They
certainly were - a real purpose about what we were
doing, a bloody good team working hard and playing hard,
the sound of jet noise and smell of AVTUR, along with
copious quantities of Grosch, Bit burger and Dortmund
beers, deutschmarks, LOA, tax-free goodies, and
basically being young, footloose, and care and
fancy-free with Europe on the doorstep.
Bratwurst and chips, the Roermond border crossing on a Saturday,
trips down the Rhine, into southern Germany and across
to Berlin up the corridor, the Bruggen Muhle and the
Monchengladbach Altstadt. Plentiful dets to Deci,
Lossiemouth and around Europe, out around northern
Germany for the annual Salmond Trophy competition, and
the run back to Calais or Zeebrugge for the odd run back
to UK.
Dropping the RAF’s first 1000lb LGBs on
Garvie Island, and multiple exercises which, in winter,
ended up with 5 days in the PBF and no sight of
daylight, all on a bloody big station which, wherever
you turned, was vibrant with few whingers and moaners.
A few of the memories and, indeed they were great days, and that is with the rose-tinted spectacles off as well…. what was nice and surprising about Marham latterly was that, even in these days of budgets and health & safety, a lot of that approach, feel and camaraderie is still there, even if it is in the depths of Norfolk – it was nice to be a part of that again.
Mark
Williams, Wg Cdr
