Martin Baker Servicing Course

Martin-Baker Ejection Course 1960.

Although the introduction of aircraft fitted with ejection seats into the RAAF commenced in the early 1950's, training in the correct servicing, maintenance and modification of this equipment lagged behind and training was "on the job ", rudimentary to say the least. Removing the cartridge from the ejection gun prior to the seat removal seemed to be prudent whilst removal of the drogue gun cartridge or the gun itself, not so. Several accidents enlightened both those who were responsible for, and those who carried out maintenance on ejection seats and associated equipment.

The modification of critical components e.g. Barostatic Control Unit were only carried out at the Martin-Baker factory and the vast distance between us and them meant that we had aircraft AOG for very long periods, this was operationally unacceptable and discussions between the RAAF ? and Martin-Baker resulted in a compromise, we could service and modify these components but only after factory training.

FltLt Len Evans and Sgt Jim Eccles were from Support Command, FltLt Keith Schmerl (3AD?) and CPl's Norrie Norris, Sephouse Comer and Ron O'Neil represented No's 1, 2 and 3 Aircraft Depots. The fourth Cpl's position was hotly contested, each Depot claiming that spot, arguments were settled by selecting the fourth (me) from OPS Command, I had no idea of my fate at the end of the course, and only on returning found I was to go to No 1 AFTS (Pearce WA), which was by far the largest user.

We left Sydney on one of the very early 707 flights, through the Far East, Middle East and to Rome where we stayed overnight (at QANTAS expense), London airport was closed due to fog.

It seemed to be a good idea to arrive in London next morning in uniform so the people from Australia House could locate us quickly...... No it was not, so we were informed on arrival, civvies only (except at M-B's or official travel). There were no large groups of Australians in London, as there are now and there had only been a few of our troops go to England since the end of the war, ( for the Coronation and the Bloodhound).

We were overwhelmed by the welcome and the generosity of the people who were still recovering from that conflict and seemed to think that they owed us.

All except Keith Schmerl (who was a late inclusion) were housed at the "Greyhound Inn" in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire. Parts of the pub were built in the 1600's, and these areas could be distinguished by the very low ceilings, supported by large beams which were at about forehead high, one soon learnt to duck.

For some reason we didn't patronize the pub we lived in, but rather the "George" directly across the road, something to do with cold beer or perhaps a very striking young lady behind the bar and who thought all Australians were just wonderful.

Before leaving OZ I speculated about what we were to see, expecting to see a large building with loading ramps either end, one for the delivery of raw materials and the other taking the finished product to the world, what a surprise. The biggest surprise I had though was the small brick blockhouse were ejection and drogue gun cartridges were loaded. I kid you not, all cartridges were loaded by hand by a smallish elderly gentleman, an ex Army Major I believe - using (and if I didn't know better) what appeared to be a kitchen spoon. Cartridges were taken at random, loaded into one of the two ejection rigs , one 90 foot and the other 110, measurements of pressure against time determined whether or not the the fella was using the right spoon.

Visitors to the factory very soon learnt that they (no exceptions) were obliged
to ride whichever rig happened to be available. A group of US Navy officers were there when it became our turn to take the ride. This group consisted of several male and one female, none of whom were prepared to take part until they had seen someone else do it. As more of the Australians took the ride, more and more of the USN people disappeared, the only one left at the end was the lass, she took the ride and saved USN honor.
The trip to Chalgrove was to demonstrate a low level ejection from a Meteor with a dummy in the seat, NO not one of us. The ejection worked perfectly and whilst we were all looking at the seat the #$$## pilot went over our heads at zero feet at what seemed to be 1000 mph, a great joke if you were in the know and we certainly weren't.

The company took us out once a week to a show and dinner in London, one very memorable evening was spent at the "Royal Aero Club", home of the Schneider Cup.
We were requested to give talks to various men's clubs, church groups and the like, a very small price to pay for all the kindness that was bestowed upon us.

The trips to Irvings and RFD were memorable, dining and boozing with ex RAF Officers of air rank was fairly unusual for baggy arsed gunnies.

