Vintage MT
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I spent 2 1/2 years on the M.T section at Bruggen between 1954 and 1957 driving Volkswagon Beetles, Magirus,
Faun Tankers and Ford coaches .
In my time there covered all sorts of tasks from delivering mail collected from Munchengladbach to taking pregnant wives to RAF Wegburg, always in the windiest and wettest nights. I remember one scary trip where the lady just made it to the door of the hospital before giving birth to a bouncing baby boy.
Also driving the leave coach down to the local station and taking the children to school at 2nd Taff Headquarters they were right little horrors trying to burn holes in the roof with cig lighters we had to have an SP in the coach to keep control including the girls coach. The shopping trip down to
Roermond on a Saturday morning was always good, and some good nights out there with the lads.
The worst time, being detached to the RAF Reg (THE ROCK APES) for
a few Months as they had run out of drivers I think there were six of us. We had to tow their Bofor guns with very old
Thornycroft's around the airfield. They even expected us to have clean hat badges creases in our trousers not the normal turnout for M.T driver as at the same time I was on refueling duties and stinking of Avtag.
We did have a good trip to Tordntoff on the Baltic they shot at
drogue's towed by an aircraft with their Bofor guns, they never hit a target the whole time we were there however the sun shone and we swam in the sea and got sunburnt.
Have att. a few pics, trips out and farewell party for our boss Flt Lt
Bates, I think he was the first MT Officer at RAF Bruggen, a lot of the drivers had been at Bruggen from it first opening
Cheers
Geordie Johnstone
S.A.C rtd
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SAC Rod
Matthews MTDH sent in this collection of snaps taken at
Cardington, Ternhill and Weston on the Green in the late 50's.
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1957
Refuelling a Provost trainer with
an 800 gallon QL Bedford at
Ternhill, Shropshire. |
1958
- On detachment to
Weston on the Green.
One ballon was there to train
paratroopers, they were sent to
800ft and made to jump out.
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1958
- Cardington
Donk, Digger, Rod, Lofty. |
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1958
- Weston on the Green
MTDH Digger Dash on the left
The man in the middle was the
best Chef I ever met in the service
his food was wonderful.
The man on the right I believe
came from Glasgow.
Stood in front of my old Austin 12
(1937) which took me thousands of
miles while in the service.
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1958
- Weston on the Green
On the way to Cardington where
they operated a hydrogen plant.
We would swap an empty trailer
for a recharged one to take back. |
1958
A large group of us MTDH drivers were posted to Cardington to
learn how to hang an Atom Bomb under 3 balloons, I thought it
was a bit over the top just to get rid of 3 balloons!! |
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1957
An MTD at Ternhill whose name
escapes me,
it was over 50 years ago,
I believe he came from Chesire. |
Late
'58
Myself with Cardington
airship hanger in the background. |
1957
Myself and a civilian driver at Ternhill. There were as many
civilian drivers there as there were servicemen, all gentlemen.
Bedford coach in the background.
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Summer
1959
Posted to Bristol University Air
Squadron at Filton.
This picture was taken at Valley
whilst on a 6 week detachment. |
Summer
1959
My staff car and me at
Valley, Anglesey. |
1963
to 1972
This is how I ended up in the U.S.A.
Driving for the
Trailways bus company. |
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Mike
Short and Doug Worton in Blackpool whilst on MT
Course at RAF Weeton January 1952. Later both went to RAF
Waterbeach. |
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Ron
Curant sent in these pictures from his late
Father's album.
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My
late father Corporal Jack Curant ( a driver in civvy St.)
started his WW11 service at Padgate then on to Weeton for
extensive driving courses, then to Cosford and finally to
25 MU Hartlebury.
During
his time I believe he drove just about every type of
vehicle used by the R.A.F. including Queen Mary's. He was
just a day at sea from Liverpool when Victory in Europe
was declared. He spent approximately the next 9 months in
charge of convoys ferrying bombs from Southern Italy to
Klagenfurt in Germany.
Fond
Memories of Swanton Morley 1954/55
Ron
Curant
The
MT staff accommodation at RAF Swanton Morley was restricted to a wooden hut
behind the cookhouse. H Blocks
were mainly for cadets on Air Signalling Courses, who
passed out as Sargents but were not allowed to use
authority on Swanton Morley camp.
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H.
Block
RAF Swanton Morley |
Naafi/Cookhouse,
RAF Swanton Morley
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Taken
Spring/Summer 1954 or 1955
NCO's
at that time W/O Harraway, Sgt Oakham, Cpl Gibson.
Corporal??? Featured Alan Bellwood, Bert Wilson, Gerry
Head, Johnnie Ellis, Johnnnie Croston, Sid Colley, Ray
Garnham, Paddy Hackett, Terry Page, Pete Wratten, Jock Mc Geogh, ????
Price, ????Talbot, Larry ??? Myself and Civilian Drivers
Joe Stapleton and Scottie, ??? Page and Ken Smith.
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| David
Welsh sent in this collection from his time in Holland
with 317 MT.
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| Eindhoven
Vehicle Park 54/55
Back row SAC Pritchard, LAC Bethell,
?, Lac Jock Burns (Shetland), ?,
Middle ?, Me, Geordie
Chambers, Geordie Hall (Easington Co Durham)
Front Bob Jones
(DR), ?, LAC Ellis, Geordie ?, ?, ? |
317 mt sq moving from RAF
Uetersen ( Hamburg) to RAF Eindhoven ( Holland ) march '54
L
to R P/O Pountain, Cpl Frank ?, Taff Hughes, ?, Geordie
Hall, Me, Lofty ?
Back row Mac ?, Tony Allen |
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Lofty from Bexhill with his
QM, Eindhoven vehicle park
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Me and Frank
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Geordies are useful lads when
you need to
change a wheel
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River Schelde at
Antwerp docks |
It was cold we had to put braziers
not brassieres under
the water cooled wagons all night for three nights
Photo G
Harding (see Syd Fox) |
Mac
? from Guildford
and myself
Photo Gil. Harding |
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