calling any ex RAF armourers

[guest311]

I'm trying to build a [sorry for foul language] 1/72 scale diorama of Hunter FGA.9s being refuelled / serviced / re-armed.
the sort of thing I'd have seen at Muharraq with 8 and 208 sdns, if I'd worked days and not evenings /nights with the fur box 

so, my questions are, if a Hunter was going to have the outboard wing tanks replaced with SNEB pods ..

1. would the SNEBs be delivered on a bomb trolley ?
2. would the rockets have been in them, or were they loaded after the pod was on the pylon ?

IIRC the sdns used to go down to Sharjah for live firing practice, but it was 49/50 years ago, and I might be wrong.

any info will be much appreciated.

regards
alan

[Lawrence]

Bit before my time I'm afraid Alan but, in my experience, plumbers always towed there wares to a jet on a bomb trolley, usually behind a wendy. As for payload, thinking back to the BOZ pod for example, it came out pre loaded and it was incumbent on the see off crew to remove the safety pin, with the exception of 'instant sunshine' that was generally the rule for munitions.

[guest311]

many thanks Lawrence, I'll look at that for now,

but you have a fur box mechanic baffled ....

'a wendy' 

[emjaybee]

Your confused!?!

"Fur Box Mechanic"

[guest311]

RAFP QPD ...

RAF Police Dog Handler...

part of a two part team

'fur box mechanic' ie the handler, there to hold the lead, use the radio, feed and groom etc the other part of the team
and
'brain on a chain' ie the important part, usually, at least in my day, a German Shepherd, that did the real work 

[emjaybee]

Ah!

Thanks for the info.

My father did his National Service in the RAF, up at Finningley in the Vulcan days (he saw the Vulcan, with the test pilot at the stick, loop the loop!)

He told me a great tale about the dog handlers and the base commander, but I don't want to hijack the thread.

[guest311]

didn't involve QRA Vulcans did it ?

[emjaybee]

Well, seeing as it's your thread, here goes.

My father was put on guard duty from time to time, and as he and his peers were National Service bods they were sent out on patrol with pick axe handles only. Before being sent out for their duty they were given some instructions. One of which was regarding the RAF police dog patrols. They were told that there would be dog patrols operating within the camp, and that if they were challenged to stop they were to stand perfectly still, not speak, turn round, or make any kind of movement until they were allowed to by the dog handler.

Off they went on patrol.

On the same evening, the base commander had gone off base for the evening and came back quite late. As he was walking across some part of the base he was challenged by a dog patrol to "Halt and stand still". Apparently he wasn't best pleased at being spoken to like that, turned around to give the handler a mouthful, at which point the dog had him!

My father and his compatriots were told to hop it back to barracks sharpish and keep mum.


My father was doing NS just as the Vulcans were appearing, so I think it was a little before the QRA time. He was a wireless technician and he did spend a bit of time in Malaysia with the Vulcans when they took them over there to show them off. He seemed to spend a lot of time with the other blokes cleaning and polishing the wings!

In many ways I think he enjoyed his time doing NS. He had some interesting experiences, getting bought a three course meal on a train back by a complete stranger just because he was doing NS, railway staff helping him get home on parcel trains and being picked up by car drivers to give him a lift.

[StufromEGDL]

A 'wendy' was the colloquial term for a W (weapons) loader...an improperly balanced low version of a fork lift which offered bombs up to the wing for the Armourer to attach. Complete pain to drive and load with.

Later,
Stu from EGDL.

[guest311]

hi Stu,
many thanks for the explanation, so this



is what I'm looking for ?

there is a similar item in the hasegawa ground equipment set.

again many thanks
alan

[StufromEGDL]

Hi Alan,

That's the baby....

Regards,
Stu from EGDL.

[guest311]

hi emjaybee,

very interesting memories 

when I was in NI I had a sort of similar incident, but not with such an exalted being, just with a lowly pilot officer.

I'd been carrying out training in our compound with my dog, and we'd ended up with an attack under gunfire with a bite at the end.
my dog was well excited after all this, and to get back to the section you had to cross the officers mess carpark.

there I passed said P/O with a couple of young ladies heading towards the mess, so holding the lead very firmly I gave him an eyes right as we passed...

"Cpl, do you not salute officers ?" obviously trying to impress said ladies.

I about turned, halted and my dog sat. I then explained that it was not normal to salute when we had a dog with us, for obvious reasons, but he wouldn't let it go.

"Cpl, unless you can quote me the section and paragraph in QRs that says that, then you will salute me."

so, as I couldn't, I transferred the lead to my left hand, and peeled him off a smart salute....

which after a pause he returned.....

which little doggie took as a threat to his feeder / groomer / walker ......

ouch 

slightly less  when I had to explain to my provost officer later 

[guest311]

Hi Alan,

That's the baby....

Regards,
Stu from EGDL.

so would one of these be acceptable ?

[StufromEGDL]

Hi Alan,

That’s the baby....

Regards,
Stu from EGDL.

so would one of these be acceptable ?

If you think it looks right, then go for it.

Stu

[emjaybee]

Bizarrely, there was one of those for sale on EBay the other week.

Working order, £1500!