MT Tales
Tell us your
favourite prang story, about the time you drove away from a Vulcan with your hose still connected or the time the snow was so deep you never noticed the runway lights in your T54 till they flew out of the chute.
A snippet from Ron Mills
First to Cardington for kit out. I remember the Storeman issuing the kit, half did not fit due to my 6ft 5inch tall, and as skinny as a rake body- ha body- Charles Atlas I was not. I was told never mind son, it will shrink or you will put on weight.
Padgate for basic training, and was it basic, first time firing the old Lee Enfield nearly broke my collar bone, I soon learnt to pad my shirt with spare undies. got to the range again and the Cpl there said are you crippled, no I said but I bloody will be if I fire that damn thing again without padding. Two evenings peeling potato's and scrubbing pots. But enjoyed the grub the night cooks put up. I thought the Storeman might be right, I will put on weight. So volunteered for work in the cookhouse a couple of times, had a lot of fun. After that I would volunteer for just about anything, it really spoilt the Cpl's day
Ron Mills (Tiny to my mates )
ex SAC MTD/OP joined the RAF 1954 - discharge by purchase 1962.
Now living in Australia (since 1966) |
It was at Seletar about 1958, I was Cpl i/c Night Shift when one of the RAF Malaya drivers came to the detail office window and said he had a bit of a problem and would I come and look at it and see if I could sort it for him. It appears that he had been on the early morning pick-up of the Zobits kids from Singapore .He had D.I' d his vehicle before he left and it had required some oil ,now, it was standard practice in these circumstances to put in the oil when you got back for the very good reason that it was dark when he left and nasty snakes had a habit of kipping in the oil store , which was unlit . We went to his vehicle, a Standard vanguard, and he told me that he had put in two gallon containers of engine oil but that the dipstick still showed below the full mark. I asked him where he had poured the oil and pointed to the oil filler pipe and asked him if he had put it in there. Oh No he said I could not get the top off ,I poured in there , where it says "oil level" and pointed to the oil bath air filter ! ! ! ! The engine was full of oil in the carb, combustion chambers and manifold. It was even beginning to drip from the tail pipe of the exhaust where the valves were overlapping open. I told him to put it u/s with engine over-filled with oil, but sad to say the Lads in MTSS were less than amused.
John Johnstone |
A few more tales sent in by Brenda Turner .......................
So I am set to pick up Air Chief Marshall Stacey from
RAF Wattisham and take him to his house not far from Cranwell. For those who don't know, he was a short stroppy man. Anyway, before I left MT I found a baby bird that had fallen from the nest (I always had creatures of some sort) not knowing what to do with it, and being in a rush I put it on my head, under my hat...yeah I know strange, but for those who knew me sort of par for the course. So, I pick him up and start driving, the bird, being hungry starts chirping. a lot, so Stacey who I can see in the rear mirror stops reading his paper and is staring at the back of my head...says 'driver, can you hear a cheeping sound', ummmm, 'No Sir' says I, bird is by now throwing a little bird wobbly, and is moving around...my hat is moving...he has crapped on my head and is a noisy little bugger. Stacey says, 'it seems to be coming from your head'. So I take off my hat and there is little bird, on my head. must admit it looked weird. Stacey says, 'driver there is a bird on your head' 'oh really Sir,' puts my hand up and says, 'oh so there is'. Hat back on and drive him to his house. his parting words were. 'you really are very strange' thank you Sir' I says...and left him wondering why.
