Unfortunately the first
four aircraft scrambled on the Exercise on Monday afternoon and had a little undercarriage trouble owing to an armament plug which wasn't where it should have been - a leisurely wheels-down-burning-off-type-form led by John Barwell looked at the Island and then returned just a little red-faced about it all. Later everyone assembled to watch the orange flash when it was reported that one of the Other Squadron was doing a flame-out; in reality he had some power and so we were not treated to any blood.
Reduced numbers over the week meant more hours for those left. Several folk were up at Nicosia warming the marital quarters ready for the big day when their wives were to arrive, others towards the end of the week went up to prepare for our return to Nicosia and one Ian Craig left on Monday for the same place to take up a new job. Presumably his Scots origin, it was considered, befitted him for the role of ACT and he was detached to the Army to spread Home Rule for Scotland and other heresies.
On Tuesday the aircraft were disarmed and an air of peace returned to our now wind-torn tottering crewroom tent. After the usual morning sortie everyone stacked ready to come on state at three thirty with one pair at two minutes and another at ten
minutes. A leisurely lunch, the post-prandial coffee …. And then our opponents the US Sixth Fleet announced its arrival in the vicinity with a pair of Crusaders (supersonic, afterburning - all very noisy) and a pair of Demons (ditto only not quite as much). The afternoon was spent in being scrambled too late to catch the 'enemy' who paid more than one social call - fortunately 'Sir' and Don Brimms gave chase and started mixing it over the airfield during which melee they gave a reasonable account of themselves. Of course they had to pull just a bit of 'G' and it is true that wings did develop wrinkles but our resident Hunter-Doctor after measuring declared them fit to fly.
Apart from Americans overhead we also had a visit from some members of the Lebanese Air Force and had two Hunters staging through en-route from India and the day developed quite an international flavour.
Almost every
afternoon since our arrival at Akrotiri the Evans Organisation has provided a land-rover for the chasps to get to the beach in, and when swimming is the incentive a high number of chasps can be accommodated in cars, 15cwt, 4x4, Land-rover etc. However with the Exercise on, many bodies needed transport at one time and it was on one of those occasions that Moose sat astride the bonnet and, to quote Evans who was unapproachable afterwards, became a 'Mooscot'. Such is an example of the spontaneous gaiety of the life we lead - and why Noel Evans Bach is often unapproachable.
Ch 2 - Nicosia/Akrotiri 19
four aircraft scrambled on the Exercise on Monday afternoon and had a little undercarriage trouble owing to an armament plug which wasn't where it should have been -
minutes. A leisurely lunch, the post-
afternoon since our arrival at Akrotiri the Evans Organisation has provided a land-