However the incident ended with exchanged names and addresses and the promise that a bill for repairs would be sent.
Back to work on Tuesday but with only four aircraft serviceable and a Battle Flight commitment little was done and a general air of apathy and indifference was very noticeable. The weather plays a great part in outlook and the change to the warmer climate has had a great effect on enthusiasm and during-the-day pit hours.
Things were somewhat livened up on Tuesday night when an explosion disturbed the peace of night advertising the activity of 'the other side'. By Wednesday morning the news was out that the 208th were the victims; aircraft G-W, which belongs to
'Sir' had suffered slight damage as the result of a pipe-bomb placed outside a hangar and several drop tanks were holed by flying pieces. The scene of the ASP was one of great activity - most of the Senior Wheels on the Station were there and the RAF Regiment displayed great skill and courage seeking potential bombs and sand-bagging them - their score was a tin of paint, a jack-handle and a practice bomb.
After the early morning interest in G-W the day settled down to the usual routine - with a grand total of five serviceable aircraft quickly reduced by a fire warning light in one of them with Roy King at the helm.
There was no flying on Thursday when preparations for the move to Akrotiri were being made and everyone was involved in packing for the second time in a month. Amongst the preparations was the route for the aircraft to fly down, on paper it looked like a death-defying trip around all potential hostile coasts and there were many murmurs of Mysteres and MiGs. And Dickie took the morning off to play golf.
The move down the road took place on Friday and a road party, two Hastings' loads and an air party set out. No-one suffered any trouble although two aircraft had to drop out of the cross-country with fuel trouble. Moose David and Don Brimms had gone to Akrotiri on Wednesday to get things all sorted out with No 6 Squadron with whom we were changing places whilst the main runway at Nicosia underwent repairs. The repairs scheduled for two months are likely to take longer as local labour is employed mainly.
Friday night at Akrotiri was a Dining-In Night but a concession was granted to allow us to get sorted out and settled in - later in the evening most people joined in the party in the bar and were welcomed (!) to the home of the Canberra; we feel we have added a little fire to an airfield crawling with bombers of sorts.
Ch 2 - Nicosia/Akrotiri 07
'Sir' had suffered slight damage as the result of a pipe-