Another bird story...at Luffenham, had yet another baby bird. who died, so I come up with a brain wave...I would cremate it. (I was pissed) in the sanitary incinerator in the WRAF block (bit strange I know) so I pops the tiny bird all wrapped in paper into the machine and pulls the handle...now to cremate a baby bird you need to keep going back and pull the handle. trouble is they are quite flammable....sanitary machine catches fire. block evacuated...fire engines and all turn up...find baby bird half cremated, so I have to explain......hmmm
...and for those who have contacted me about the getting arrested episode in Sleaford. the truth....I had passed my coach test, and it was my birthday 22nd I think it's market day and so Dusty Miller lets me finish my coach test in town and I go and meet my fella. (Mo Perry) in the pub, we start drinking grouse and water, gets very silly. ends up the last round was 32 Whisky's, yeah just 2 of us...some time later...Mo has gone into the lounge thinking it was the toilet and pees all up the lounge door, I am dancing on a bar stool, we are kicked out of the pub end up juggling oranges in the street, directing traffic and jamming up Sleaford, top it off by having a sit down in front of a bus and refusing to move, so the police are called, Mo is unconscious (men just can't hack it), I try to get on the back of the motorbike the copper is driving and fall off so does the copper, we are arrested and put into the cells, RAF police turn up, Mo is sent to the Med Centre and then guardroom, I am under close arrest in the WRAF block, some really quiet knitting circle WRAF is guarding me, I wake up and find blood all over the pillow and on my face, (had tried to escape and go to the disco), she very warily asks what I have been arrested for, murder I says, she cries and demands that someone else mind me, I think this is hysterically funny....MT WRAF put in charge of me and we end up drinking, in the morning OC WRAF can't understand why I am still pissed, anyway, long story shortened, am charged, formal warning, fine and a shed load of Jankers and that is the truth of it all for those who have asked, oh and yes!! it was me that put the for sale sign on the green of the RAF College and put my bra on the flagpole the day before Queen's passing out parade, Oh God!! I sound like a bit of a mad sod.....quieter now, honest
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Dave Berry sent these three............
RAF Northolt about 1981, Dave Probert, Stu Humphrys, Sean Snoddy and myself all throwing a Frisby about in the Naafi beer garden, the Frisby went on the garage roof so up jumps Dave Probert to get it down, walks along the "corrugated roof" and throws said Frisby back down, then falls through corrugated roof onto a car in the garage. Now being honest drivers Sean Snoddy clambers up to help him back out and to pull debris off said car and there would be no evidence of us being there. As Dave was getting back on the roof it all collapsed in again, so still being honest drivers we left it and done a flyer.
Monday morning I was talking to Sgt Jack Frain when the under secretary of states driver comes in the section and tells Jack that the garage roof where he kept the car has caved in on the car and done a lot of damage to the bonnet.
Off pops Jack to take a look and comes back saying "someone has been tap dancing on the roof "and promptly asks me if i saw anything over the weekend, "no said I" just as there was a phone call from the station police asking to see Berry, Snoddy, Humphreys and Probert about another incident in the beer garden (Involving Chedder, yes you were there Ched) and why were we on the roof, anyway Jack puts two and two together and Dave Probert admitted to it, he was charged and was duly awarded one days Jankers, As he was stood outside the guard room waiting for his inspection the rest of us feeling sorry for him, as you do, were standing at the Naafi window opposite waving our pints and cheering him on, but he kept smiling.
Northolt again about 1982, Maggie Thatcher was flying out of Heathrow and
Northolt's CO Group Captain Dixon had to see her off every time she did this.
The CO's Driver at the time got up at 04.30 for a 05.00 start so he was in a slight rush, off he pops to the MT section no time for a cup of tea but takes a long glug out the bottle of Milk sitting on the fridge, then promptly spews it all back up again, some idiot had filled the milk bottle up with the white detergent that we used to use, so after a few large cups of water the driver jumps in the car and shoots off to the CO's house gets there and needs to puke again, but had to go out to the main road as he didn't want to mess up the CO's drive, in the meantime out comes the CO, sees car but no driver and phones MT, the driver comes back and has to explain to the CO what had happened, the CO just laughed at him and off they went to see Maggie off, with the driver managing to hold the puke in.
On arrival the CO goes into the VIP lounge and the driver goes behind wall for more pukes, when the driver went into the drivers area all these civilian VIP drivers came up to him and took the 'mick', The CO had only gone into the lounge and told Maggie and her cronies about the pint of "milk" who in turn had told the drivers, yes it was hide in the corner time and no Maggie did not send ME a get well soon card.
