Spanners, Guinea Pigs and Mechanical Errors

 

The next instalment of my grand-uncle Dick's RAF memoirs.

Early 1950s

Leaping forward in time to Dishforth the Squadron were given an additional aircraft on strength and a second cage. But before the second cage arrived we experienced an aircraft going unserviceable with a mag drop and the cage had to be quickly removed and transferred to another replacement aircraft. Whenever this aircraft was due to leave about 6 in the morning there was always a couple of extra ground crew with ¼” spanners to ensure a quick transfer of the cage. I can see this cage, 10 by 6 by 4 feet with 4 bods under it running between the aircraft pans. Shoulder high. It reminded me of the poster signs on the main line railways to London before the war. 'Halls Distemper' held by 2 men in white overalls, so many miles to London. The frequency of the Stornaway drop then increased to twice a week in 1954.

We did hear also of the panic at Stornaway when 1 of the boxes came off the transport and burst open, and the aircrew were rushing around looking for guinea pigs in the long grass.

Back to Abingdon, now completely re-equipped with Valettas, we were suddenly confronted with an aircraft, at Templehof on the UWV run to Warsaw, with seized ailerons. It was later proved that the grease pocket in the articulating spigots of the ailerons did not line itself up with the grease nipple when they were greased on a Base Servicing. When we got to Tempelhof we found the whole of the mainplane, port and starboard control rod systems, laying all over the floor: bearings, distance pieces, ball races. What a mess!

A few weeks later an enquiry was set up. This resulted in all the Airframe Tradesmen who had worked on the aircraft over the last few Base Inspections being asked, “Can you remember greasing the ailerons last year when carrying out Man B's card on aircraft so and so?” One rather cocky JT Cresswell was said to have remarked, “Who do you think I am, Leslie Welch?” His father was of Senior office rank in the RAF – an Air Commodore- so perhaps he felt a little too sure of his self. I guess he was quickly straightened out.