"Eagle King of the Skies"

Hello,

Just a quick note to see who may be interested again in the Neptune Reunion? The dates would be:

As per usual, those who wanted to would then return to the Angel Inn for refreshments and a natter.

I hope we can all meet up again. It seemed that everybody enjoyed the venue and it would be so good to repeat the dinner again.

The Angel Inn has offered us the same terms as last year and two different menus to peruse (final menu below). At this stage I'm trying to get a handle on numbers and interest. Please let me know the following:

I look forward to hearing from you all, and better still, to seeing you all once again.

Best regards,

Tony Gill.

Trio of Salmon, Honey and Dill Dressing, Prawn Mayonnaise and Brioche Toast

Creamed Asparagus and Fennel Soup, Blue Cheese Dumplings

Smoked Haddock Fishcake, Creamed Spinach and Chive Dressing

_oOo_

Pot Roast Lamb Shank, Ham and Parsley Mash, Grilled Bacon and Roast Roots

Crisp Salmon Fillet, Bok Choi, Stir Fried Noodles, Roast Spices and Plum Sauce

Individual Beef Wellington, Wild Mushroom Duxelle, Jus Hermitage and Glazed Shallots

Crostini of Goats Cheese, Asparagus Summer Salad, Olive and Lemon Oil

_oOo_

Mrs B' s Sticky Toffee Pudding, Custard and Vanilla Ice

Warm Chocolate Tart, Mint Ice Cream and Orange Sabyon Sauce

Nutty Bramley Apple Crumble, Nutmeg Clotted Cream

_oOo_

Freshly Brewed Coffee

Served with Cream and Mint Chocolates

Please make your choice per course per person, and let The Angel Inn know. You can call on (01845) 577237, or write to:

The Angel Inn
Long Street
Topcliffe
Thirsk
North Yorkshire
YO7 3RW

Reunion 2004

The sixteenth reunion of the Association was a great success. The arrangements went smoothly, and nothing was out of place.

The weather was kind to us, in fact it appeared to be the start of an Indian Summer. In brilliant sunshine, the Falcon Hotel with its attractive gardens and recent pieces of refurbishment was as welcoming as ever. The car park has not grown any bigger though, so an arrival early in the day is always a good idea.

The front of the Falon Hotel (website editor's wife posing for human interest!!)

The garden behind the Falcon is a great place for a cool drink on a hot afternoon!

There were just over a dozen people from our group for dinner on Friday night and the meal was said to be excellent. Several members seem to make a short holiday of the reunion weekend, by staying several days. Not all the nights are quite as expensive as the Saturday night stay.

Stratford upon Avon was very busy on this sunny weekend, but even so my wife and I spent a very pleasant afternoon on the riverbank not too far from the hotel. There were deckchairs under the trees, rented from a gent who walked around selling tickets the way things were done at the seaside when I was a boy. There was a fireeater and juggler earning applause not far away.

The AGM went smoothly, and the membership had a lively discussion of current and future plans. I was asked to take over as Secretary, and was pleased to be accepted by all present. The details of the minutes are included in this newsletter.

Dinner was enjoyed by 42 members. Our association Chaplain said grace, with most suitable chapter and verse. The choice this year was between beef and salmon and it was first class. Stan and Jean had organised wine for the table at the Association’s expense and even a bottle of fizz for the toast. Although it makes extra work for the organisers, buying our own and paying corkage is a much more economic option than hotel prices. Thank you Stan and Jean. The toasts were asked for by George Williams and John Steed. There were over 40 prizes for the Raffle, and everyone seemed to get a prize. Over a hundred pounds was raised for this year’s charities.

Sunday was another bright and sunny day. Some members went to church, others sat in the gardens and read the Sunday papers, and the usual army of committed shoppers went for another look around the shops. Sunday in a tourist town is just like any other day of the week.

Most of the membership left at lunchtime on Sunday, but the holidaymakers stayed on their extra day. The venue and the weather made it very pleasant to do so.

Hope to see you all next year!