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Bell Inn, Wildenrath, MT bar where many a wild night was had and we had a curry night for a change, all the regulars were there Big Jim Matthews, Andy (Bert) Sims, myself, Brummie Dunn, Russ Fenton, Nev Everett, Roger Mill, Mick Whitby, Mick Bartley a few fitters and plenty of others, out comes the Curry and Rice and every body tucks in, very nice it was as well but we just couldn't eat it all.
As the night goes on we were all getting wobbly legs as you do and the 'micky' taking started, it was the fitters who started it honest, there they were all sat in a row under the windows and very pretty they looked too.
This banter between the drivers and fitters went on for a while but there is only so much a Jock will take before he blows his top, and Big Jimmy Matthews had had enough, his face went red, his eyes darted around looking for the container of Curry and for his size he was over to it like a fleeting Gazel, stooping down he picked it up on the move and passed it on but kept the container (excellent rugby move), the contents ie the curry flew through the air and we all looked on and gasped before we laughed as it came to land all over the fitters, not to be out done Andy (Bert) Sims was up like a shot, he took a flying dive whisking up the Rice container and in one foul movement the rice was heading for the fitters as well, as Andy was shouting " YOU GOT THE CURRY HAVE THE RICE AS WELL BEERRRT", it landed all over the fitters as well, we waited for the punch up to start but it never came, the fitters just laughed and every body had a good time.
In the morning it was another matter, Tony Mills (OCMT) had heard about it and wanted Jimmy and Andy there and then ,but WO MT had decided he would deal with it as he was the MTO, this put Tony Mills nose a bit out of joint, they were both dealt with, they had to clean up the bar and were each banned from there for 6 Months, after just over a Month they were allowed back in, MT justice was done.
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A few tales sent in by Brenda Turner ....................... |
Great site....I am Brenda Turner, was Brenda Williams, Brenda Ellen (Nth Luffenham 1976 - 78), Brenda Louise (Cranwell 1978 - 1984)
I have seen Andy Bunston's name on the list... so an Andy Story... We had all been drinking home made wine... I think at Bill Shaw's house, all very pissed and drinking till late. Next morning we had a really big visit, Andy is driving two Lady something or others, anyway he's feeling very ill, so unable to stop the line up of cars, he says excuse me to the two Ladies in the back, takes off his hat and throws up while driving, putting the hat under the seat... true class!!
Or, does anyone remember when the crew room at Cranwell was supposed to be haunted? two WRAF drivers had the crap scared out of them while on night shift... heard scratchy noises.... so the blokes take the mickey... next night shift the blokes all tear arse downstairs scared... heard noises.. so WO Thorougood asks me if I would see if I heard anything... OK says I.... could've heard noises I say.... next thing we're up on forklifts poking about the roof... Padre comes and says prayers (I kid you not) the crew all moved beds back downstairs... how brave!!
Or yet another one...... While on exercise (Viking Warrior) in Denmark, I had to take an RVT across to Esberg.... parked up in the hotel, only to be dragged, pissed from a Danish nightclub because the Greenpeace people had painted ban the bomb slogans all over it in pink paint and were trying to push it into
Esberg harbour... had to drive through Denmark and down to Gutersloh with a pink RVT.... girl power !!
I thought the MTO was going to have a fit when I pulled into Gutersloh MT......
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Dear Bill and Ian,
I would like you to put another story on drivers tales for me please.
