RAF Coningsby Part I
(May 59 to July 1960)

RAF Coningsby had been prepared for the introduction of the TSR2 so there were new electronic blocks, flight simulator building etc. and a Supplementary Storage Area (SSA) for nuclear weapons. The rest of the base was basically as it was when the previous incumbents moved out. The Seat Bay was set up in a bay on the side of the Major/Minor hangar, which was virtually opposite the Station Flight dispersal and buildings. Our tasks were to remove the bomb beams and transport them to the Station Armoury for servicing, de-arm and remove the seats and service them, remove/replace the canopy and hatch detonators when required, replace the Charge High Explosive Elevator Control Severing (CHEECS), remove/install the fire extinguishers and the pressure cabin 1 ½ inch signal pistol. In those days the pilot seat was dismantled in situ for removal through the crew access door as replacing the main canopy was a 5-day job. We also supplied technical support to Station Flight and the two squadrons.

By June we had a full complement of aircraft both flying and in the hangars on maintenance. The staff comprised F/S (Mitchell), Sgt (?), two Welsh SACs (Big Taff and Little Taff) and myself, plus an SAC permanently attached to Station Flight. Work was steady and routine and we were kept busy helping out the squadrons with their technical problems. Big Taff and Little Taff (ex-boy entrant and very mouthy) didn't get on, so Big Taff would wait until Little Taff had got his denims on in the morning and then pick him up and hang him on the coat hooks on the steel sliding doors, with the instructions to 'stay there out of my way boyo.' Eventually, after much protesting, he would lift him down.

We had visits by the prone pilot Meteor and two aircraft of the Black Arrows (T7s), which we were told in no uncertain terms (by the crews) not to touch. We lost a T4 and crew from Station Flight and we had a series of wheels up landings due to a main wheel door shoot bolt maladjustment problem, one of these being at Waddington because our runway was blocked by a previous similar incident. We also had an aircraft fire in the hangar, which I suppose could be put down to carelessness. One of the aircraft was having a fuselage fuel tank change and the fitters were working in the bomb bay using lead lamps and fuel was dripping everywhere. Tea break hooter goes and fitters depart leaving lead lamp on floor still switched on - 10 minutes later aircraft is well alight and there is organised panic to get it out of the hangar, having to get one other out beforehand. It was towed onto the aircraft-washing pan outside the end of the hangar where the fire crews smothered it in foam.

Night flying and night bombing was a regular four nights per week using 25 lb practice bombs and 1000 lb HE. Any hang-ups and other problems were dealt with by the Duty Engineer (who in this case was an Armourer) and Duty Crew. Those of you with Canberra experience will know the procedure for an aircraft returning with a reported hang-up. The aircraft was duly parked on a pan well away from civilisation and the DE and DC arrived to do the necessary. In this case the Ch/T in charge had never carried out the procedure before, but he had written instructions on how to do it, nor did he check what bombs the aircraft was carrying. Basically, the procedure was: deplete all hydraulic pressure from the accumulator (3000 psi), position stretcher (one man at each corner) under bomb bay, select bomb doors open and operate hydraulic hand-pump sufficiently to just crack open the bomb doors. Inspect interior of bomb bay using torch to see if bomb is still on carrier or is lying on doors. If bomb is on carrier pump doors fully open and make bomb safe. If bomb is lying on doors slowly pump doors open and catch bomb on stretcher. The NCO in charge missed one line of the procedure, i.e. 'deplete all hydraulic pressure from the accumulator'. The result was that when the cockpit operator was instructed to select bomb doors open, the doors opened fully and deposited the 1000 lb HE bomb into the stretcher much to the consternation of the troops at each corner! Luckily, the Canberra being so close to the ground, no serious damage was done to personnel or equipment, except maybe to one person's pride. Always reminds me of one of those Styx cartoons!

In 1960 (I think) it was decided that drogue guns would be removed from the seats in the armed condition and de-armed in the bay. So the drogue gun arm/de-arm bay was integrated into the det prep bay on the side of the armoury. Duly, the first three armed drogue guns were delivered to the bay and the J/T clamped the first one into the fixture on the bench and pulled the sear, big bang and big hole in bay wall!

Shortly after this we have a move round of personnel and I go to the carrier bay with F/S Mitchell and SAC McKinnon from Stn Flt goes to the det prep bay. He didn't last long in there. The first set of dets he did he managed to fire a couple. On the investigation it was found that he had enough electrical energy in his body to fire the dets so he was moved on fairly rapidly.
The carrier bay was in the Flight Simulator building and all the carriers and release units were maintained there. We had a Fg/O (ex Sgt) as Officer in charge, two SACs and myself and the section was run by F/S Mitchell. Carriers consisted of 200+ Avro Triples, 600+ No 1 Mk 1 release units plus spares, spare No 3 Mk 1s and about 100 L/S Mk 21 for carrying practice bombs. LABS was now the in thing and all the Avro Triples plus release units were to be returned to the MU (strange decision - would we not be required to carry conventional bombs in the future? Obviously someone on high didn't think so). The release units were short of one modification which had just been announced and our illustrious leader decided that we should only return them if they were bang up to date so we had to order 600+ mod kits, carry out the mod then pack them all in boxes for return. We weren't a happy bunch!

As I said earlier, all bombing was now LABS based, even with the L/S carriers and 25 lb practice bombs, and this was causing problems with hang-ups due to the 'G' forces on the auto-selector on the L/S carrier. I was asked to design a mod to the carrier to overcome this problem. The aircraft 12/24 way bombing system supplied a pulse to the auto-selector on the L/S carrier, which then operated the appropriate release unit and released the bomb. What was happening was that the 'G' forces were preventing the auto-selector relay from operating thus the bomb failed to release. The answer was simple enough, remove the auto-selector and the two outboard release units (they only ever carried two bombs) and wire the two remaining release units directly to the supply from the 12/24 way through a junction box. This was done and tested in the bay and then on a 9 Sqdn aircraft and it all worked perfectly - no more hang-ups. Approval for the mod came from Bomber Command and we modified sufficient carriers to cope with the 30 aircraft we had on the base (we still had to cope with conventional bombing with the L/S carriers). To my surprise, a few weeks later in SROs was a statement to the effect that Fg/O ???? had been awarded a sum of money for the modification that "increased efficiency and reduced costs". I drew this to the attention of the F/S, who went 'ballistic'. He eventually convinced me to submit a 'Redress of Grievance' against said officer, which was dealt with by the OC Arm (S/Ldr Carr). Suffice to say that said officer had his award withdrawn, was reprimanded and posted and I got enough cash to buy a new BSA A10 Super Rocket with some to spare! I also bought a Vincent Black Shadow from one of the armourers for £90!