DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Air Defence Operator
HTML https://airdefop.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Tales From Units/Detachments
*****************************************************
#Post#: 2962--------------------------------------------------
735 SU
DIR By: Chris Beverley
Date: October 11, 2012, 6:11 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I got posted from Neatishead to 735MRBSSU Gutersloh, Germany in
1980 on a 3yr tour.
Has anyone else had the pleasure of this posting?
I found 'Blod' Bob Baldwin and a few others there.
#Post#: 3008--------------------------------------------------
Re: 735 SU
DIR By: Gil Dix
Date: October 12, 2012, 1:28 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
You were lucky Chris, I was detached from Boulmer to 735 when
they were based at RAF Ouston (between Newcastle and Hexham). We
were deployed daily to just outside Barnard Castle, and if you
drew the short straw on a Friday you had to stay all weekend
with the convoy.
#Post#: 3260--------------------------------------------------
Re: 735 SU
DIR By: Chris Beverley
Date: October 16, 2012, 4:48 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Gutersloh was 10mins flying time from the Cold War front line,
approx 450mls from Zeebrugger ferry port.
Our unit was almost level with the threshold of the runway, but
set back away from it. We had a small radar perched on top of a
gantry (no idea what the radar was, but it's display follwed
that of early radar displays). You operate the radar by hand
until you find your target, lock on and follow it until it
declared electronic bomb release. Thems downstairs plotted it
from lock-on to bomb release, then calculate where the 'bomb'
had dropped. All very complicated (to me) for a while until i
got the hang of it.
Folks on site:
Sgt Bob Baldwin (Blod), Cpl John Belcher, Sac Des Seller, Dave
Jones, Ian Gilles, Norman Mayes, myself, J/T Steve Walker
(Team), Sgt Moses, C/T ???, WO John Bone (Aircrew) and a S/L D
Perry (also aircrew). Recognise any names? I know of the careers
of most of the Scopies, some of which trampled on me to make
sure they got what they wanted. Needless to say i curtailed a
3yr tour down to 2yrs and went back to the UK. (Two years of 4's
would take some rectifying if i were to be successful in
promotion). I will elaborate on this further, if requested?
#Post#: 3393--------------------------------------------------
Re: 735 SU
DIR By: guest79
Date: October 17, 2012, 1:18 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Sound like the RTS2 Chris, same as we had at Spadeadam.
#Post#: 3423--------------------------------------------------
Re: 735 SU
DIR By: Chris Beverley
Date: October 17, 2012, 5:55 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
The story really started in August 1980 when i got detatched to
St Athans to take an HGV course. I passed (first time, a bit
similar to my driving test in 1975), well within the 4wks
allocated for the task (in fact passed in 5 days after taking
the written test, that you have to pass or no driving). Back to
Neatishead and got on with planning my wedding, which was due on
November 1st.
Well blow me down with a feather, i got posted to 735 Mobile
Radar Bomb Scoring Signals Unit (735 MRBSSU, or 735 SU for
short) approx 6wks before my wedding. She, the future, 'has to
be obeyed' wasn't highly impressed but took over from where i
had left off.
I arrived by VC10 to Gutersloh, a camp steeped in history (from
WW11) but most of the 'artifax' within the Zobs mess. I was met
by Des Seller who took me to the unit to say hi, but then back
to the main camp to 'arrive'. Flipping camp was over 2mls long,
sprawling on both sides of the runway and took the best part of
two days. The CO was Gp Cpt Ord (i'd seen him learning to fly
Harriers at Wittering, earlier on that year, where he managed to
bend 3 Harriers in 3 day), overall Commander of RAF Gutersloh
that included 4sqd Harriers.
I was put in the transit block for a week then transfered to the
singlies block. At the unit i had to shadow the scopies until i
got the hang of their work, but prefered being up in the radar -
out of sight out of earache from Blod. To get back to Blighty,
for my wedding, i had to pass the German 'tick test' on their
highway code and prove i could handle the HGV lorries.
It was an interesting 6wks, past the 'tick test' and got a lift
back to Blighty with Steve (Team) Walker in his car. We were the
only 2 in the bar and at breakfast as the sea was in the grips
of a storm - gale force 7/8. The flat bottomed ferry was rolling
all over and 99% of the pax were talking to God on the big
white phones (a quote from Reins' trip to Saxa) or in whatever
was about. Storm abated as we arrived at Dover, so went on our
way. Team dropped me in London and i got a train to Newcastle.
(To be continued).
#Post#: 5583--------------------------------------------------
Re: 735 SU
DIR By: Chris Beverley
Date: November 22, 2012, 5:56 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
After my marriage we had a short honeymoon in Scotland, using
the Austin 1300 as our wheels.
A day before i set off back to Germany, i sold the Austin as it
wouldn't have made it to the ferry port, let alone Germany.
Got the boat train from Newcastle to Dover, changing in London.
Early morning ferry to Zeebrugger followed by a fast train to
Gutersloh, with various changes on the way. Not a speaker of
kraut, i found it amusing and frustrating asking questions only
to find a lot of them spoke English better than me!
Arrived Gutersloh by 7.30 on a Friday (European time), met by
Des Seller and driven to the unit for work - no time off
allowed. Had a quick kip in the radar unit in between runs. Unit
then closed down for the weekend by midday. Thought i could
wander off to my pit for some shut-eye, but was ordered to
re-arrive as a married man. Well that took all afternoon so
after tea i just went to the Naafi for the odd nightcap.
Now my life in Germany was to begin. I stayed on camp till mid
November when i got allocated my married quarter in the local
village. (I can pronounce the name but can't spell it -
Hartzwinkel i think). Quarters were allocted by your place on
the queue and not by rank. The flat was ground floor, came with
basement, two bedrooms, lounge, kitchen, closet and bathroom. I
moved in straight away, getting a lift from Jones or Belcher.
Found a bar, just around the corner, it had their version of a
fruit machine, but i had no idea on how to play it. Put in one
Mark and watched and watched. It played itself then spat out
over 100 Marks that i had won - i've no idea how/who or what,
but took the cash, happy days.
To be continued.
#Post#: 7559--------------------------------------------------
Re: 735 SU
DIR By: Chris Beverley
Date: January 8, 2013, 6:33 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
When not at work, exploration was our hobby. We covered almost
all of western Germany, but avoiding the big industrial cities.
In the summer the unit had a 3wk shut down. We went to
Yuguslavia via Austria and the top of Italy, driving in our
Taunus, but not before our 'briefing' from the plods, to look
out for military installations etc.
It was about 450mls to the Austrian border then another 50mls to
Zil-um-Zee? where we night stopped, in the local pub.
On to Italy but climbing up Grossglockner, looking at the
glacier from 2000ft above it and finally stopping at the cafe,
at the summit. Mrs C don't do heights so out visit was short and
we set off to Yuguslavia - arriving by early evening in Rabac.
Stayed there for 7 nights before heading back to Germany, night
stopping in Austria in our tent. (We had gone to Belgium to
practice putting the darned thing up, almost getting divorced
several times in the process). A storm was imminent, but we got
that tent up in record time - no arguments and no bits left
over.
Struck camp and headed for another camp site just over the
German border, where we pitched the tent without looking at our
surrounds. We had put it right next to a wild bee colony that
weren't pleased to see us. Struck camp immediately and went back
to Gutersloh. Here we decided to go to Berlin, but after a
couple of days rest.
TBC
*****************************************************
Page 1 of 1