my name is John Claxton ,I was an MTD from 1975 till 1984, during this time I drank many a NAAFI dry, smoked 30 a day and fought anyone that got in my way. I'm not proud of this but it happened. when I finally applied to purchase my discharge, the MT W/O told me there was an 18 month waiting list and it would cost me £700. I still applied anyway. when s h q got my application they called me up for an interview , I was told if I had £230 in the bank I could clear and leave now. I said I didn't have it, they said don't worry we will take it out of what we owe you. They sent me for a career interview that day, the Education Officer said what are you going to do in Civvy Street?. I said I am going to be a Gynaecologist [I can't even spell it] she said that's unusual, why? I said I have been working with ****s for 9 years I might as well carry on. I was told to clear and leave the camp. In other words I was a bad lad. I became a long distance lorry driver, and hated it. Living in a cab with no rate ones wasn't for me. I got into double glazing, started my own business in 1987 am now getting on ok. I met a good woman who managed to get me under control .I gave up smoking in 1994 gave up drinking [totally]in1997 and became a born again Christian in 2002 ,was baptised last October, and stood up and gave my Testimony on Saturday morning in a Swaffam church to local businessmen. Two of these men came up to me afterwards and said that they would have to change there ways. I felt very pleased that I have helped someone instead of hurting someone. This was a good feeling ,and now I would like to help you. if you have problems in your life and want someone to speak to, someone who knows where you are coming from ,give me a call , don't forget I've been there . Phone me on my mobile or text me and I will call you back ****** ******* no catch, no cost.
John Claxton
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Once upon a time a long long time a go [well Laarbruch 82- 83 ish] my leg still in plaster after leaving the Mally window with out the need of any safety gear {see John Claxton`s letter} Claxo returns to camp after being deployed to Jever where 2 or 3 Tornado`s the RAF's all new all weather a/c had been hit by lighting hence a crash site. We go to the Mally for a quiet beer or 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 whatever, two 16sqn flems walk in and start giving John some verbal, he explains that he only wants a quiet pint so f- off, on leaving the drinking hole [and I mean hole] we are followed by the 2 flems after more verbal from them John drops both giving the biggest the best seeing to I have ever witnessed, as we walk away, well me limp {crutches} I who had done nothing [ honest ] walks back to the guy laying on the road minus teeth and claret put my crutch in his throat and say "don't ever mess with M. T." remember lads we are the best don't let he b*****d`s grind you down.
Colin Rippon
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Hi Guys
I have just found your site and was reading John Claxton's story of when MT had a HUGE punch up with about 50 rock apes in the Mally Club bar at RAF Laarbruch. I remember it well, as I was Miss Mally on duty that night. What a night, all the bar staff were terrified and I hadn't worked there myself for long. I do remember getting a big bunch of flowers from the WO MT on the Monday morning to say sorry, and I still have the leather purse PJ brought me back from his Bavarian holiday!!!
Best wishes
Jenny Harrower, Jenny Smith as was. |
Cliff Lowe sent this in,
Everybody must have their own memory of square bashing (or the first eight weeks) we were all issued with pint china mugs , so my memory was standing 'by my bed' when the Cpl drill instructor did a check, his question to me "there is a brown stain down the bottom so it's not fit to drink from, is it airman?", "no Cpl" " right, tap it on the wall. "NO!! from here", he shouted (about 25 feet away), a new mug cost me 2/6 from the Naafi.............................Read on here, there's more funny tales from Cliff
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From John Claxton former MTD 75/84 I could tell a 1000 tales of my days in the RAF, here are a few.
Night shift Nth Luff 1977, Duty Cpl Dave Anderson sent Jimmy Walker to D I
a 3 Tonner for a job .
Its 3.00 in the morning and I am under the 3 Tonner , Jimmy checks the oil and I grab him, he screamed so loud I thought the whole camp had heard. Jimmy never did nights again.
Beer call Laarbruch 82, 30 or so MTD's on the tables singing with there trousers and pants round there ankles, (Cpl) Colin Rippon keeps singing the wrong words, so I pushed him, He fell out of the window breaking his leg.
We resumed the beer call in the Med Centre. Well Colin you now know who it was , sorry mate.
Laarbruch 82 26 sqn rocks return from the Falklands. A couple of drivers had been good lads and entertained there wives while they were away. Anyway about 50 rocks bounce into the Mally club, and about 20 drivers bounce out. If I remember rightly THROUGH the wall between the Mally and families club. We held our heads high though didn't we lads ?
