The 81st Entry
RAF Halton Aircraft Apprentices
Sept 1955 - July 1958

ISSUE No.11 - MAY 2007
81st ENTRY NEWSLETTER
Editor: Mike Stanley

The Continuing Adventures of Alan Lowther by Alan Lowther RAF Binbrook [Part 2] (Sept 58 to May 59)

Aircraft, aircrew and ground crew changes on the Cyprus detachment were made regularly as aircraft became due for minor/major maintenance. Usually the aircraft was flown home with two aircrew and two ground crew on board and the replacement aircraft was flown out in a similar configuration. To qualify to fly out as groundcrew (or even to just fly in the aircraft) you had to have completed a session in the altitude chamber, which had been unserviceable since I arrived on the unit so I never did get on the Cyprus detachment.

While I was on on 9 Sqdn we had an ATC Squadron on base for their summer camp. In those days the aircrew names were on the stbd. nosewheel door and the ground crew names (airframe, engine & armourer) on the port door. Each armourer was allocated 3 aircraft and one of mine was the Sqdn. Commander's aircraft. I was asked to 'see off' the COs aircraft and told that it would be carrying an ATC cadet in the rumble seat (strange, being as the Altitude chamber was u/s). I arrived at the aircraft to find a Sgt. ATC cadet already strapped into the rumble seat! The crew had not arrived and no one else was there. I asked him what he was doing and was told he was flying in the aircraft. So I explained to him that he would have to get out so that the crew could get in and was met by a stream of abuse and who the **** did I think I was talking to! I explained that the CO wouldn't be too happy and left him to it. Needless to say he had to get out. On seeing the aircraft back in later the young lad had been severely sick and it was with some pleasure that I supplied him with the bucket etc. and told him to clean it up!

In the meantime, life at Binbrook went on more or less as usual. We prepared 3 B6s for a world tour (ACM Sir Dermott Boyle?) and then got sent to Waddington to help prepare the Vulcans for the same tour. Standing on the Vulcan wing(s) you have been told to clean & polish is a rather soul destroying if not daunting task!

Winter came in with a bang in late '58 early '59. Strong winds and heavy snow caused chaos and severely curtailed flying activities. There was only about six inches of snow on the open airfield but the drifts against buildings and fences were many feet deep. I remember walking over the bomb dump perimeter fence on the snow. We were all put on snow clearing duties, taxiways and runways having priority. We had a snow blower machine, which was sent to try, and clear the road to Louth and it got stuck halfway and wasn't seen again for two weeks. No flying took place despite our best efforts as the taxiways and runways were just sheets of ice. Food became a problem and eventually supplies were dropped on the airfield from Beverleys. One thing that was particularly welcome was the daily rum ration while on snow clearing duties. After two weeks the snow melted and we then we had thick fog.

Early in '59 we were informed that Binbrook was closing and 9 & 12 would be moving to Coningsby, 30 miles south. 139 (J) would be disbanded. Eventually, I was told I was going to Coningsby on the advance party to set up the Seat bay and minor/major servicing. Phil Jarman and others stayed on for the final station clear out and then he went to Akrotiri for 3 years.

Came the day in May '59 and we set of for Coningsby on our bikes, some arriving rather ignominiously by sliding off on a very slippery right turn into the main entrance (I wasn't one of them!). The tools and kit arrived over the next few days, closely followed by the first aircraft due minor/major servicing.