Calling ALL ex service people, Navy, Army and RAAF.

Phil C · Guru

Calling ALL ex service people, Navy, Army and RAAF.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Would a Civvie in the Services be eligible?

Cheers - John

Phil C · Guru

Yes John you would be more than welcome to comment.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Began in 2000 at TALMSQN East Sale - Training Aircraft Logistics Squadron RAAF Support Command, which became TASPO Training Aircraft Systems Program Office under the formation of DMO. Providing the logistic support for the PC9, HS748, B300.

2005-2008 - ALSPO Richmond - Airlift System Program Office DMO. Providing logistic support to C130 - H & J, 707 Air-to-Air refueller, Caribou. Also developing and bringing into service projects to upgrade those platforms.

Cheers - John

Leftwing · Member

G'day Phil,

You have probably seen my signature B4. Anyway I'm ex RAAF RAD TECH G. 1969 to 1973. Stationed at Laverton x 2, Townsville x 2, Point Cook and Canberra now living at Encounter Bay SA.

rgds, Walt Kaeding

Phil C · Guru

Cheers John

I started in 1968 at 1RTU Edinburgh course 907

Spent way too long at RSTT, posted to 486sqn at Richmond, 11sqn at Edinburgh, 2FTS RAAF Pearce WA, then MTNSQN East Sale Vic.

Didnt set the world on fire so got out in 1980.

Cheers

Mike C · Senior Member

Edinburgh in 78, Kingswood for 2 years. then Support Command in Vic for a while before returning to Kingswood and Richmond.
One of a very small group of DMANENG (Draftsman Engineering) Wife hated being away from Melbourne so got out early on a compassionate discharge.
Was a great few years.

Cheers

Mike (Ex RAAF)

Cloak · Guru

1974 RSTT, Richmond, Laverton then out in 1982...

Thought you sounded familiar Phil....

Cheers mate.

pondsmob · Senior Member

Hubby is a civvie at East Sale!

bill12 · Guru

Ex Raime Enginneer,Late 70s, a long time ago, in another galaxy........

oldbobsbus · Guru

RAAF 1956-1962

Rookies at Richmond

Basic trade training at Amberley for 3mths.

Trade training at Wagga Wagga (Forrest Hill) Safety Equipment..

Posted to Point Cook for the next 3 years.

Then to the ar$ehole of the world (East Sale) for a couple of years till I got out in 1962.

Peterpan · Guru

RAE; trained at SME Casula Early 70's,Instructor on Recruit Courses, Cpl's & Sgts Courses

at Pucka. Even did some Construction tasks.

Vic41 · Guru

Army (RAE) 1958 - 1964 - Served NSW, WA & PNG.

RAAF 1964 - 1978 - Served NSW, WA & Butterworth (Malaysia).

Attachments: SA, Qld, Victoria, Singapore.

20 years continuous service.

-- Edited by Vic41 on Monday 21st of July 2014 09:25:06 AM

pugs · Senior Member

Navy.joined 1967.HMAS Leeuwin was a Gunnery rate(I love the smell of cordite in the morning)
Various ships and depots
Vietnam on HMAS Jeparit.
Left in 1979.

Baz421 · Guru

rockylizard wrote:
Gday...
Began in 2000 at TALMSQN East Sale - Training Aircraft Logistics Squadron RAAF Support Command, which became TASPO Training Aircraft Systems Program Office under the formation of DMO. Providing the logistic support for the PC9, HS748, B300.
2005-2008 - ALSPO Richmond - Airlift System Program Office DMO. Providing logistic support to C130 - H & J, 707 Air-to-Air refueller, Caribou. Also developing and bringing into service projects to upgrade those platforms.
Cheers - John

Caribou - my vintage

Jack · Veteran Member

RAF 1973 -1991 ex Nimrod aircraft aircrew and flying instructor 42 and 120 SQNs and 236OCU .

RAAF 1991 - 2013 P3 Orion Aircraft as Aircrew, 10, 11 and 292SQNs, 92WG HQ and DMO on AP-3C Upgrade Project in USA

Baz421 · Guru

RAAF 1969-1989 and active reserve 13SQN 1989-1996 and then full time contract 1996-1999.

Started as MTFITT,, 981 rookies EDN commissioned ATC 1979, finished in AIRDEF last 7 years or so.

Mike C · Senior Member

Ahh the Caribou

Hitched a ride on one of those from Laverton to Albury.. followed the Hume and watched trucks overtaking us all the way there..
not a great trip :(

but at least it was cool with the rear door down....

cheers

Mike

Baz421 · Guru

Mike C wrote:
Ahh the Caribou

Hitched a ride on one of those from Laverton to Albury.. followed the Hume and watched trucks overtaking us all the way there..
not a great trip :(

but at least it was cool with the rear door down....

cheers

Mike

Yep lots of good stories to tell eh. I'm new to Facebook and just finding out about and contacting heaps of old RAAF mates,,, and the stories roll on, and on.

Sparkster · Senior Member

My story is a little different to others so far.

As an apprentice Electrician I took the alternative of joining the RAAF Reserve instead of possibly being "called up" into National Service.

One of the best things I ever did as my number did come out of the hat so I spent about seven or eight years in 22 Squadron at Richmond.

Every third weekend we would turn up at Richmond and work on Neptunes, DC-3's and Caribous. We did a two week rookies at Townsville learnt who to salute and the very basics of how to conduct ourselves etc.

We did a live in two week camp twice a year sometimes at Townsville when we had Neps at Ricmond but after that at Richmond.