More of them ended up in med cent than us (maybe its because they ended up fighting 1sqn rocks as well) Or was it my secret weapon? my right leg, in a plaster cast from a parachute accident. The next day I woke up without my cast , I had kicked so many of them they smashed the cast off. Anyway it was a good laugh, remember? Phill Tetley, Bunny Hall, Ron Williams, Mitch Mitchel, Jeff {baldy eagle} Sheild , Dave Cardus, Taff Cummins, plus several more who's names
John Claxton |
Hi Bill and Ian
Looking through some of the stories about prangs reminds me of many accidents and cover ups over the years, in MTSS it was always a laugh to take the Mick out of the drivers when they used to come up to the hangar, tail between their legs to see if we could sort anything out. I have quite a few accidents (usually in the workshop) to my credit, but I won't spill the beans on them.
This particular night, sometime in 92 or 93 I think, 3 cars at Henlow were stolen from the MT Hangar by 'Persons Unknown', I can't remember all on duty but I think Ian Beedles was there. Needless to say the cars were all badly damaged and scrapped. As I remember, one of the Montego's was the CO's the other was the AOC's and the Escort was the MT run around. First I knew about it was the next morning, sneaking into MTSS to do a back hander on a civvy car, and being confronted by the Flight Sgt, and a load of Special Investigation Branch Police! The desperately trying to explain what I was doing at work so early on a Sunday morning.
Mark Burrell
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Bill and Ian,
Please find below the full version of the MT song as I can remember it.
from Glyn Bromham. MTD 1973 - still stationed at Lossie.
All the best again
Have a good Christmas and new year.
Glyn Bromham
Dear Bill
As I remember it at Sek Kong 1956 We had another verse that went--
30 40 must go faster
suddenly there is disaster
first a squeal then a grunt
take the chinky off the front
Cheers Cliff Lowe
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I Visit this site at least three times a week, it gets better & better, I've found lost mates and had many laughs, thanks very much guys, keep it up, Brilliant site!!
Chris Abbott
RAF Benson
MT Control |
Howdy fellow underpaid grafters,
My name is Marv Scenters, a Cpl MTD sunning it up in Akrotiri. Just thought I'd give you a 'minor prang' tale of my own. It was at lovely St Athan in the summer of 1993. I was living at St Mawgan and had gone back to 'saints as an LAC to do my 'heavies'. Things were going pretty well throughout the course (waking up still half-cut from the grafton, wide eyed after experiencing the wonders of the V.C night, begging your co-driver to take the first stint 'cause the thought of Culverhouse Cross with a hangover was too much to handle, etc...). Before I knew it it was test day. (I feel I must add here that I had an early, beer free night the night before my test). Off I went on the "camp to Maindy Barracks" route. Lo and behold 'one a month moss' had passed me!! Hurrah! Just the solo drive to do then I can go home, lovely. So it was back to camp and after a spot of 'lunch' I reported to tac-cell where I was given my route and little Bedford. Off I popped on my 'round robin' which would bring me down 5 mile lane, onto the
Barry road and back to camp. Sorted, job done ! Erm...no not quite. Coming down 5 mile lane the road had a nasty sharp right hander and narrowed. Coming in the opposite direction was a civvy coach. We were both doing 40mph (there are witnesses!!) And all of a sudden....bang. Head-on collision making a bit of a mess (front axle snapped, chassis twisted and the cab collapsed around me). Both vehicles were subsequently written-off. Thankfully there were no major injuries, a lot of hurt pride and a longer stay at saints than I had hoped for though.
I am led to believe that since that day all solo drives were done the next day and 5 mile lane became out of bounds. I hereby apologise to all MTD's that had to stay an extra day after their test. But my only real regret is that I never got a photo of the wagon after the prang. Does anyone know of any?
Keep up the good work, it is a great site. And remember........don't let the Vietnamese sock thieves put ferrets in your lightbulbs.
