Fog, gloom and a great deal of stratus meant that Wednesday was not to be a day of flying. People sat around and conversed for a bit until Roy King and John Barwell appeared and gave out the newly approved list of jobs to be done and so it was that new kingdoms were erected and old ones taken down, dusted and handed to someone else - Tim Riddihough as Coffee Bar King on 34 Squadron was one of the few people who didn't change jobs and he has worked it out that he will probably be the most senior junior pilot in the Air Force judging by the nominal roll.

After general kingdom orientation and a small game of pitch and toss everyone was called to listen to a lecture on the new Squadron SOPs - it eventually ended around six o'clock. Thursday followed very much the lines of the previous day although a variation to empire building and pitch and toss was afforded by a great stack of amendments to be gummed into pilots notes and following that an early close was called. For the record our fiendish human-type Welshman Evans (he's Empty) was heard to say that he was full although this may be ruled invalid since he was eating and not drinking at the time.

An early morning clamp heralded the 208th's first Friday but by eleven it had cleared and a few folk managed to get airborne and back again before the afternoon clamp; those who did get on the runway were mainly Hunter 6 people dicing once again with the five.

Saturday was another day of cine ¼s and a lot of available aircraft; the weather was good even though visibility left a little to be desired and a front passing through in the afternoon caused a small hold up to the programme. Little Don Dewhurst was Pilot of the Day and in the morning had to resort to the emergency air to blow down his wheels, an incident he followed up in the afternoon by taxying off the taxy-way.

And what better way to spend the first Sunday of the Squadron's life than in work? A good flying day with an icy wind to make the crewroom fug more welcome; the programme run on the usual cine at 20,000 with nine aircraft available had the odd manual twist around by way of variation.

The Biggin Hill Mob Ian Craig, Ray Offord, Moose Davis and John Hext arrived over the weekend and so brought the Squadron to full strength save one. With almost everyone accounted for the 208th has taken on the shape of a Scots Mission for the Improvement of the Middle East; it is rumoured that Scots-English dictionaries are to be issued soon to enable smoother liaison within the Squadron.

The week ended with a masterly briefing by Roy King on the subject of air to ground firing which went on until nigh on six - and a Sunday!

Ch 1 - Tangmere 03

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