Tales from the RAF

[Canberra Man]

Hi.
We are in Malaya on detachment at RAF Butterworth and the Canberra's are returning after a mission. I pick mine out from the queue and turn him in onto the dipersal pan and signal to stop and open bomb doors, with an armourer standing by in case of a hang up, no hang up, worse, as the bomb doors open, a thousand pound bomb squeezes through the gap and crunches onto the tarmac and sits there glaring at us (It felt like it!) The aircrew must wondered what was troubling the ground crew counting their worry beads and then we realised the bomb wouldn't have fallen far enough to arm. Fun over for the day.

Ken

[Xplumberlives]

We had a New Zealander on 20 Sqn who would often nip to the range to perfect his bombing technique. One Friday afternoon I met his plane as he taxied to the parking slot and dipped under each of the CBLS (Practice Bomb carrier) to check all for 3Kg bombs had been dropped, when I got to the right hand wing, one of the little blighters was still there! I placed a safety pin in to the bomb, nipped up to the cockpit as the engine wound down and asked "Kiwi" whether he'd had a hang up, to which he replied, no, I dropped all eight! Are you sure sir? You seem to have brought one home!

Cue one red faced pilot!