Martyn Webster (Secretary)

LIST OF MEMBERS AND GUESTS WHO ATTENDED THE SIXTEENTH REUNION

Wg.Cdr. George Williams and Mrs Annick Williams

John and Thelma Brown

Jack and Charley Chaplin

Stan and Jean Davy, Ivor and Joan Deere

Frank and Ellen Fishwick, Ron and Rosa Moy

Steve Kitching and friend, Ray and Jean Lisney

Roy and Marion Muttram, Bob and Margaret Spurway

Donald Stocks, John and Dot Wolley

Bill and Mrs Bryce, Tony and Marian Coward

John and Barbara Hallett, Brian and Dorothy Morgan

Ron and Chris Steed, Norman and Mavis Yates

Martyn and Norma Webster, Kevin and Lurline Webster

In future years, we will try to publish the names of members who have already booked for the reunion; in the spring newsletter. This is what Jeff Murphy did, in order that old friends could make a special effort to meet up with long lost friends.

DZ Dropping Zone

RTB Return to base

FS Flight Sergeant

PJI Parachute Jumping Instructor

AMSL Above Mean Sea Level

LSJ Life saving Jacket

"P"hour Designated time of Arrival and Air Drop

AGL Above Ground Level

Ahbox A full meal & drinks in a cardboard box

TSQ Transport Support Qualified

John Brown remembers

Early in March 1968. No. 36 Squadron were tasked to carry out a LLXC and drop 62 paratroopers on Everleigh DZ, then RTB. The low level was to be of 6 1/2 hrs duration, during which the troops were to be fed lunch plus a snack in order that they were to be "Combat Ready" on the ground. Their next chance to eat would be some considerable time after landing.

At that time the system for feeding troops in the air was by means of the old grey meal containers with the pink trays. Snacks in the form of portions of cake, chocolate bars, sandwiches and apples, were supplied in cardboard containers and stowed under the para. seats. The question arose as to where the 7 meal containers could be stowed, not only for transit, but during pre-drop preparation and dispatch procedures when floor space is at it's most critical.

My solution was to reduce the number of seats by 6, thereby creating ample room for the lesser 6 grey boxes to be stowed aft of FS245. A multitude of telephone calIs to/from the powers that be, resulted in this solution being accepted.

On 8'" March, after early morning met forecast proved favourable, we departed Lyneham for Boscombe Down to embark the troops. On board were a basic 5 man crew plus FS Jeff Watters, Lyneham's resident PJI acting as my Checker. We boarded 56 troops + 2 Staff Observers (an MO plus an Army Officer).

Airborne again, we coasted out over the South Coast, descended to 250 ft AMSL, and set out on a circumnavigation of the UK. Not long into the trip, the troops began to feel the effects of low level coupled with strong March winds. With hourly scan checks, the flight deck to feed and water, and the rear cabin occupants to look after food wise for a few, and little blue bag wise for most of the others, the trip was busy to say the least. At 250' the wearing of a restrictive LSJ hampers one's efforts considerably, especially as the most convenient method of getting to/from the rear of the aircraft is via the upper support brackets of the center seat fit.

Most of the food was wasted, but collected together, with the little blue bags, at 40mins to "P" hour, and netted in plastic bin liners on the ramp.

Coincidental with this the aircraft was ascended to 1000' AGL. Jeff and I removed our LSJ's and replaced them with our B6 parachutes and Safety Harnesses to be ready for action. The checks and drills were successfully carried out, resulting in Simultaneous 28's being dispatched onto the DZ in one pass without incident, the troops being very pleased to get out into the fresh air.

We returned to Lyneham, landing after 7hrs 40 mins airborne - day flying. I was debriefed by my checker and so ended a long, but good days work.

There was however a more formal official 'wind-up' of the sortie, carried out at Upavon, and attended by all concerned in the detail, and included the Command Catering Officer. Questions were asked by persons who had never even been inside a Hercules, as to why the catering system affected the operational capability of the aircraft. The initial aim of the exercise had been to deliver the maximum number of troops onto a DZ after a realistic long range flight. The Hercules was cleared to deliver Simultaneous 31's, but this had proved unrealistic if the troops were to be fed airborne.

