Messages

46

Air Corps Apprentice Contact Page / Class reunion 1966

« on: September 15, 2006, 11:24:40 pm »

Jeez, Williamdj, how did you get them to keep still posing for those photos? Have you still got the plate negatives? I'm surprised that cameras had been invented back when you were a gungy!
Only joking! Great to see those photos, no wonder they'd brought in some super troopers to do basic training when I joined in '76! But the legacy still lived on.
Hope you have a good get together, Dinger, nothing doing from my crowd, maybe we'll get our act together for the 31st anniversary!

47

Air Corps Apprentice Contact Page / Class reunion 1966

« on: September 05, 2006, 12:13:52 am »

Hi Ulick, did you notice what it says under your name-RECRUIT! Hope you have a good re-union.
Best wishes, Johnny the Brit

48

Irish Air Corps / EU Battlegroup support

« on: May 25, 2006, 10:04:40 pm »

Don't tie yourselves up too much with those Vikings-their beer prices are astronomical! Maybe that's how they fund their defence programmes?

49

Air Corps Apprentice Contact Page / Joe Cronin RIP

« on: May 25, 2006, 10:00:40 pm »

Amen to that, guys. I remember the two brothers before they left-didn't they go out to Iran and sent home recordings of the revolution when the Shah was usurped? I bumped into Joe a few years back in Sixmilebridge at a wedding of a lad who had left BA and went to work at Shannon. We had a good old talk at the bar, I was surprised that he remembered me! Very sad to hear of his passing.

50

Irish Air Corps / Aircorps at national museum.

« on: May 08, 2006, 11:07:23 am »

You're right, John, we used to run up a Provost as apprentices with Freddie Parks (Cushy Fred!) I'm sure that's still there, somewhere! I remember the fire crews doing wilful destruction-as part of their ongoing training-  to some fuselages behind Heli Sqn Hangar back in the late '70s, on what was termed the 'Fire Dump'. I don't remember what aircraft they were but they must have been collectable items! Sacrelidge!
I had a load of stuff in a box in my brothers loft in Palmerston which I'd forgotten the whereabouts of, I remembered recently where it could be and when I asked his estranged wife about it she said she'd given it away! Howl!! Howl!! Nooo! Why didn't she contact me? She must've known who was the rightful owner! (Well the Air Corps actually, but let's not split hairs!)

51

Irish Air Corps / Aircorps at national museum.

« on: May 06, 2006, 12:14:06 pm »

Hey Papa 242, do you remember those halcyon days? Rasher McCann got us involved to restore the old lumps of RAF Vampire in our spare time (and while we were supposed to be at class!), I got to see the museuma while ago and our initials had faded a bit but were still visible if you knew where to look! It was a good bit of experience for us. So was digging trenches up the 'drome!
How did you feel when they told you that you were going to do some recruit training-as an SAR Crewman!

52

Irish Air Corps / Aircorps at national museum.

« on: May 05, 2006, 11:51:56 am »

I won't be able to show anyone where Billy and I put our initials when we were restoring it for display outside the Hostel all those years ago!
It does make far more sense to have a proper Air Corps museum at Baldonnel, as there was for the last two years or so. Mind you having some stuff at the Army museum might wet the appetite of visitors who otherwise don't even realise that there is a military flying unit in their own country, they might want to see more at a dedicated Air Corps museum.
Just a thought.

53

Irish Air Corps / Dauphin & Gazelle retired by Irish Air Corps

« on: February 09, 2006, 06:03:53 pm »

Good stuff, Tony, I'm looking forward to seeing your photos.

GttC, yeah I know what you mean about the duties! In '78 when I left the hostel there had been such an exodus from the hangars that most of the techies left were on duty back to back! It really pi55ed us off! The powers that be even looked to transfer all staff from Fighter Sqn. to Helis and AFTS 'cos these units needed to keep going. That's how I transferred to helis, along with a couple of others and some went to AFTS.
Soon as heli crew I didn't have to do any guards, stand toos or fire picquet. 'Till someone decided that ALL NCO Flight Crews had to do guard commander twice a year. I had a right b'stard for orderly officer on my first guard! I couldn't remember what I was supposed to do when he said "..take post" luckily there was a rookie next to me and he gave me a nudge. We weren't asked to do any more after that!
None of the duties that you have to do are welcome, after a while they really become a chore. I dunno what they can do to make them more palatable.

