have been o.k there the troubles didn't start until Farouk was chased then I think Neguib went in and while we were there he was out then in again, apart from the Canal we had big intersts in the airfield at Fayid, and a big ammuniton dump at Tel El Kebir. Your Dad I would doubt would have qualified for the medal as it was only issued after the troubles .started which I think was early fifties.  In line with the thread I suspect the RAF prior to the troubles probably had the most manpower there,

[davemclaren]

1 minute ago, bobsharp said:

 

Yes Dave the whole Zone was full of British miltary bases from before WW2 and through to our time there. Your Dad would probably have been o.k there the troubles didn't start until Farouk was chased then I think Neguib went in and while we were there he was out then in again, apart from the Canal we had big intersts in the airfield at Fayid, and a big ammuniton dump at Tel El Kebir. Your Dad I would doubt would have qualified for the medal as it was only issued after the troubles .started which I think was early fifties.  In line with the thread I suspect the RAF prior to the troubles probably had the most manpower there,

Thanks for the clarification. 

[Finbar Saunders]

My old man (92 now) was in the RAF during the war, ground crew/office staff, spent his war in Egypt guarding Italian POWs with a pick shaft handle! "To keep them in" I asked? "Naw, to keep the Arabs oot, they'd steal anything".

He was sent to Cyprus on leave once but wasn't too keen on it so he used the rest of his leave time going to visit my uncle (his brother-in-law) in Palestine, uncle was with the Paras who'd been sent there after the Battle of Monte Casino in Italy.

Got loads and loads of pics of him over there

[Tazio]

My old man got his Suez medal a few months before he died which I always feel was a nice bit of timing for him. 

[Finbar Saunders]

4 minutes ago, Tazio said:

My old man got his Suez medal a few months before he died which I always feel was a nice bit of timing for him. 

 

Good stuff mate, its always boiled my piss that most the men on the Russian convoys were awarded medals when most had died

[Statts1976uk]

Very proud of my time in the RAF, got to go to places I would never have ordinarily got to see, managed to do things I wouldn’t have had the chance to do otherwise. I never once said no or complained about going to any of the shitholes of the world as it’s all experience.

 

It set me up very nicely for the outside world and taught my habits that I try to keep to this day. It helped me develop loyalty and teamwork and for that I’ll always be grateful.

[Sharpie]

5 minutes ago, Statts1976uk said:

Very proud of my time in the RAF, got to go to places I would never have ordinarily got to see, managed to do things I wouldn’t have had the chance to do otherwise. I never once said no or complained about going to any of the shitholes of the world as it’s all experience.

 

It set me up very nicely for the outside world and taught my habits that I try to keep to this day. It helped me develop loyalty and teamwork and for that I’ll always be grateful.

 

Good for me to hear someone had basically the same experience as I had,  as I have said the RAF was not my choice  not because of any dislike, I just wanted to experience army life.  I was involved with the RAF on occasion and what impressed me was that from what I saw they had every function covered by RAF members.  In the army or at least in my branch we had other Corps supply us with personnel for their expertise, Signals, armourers, Medical Corp, all fine guys, but belonged really to their own Corp.

 

Your last sentence is what I valued most, our training set me up perfectly for my chosen career path, and to this day I use some of the things I learned and was required to do.  My wife particularly enjoys my housekeeping skills, ironing ability, laundry folding, and most highly, no dirty unpolished shoes in our house.

[superjack]

Where had all you fellow ex crabs served?

I was only in 4 years, after finishing in Cosford early 92 I was posted to coningsby on 229 OCU, which then changed to 56 sqn.

[ri Alban]

Big wow!

[Jamhammer]

I did my basic at Swinderby April 1980, 6 Months at Cosford then up here. Lived at Turnhouse worked at Pitreavie in The Pit. Had wee jollies to Northwood, Brize and Stanmore Park as well as 3 months at Akrotiri in the summer. 

The thing that struck me about the documentary was the egalitarian thing. You could become Marshall even if you were a working class type. Never really occured to me when I was in. The officers were usually frightfully posh and weird

[Seymour M Hersh]

http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/603_wwII.html

 

 

[John Findlay]

2 hours ago, Jamhammer said:

I did my basic at Swinderby April 1980, 6 Months at Cosford then up here. Lived at Turnhouse worked at Pitreavie in The Pit. Had wee jollies to Northwood, Brize and Stanmore Park as well as 3 months at Akrotiri in the summer. 

The thing that struck me about the documentary was the egalitarian thing. You could become Marshall even if you were a working class type. Never really occured to me when I was in. The officers were usually frightfully posh and weird

When we're you at Northwood? I did two stints there. First 1983 down the hole in the main Commcen. The second was 1988 when I was in Rocchan. My boss being an RAF warrant officer Mr Henderson.

Hms Raleigh start of September to mid October 1979. Six weeks basic training.

Hms Mercury mid October 1979 to end of April 1980, professional training as a Radio Operator.

Hms Intrepid end of April 1980 to August 1982, which included the Falklands War.

Hms Collingwood October 1982 to September 1983. Main gate guard duty,

October 1983 to June 1986 Hms Fife, which included another deployment to the Falklands over Christmas 83 and new year 84.

July 86 to March 87 Hms Mercury for leading hand's course, which included two weeks leadership course at HMS Royal Arthur in the Wiltshire countryside.

April 1987 to  April 1988 Hms Andromeda which included a deployment to the Persian gulf.

April 1988 to September 1988 Hms Warrior, Northwood.

September 1988 to January 1990 Hms Andromeda again and another gulf deployment over Christmas 1988 and new year 1989 which I spent the festive fortnight in Mombasa, Kenya.

January 1990 to April 1990 Fleet Maintenance Group Portsmouth Dockyard, main signal office.

April 16th 1990 walked out the main gate of Hms Nelson for the last time. The day before my 27th birthday. The worst decision I ever made in my life to date.

[Jamhammer]

17 minutes ago, John Findlay said:

When we're you at Northwood? I did two stints there. First 1983 down the hole in the main Commcen. The second was 1988 when I was in Rocchan. My boss being an RAF warrant officer Mr Henderson.

Hms Raleigh start of September to mid October 1979. Six weeks basic training.

Hms Mercury mid October 1979 to end of April 1980, professional training as a Radio Operator.

Hms Intrepid end of April 1980 to August 1982, which included the Falklands War.

Hms Collingwood October 1982 to September 1983. Main gate guard duty,

October 1983 to June 1986 Hms Fife, which included another deployment to the Falklands over Christmas 83 and new year 84.

July 86 to March 87 Hms Mercury for leading hand's course, which included two weeks leadership course at HMS Royal Arthur in the Wiltshire countryside.

April 1987 to  April 1988 Hms Andromeda which included a deployment to the Persian gulf.

April 1988 to September 1988 Hms Warrior, Northwood.

September 1988 to January 1990 Hms Andromeda again and another gulf deployment over Christmas 1988 and new year 1989 which I spent the festive fortnight in Mombasa, Kenya.

January 1990 to April 1990 Fleet Maintenance Group Portsmouth Dockyard, main signal office.

April 16th 1990 walked out the main gate of Hms Nelson for the last time. The day before my 27th birthday. The worst decision I ever made in my life to date.

I was in the Matelo radio room in the pit at Northwood for a month in, I think September 82. It was weird cos it was an exact replica of our office at Pitreavie. 

[John Findlay]

6 minutes ago, Jamhammer said:

I was in the Matelo radio room in the pit at Northwood for a month in, I think September 82. It was weird cos it was an exact replica of our office at Pitreavie. 

And Whitehall, Gibraltar and Fort Southwick too. Lol, HMS Forces not the most imagining at interior design.

[Sharpie]

For such a relatively young service, heroic as RFC in WW1, and as the RAF in WW 2,  they have joined the ranks of the Country's finest services.

 

One of our neighbours a man probably late thirties forty was called up and served in the RAF at Turnhouse with 603 squadron.. My father and I used to take a tram to the Maybury on a Sunday and watch the planes take off and land at Turnhouse when it was 603.