It all began in Malta, where I had been living since 1947, as my father was serving in the Royal Navy and was hoping I would follow in his footsteps! So at 1500 hrs.3rd September 1955, at the tender age of fifteen I boarded a British European Vickers Viscount bound for the UK via Nice. At 2230 hrs I was greeted at Heathrow by a WRAF chauffer and taken to Halton, this was the life!

The next day I faced reality when I was informed I could be an " Airframe Fitter " or Armament Fitter" or return to Malta! So much for my becoming a Radio or Radar fitter. As "Armament Fitter" sounded dangerous and having an early developed wish for survival, I opted to become an "Airframe Fitter".

Three years and four months years later, having failed finals, I graduated with the 82nd entry. To be posted to RAF Cottesmore, which had 10, Sqdn. and 92 Sqdn. with Victor "V" Bombers as part of the nation's nuclear deterrent. Group Captain Johnnie Johnson commanded the station. We were guarded by "Snowdrops" and their fearsome Alsatians, to make sure no unauthorised persons entered the hangers, though occasionally the odd person did enter with a picture of " Khrushchev" on his ID card! At the time we were a show place with many visits by VIPs, so we displayed the Victor capabilities; 4 engine simultaneous start-ups, low levels of fuel, and scrambles with fast rates of climb! How little did they know, when we did it for real with a full bomb/ fuel load, the Victors only just lifted off the end of the runway!On occasion we were subjected to " Fifth Columnists " by way of the ' Cottesmore Hunt' with a pack of dogs chasing a "Red" fox down the runway!

Having requested a posting to Germany, I was duly posted to Singapore! So on January 1962 I arrived with all my worldly belongings packed in a kit bag at a snow covered RAF Innsworth awaiting embarkation by Britannia. However, I was informed that I had been selected [i.e. ship needed volunteers] for a luxury cruise on the Bibby Line ship 'Oxfordshire' This was to be one of the last troopships, even if it was half empty to sail to Singapore! Accommodation was "Steerage Class" i.e. dormitory with 100 bunks stacked three high; the less said about the food the better, except that I lost a few pounds It made you realise what luxury we had at Halton.

So on a cold wet 1962 February day we sailed from Southampton, a few brave RAF personnel and the "Glorious Gloucester's", of Korea fame. First stop Gibraltar, to view the apes. Next stop Malta; the ship only stopped for four hours and I was allowed ashore on compassionate grounds, to see my ageing grandmother, which was the last time I saw her. On through the Suez canal to Aden, no shore leave except for the "Gloucester's", to be replaced by the KOSBs. Never were the immortal words of Wellington more true: "I Don't Know What They Do To The Enemy But By God They Frighten Me"! Within 24 hrs we had lost one overboard [or thrown]. They believed that the treatment for toothache was to smash the tooth with a knife handle! We stopped at Ceylon, but no shore leave due to a Cholera epidemic. [No complaints]

Soon I was able to display the skills I had learnt at Halton, and my initative, by volunteering [it does pay at times] to assist in teaching of children on board in the more "civilised" part of the ship.

Twenty-three days we dropped anchor in a different world. Warm sunny Singapore and the start of new way of life for the next three years!
To be continued