One for Wessex Boy

we also had the first ever female SWO at valley in the early/mid 80’s (maam beasley), being a liney at the time we crossed swords on quite a few occasions, a right old dragon she was!

Hmm, I was never quite sure that ours was the first ever female SWO, but I was there in ’88, so Valley was obviously before us!
It’s funny that there was a no pets rule in the Sgt’s Mess, but she kept 2 dogs in her room…..

Thanks Mate!
XT672 appears in my Log Book 11 times, and in fact was the last one I Operated, sadly.
It did not have ‘Aires’ scrawled on the side in my recollection though!

Thanks for posting, I had good fun at Shawbury, it was a nice camp, Shrewsbury was a reasonable place to go on a night out, and the 8 mile walk back to camp wasn’t too bad when you ran out of cash for the cab home!
The only real issue was the WAAF block was over the road, so you got counted out of the main gate, and then they sent a search party out if you didn’t come back within 30 mins :diablo:

I spent 2 weeks in the guardroom after being chopped (first female SWO at Shawbury!) not only did I have to measure how much White and Yellow paint was needed to repaint all groundside road markings, I had to build the same pill box 3 times as the SWO and OC GD could not agree on it’s location ( I have the cartoon in the Shawbury Mag somewhere!)

we also had the first ever female SWO at valley in the early/mid 80’s (maam beasley), being a liney at the time we crossed swords on quite a few occasions, a right old dragon she was!

Heres a Wessex XR528 at work in Hong Kong .In 1980 in think.

Nice 😎

another Wessex pic

Heres a Wessex XR528 at work in Hong Kong .In 1980 in think.

Hi Wessex Boy,

I can add seven trips to the list in 1987. Nice to see someone cared enough to save her from the scrapheap! 😀

Tom, Slipstream,
Good to hear from other chaps that have been through 2 FTS at Shawbury, I would imagine that Seafuryfan racked up a few hours in her as well.
All those hours carrying under-slung concrete blocks from one confined area to the next! (Wem, Rednal, Sleap, Chetwynd, Ternhill…..!)

Nice to see, I spent 3 1/2 happy years on Wessex at Shawbury in the late 70’s/early 80’s.

She is actually on loan to the RAF believe it or not. When Shawbury wanted to replace its Whirlwind Gate Guard they had no Wessex with RAF history in a postion to place on guard duties. THeyve borrowd this Wessex from a civvie company. Was flown in under a Chinook. And promptly named Aries in memory of the navigational school Lanc that was similarly named.

Thanks Mate!
XT672 appears in my Log Book 11 times, and in fact was the last one I Operated, sadly.
It did not have ‘Aires’ scrawled on the side in my recollection though!

Thanks for posting, I had good fun at Shawbury, it was a nice camp, Shrewsbury was a reasonable place to go on a night out, and the 8 mile walk back to camp wasn’t too bad when you ran out of cash for the cab home!
The only real issue was the WAAF block was over the road, so you got counted out of the main gate, and then they sent a search party out if you didn’t come back within 30 mins :diablo:

I spent 2 weeks in the guardroom after being chopped (first female SWO at Shawbury!) not only did I have to measure how much White and Yellow paint was needed to repaint all groundside road markings, I had to build the same pill box 3 times as the SWO and OC GD could not agree on it’s location ( I have the cartoon in the Shawbury Mag somewhere!)

Hi Wessex Boy,

I can add seven trips to the list in 1987. Nice to see someone cared enough to save her from the scrapheap! 😀

Ok the red whirlygig we got at Gatwick is XP351 as to its history sorry folks cant tell at the mo but if anyone wants answers then let me know and i’ll get them and our yellow one is XP 398. 398 is now our gate guard and needs a wash i got a couple of shots of it today b4 my camera died & i got drenched, and 351 is between the Gannet & Shack “Kilo” in the museum area. Great Wessex photos Phantom. Bex

No worries WB,

Drop me your email and I will post the pics to you tonite when I get home.

PP,
Thanks, I do want to do an RC Wessex at some point, once I have upgraded from my Twin-rotor Hirobo Lama/Allouette to a Zoom/T Rex or similar.
I have just got a Kamov KA52 Fuselage for it, so I can practice popping from behind the sofa to gain Target Acquisition!

I remember the Red Whirlwind well, and also the adult CWOs eating in the Sergeant’s Mess on the weekend when they were up for AEF

If you can mail me a few shots that would be great, I will PM my email address.
Cheers
WB

No worries buddy,

Learnt how to post pics last night. Waking up this morning and wanting to check I could remember how to do it these pics sprung to mind.

I rem you mentioning your into your modelling. I did a set of walksround pics of the Aries. If you want a set let me know can email or burn you a disc and post.

I went down a few times as a Cadet. Flew Chippies from the station. Used to be a Red Whirlwind at the station at the time. THink hats now at Gatwick Museum. Sure Bex will confirm if thats correct.

Thanks Mate!
XT672 appears in my Log Book 11 times, and in fact was the last one I Operated, sadly.
It did not have ‘Aires’ scrawled on the side in my recollection though!

Thanks for posting, I had good fun at Shawbury, it was a nice camp, Shrewsbury was a reasonable place to go on a night out, and the 8 mile walk back to camp wasn’t too bad when you ran out of cash for the cab home!
The only real issue was the WAAF block was over the road, so you got counted out of the main gate, and then they sent a search party out if you didn’t come back within 30 mins :diablo:

I spent 2 weeks in the guardroom after being chopped (first female SWO at Shawbury!) not only did I have to measure how much White and Yellow paint was needed to repaint all groundside road markings, I had to build the same pill box 3 times as the SWO and OC GD could not agree on it’s location ( I have the cartoon in the Shawbury Mag somewhere!)

A few more

And a couple more