Cpl Peter Raby
As a Corporal Engine Fitter with 131 MU at Khormaksar from
1961 to 1963, Peter was part of a small team of airmen sent up to Bahrain soon
after his arrival to undertake a special task.
“During
1961 the government of Iraq decided to rattle its
sabres at
Kuwait, so every available aircraft in Aden was sent up to Bahrain and Kuwait.
An 84 Squadron Beverley, XM110, 84 Squadron had had a bomb placed on it whilst
on the ground in
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Bahrain
and the subsequent explosion wrote-off the aircraft. As
part of a small team from 131 MU, I found myself in Bahrain, tasked to carry out
spares recovery. The airfield was full and so was the accommodation. We were
housed in a large single-storey building that had only a handful of electric
lights, being nearly dark inside. Our beds were built up into two tiers with a
camp bed between the occupants of the latter being in distinct danger of being
trodden on in the night, or even worse.
To start the
spares recovery, the aircraft had to be moved from near the main airfield
buildings to the far side of the airfield. The position where the aircraft was
to be parked was indicated by the station STO who stipulated that the nose wheel
should be placed on a mark that he made in the sand with his foot and the
aircraft be pointing in a specific direction. All went according to plan and we
started to prepare the aircraft. Before we had gone very far, however, the STO
informed us that the aircraft would have to be moved again as signals being sent
from the station to Cyprus were bouncing off the airframe and being picked up
elsewhere instead. The aircraft was duly moved and we eventually started work.
Every morning we inspected the aircraft to identify parts that had been
“liberated” by visiting UK Beverley squadrons and then waste an hour or two
attempting to retrieve them. One morning the APU was found to be missing and was
later discovered as a source of power for a home-made boat being constructed
from drop tanks. We eventually completed the recovery and left the aircraft
perched on a man-made sand bank where it was used by Parachute Regiment to
practice jumping out of an aircraft.”
.jpg)
Bahrain
and the subsequent explosion wrote-off the aircraft. As
part of a small team from 131 MU, I found myself in Bahrain, tasked to carry out
spares recovery. The airfield was full and so was the accommodation. We were
housed in a large single-storey building that had only a handful of electric
lights, being nearly dark inside. Our beds were built up into two tiers with a
camp bed between the occupants of the latter being in distinct danger of being
trodden on in the night, or even worse.