James Martin had afternoon tea with us each day, I think to gauge our progress. He was born in Eireland and when he found out that none of us had been there, suggested a weekend in Belfast and those of us who wished, were welcome to jump on the Company Dakota which was picking up parts from M-B's factories both in Belfast and Douglas on the Isle of Man. We left very early on a cold, wet and absolutely miserable Friday morning from the M-B airfield at Chalgrove. When we were overhead Belfast the only thing that could be seen was the tip of a radio mast (a little foggy) and after circling for some time we were diverted to the Coastal Command base (Shackletons) at Ballykelly near Londonderry.

We completed the trip to Belfast by train seeing mile after mile of some of the most vividly green landscape, so different to that which we were accustomed, passing through small towns with names all starting with Bally, Ballymena, Ballycastle to name a few. Arriving at Belfast railway station, would you believe, we bumped into two RAAF officers waiting to pick up and ferry a Canberra T4 back to Oz. English Electric were converting some of our bombers to trainers, a crew would ferry an aircraft to the factory and then ferry a modified aircraft home.

Saturday was football day, well, soccer anyway...by half time and having discovered the delights of draught Guinness the game suddenly lost all meaning, so back to the pub and our own game of football - Len Evan's peak cap was the ball and the game was played up and down the corridor. The other guests were not really impressed so the game ended in a draw at the first break - the only thing that didn't recover was the boss's cap.

Our return trip took us via the Isle of Man where we picked up some seat servicing stands. The approach to the Douglas airport seems to track straight down the main drag while the other end appears to terminate at a cliff edge overlooking the Irish sea.
I assume that engine failure on take off meant a quick trip to downtown Douglas or a very cold swim.

The other pub at Chalfont St Peter where we spent some time was the "White Hart", its claim to fame was that the owners were an ex RAF navigator and his lovely wife also ex RAF. they still had contacts within RAF Northolt and Transport Command. Our leader, not one to miss an opportunity arranged on the quiet (or so we thought) a trip to Berlin where we were to jump ship and hitchhike back to London just in time to catch the big Red Kangaroo home. The Air Attache, or some such spoil sport discovered the plot and decreed that if we had any spare bloody time it would be put to much better use learning fourth line servicing of Aden Guns - I ask you was that a good deal or not.
We were packed off (in uniform) to No 7MU at RAF St Athan, just outside of Cardiff. Our leader wasn't sent to Coventry, no not Coventry, Cardiff, so Keith Schmerl ended up as our big banana. He being an Officer and gentleman decided he should not go to the local village and enjoy our company, but would make himself known at the Officers Mess, it was here that the only sour note of the trip occurred. The story as Keith told it was "I fronted the bar, and the only other person there was a RAF Officer, I introduced myself , he looked me up and down and inquired whether or not I was a visitor, and me in an RAAF uniform, he then told me that the visitors area was down the other end of the bar in that roped off section". Very shortly after Keith found us in one of the pubs and proceeded to enjoy himself with the good guys. I thought Cardiff was a great place because as we approached the railway station a great big hoarding proclaimed "ELY'S ALES THE BEST IN WALES", not far wrong either, particularly when taken with pickled onions and cheese.

We spent only one full day in Cardiff, Keith put us on the train back to London and gave the two finger salute to Aden Gun Fourth Line Servicing.

Len Evans forte was organization (and boozing), whilst we were away Len had contrived that we would not be going home the short way but via the States and thus circumnavigate the globe. The 707 was full to New York, Los Angeles and to Hawaii, but from there to Sydney almost empty, the steward asked us how wanted to be fed, "every 4 hours but don't close the bar, was the short reply".

I don't know the official RAAF view regarding the results of this trip, but I do know that all Martin-Baker ejection seats were brought up to full modification status in short order and to the best of my memory the RAAF never had a failure or fatality due to ejection seat maintenance error.

I am sure Jimmy Martin was happy, since so much of his reputation rested on just how well his training was applied.

We were the only Airforce ever, to my knowledge, that were authorized to carry out specific maintenance and modifications on components absolutely critical to the seats function.

In 1964 at the commencement of the Mirage Program I was serving at ARDU and our ArmO, none other than FltLt Len Evans. The Armourers who had gone to France for Mirage training, had absolutely none on the ejection seat....the seat had yet to be delivered. The same story for CAC whose engineers were in the same boat. The answer was, we have people who were trained at Martin-Baker, they can do the pre installation checks and installation of the seat on behalf of the factory, then do the same thing again for the RAAF on acceptance.

It would seem that those three weeks training had been money well spent and had results that could never have been foreseen at that time.