Ex RAF 50/60's

Alan

I would certainly have encountered your father at some time or other at St Mawgan, G/Capt O’Doire is mentioned in my diaries as of June 1st 1962. I wonder where your fathers office was, being STO/SEO as some were based within offices in 403 hangar and some were based in the old half rounded hangar/workshop originally known as ASF near to the top of the hill.

I shall have to have a more detailed look at my diary for 1962 regarding his name, I no longer have any diaries pre this date. I will come back with some info hopefully when I contact a mate this evening, he has a memory as sharp as a pin!:)

Meanwhile here are some ramblings of SM at that time http://splashdown2.tripod.com/handleypagehastings/id5.html

This photo is of the old ASF, I worked mainly on 201 squadron Line but had a spell in ASF/403 hangar, this is the ‘old shed’ from WWII that my father Joe Cooper was SNCO i/c ASF up to 1957, this was taken in 1955 (Crown Copyright)

Alan

I am in touch with 20+ bods from that time at SM, sorry to hear about your
Dad, can you tell me more, in order that I can ask around, eg pilot, have you log books to suggest aircraft numbers

In my time 60/63 my two CO’s were W/Cmdr Rodney Roach and S/Ldr Chesworth (now AVM Lord Lieutenant of Moray I believe) that was on 201 Sqn

John,

he was Senior Tech Officer and Senior Engineering Officer under Group Captain Odoire, he wasn’t a pilot, he was an engineer in charge of 1st & 2nd line maintenance I believe. One reference says he re-organised and formed a Technical Task Control Centre that other units incorporated at their stations.
I will post more info as I find it. thanks for the reply!

Alan

re:201 Squadron MR 3 Shackletons St Mawgan 1960/63

anyone remember Wing Cdr Fred Houghton who was at St Mawgan from around 1958 to 1962 I think. I am his son, we have lived in Australia since 1963, my dad just passed away last week aged 89, have been looking through a lot of his air force stuff, I remember St Mawgan and the Shacks, if anyone knew him, or has any more info on that time period at St Mawgan and 210, 206 & 22 sqdn, I would be interested.

Alan Houghton

Alan

I am in touch with 20+ bods from that time at SM, sorry to hear about your
Dad, can you tell me more, in order that I can ask around, eg pilot, have you log books to suggest aircraft numbers

In my time 60/63 my two CO’s were W/Cmdr Rodney Roach and S/Ldr Chesworth (now AVM Lord Lieutenant of Moray I believe) that was on 201 Sqn

re:201 Squadron MR 3 Shackletons St Mawgan 1960/63

anyone remember Wing Cdr Fred Houghton who was at St Mawgan from around 1958 to 1962 I think. I am his son, we have lived in Australia since 1963, my dad just passed away last week aged 89, have been looking through a lot of his air force stuff, I remember St Mawgan and the Shacks, if anyone knew him, or has any more info on that time period at St Mawgan and 210, 206 & 22 sqdn, I would be interested.

Alan Houghton

Alan you could also try the Shackleton Association

http://www.thegrowler.org.uk/

Sounds like John Cooper is your man!
I would love to see any pictures you may have that show St Mawgan?

St Mawgan

re:201 Squadron MR 3 Shackletons St Mawgan 1960/63

anyone remember Wing Cdr Fred Houghton who was at St Mawgan from around 1958 to 1962 I think. I am his son, we have lived in Australia since 1963, my dad just passed away last week aged 89, have been looking through a lot of his air force stuff, I remember St Mawgan and the Shacks, if anyone knew him, or has any more info on that time period at St Mawgan and 210, 206 & 22 sqdn, I would be interested.

Alan Houghton

Steve
Thanks for that.

As I said, he was a grumpy old git but we used to have long and interesting discussions, and arguments.

Most of the others in the local at the time I go in seem to have nominated me as replacement curmudgeon. Not sure I’m very pleased about that, but I couldn’t be a patch on Dougie anyway.

Thanks ATC Pal.

Haven’t updated this recently as I am awaiting detailed info from the MoD, but I do know that all is not kosher with this prang. But what I can tell you is that the RAFSAA/JSDU Diving Units are off to Addu Atoll in the Maldives on 26th Jan until the 11th Feb 04 to search for this Hastings and if found in shallow waters will dive on it from the support vessel BLUE SHARK. Since I first got in touch with the MoD 3 years ago no one seemed to know where the aircraft had ditched, suddenly because it may have been carrying ‘hot cargo’ and that the news has broke it would appear as if someone in authority has got to get to the cargo before the Bounty Hunters do. I might add that this enquiry has been right to the top at No 10 and as only one flimsy piece of documentation exists there are many denials from those at Ministerial level, ah well all will come out in the wash in due course!