Meanwhile I would return to my sometimes mundane job, in the electricity supply industry on Mondays.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) I got married and found that I could stay at home and be told what to do instead of going onto a RAAF base but the pay wasn't as good at home.

The experience and leadership skills I learnt whilst in 22 Sqn. no doubt helped me in my civilian career.

Keith.... smile

Phil C · Guru

Wow, so many great stories.

I have emailed the editor and moderator of this site to see if we can open a subject line just for ex service people (including civvies on bases).

Bought some great memories of the dreaded gravel trucks (boo boos) did a trip from East Sale to Amberly in the late 70s milk run from ESL to FBN to RIC to WIL then AMB.. yipes, took forever, noisy heaps of tin... just before the first F111 went in, I use to jog with Phil Nordink (one of the drivers who were killed) when I was in Pearce.. RIP Phil.

I was a member of RAAF Richmond and RAAF Pearce gliding club and East Sale aero club, flew with Rolley Dayton and Geoff Trappet, both bloody great pilots, I helped rebuild Geoff's P51 in the late 70s. Flew with John Sampson in Pearce (best pilot I have ever flown with). Saw the mirage prang at ESL and saw Santa crash in a CT4 (dumb arse (not santa) stalled the beast!!) Irony is that I flew with that pilot a week before on a roulette rotation.

Cheers guys, keep those stories coming

Safe travels

NeilandRaine · Guru

RTU 67
Amberley ADG course 67
Williamtown 68
Vietnam 68
Williamtown 69
Vietnam 70
Williamtown 71
Quite a few attachments all over for exercises.
Discharged PAF 1976
10 years with 21 Sqn

Redlander · Veteran Member

RAE - 1977 - 1983
Lucky enough to be stationed at Enoggera Barracks for for the whole time.
2 FER
7 FER

Cheers

PJK · Senior Member

If you are prepared to lower your entry requirements to include Reserves (Cut lunch commandos), I did 6 years in the RAA (Artillery) 1971 - 77.

Served as -
Gunner (Private)
Gunnery Bombardier (Corporal)
Survey Bombardier (Corporal)
Gunnery Sergeant
Survey Sergeant.

All good times, and still meet up with the old friends a couple of times a year.

Peter
PJK

Jonathan · Senior Member

(after a 2 year stint as a weekend warrior with 142 Sig Sqn in Mosman in Syd ..)

RAE .. 1975 - 1985

1 FER Holsworthy NSW

1 Fd Sqn Holsworthy NSW

17 Construction Sqn Holsworthy NSW

Disappointed that I could't get an external posting, I pulled the plug at 10 years ..

-- Edited by Jonathan on Monday 21st of July 2014 10:53:16 AM

goannaway · Veteran Member

Dare I add mine to the list

Royal Navy 1968 to 1976

HMS Ganges 1968/69 Junior training
HMS Collingwood 1969 Electrical training (Ordinance Elec)
HMS Forth 1969/70 Singapore ( a trip to Perth was the clincher for a great place to live)
HMS Mohawk 1971/73 GP Frigate
HMS Excellent 1973/74 (Frazer gunnery range, looking after Bofor and Oerlikon guns)made leading Seaman here
HMS Collingwood again 1974(LOEM training)
HMS Glamorgan 1974/75 GM destroyer
HMS Iveston 1975/76 Mine Hunter

After that emigrated to Australia and nearly joined again but earning more as a labourer than in the forces so declined

So thats me

Paul

signwilson · Senior Member

mtfitt RAAF 1969 to 1989 rookies 1008 Adelaide wagga rstt, 2sd Regents Park, Richmond, Amberley 5 postings on base, 7sd, 2sdGems

Pete in Gisborne · Veteran Member

Swampy they called me. 11sqn as fitter, 492sqn and MNTESL until Flight Engineers course in '81 at Edinburgh on P3B's.
Flew on P3's until '86, left RAAF and then TAA/Australian Airlines/QANTAS as FEO until '98.
Went overseas for a few years and came back in 2001 and did various training jobs until retirement in 2012. Now a happy Grey Nomad.

Grevo · Veteran Member

RAAF 1974 - 1999

Joined as an apprentice at 15

Armament Fitter (Gunnie) by trade (later Avionics Technician - Weapons Specialist after the big trade restructure)

Postings included RSTT Wagga, Townsville (twice), Williamtown (twice), Butterworth (twice), 1CAMD Kingswood (twice)

My Caribou experience was a flight from Townsville to Wagga, via Roma and RAAF Richmond.

We went via Roma to drop of some spares for a broken Caribou then on to Richmond were we had time for a meal at the mess before departing for Wagga.

I left sultry Townsville at 8:30 am in a short sleeved pair of overalls and eventually arrived at freezing Wagga at 11:30 pm that night.

Needless to say, I was never in a rush to fly via Caribou again.

Cheers

Vic41 · Guru

signwilson wrote:
mtfitt RAAF 1969 to 1989 rookies 1008 Adelaide wagga rstt, 2sd Regents Park, Richmond, Amberley 5 postings on base, 7sd, 2sdGems

I was in Lodge Caribou (Buffs) when at 2SD, mostly made up of Transport blokes, were you a member????

I was there from 1964 to 1970 (Supply Clerk (CLKE) in Warehousing).

NB: Cripes, that many GN's ex ADF we might be able to start up our own "Dad's ADF" the same as Dad's Army wink biggrin

-- Edited by Vic41 on Monday 21st of July 2014 08:45:42 PM

Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.