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No. 3 Armament Apprentices - No 4 App 1952
(Alan Ely)
" Dewdrops"
Back row L - R. Curley Bailey, Ray Gwilliam, Ivan Baker, John Saunders,
Alan Ely, John Kemp.
Centre L - R. Kevin Beecher, Bob Bedson, Rodney Brett.
Front L - R. John "Mousy" Bullen, Bob Thompson.
Dewdrop Stories
Following the England trip (Martin Baker
Ejection Seat Servicing Course 1960) and a ten month A grade
posting to Pearce (I really thought A grade postings were at least 2 yrs)
it was off to Malaya. I replaced one of the real clever Armourers,
Geoff Northey, on Sidewinder. Our boss SqnLdr Angus Laird Cameron,
currently resident in Canberra, but when I gave him a courtesy call
recently, categorically denied ever having met or done a 207 on me (such
is the price of fame).
Anyway just after arriving in Butterworth, a farewell party was held for
the outgoing Wing ArmO, SqnLdr Norm Carr, at the Butterworth Golf Club.
Norm Carr's conclusion was " that his job was successful partially due to
the dedicated help of the the Line Arm Officer (an ex appy) Lofty Keyes",
at this juncture a voice from the back of the club intoned "yeah we all
know that Carrs don't work with out Keyes", would you believe that the
voice was that of another well known Gunny ( who'se only blemish was to
take a Commission, deserting all of his mates) Bodgie Moore.
Al Ely
I am trying to remember all those incidents and characters that one
witnesses and meets over many years where I am an amused or confused
spectator and there must be many such events in all our memories. Here is
one such memory and I relate it as a most amused bystander (with an
enormous hang over), although I was only a participant in the events
leading up to the actual story.
No 21(F) Sqn (City of Melbourne) was equipped with Mk 31 Vampire aircraft,
the weapon platform for the 4 Hispano 20mm cannon, notorious for their
unreliability, (at one point we had a Squadron stoppage rate of 1 in 2).
After another frustrating gunnery program where one of the Hispano's was
firing at such a slow rate that further investigation seemed warranted.
The offending weapon, a FltLt Weapons Officer (from ARDU), yours truly and
a Sqn pilot, Zeke, much better known later as a pilot of "War Birds" fame
went off to Fort Gellibrand on the shores of Port Phillip Bay where the
Army experts were to find the cause. The gun was stripped and examined,
the only problem noted was a crack in the locking piece, the Grunts with a
big wide grin decided to fire the weapon until it self destructed (I think
it must have, the whole lot having got a bit boring as the morning wore
on). After the tests were finished it was almost lunchtime and in true
Gunny fashion a counter lunch was in order. I arrived home that evening
very late and was in deep do do, much the worse for wear.
The following morning I caught up with our intrepid Weapons Officer, how "ya
goin ?", I asked. Not too good, Zeke and I have been banned from the
Officers Mess bar.
The following story emerged.
Zeke had several old cap and ball pistols hidden under the front seat of
his car (our means of transport that day) and after dropping me home,
decided to liven up the Officers Mess bar by staging a duel, when the
smoke finally cleared, both combatants, comatose and on the floor with
silly grins, the CO Base Sqn, (the silver fox) not known for his sense of
humor laid down the law and our duo were in disgrace and shown the door.
If there is a moral to this story it must be "don't ever trust Pilots or
wanna be gunnies with anything that can go bang, create a lot of smoke or
seem like a lot of fun (especially when pissed).
Alan Ely
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