Radschool Association Magazine - Vol 45

Page 5

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75 Sqn radio.

Around Christmas in 1987, when Kev Rosser was the SNCO/IC radio section at 75 SQN Darwin, he organised most of the radio techs, a Mirage for them to sprawl over and a RAAF photographer to take some photos, he then got a number of copies of the pic made and sent them out as Christmas cards to a number of other radio sections.

Kev still thinks it was a good idea and wonders if there is anyone doing it in today’s more serious politically correct RAAF.

Looking at the pic today, Kev wonders how he ever got into his drabs back then, he reckons the belt was just long enough to circle his 107 kg frame, caused entirely by the need to drinks buckets of the amber fluid, all necessary to keep the body temperature at a nominal level in that stinking hot, stinking humid, stinking weather.

27 RMC

Arthur Fry, who now lives on the Sunshine Coast (see HERE) sent us the following pic.

Arthur says “that was taken some 52 years ago and my memory – she ain't what she used to be”. He also says he can't recall if the photo was taken at Ballarat or Laverton but he reckons it must have been Ballarat as there were two ex-PMG techs who joined the course towards the end and they aren't in the photo. Sadly, one of these boys was killed along with five other trainees when his Hudson Straight Eight was wrecked at Holbrook a few hours after leaving Laverton.

Terry Johnson was also a PMG technician who joined the course for the latter part of the course as was Bob McKee, an ex - Armament Fitter from Ipswich.

I thought Huck Ennis was also on my Rad Mech's course but he must have been on my Rad Tech's course (No. 18). Huck became a pilot also and flew Mirages and became CO of one of the Mirage Squadrons.

I arrived in Ballarat in November 1960 waiting for the next Rad Mech course to start in early 1961. We commenced our training at Ballarat, were caught up in the move to Laverton in April 1961 where we finished our course. We received our postings in about the June and in July, we headed out to our first adventure as a Radio Mechanic. Of those of us who came to Amberley, Tim Gear was killed on the way up. Monty and Johnno went to 82 Wing as Rad Mech (Air). I went to 3AD as Air. Fletch went to Base Squadron as a Rad Mech (Ground). But contrary to all expectations, we did not turn the Radio World upside down!

30 RMT (Air)

Frank Oostenbroek, who has been known to catch the odd fish or two, sent us the following pic of 30 RMT.

Hobbit Town Girl.

Terese Vaughan was Terese Brimfield when she joined the RAAF back in February 1979 and completed Rookies Course No 258 which was held at Laverton. She then went on to No. 17 Commsop Course.

Terese was, and still is, a Hobart girl which although not a bad thing, could be a lot better. Everyone knows that all the good Tasmanians come from anywhere north of Oatlands.

Terese says she came from a large family, she has 5 sisters, all younger than her and 1 poor suffering brother who is 3 years her senior. He escaped earlier and joined the Navy and her dad, while trying to further dilute his family, encouraged her to do likewise. Terese however, made a typical feminine decision and decided to join the RAAF instead as she preferred the colour of the RAAF uniform over the Navy whites.

WRAAF Rookies Course 258.

The 2 pics below were taken after Terese had graduated from Rookies and was waiting to start her Commsop course. She is in the photo above, back row, third from the left.

She took leave and popped down to Hobbit Town and spent some time walking around the Cat and Fiddle to the admiring looks from a large section of the male population. (You can click the two pics to see why.)

17 Commsop.

Karen Chasty, who was Karen Walsh, sent us these pics.

Karen on a bivouac, pretending to look busy!

East Sale.

Ted Ilton sent us this pic, it was taken in 1972

People out the front were:

Gp Capt “Jimmy” Wilson, AFC, OC; Wg Cdr Brian Graf, CO Mntce Sqn; Wg Cdr Ken McPhan, CO Base Sqn; Wg Cdr Ted Ilton CO HQ Unit; Wg Cdr Reg Gillard, CO S.A.N.; Wg Cdr Ed Plenty, CO C.F.S.

Down the back the boys and girls who made the whole thing work.

2 Sqn Phan Ran

1969.

This pic was taken in November 1969, during the CO’s hand over, take over period, with Wg Cdr Whitehead on the way out and Wg Cdr Boast on the way in.

The pic below was taken in June 1982 when 2 Sqn farewelled the faithful old Canberra.

35 Sqn, Vung Tau.

Back in 1969, 35 Sqn operated 7 Caribous in Vietnam, always in harsh Tropical conditions. There was always lots of rain followed by lots of sun, perfect conditions for the growing of mushrooms and for rust and corrosion to attack any metal bits left out in the open.

The poor old Caribou was no different to any other metal apparatus and sometimes certain nuts and bolts tended to fuse into one piece and needed specialised attention to cause separation.

Unfortunately, apart from the odd can of WD-40, there wasn’t a lot of equipment available for these specific tasks, but the old 35 Sqn sumpie was always quick at improvising and it wasn’t long before they found the ideal tool to loosen those pesky 3/8 nuts.

You can see the metal tray suspended from the prop spinner ready to catch any inadvertently broken off bits of IOC or prop. It is easy to see that the Sqn was very diligent in preventing FOD from falling onto the ground and probably causing damage to jeeps or Studebaker 6 wheelers.

It is also good to see the men were working on safe and sturdy engine stands and wore protective footwear preventing their feet being burnt on the hot PSP.

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