Oman pics
Re: Oman pics
Does make for great reading, what a memory you must have Tut.
Re: Oman pics
Ask Scotty and Craig about my memory Don. They tell me something one day, or me them, and I have completely forgotten the next.
However my long term memory is good, remember a dogfight over Stockport between a Spit and a Messerschmitt when I was four, and Mum putting me to bed for an afternoon sleep with the black out curtains when I was even younger.
As regards Oman, it would be impossible to forget most of it, as apart from the War itself we had a fantastic social life as we were able to get back to our base at Salalah at the end of the day, which was largely unaffected when we had cleared out the local Adoo after the first couple of years. As long as we did our job, we could have anything we wanted, and also get away with anything we did wrong. As you can imagine with a bunch of pilots actually doing the job they were trained for, we took no notice of what tomorrow could bring, and just enjoyed ourselves. We had no responsibilities outside of our job, and there was no police force in the South in the early days. Writing cars off when you were returning to base after a two day binge at one of the Army Regimental parties was an occupational hazard, often due to the road having been dug up, or a new roundabout put in, since you left. Worst that I suffered was a broken nose, and you were just given a new car, or in the early days, a Moke.
I have been asked was I ever scared, and when you look back you realise that you were not at the time, you did not have time to be, and you were either trying to stay alive, or helping someone else to. However I do remember times when you were at the usual 0500 brief, and I thought am I going to get through today, or should I RTB after take off with a fictional aircraft problem. You never did of course, as your friends were sitting next to you, and you never would have lived with yourself if they had not come back.
Because we could not afford to have pilots who would not stay the course, new boys were vetted very closely. We had two types, Contract Officers like myself who had left the Service, and Seconded ones who were still serving. They were normally the cream so we knew we would get the best, Oman was the only war on at the time so there was no shortage of volunteers. Contract pilots were only taken on if we knew them personally, and as the Helis were mostly from the Royal Marines or Army Air Corps, I usually did as I was one of the first to be trained. Consequently when things were quiet on the War front, we would arrange for applicants to come for an interview in London, where the Sultan had a suite in the Park Lane Hilton. I would go over with my mate Steve Watson, and a couple of Strikey pilots who were doing the same for 1 Squadron. They all came to the Hotel over two days for interviews, but we decided we had earnt R&R and turned it into a week to recharge our batteries. Everything was signed for or on the house, and we had a credit card for eating, drinking, clubbing, whoring etc. Did not really need the latter, as there was an account with one of the top Escort Agencies, so a phone call bought the girls over to the Hotel, and they were in a different class. We also had cars from the Omani Embassy which had CD plates, so with Diplomatic Immunity there were no problems with parking, speeding, or even drinking. OK the latter would be a no no now and we could have used taxis, but this was fourty years ago and things were different.
So as you see it was not all War, we had our compensations. Also being part of S_E now, many of you will know what I mean when I say that this is a good substitute for the friendship and camaraderie that we had in Oman, impossible to describe unless you were there, but still similar. Not sure that many of my old friends have had the same opportunity, though I do know that none of them are racing around in little plastic cars.
tut
ps Night vision goggles were after our time Alan, but if we had a dodgy night op coming up, we would wear dark glasses for a few hours beforehand, and drink lots of vodka and carrot juice.........
However my long term memory is good, remember a dogfight over Stockport between a Spit and a Messerschmitt when I was four, and Mum putting me to bed for an afternoon sleep with the black out curtains when I was even younger.
As regards Oman, it would be impossible to forget most of it, as apart from the War itself we had a fantastic social life as we were able to get back to our base at Salalah at the end of the day, which was largely unaffected when we had cleared out the local Adoo after the first couple of years. As long as we did our job, we could have anything we wanted, and also get away with anything we did wrong. As you can imagine with a bunch of pilots actually doing the job they were trained for, we took no notice of what tomorrow could bring, and just enjoyed ourselves. We had no responsibilities outside of our job, and there was no police force in the South in the early days. Writing cars off when you were returning to base after a two day binge at one of the Army Regimental parties was an occupational hazard, often due to the road having been dug up, or a new roundabout put in, since you left. Worst that I suffered was a broken nose, and you were just given a new car, or in the early days, a Moke.
I have been asked was I ever scared, and when you look back you realise that you were not at the time, you did not have time to be, and you were either trying to stay alive, or helping someone else to. However I do remember times when you were at the usual 0500 brief, and I thought am I going to get through today, or should I RTB after take off with a fictional aircraft problem. You never did of course, as your friends were sitting next to you, and you never would have lived with yourself if they had not come back.
Because we could not afford to have pilots who would not stay the course, new boys were vetted very closely. We had two types, Contract Officers like myself who had left the Service, and Seconded ones who were still serving. They were normally the cream so we knew we would get the best, Oman was the only war on at the time so there was no shortage of volunteers. Contract pilots were only taken on if we knew them personally, and as the Helis were mostly from the Royal Marines or Army Air Corps, I usually did as I was one of the first to be trained. Consequently when things were quiet on the War front, we would arrange for applicants to come for an interview in London, where the Sultan had a suite in the Park Lane Hilton. I would go over with my mate Steve Watson, and a couple of Strikey pilots who were doing the same for 1 Squadron. They all came to the Hotel over two days for interviews, but we decided we had earnt R&R and turned it into a week to recharge our batteries. Everything was signed for or on the house, and we had a credit card for eating, drinking, clubbing, whoring etc. Did not really need the latter, as there was an account with one of the top Escort Agencies, so a phone call bought the girls over to the Hotel, and they were in a different class. We also had cars from the Omani Embassy which had CD plates, so with Diplomatic Immunity there were no problems with parking, speeding, or even drinking. OK the latter would be a no no now and we could have used taxis, but this was fourty years ago and things were different.
So as you see it was not all War, we had our compensations. Also being part of S_E now, many of you will know what I mean when I say that this is a good substitute for the friendship and camaraderie that we had in Oman, impossible to describe unless you were there, but still similar. Not sure that many of my old friends have had the same opportunity, though I do know that none of them are racing around in little plastic cars.
tut
ps Night vision goggles were after our time Alan, but if we had a dodgy night op coming up, we would wear dark glasses for a few hours beforehand, and drink lots of vodka and carrot juice.........
Re: Oman pics
I haven't read it Paul, but I will get a copy and try it.
The bow tie was a bit large and red, but then again I was never known for my sartorial elegance.
tut
ps still have it and the matching cummerbund.
The bow tie was a bit large and red, but then again I was never known for my sartorial elegance.
tut
ps still have it and the matching cummerbund.
Re: Oman pics
cool post Tut,
brought back a few momery's of my own.
i spent my 24th birthday on Salalah beach
there was a little watering hole just up from it as well......the oasis club i think it was unofficially called.
off to dig out photies
brought back a few momery's of my own.
i spent my 24th birthday on Salalah beach
there was a little watering hole just up from it as well......the oasis club i think it was unofficially called.
off to dig out photies