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Post by steve on Aug 22, 2006 18:22:19 GMT 12
Below the authors name on this site there is room for a icon photo etc. When glancing across all replies and contributions and with limited time i like to read first input from those with a civil aviation background or RNZAF etc. To make it easier to recognise experience and background you guys with airforce service current or past should display a small kiwi aussie or RAF roundel ...civil aviation service with the aviation ensign whatever...or maybe something like the old RNZAF badge that Dave has below his name...Hon Air Commoredores!! ;D ;D
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Post by phil82 on Aug 23, 2006 10:37:22 GMT 12
Good Idea! Can I have crossed chopsticks from my three years in Singapore? Or crossed bottles of Tiger, Or crossed bottles of Tusker Ale from my two and a half years in Kenya? Or crossed chili crabs?
How do you out such an avatur up anyway?
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Post by corsair67 on Aug 23, 2006 11:26:17 GMT 12
Colin, you can add an avatar of your own by linking a picture from photobucket (or whatever photo site you're using), and adding the link into the avatar box in the Modify Profile section of your Forum personal details. I hope that makes sense! Someone more computer literate than myself might be able to describe how to do it better than this?  Make sure the chopsticks have sharpened tips to show that you're combat ready! ;D |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 23, 2006 12:16:03 GMT 12
Personally I'd rather keep my current avatar and others might too. But if anyone wants to display there background, you could write a brief synopsis in your 'signature'. To do this go to 'Profile'theb 'Modify Profile' then write the text into your 'Signature' box.
It comes out where I have the David Lange quote on my posts.
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Post by phil82 on Aug 23, 2006 12:52:19 GMT 12
Thank you; done it! All that talk of crossed chopsticks and Tiger beer reminds me of the "Ghost Train" at Tengah, wanna hear more?
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Post by corsair67 on Aug 23, 2006 13:04:56 GMT 12
I know that size is not important, but mine (avatar!) is bigger than yours! ;D Colin, what's the Ghost Train story?  |
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Post by phil82 on Aug 23, 2006 13:47:18 GMT 12
Alright, the mystery of the military mind!
During that Confrontation stouch with Indonesia, Singapore, which is roughly the same area as Lake Taupo, was an armed camp. The Brits had one sixth of all the real estate in Singapore, in one form or another. There were Garrisons for the various grunt units, and no less than three military airfields. There was Changi, which was strategic transport, Britannias, VC10s and the like, Seletar which was tactical, Beverleys, Hastings, Twin Pins, etc, and then there was Tengah, with two Squadrons of Canberra, one of Hunters, two of Javelins, [bloody awful aeroplane!], one Wessex, one Canberra PR9, and just about one of every other type. The combined airmanry at Tengah amounted to a few thousand, included in which were yours truly and about a 120 other Kiwis on 14 Sqn. It was a busy place.
All the bases were well equipped for entertainment, Tengah having the McGregor Club, and a Malcolm Club, but as is the way with the air force, the attractions of Singapore were many and varied, and not the least of which was the [in]famous Bugis Street, pronounced "Boogy". It was a normal Chinatown street during the day, but at night became a restaurant heaven, with entertainment from the various airmen, and in particular, matelots who for some peculiar reason always seemed to be pissed out of their brains when they got there. They fell off toilet rooves, and did all those daft things sailors do. There were also the beautiful ladies of the night, who were not, in fact ladies, but looked the part!
The end result of this hilarity, was that the BMH [British Military Hospital], had a programmed treatment for the victims of various social intercourse which took place, and every day at Tengah this amounted to a transport, in this case a bus, which left every day from Sick Quraters, to the BMH for jabs to cure whatever ailed you. .
Now, the people travelling on this bus were, according to the powers that be, entitled to their privacy, so the ever gracious and concerned RAF painted the Bedford bus pure white, with large red crosses on it,and the windows whited out, just so that no one would know what it was and who was on it, its purpose, and where it was going. If it had had huge lettering along the side saying "Pox Doctor's Express" it couldn't have been less private. It was so secret, it was known as "The Ghost Train", despite it being a bus and carrying secret passengers. Service humour at it's best.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 23, 2006 14:02:35 GMT 12
An interesting piece of history there Colin, probably never recorded before.