Marv
Hello Bill & Ian, here's my time in the air Force in the form of a poem hope you like it and by the why I think the website is great
All the best Richard (Taff) Jones
Royal Air Force
Pull up a sand bag and listen to my story
Who joined up for blood guts and glory
Sit down lads and smoke your fags
Were just a bunch of hair raising lads
Sent down to Cornwall fit as a flea
Joined the R.A.F its my cup of tea
Just left training and fit to pull
Who´d join the Army and all that bull
We went to St Mawgan fit and prepared
Our sight I think was slightly impaired
Fit to fight for Queen and country
Ended up Brahms and list in the Cornish county
Put on shift with my mate Tommy
I thought he was a bleed'in commie
Only joking he was my best mate
We´d always get drunk and stay out late
The first three years I made lots of mates
And always too drunk to go out on dates
Sometimes referred to me as a party animal
It was never to late to join a carnival
First of the month and feeling flush
Its out on the town in a flash
As a newt within the hour
Then every bird looks like a flower
Middle of the month and no more cash
That's put pay to all that flash
As I lay in my bed and try to think
Ill have to beg steal and borrow to get a drink
Its down to the gym with-out desire
To be rid of this spare tyre
For the next two weeks its up and run
And less and less of all the fun
First of the month and fit to bust
Ill have to get rid of all this lust
Have a drink put out the fire
Then off to the gym with-out desire
At St Mawgan I made one good friend
All-though I think he was around the bend
Tommy was his name, Ive all-ready said
I later found out he was all-right in the head
St Mawgan is gone, we all departed
Some of us were down hearted
Were off to foreign places and stories untold
So peckers up and lets be bold
Ill always remember the careers office
Oh so full of joy and sweet promise
The sergeant with a smile and cup of tea
I think he took the Mick out of me
Join up lad get off your arse
There's no need to be in the lower class
There's nothing hidden up my sleeve
How could I have been so naive
I took the Queens shilling
And went very willing
Left the office as high as a kite
Brahms and list that same night
Never regretted signing my name
I thought the R.A.F very tame
As I look back to the R.A.F
Never would I change or ever had left.
Richard (TAFF) Jones
St Mawgan January 1981-Nov 83
Rheindahlen--!987
Hi Guys,
Can you help me out. The professional drivers association of which I'm a member are starting to offer there new members (If interested) the chance to take part in training days. these are to take place up and down the country at various locations (Normally Hauliers yards) these training days which are free to members of the PDA are on whatever the new driver wants. ie reversing tuition, help coupling up artic trailers. all basic stuff , but important nevertheless. anyhow, a few of us have been asked could we show these new guys the basics of load and restraint, roping and sheeting etc. I'm only to glad to help. but whilst the practical is easy the theory isn't. When I did my load restraint course at Saints we were given lots of different booklets on the subject and I was going to refer to some of these, unfortunately I cant find my copies and therefore I am on the scrounge for some. would it be possible via Pist'n'broke to ask the members could they either loan or photocopy any of the load restraint booklets and send to me. I will gladly pay all postage charges.
As I said before I am in need off these notes to help (Free of charge) new drivers in the basics of load and restraint. I would be very grateful if anyone can help out.
kind regards
Dave Lloyd
PS. if you want to know more about the PDA they can be found at
www.pda-uk.org
Thank You.
CPL DAVID BLOOMFIELD MTD (OP)
I joined the RAF in March 1957, as a driver, and did my driver training at Weeton. In August '57 I was posted to RAF Negombo (later called Katunayake), Ceylon. I served in Ceylon until March '60 and whilst there did a crane ops course at Seletar, Singapore. To obtain my MTD (OP) you had to pass out on three specialist vehicles. I took cranes, refuellers and tug masters and on return to the UK was posted to Waddington. I had four years at Waddington and during the early '60's it was hard work with three V bomber squadrons continually on exercise and being dispersed all over the country.
In '64 I applied for special duty and was posted to Fontainebleau in France. What a job! I was assigned to drive the scientific advisor to NATO and he treated me and my family really well. Due to being involved in an air crash whilst returning from Ceylon, the RAF let me finish my nine year engagement, but due to my medical category, they kicked me out. I have since completed 30 years in the police service and have now retired to sunny Wales. The attached photographs from my time in Ceylon really dates me!
