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#Post#: 21034--------------------------------------------------
RAF Bentley Priory
DIR By: terry
Date: June 30, 2014, 9:15 am
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My RAF story is on hold until after the house move. Watch this
space. TB
#Post#: 21179--------------------------------------------------
Re: RAF Bentley Priory
DIR By: Bill Reid
Date: July 7, 2014, 4:21 am
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I remember S/L Betts he got me out of trouble when a woman kept
ringing up to find out when her car would be fixed after I was
forced to take evading action and crashed into her car. The main
culprit was finally caught a few days later when I waited at the
corner on Stanmore Hill outside Lloyds Bank and I identified his
car by the size 9 boot print in his door which I had put there
registration was taken and handed to the police. Not long after
this fracas I got posted to RAF Shawbury for my AATC course. :D
#Post#: 23001--------------------------------------------------
Re: RAF Bentley Priory
DIR By: Bill Reid
Date: October 7, 2014, 5:32 pm
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I got posted to Bentley Priory in '75 after the Turkish invasion
of Northern Cyprus to work in the Divs Cell (Diversion Cell).
The Divs cell was used to book 11gp aircrafts diversion
airfields. On occasion we even had to book some in Germany and
when that happened we used a system called Jackpot, no idea who
they were but they got us through to the required airfield. TB
mentions the two F/Lt. getting weather charts from the met
officer, never saw one of them there (met officer I mean) in my
time as the duty night shift divs cell SAC was in charge of
ensuring that the forecasts came complete off the forerunner to
the fax machine. Notice I said complete as on some occasions the
very thin blade would break and the SAC then had to contact
Bracknell for a retransmission of all the weather charts. Once
all the charts had come through they were put on the desk in the
Ops Room ready for dealing with in the morning.
Not a lot was done on night shifts down the hole you were just
there for in case anything happened, God knows what but you were
there. I spent many a night shift in Comcen learning to type on
teleprinters, booking in all classification of signals. In the
end what I could see and handle came in useful on changing trade
to AATC when I was posted to Air Ops at RAF Akrotiri.
#Post#: 23012--------------------------------------------------
Re: RAF Bentley Priory
DIR By: terry
Date: October 8, 2014, 9:22 am
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You are most probably right as to where the forecasts came from.
My recollections are actually a bit hazy, and I never got in
until after the Officer of the day had arrived. More will make
sense as I carry on with my tale of woe. TB
#Post#: 23017--------------------------------------------------
Re: RAF Bentley Priory
DIR By: Bill Reid
Date: October 8, 2014, 10:34 am
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--- Quote from: Terry Bunce link ---
>
> You are most probably right as to where the forecasts came
from. My recollections are actually a bit hazy, and I never got
in until after the Officer of the day had arrived. More will
make sense as I carry on with my tale of woe. TB
>
--- End Quote ---
Tales of woe. rofl :D
#Post#: 23020--------------------------------------------------
Re: RAF Bentley Priory
DIR By: guest182
Date: October 8, 2014, 5:24 pm
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The weather forecast was presented to the AOC 11gp at the
morning briefing and was prepared with sometimes very little
information if the mufax was playing up.As I was the only SAC on
shift in the Diversion Cell at the time I got the Guardian or
the Telegraph papers which arrived first thing for the Ops rom
and copied the printed weather map from these papers onto a
slide.I was often congratulated by the Officers who seemed to
think my knowledge was very in-depth.My watch commander Flt Lt
Paul Crews knew different and kept a straight face...though he
did up my Assessments for using my initiative.
#Post#: 23420--------------------------------------------------
Re: RAF Bentley Priory
DIR By: Bill Reid
Date: October 27, 2014, 12:50 pm
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There's no need for trepidation TB all you needed to know was
that they were all human beings and they all started at your
level, maybe not the same rank but the same lowly position.
I and a friend got sent up to Central Registry to go through
files on airmen that had gone through court martials and to see
which files were time expired and could be destroyed. New quite
a few people in the files that were and weren't destroyed. It
was whilst I was working in Central Registry that I got trained
to be the signals clerk which I thoroughly enjoyed I also had to
learn where all the senior officers offices were and their aides
names. I met my boss's (Air Ops Akrotiri) daughter when she was
a pilot officer to AOC 11Gp. The next time I saw her she was a
F/Lt on leave in Cyprus at her dads it was a nice surprise
(small world). Learned many years ago that she had retired as a
Wing Commander from her dad and he'd retired as a S/Ldr.
#Post#: 23834--------------------------------------------------
Re: RAF Bentley Priory
DIR By: Ian Pluck
Date: November 25, 2014, 4:31 am
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I'm surprised that considering there was a FS post being
established at Bentley Priory they didn't allow you to stay
there on promotion to continue the good work you had been doing.
#Post#: 23836--------------------------------------------------
Re: RAF Bentley Priory
DIR By: Brian Reynard
Date: November 25, 2014, 6:26 am
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--- Quote from: Ian Pluck link ---
>
> I'm surprised that considering there was a FS post being
established at Bentley Priory they didn't allow you to stay
there on promotion to continue the good work you had been doing.
>
--- End Quote ---
Dont know about now, but as far as I can recall it was almost
standard practice that on promotion to SNCO (Sgt/Flt Sgt) a
posting usually accompanied the promotion. This did not seem to
apply to Snr Tech and Chf Tech. Promotion to WO also was
usually accompanied by posting. Not sure but I think this may
well have been standard practice after prom boards and
establishment reviews came into force (possibly at the end of
National Service). Its a long time ago though so I am more
than likely well off the mark!!!
#Post#: 23838--------------------------------------------------
Re: RAF Bentley Priory
DIR By: Ian Pluck
Date: November 25, 2014, 6:38 am
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To be fair, the shrinkage of the RAF and the closure of so many
units means internal moves on promotion are quite common these
days. My comments probably reflect the way things are today
rather than back then.
I have always been in favour of moving to a new unit on
promotion though, and I always did every time I "moved up".
Staying on the same station (and often in the same section) can
be difficult; the transition from being "one of the boys" to
being in charge of the group that you used to be a part of can
be tricky.
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