Diving around Plymouth sound I came into contact with a couple of bombs and several misfire HE rounds near where there had been anti aircraft guns.On one occasion on a sand bottom we came across a 12 inch across circular object with a brass middle ,we thought some kind of mine so left well alone!!Lots of stuff still down there .Just offshore there are dumping grounds(nicely marked on the charts!)where all sorts of wartime “stuff”was jettisoned into the sea.A well known dive story of a group diving a WW1 wreck ,one chap saw some objects resembling cheese wedges so he put one in his buoyancy jacket,on coming back on the dive boat all gear is usually left in a pile while hot drinks are consumed!This was taking place when a fire started amongst the dive gear!The cheese wedges were lumps of phosphorous which burns when exposed to air!!!Leave well alone anything you don’t recognize!!!

Many Scimitars shared our line in Aden(8sqdn)in 1962 of one of our carriers ,they were built like a brick outhouse!Saw many low level high speed fly bys ,very impressive!!!

One teacher I knew (at school 1950s) made them smoke the whole packet one after the other .Not many reoffenders!!Of course nowadays teachers cant say Boo to their pupils.Well I got the cane many times and for smoking but it didn’t do me any harm.Old fashioned thinking?Maybe but it worked .

On the Generator balance problem does the AEW still use the type 23 and 32 voltage reg or was something more modern fitted?(ex shack elect mech!!!)

The 206 photograph,Bill Houldsworth(far left)was a captain on 204 sqdn when I was on it .One day he returned with the radar “dustbin “and scanner missing along with rippled bomb doors !!Apparently bounced a wave in poor visibility !I was on the groundcrew that received it ,one signaller had shock and was taken of in the ambulance!