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Old 29-10-2010, 11:19 AM
Barrykgerdes
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Barrykgerdes is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Beaumont Hills NSW
Posts: 2,900
Back to NST days

Some of my experiences at Amberly

We were all paraded to the airstrip one day to see Major Stoner (USAF) land a Canberra with no nose wheel. It hardly scratched the paint as it finally tipped forward. I met him a couple of months later when he gave me a lift from Brisbane one night when I was hitchhiking back from a leave weekend.

At other times we got to inspect the new Vulcan (The one that never made it back to England). The new American Neptunes with "secret anti submarine equipment" and the Lincolns that had been through the neuclear clouds at Woomera.

Another time an aircraft mechanic got court martialled for cross connecting the bomb bay door hydraulics on a Lincoln. I don't think it ever flew again.

I was the NST Squadron projectionist and got some extra priveledges. I also ran the Cinema on the non leave weekend two 16mm projectors. I can only remember showing "The Robe"

Met Dame Annabelle Rankin at the Padres hour ( he only used to get about 15-20 attendees) and had "tea" with her after her talk

Got myself out of route marches with a ploy that they said would not work. On the first one (It was a hot day) I overdid the "distressed look" but refused to give in. After that I was always allocated to the support team.

I missed the drill competition (which our flight won) with pleuro-pneumonea. Had to watch it from the hospital veranda

I was last to shoot in the Bren Gun shoot. Our first magazine was ten shots (single) from 300yds in ten seconds. I dived to my gun to shoot and the barrell was jammed (common). I changed barrel lined up the weapon with 2 seconds to spare and got away three bursts to empty the magazine, missed the bull with one round only. Boy they were accurate weapons.

At the beginning of the intake some "Bullying" took place. Normally you just got thrown into a cold shower but there were some good fights. When my "turn" came I said no trouble no contest. They all gave up after I got to the showers.

All in all it was a great experience.

Oh one more thing. Our flight Football team won the rugby league comp. That evening the CO came around to give them leave passes. They were nowhere to be seen. They had already taken their leave

Barry
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