Whar as a McGregor Club and a Malcolm Club? Also, I've seen you refer to the Air Force as Air Fives before, what's the significance of that term? When I was in the RNZAF it was referrred to as "being in the mob". not Air Fives.
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Post by phil82 on Aug 23, 2006 14:36:37 GMT 12
Jest Dave: "air FORce", air fives if you wanted to mention the air force but didn't want to mention it! It was also known as "being in", and "the only lunatic asylum completely run by the inmates". Where I spent some time, Air Staff, the building was known as "Disneyland", probably because the Army were on the 2nd Floor. RNZAF Base Auckland was "The Royal Auckland Air Force". Te Rapa was "Sleepy Hollow".
The McGregor and Malcolm Clubs were for airman only, like the Airmans' Clubs in NZ, but much, much flasher! They were provide by benevolent trusts from the families of the aforenamed who had died in the RAF during WW2. The McGregor Club, for example, had two bars, depending on what you were wearing, and a not bad restaurant, and the Malcolm Club had a great dance floor and always good bands.
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Post by phil82 on Aug 23, 2006 14:45:19 GMT 12
[glow=red,2,300]I know that size is not important, but mine (avatar!) is bigger than yours! [/glow]
Yeah, but mine is in motion!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 23, 2006 14:52:19 GMT 12
Thanks for those exlanations. It all makes sense now... cheers
I love Air Force slanguage. I have a page of the wartime RNZAF slanguage on my site.
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Post by phil82 on Aug 23, 2006 15:02:33 GMT 12
Err..... I also have a book on that Dave! It's British, but relevent, and called "Behind the Hangar Doors"; full of now useless information! As in "three sheets to the wind" to describe someone under the influence; it is originally a sailing term from Nelson's day when a ship, through poor management or sail settings, veered out of control!
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Post by steve on Aug 24, 2006 0:14:04 GMT 12
Yes yes i suppose the signature box achieves a similar purpose...just thinking down the track further when there is more international input from ex aviation workers and airforce staff etc when a glance at the roundel whatever would give you an indication of their background. I suppose i am trying to think of ways to attract more input of internation aviation buffs....
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 24, 2006 0:41:10 GMT 12
We actually have a number of Australian and British members, and of course one or two from other nations outdside NZ too, but there are some very good other international forums where they hang out more, simply because this site is largely dedicated to NZ aviation and limits their input I guess.
And let's face it, this is the only NZ aviation forum that covers all aspects of aviation, and as far as I'm concerned I really enjoy the interaction with people from all ares of NZ avaition from pilots to historians to photographers to engineers - it's a great mix. I welcome the input of enthusiasts from abroad too, but don't want to see this turn into anything other than what it is now, as it works very well.
There are some aviation avatars that I made available to members quite some time ago by placing them into the avatar options. They include a Kiwi roundel. If serving or ex-RNZAF people wnt to place that into their avatar box as Steve suggests they're welcome.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 24, 2006 0:48:18 GMT 12
And look, you can put an image in the bottom signature too if you wish - just by posting the photobucket IMG link into the signature box in your profile.
Please though, nothing too big if you guys do this. I will leave my image as an example for a day ot two then remove it.
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Post by steve on Aug 24, 2006 0:56:00 GMT 12
Yes quite right Dave...i do get a lttle carried away on occasions ...to loose the mostly kiwi input into discussion over the mix of the French or Dutch air force would be a shocker and of no interest at least to me!
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Post by steve on Aug 24, 2006 1:10:13 GMT 12
Royal New Zealand Air Force shoulder patch cerainly looks better than just New Zealand...I am just guessing here...was that patch a product of the 70s...WW2 time frame reading i can oly recall the "New Zealand Flash" on uniforms?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 24, 2006 1:12:17 GMT 12
No problem mate. I didn't think you were getting carried away, such discussions are fine. But yes, I'd be dismayed if this became too international and became another clone of FlyPast, WIX, PlaneTalk, or PPrune. This place is uniquely Kiwi with the right dash of Aussie mixed in.
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