Another nice little story this - For a period, whilst stationed at Waddington in the early 60's, I worked on tanker pool. We had 44, 50, 101Sqdns and 230OCU, all Vulcans, so we were kept busy as they were flying night and day around the clock. We used to refuel the tankers from a bulk installation, which was near to the dispersal where a squadron was always on QRA standby i.e. bombed up and ready to go to war. It was always a race to get back to tanker pool to continue are game of dommies so one night my mate and I were refuelling our tankers from bulk - we were both empty - so should have completed our loading at the same time. I heard my mate Pete start his tanker, crash it into gear and drive off out of the POL installation. How did he fill up that quick I thought. The next thing I heard was the POL Storeman screaming for him to stop. The prat! instead of filling up in the normal way Pete had coupled up to the belly coupling, in this way you get it in faster, but it was strictly against all the rules. OK he could have got away with it, but he simply forgot to disconnect from bulk before pulling away. You guessed it - he pulled the belly coupling right out of the tanker and 2,500 gallons of Avtur came pouring out - it was hilarious to see Pete trying to stop the flow by pushing his beret into the hole - he yelled for me to couple up my tanker to his and try to defuel him, but of course there wasn't time - I couldn't help him anyway because I was laughing to bust a gut. The poor POL Storeman shit himself because he realized that he was for the high jump as well for allowing Pete to refuel through the belly coupling. The story doesn't end there though - The 2500 gallons of Avtur ran down the peri track and flooded the QRA dispersal, thus the squadron on standby would have been prevented from start up should the need have arisen because of the fire risk. The Station Commander was not a happy chappie because he had to declare to Bomber Command HQ that his QRA squadron was grounded! At the subsequent "Do you wish to accept my punishment or apply for a court martial", Pete was fined two weeks pay (£15)
For some reason Pete was sent back to the MT Section to do RR's
Keep up the good work - a great site
Kind regards, Dave Bloomfield
Gents....
I don't know you but having spent over ten years within the MT trade I've learnt through the crew rooms all over the world of many icons in our trade.
This site is the best site I've seen for years and it all down to you two...Thank you so much for that.
I now tell any MTD to look up this site in the hope that old and new lads can not only contact friends but also keep in touch on a day to day basis. I just wonder if it would be possible to contact every MT Section and send a poster and or e-mail to each crew room so that more people are made aware of this outstanding site within are trade.
Please keep up the good work and thank you once again. I've already had e-mails from all over the world and have managed to get up to speed on the whereabouts of mates I haven't spoke too in years.
thanks lads
Ian Maddog Boldy
Hi Gents,
I think the site is a brill idea and it is enjoyable tracing old mates and reading the old stories. This leads me to my first prang:
It was when I was at Lyneham, first posting as a driver (MT Mech before I seen the Light ha! ha!), just past my HGV 3 (CAT 'C' for you young ones), and let loose around the South West in a Bedford CL 3 Tonner. If you've been to Lyneham you'll remember SWAD, this was my task for the week. Myself and a colleague (who will stay nameless but most will know him) were looking for our next cargo drop near Portsmouth, we hadn't a clue where it was. We spotted a nice friendly chippy (was lunch time as well) and decided to stop and ask directions (and a bite to eat). The chippy was on a dual carriage way with a large area at the front and only car parking space to the rear. My co driver said we would have to park in the area outside the front of the chippy. So, I mounted the kerb, slowly edged between the garden furniture of the chippy (on my nearside) and the bus shelter (on my offside) to park the vehicle. I got past the shelter with the front of the vehicle and mirrors and straightened up to park straight when BANG, SMASH & TINKLE, I hit the shelter with the tilt of the vehicle. After my co driver stopped laughing he got out and went into the chippy. Two minutes later he is rolling out of the chippy, laughing and clutching his sides. The woman who was running the chippy had told him that the shelter had only been put up on the Tuesday (the day now being Friday) and had been knocked down the previous Friday by another vehicle. For weeks later I took lots of stick and every vehicle I went out in had a Dayglo bus shelter on. Well some may remember the incident and I hope it brought them a laugh.
Yours thankfully
Jimmy Somerville
Keep it up, Greattttttt!!! |
Hi guy's; in a recent e-mail I sent to you I said that a young girl was sent out to France from Bruggen. I got the name wrong it was Ruth Nicholson, not Ruth Marshall. And I spelt Bruggen wrong!