The outcome of this sortie led directly to the birth of the famous AB box.

The facts of this article are taken from my Log Book, supported by the PJI's entry in my Categorisation Card, signing me as TSQ. Other information is the best I can remember, but surprisingly clear in my mind. I have not forgotten very much about it

I certainly earned my 50p per day flying pay, along with the £23 per week, less tax, I earned as a Flight Sergeant with

5 years AQM experience.

See you in the Wmter Issue - John Brown Member 279

ooOoo

A Mosquito landed at our base (Regia in Algeria) carrying a quite elderly professor who went into a huddle with the CO and Flight Commanders. Our pilot, Squadron Leader Tredwell, was one of these flight commanders. When we were called to the Ops Room, we signed Official Secrets documents and swore on a Bible never to disclose the information we were about to receive. It is interesting to read of a similar op by 617 Squadron on D- Day as related in Busters.-The operation was to be part of the invasion of southern France, code-named Anvil.

Eight aircraft would be involved in two flights of four with one stand-by for each flight. On actual take-off, further standby crews would be available should any failure occur. No 1 flight would commence operations at H-hour -5 on the day. We carried out trials by day and night. We caused a panic in North Africa because no one had been alerted about the trials in our own defence radar stations! The purpose of this operation was to convince the Germans in southern France that the Allied invasion forces were planning to land near Marseilles.

The operation was a success. The enemy coastal defences did open fire on the false convoy and the PT boat turned away. It was announced later that the skipper of the PT boat (the film star, Douglas Fairbanks Jnr) had been awarded a British DSC for his part in the operation. 'Lord Haw Haw' (aka William Joyce, an Englishman working for the Germans, who was well-known for giving erroneous reports on events during the war, and was later hanged for treason), true to form, reported that the invasion at Marseilles had been repelled. Our forces meanwhile had landed at Nice. My crew stayed with 36 Sqn, which was based at Tarquinia in northern Italy. After more offensive ops against the enemy in that region, on 26 September 1944 we flew back from Tarquinia to the UK. The whole squadron flew across France at very short notice. Soon after this we were posted as instructors. Sadly today, of our crew, only our navigator, Ron Moy, and myself are around to tell the story. He and I compiled this account together.

D.S.Stocks, Wakefield

Second World War veterans – and the city of Algiers – were awarded he Legion of Honour yesterday at ceremonies marking the 60^th anniversary of Allied landings on the south coast of France.

More than 400,000 soldiers took part in Operation Dragoon in Provence on Aug 15, 1944. About 125,000 of them were from France’s former colonies.

The French defence ministry estimates that 1,300 Allied soldiers were killed in the first two days of the landings which became known as ‘ the other D-Day’. The operation followed the D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944.

President Jacques Chirac and leaders from 16 African states which took part in the Provence landings attended ceremonies yesterday on the carrier Charles de Gaulle off France’s Mediterranean coast.

ooOoo

Harry and his wife, Joan, have been sent the Veterans’ Badge with the following note:

"With the Compliments of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans

This Veteran’s Badge is presented to you in recognition of your service during the Second World War. You may wish to wear it on suitable occasions when dressed in civilian attire."

This badge can be obtained by application to Terry Marsh, M.O.D. Ground Floor, St Georges Court, 2-12 Bloomsbury Way,

London WC1 2SH

Details of service number and dates must be sent with the application.

The most recent addition to the General Service Medal 1918 is the Canal Zone with clasp. The criteria that covers this award is that former Royal Air Force personnel are required to have completed 30 days continuous service with Units or Formations based in the Canal Zone of Egypt during the period 16^th October 1951 to 19^th October 1954, both dates inclusive.

General Service Medals (GSM's) were the first instituted to obviate the multiplicity of medals. In other words the same medal was given for all small wars or expeditions in a certain country or continent, while bars attached to the ribbon denoted the particular service for which the medal was awarded. Types of General Service Medal recognising Royal Air Force participation in campaigns are: