I was a service child, my father having spent 12 years in the RAF as an Airframe Fitter. We had two overseas tours, Malta (1960-1962) and Aden (1966-1967) where we were evacuated as part of the pull-out. UK tours included RAF stations at Waterbeach, Bicester (71MU), and Linton Ouse (living at RAF Dishforth).
I joined the RAF on 14th December 1971, and after initial square bashing at Swinderby went to RAF Mount Batten for my Basic MBC Training Course (Mar/Apr 1972) with Adrian Wright and Gordon Munro amongst others whos' names I cannot remember. After training I was posted to Marine Ops at Mount Batten and worked on the following boats, RSL 1642, Pinnace 1380, RTTL 2757 and managed a trip on Sea Otter.
December 1972 saw me posted to 1153MCU at Limassol, Cyprus arriving the week before Christmas. Cyprus was a memorable tour for a hundred and one reasons, mainly the people, the place itself and the events that took place. It was an idyllic place in those years of the early 1970's, but all that was shattered in 1974 with the troubles and the subsequent partitioning of the island. As a result of this the unit moved from Limassol to Akrotiri Mole, the begining of the end for the Marine Branch in Cyprus. During the tour I worked on Pinnace 1384 and RTTL 2769.
Next up in early 1976 it was to 1113MCU Holyhead. After Cyprus, Holyhead was certainly different with a much more easy pace to life with only two RSL's on the Unit, 1668 being where I plied my trade. It was whilst at Holyhead I failed the Annual Hearing test which lead to my eventual remustering to Supplier.
Life in the REAL Air Force was never quite the same as Marine Craft life. I started my Supply career at RAF Valley. In March 1979 I was posted to Gibraltar and bumped into a lot of my old Marine Craft pals, especially as we lived in Chilton Court. March 1981 saw me short toured due to a reduction in numbers on the Supply & Movements Sqn. My next posting was RAF Benson where we stayed for only 11 months as I was promoted to Corporal and posted RAF Henlow in February 1982. I spent five years at Henlow during which time I did a six months detachment to Ascension Island (1983). July 1986 saw me promoted to Sergeant and posted to RAF Lyneham where I bumped quite a few ex MCU types who had also now got into the REAL Air Force as the Branch was closed.
September 1987 saw a change of direction for me as I got involved with Computers and was as a result posted to RAF Stanbridge to join the Supply Small Systems Group (SSSG). In May 1991 Supply and Engineering Small Systems Groups merged to form Logistics Small Systems Group (LSSG) and we moved to RAF Swanton Morley. As a result of the "Options for Change" review in the early 1990s and the closure of RAF Swanton Morely I ended moving to RAF Wyton. In mid 1995 I was informed I would no longer be able to work with computers as the function was being "civilianised" and I would have to go back to mainstream Supply duties once again. After much deliberation I decided this wasn't for me and I applied for redundancy, which I got. Finally after a four months "holiday" in the Falklands I left the RAF on 1st September 1996 having served 24 years 9 months.