These matters were brought to my attention by the accused, Cpl John Millard.
However, Let me tell you of further tales of damn right greed above and beyond the call of duty.
Lets call the person in this tale, Johnny for the sake of not embarrassing that Cpl...hmm?
Well RAF Waddington used to run a shuttle bus from Waddington to Lyneham, every weekend. This job used to be quite a nice little earner, rates for the weekend etc....easy money. Well Johnny soon got the idea that he and his then girlfriend would volunteer to work these weekends, to make some cash.
Well Johnny soon had the entire six months booked in advance. He and his girlfriend ( mitre heed ) as she is lovingly known, had the whole thing stitched up. That is until the jobs got cancelled..then a retraction of their own was made from the duty diary! Bastards!
I accuse Cpl Johnny Millard of trying to corner the rates market of RAF Waddington and trying to use up the entire NATO stock of 1771's.
Mick Dyer |
Ex RAF Mover here worked closely with MT during Service at Sharjah (1976/7 and Akrotiri 1972/74)
Here is a short anecdote for you;
The mountain/desert Rescue team either came or were based in Sharjah (Can't remember which) and they went off out into the desert and got lost/bogged down and required recovering by the MT Section, needless to say successfully.
The following morning, outside MT was a huge sign which read
MT RESCUE FOR THE RESCUE OF MOUNTAIN DESERT RESCUE
Caused quite a laugh as I recall
MIKE BUSH ex air mover demob 1977
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I am a Cpl MT at sunny Akrotiri at the moment and I would like to tell a tale of roping and stropping above and beyond the call of duty (sanity) I was once a proud member of 2 MT Stafford. Having been tasked to drive to a lovely part of France, just south of Bordeaux. As the professional set up that we were we loaded our trucks and headed off for Bordeaux.
Two days later another truck turned up from Bruggen MT carrying a small Tractor and an oxy bottle rig. A blonde girl was driving (Ruth Nicholson) I was asked to help unload the vehicle. I took one look at the load and turned to the young lady and asked if Cpl John Millard had loaded the vehicle? She said, "yes how did you know that?"
The answer was quite simple really, John had managed to use no less the twenty five strops to secure the load. It looked as if the load was actually a box of strops that had burst open in transit!
I would like to nominate Cpl J Millard as being guilty of trying to smuggle the entire NATO stock of strops out of Germany!
Mick Dyer |
Omigawd. Have you heard about the two MTD's in Park Lane propositioned by a Lady of Ill Repute? Or the real reason why the FS's office at North Luffenham was soaked? Thousands of stories - and all of them published soon!
"Sorry Boss, it was my fault. Do you want me to fill in an FMT 3 now?"
Andy Arnold |
How to get one over on an officer...............I had been at Gutersloh more than 2 years and was on night shift, one of our last duties before retiring for the night (yes it was a sleeping duty, nights 5pm till 8am, bed by midnight up at 7am time for breakfast and off to a local factory for a day shift) was for us to pile in to a mini (No, not that one in the corner humming away with the stink of spilt milk gone sour that had gotten under the rubber mating and gone green!!, open the door and collapse, sat there for months like that...) and go round the Officers Mess and Married Quarters collecting the Wing
CO's Mini's for checking over and refuelling. This particular night I had dropped of Two drivers at the Officers mess and was taking one more driver to the married Quarters, we had a right mixture of left and right hand drives on the fleet, and this evening I was using a R/H drive. As I drove along the camp road (it was about 11pm in old money) I had headlights approaching me on my side of the road, I stopped, as did the Triumph spitfire coming at me, an Officer got out and approached me, apologising and explaining that he had only just arrived in Germany and was confused as to which side of the road he should be on, asking which one of us was on the wrong side, I explained that he was, he accepted and returned to his car, backed up pulled forward and on to the other side of the road, I set off again, the other driver (can't remember who it was) said I was a cool customer getting away with that, then the penny dropped.... Woops!!!, I often wonder how long he stayed driving on the left in Germany.......
Derek L
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