:rolleyes:

Must mention your (?) web site:

http://splashdown2.tripod.com/

“The Royal Air Force as seen by John ‘Gary’ Cooper”

Absolutely fascinating stuff. Highly recommended! 😎

Best regards
atc pal

Originally posted by dhfan
Dougie Slack died on New Years Eve.
The funeral was yesterday.

Cantankerous old b*****.

I miss him.

I’m sorry to hear that Ken. I remember you talking about him at the forum get-together a few months ago.

Oh goodie, for the first time on this forum I can say I was too YOUNG! My 1st line RAF career didn’t start until 1973.

Originally posted by dhfan
Not me personally, but a chap in my local was in Singapore from 1952 ish to 55. (Couldn’t be me, I was born in ’52)
I can never remember which airfield or squadron he was on but he was an engine fitter, mainly on Mossies, Hornets, Vampires and Venoms.
All proper aeroplanes!

Dougie Slack died on New Years Eve.
The funeral was yesterday.

Cantankerous old b*****.

I miss him.

LesB wrote

“Anyway, when are you ever gonna return the Canberra u/c ground locks that were definitely not left at El A? “

What year was that? I recall two Royal Jordanian AF Hunters transitting thru El A, both took off, both returned as one still had the U/C locks and pennants in the legs!

:rolleyes:

The 51 Sqn Haystack what was the index number of this one, or is that still beyond the thirty year rule?

Hi John

Hi Les, island trogger yourself!

Mmmm. . . reckon you’ve trogged more oggin than wot I have! A certain Haystack comes to mind! :rolleyes: 😉

51 Squadron Comet 2 arrived El Adem unannounced late one night, flying over Nassers Corner, Egypt, radar jamming, accompanied by two Canberras. . . . Do you recall this incident?

51 Sqn? Never heard of a 51Sqn John, never heard of ’em! And I’ve definitely never heard of any of their aircraft (which I’ve never heard of either!) doing stuff over Egypt. And most certainly have never heard of any Comet coming back to a Huntingdonshire base with it’s legs down. Anyway, when are you ever gonna return the Canberra u/c ground locks that were definitely not left at El A? :rolleyes:

dhfan

. . . and a Victor on the golf course at Gan (I think)

There was a Victor went off onto the golf course at Gan, 1969ish I think. Tanker. Got a picture somewhere. . .

. . .ah, there you go, not fantastic but it records the event. (Pic is by George Parselle by the way, from a Gan website.)

Originally posted by dhfan
and a Victor on the golf course at Gan (I think).

DH……….not sure about a Victor, I do know that a Brit on a service charter flight slewed off the runway at Gan and scattered all the golfers on the course burying its wheels on number 9 fairway. Only having the one runway (the exact length of the island) things could get tricky at times like the time a flight of three Valiants came in, the first one no problem, the second burst more than one tyre when landing heavily, panic stations, nowhere else to divert the third kite so she had to fly around whilst first kite was jacked up, wheels removed and put on to second kite.

Hi Les, island trogger yourself! 51 Squadron Comet 2 arrived El Adem unannounced late one night, flying over Nassers Corner, Egypt, radar jamming, accompanied by two Canberras. The Comet was bounced by a pair of Migs, she opened all 4 taps up pulled tremendous ‘g’ which resulted in suspect main spar cracked, huge cordon of Snoops about the place, we were not allowed on board for obvious reasons, said Comet flew back to UK (Wyton?) with undercarriage down. Do you recall this incident?

Not me personally, but a chap in my local was in Singapore from 1952 ish to 55. (Couldn’t be me, I was born in ’52)
I can never remember which airfield or squadron he was on but he was an engine fitter, mainly on Mossies, Hornets, Vampires and Venoms.
All proper aeroplanes!

Another one that I see less often was airframes in the 60s. He’s mentioned Britannias in the past, and a Victor on the golf course at Gan (I think).

Hi John

Good to see you still here too. A “yes” from me then, as you probably knew already.:rolleyes:

Mostly Canberras for this ex-rigger, nukes on 3, “secret squirrels” B.6Rs (51). Also Haystack and Comet (51), Jet Provosts (2FTS), Bassetts, and Devons (26).

And, as with yourself, many happy times on Staging Flights – VC-10s, Belfs, Alberts, Brits, Victors, etc. No choppers though, thank the gods :D, except those “passing through”.

May have spoken about this before Scott.

All were mark 3’s with one T-Bird, can’t recall the numbers now but we had letters on the fin and each were named after characters from the ‘Magic Roundabout’ (Sad I know!) B Brian the snailD Dougal the dog, Z for Zebedee etc.

Hi John

Totally unrelated but you may have worked on my lightning when you were on 29 Sqd

Scott C