Brilliant video clip on Player of the lads training with the Army at Warminster

Really put through their paces. Nice to see pampered sportsmen being shouted at . They were there yesterday as part of the south western tour which takes in Weston Super Mare tomorrow and Cheltenham on Tuesday.

I know Warminster well having spent nearly ten years of my RAF life on Salisbury Plain. Went there for a live firing trial one day where you sit on a hillside and watch tank shells and rockets being launched across the valley to blow things up. Beats Play station artificiality ANY day of the week.

 

RAF and guns.... crikey thats dangerous !!

 

Some of them RAF planes carry some very very very big guns. I did 24 years RAF and was quite proficient with my tool.

 

Ah, but.....I avoided handling a weapon as much as possible!

The main weapon in my time was the SLR of course, and I only fired those during annual or bi-annual range practice. I was never a marksman! I did, however, get the chance to loose off a few rounds with a bren gun, SMG and pistol once or twice. That was only during my time on the Plain when I worked in a joint services establishment for four years (JWE Old Sarum) and one of the staff was a qualified range supervisor so he took a few of us to Larkhill now and then to blast away on the Army range.

 

I was at netheravon and middle wallop for a while............................. fly army

 

I never got the chance to see any air to surface firing but the stuff I did see was spectacular. Lots of happy memories of my time in the Salisbury area - four years at Old Sarum, two years at Upavon and three at Boscombe Down. Unusual for a blue-job to spend so much time with or near the Army but it was all good education. Old Sarum was the best with all four services represented plus a number of foreign representatives (US, Canadian, Australian, French etc).

 

Had a terrific experience "flying army". I was on detachment as part of the support staff at the Sennybridge training area during the build up exercises ahead of the Falklands war and one day we had to get some air camera footage from Sennybridge to RAF Brawdy for a spot of quick photo interpretation. As it was 80 odd miles by road, and would take too long, the boss just called up a Scout helicopter that was on standby, like an air taxi. I jumped in with the air footage tucked under my arm and flew at fairly low level, through the valleys of South Wales, alongside an Army NCO pilot.

I was lucky enough to fly in countless RAF aircraft during my time but this was, possibly, the best air experience. Two seater, noisy helicopter, flying low and scaring the sheep! Nice afternoon out. One of those things that makes Service life so brilliant

I also had the dubious pleasure of flying in a Navy Whirlwind helo - none of us knew that it was her last ever flight before being retired to the RNAS museum at Yeovilton. It was only a short trip on Salisbury Plain, but enjoyable nonetheless.

 

I could hit those big brown targets but never got a good grouping. The eyesight was never really up to it.

 

Little clip for people who don't have Player: https://www.facebook.com/barnsleyfootballclub/videos/10153826239636588/

 

Used to wear the crossed rifles at the bottom of the sleeve on my jacket.

 

Never got anywhere near those

 

Not so dangerous as marines and guns ...

 

Me ex RAF too. 71 to 80
Cosford
12 squadron Honnington
Cosford
Electronic warfare establishment Wyton
1125 MCU RAF Gan
Sealand

Great days.

 

Enjoyed it, got to be better preparation than running about on a Spanish beach


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We have some common ground there. I was at Cosford in 1971 attempting to pass two trade training courses. The RAF had bizarrely decided that I had an aptitude for something technical so I went there for an L Mech (AC) course. I had never even been interested in Meccano so, sure enough, I didn't get on with wiggly amps and strange plugged in boxes. I stuck it for six weeks though, then voluntarily remustered. I thought....hang on, there's a great School of Photography here so I'll have a go at that. I got to week 12 of 14 on the Air Photography course and failed the end of week test. No second chances, no appeal - off you go airman! With day and night courses going through all the time they could afford to jettison dead wood like me. I was devastated. So I ended up at Hereford who turned me into a brilliant administrator :wink:

I had a quick jaunt to Gan in 73 (from Masirah). A week playing cricket in the rain, every day. Paradise island. Wish I could have got a posting there. I stayed in longer than you (70-94) and then topped that up with 15 years as a civil servant doing the same job I had done before, but without the uniform.

As you say, great days....

 

I can't wait to see Hemsworth Tyke's list of all the problems he has with this...

 

What kind of problems did you have in mind?

 

You're asking me to attempt to get into HT's head. I'd rather train with the army!!

 

Good point :wink:

I'd rather carry that tyre around that they were lugging round Warminster