54

Irish Air Corps / Dauphin & Gazelle retired by Irish Air Corps

« on: February 07, 2006, 10:08:55 am »

OOPs! I got a bit carried away there, I was next to Owen Sherry and Flan Garry was just behind John Kenny.
I know a couple of them are still in the 'Don, a couple have sadly passed on, but what about the rest of them? Where did they end up? Any news? Will there be another get together?
Also noted by their absence, probably 'cos they were on the border, Richie Lynch? Graham (Malvenas) Melia? John Keane?

55

Irish Air Corps / Dauphin & Gazelle retired by Irish Air Corps

« on: February 07, 2006, 10:00:27 am »

Thanks for those notes, guys. I've just had another look at the photo I've got and there were 7 A111s over the taxiway. I wasn't in the 'Don in '75!
GttC, how can you say Helis were lazy b'stards? We were described as "....the best outfit in any mans army!" by Kenny Byrne. That was after the snow relief of '82.
As for the photo of P242, Tony, I've got that hanging in my hallway! Just for good measure I wrote everyones name on the back in case I was ever asked to name them!
Front row L-R (Rank at the time!): Lt. Harvey O'Keeffe, Lt. Jurgen Whyte, Lt. Brian Cosgrove, Lt. Barry Hannan, Lt. Donal Cotter, Capt. Pat Donnelly, Capt. Frank Condon, Comdt. Hugh O' Donnell, Comdt. Kenny Byrne, Comdt. Frank Russell, Capt. Aiden Flanagan, Capt. Paul Fry, Lt. Andy McIntyre, Lt. Jim Corby.
Back row L-R: Sgt. Mick (Mucky) Corcoran, Cpl. Richard O'Sullivan, Lt. Gerry O'Sullivan, A/M Jim Durkin, Cpl. Paddy McGurke, A/M Thomas o'Loughlin, A/M Eamonn O'Connell, Cpl. Kieran (Sacky) Ferris, A/M Sean (Paddy) Myles, Cpl. Cammillus Woolhead, Cpl. Owen Sherry, Sgt. Flan Garry, Cpl. John Kealy (me!), Cpl. John Kenny, F/Sgt. Willy (Shakey) Byrne, Cpl. Mark (Sacky) Hayden, Sgt. Mick Dunican, Cpl. William (Billo) Booth (RIP), A/M Al Colley (RIP), A/M Maurice Dixon, A/M Matt Crowe, Sgt. John Manning, Lt. Donal Scanlon, Lt. Colm O'Dwyer, A Chair!
I've also put that the photo was taken in the summer of '82, I've put peoples nicknames in brackets as this is what they were known as-apart from one or two of the officers! I still don't want to incriminate myself as to what their nicknames were amongst us! when I get time I'll see what's wrong with my scanner and try to get some photos to you.
Best wishes, JK

56

Irish Air Corps / Dauphin & Gazelle retired by Irish Air Corps

« on: February 05, 2006, 10:25:06 pm »

I've just had a thought, Tony, if it was A/M J. Manning it was before my time in Baldonnel 'cos John was a Corporal when I was in the Hostel. I know that 'cos he had me digging trenches up the 'drome! was there a later formation flight of Allouettes?

57

Irish Air Corps / Dauphin & Gazelle retired by Irish Air Corps

« on: February 05, 2006, 10:19:58 pm »

Jim Durkin? I don't think so, Papa 242, he was on my crewmans course and that was a couple of years after that photo. I remember getting the pilot to smack his head with the l/h mainwheel when he was trying to hook up the underslung load! "...right 2, right 1, steady, steady!" he did have his helmet on!
Could it have been Dick sully?
Tony, thanks for putting me right about not being in the second last aircraft. It certainly seemed that way from my memory! maybe I remember a different formation flight. Have you got access to the records to find out where I was?

58

Irish Air Corps / Gate Guard

« on: February 05, 2006, 10:00:44 pm »

Great photo, Fouga. I wouldn't mind my boss saying "Just boroscope the right hand engine and you can go home!"

59

Irish Air Corps / Where is Charlie?

« on: February 05, 2006, 09:47:04 pm »

Very good Fouga! Sorry for taking us off track, Frank! I wonder if his name's Charlie?

60

Irish Air Corps / Tactical Helicopters

« on: February 05, 2006, 09:39:31 pm »

Colonel Paul Fry? Best pilot I ever flew with and a top bloke! Great to see him in a very senior position, I hope he hasn't changed too much!