Team Brief” Should Be Sent To: the Editor, Team Brief, UKMAMS Association, PO Box 1126, Swindon, Wilts, SN5 7WB
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TTEEAAMM BBRRIIEEFF THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE UKMAMS ASSOCIATION ISSUE 44 JUNE 2002 Left: Herc and Chinook in Kabul 2002 Below: FO John Buchanan processes Argentine POW’s in 1982 INSIDE THIS EDITION: Where Are They Now Questionnaire Results Life on UKMAMS Nov 01 – Jan 02 Afghanistan 2002 From the 540 Letters to the Editor Views expressed in this Newsletter, unless otherwise stated, are not necessarily those of the Editor, the Association Committee or UKMAMS and are the personal views of the authors. All contributions and correspondence for inclusion on “Team Brief” should be sent to: The Editor, Team Brief, UKMAMS Association, PO Box 1126, Swindon, Wilts, SN5 7WB. E-mail: [email protected] My God how time flies, once again I’ve lost the raffle and am having to produce this issue (most of it) in the absence of Mick who is ‘swanning’ in Downtown Kabul. Hopefully this time he’ll bring back some photos as the assistance from the majority of the Squadron has not been that noteworthy. There were some photos included as part of an article in the Swindon Advertiser but obtaining them is proving difficult. By the time you read this a lot of the present serving personnel will be sporting a new medal – the Queens Golden Jubilee Medal. Although even the criteria for this will cause some angst as you have had to have been serving for at least five years to qualify! The content of this issue may be lacking a squadron input for the last three months as I’ll leave that topic to Mick. A lot of personnel are (obviously) still away, the guys on MAMF are doing their six week stints whilst quite a few from BAMF are now on four month detachments to all points East. Remember the comment “We will definitely only be in Afghanistan for three months…” Meanwhile from darkest Africa (Kenya) we hear that Sean Culligan was shot in the foot during a confrontation with some armed burglars in his neighbours house. I believe he has had to travel to South Africa for treatment. There has bee even more bad news over the last quarter. Since the last issue of Team Brief I’m afraid Ian Thompson passed away in late March, Ian (59) had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for the last five years and finally succumbed to it. Just as unwelcome was the news that Ray Webster died of a heart attack at home in Notts in late April. Ray (54) had relocated from Cirencester to Long Eaton a few years ago when he started work for British Midland Airways. On a lighter note the winner of the Questionairre survey was Brian Hunt who will shortly receive his cheque for £100. The findings of the survey may/should be published in this Newsletter. Whilst on the subject of questionnaires’ there should be one included in this issue for you to complete and return only if you cannot attend the AGM on 31st August to be held at Lyneham. The appeal for stories through threats was responded to by one member and good reading it makes. Funnily though he was not the individual being threatened with being ‘outed’ but it just goes to show that people continue to repeat the same situations hoping they’ll never surface again in the future. We’ve still not received any correspondence from our antipodean colleague and the Kiwis have now gone back to New Zealand without ever meeting the guys on BAMF. I believe they did a good job but obviously cannot comment first hand. The cupboard is not just full of commisioned skeletons and maybe’s, a few tales from the annals of Jim Buchanan, Hugh Curran etc need an airing… Now that Ian has set the tone I’ll continue…… as you will read, I got back in time to complete this edition of the magazine. There is a pretty big contribution from the membership in this one….a good sign perhaps. Its amazing the response when you make the odd mistake, or Ian recalls another incident that everyone had thought was forgotten!!! Hugh Curran will now get another mention as I bumped into him in Kabul. It takes a Scotsman and an Antonov 124 to break the beer blockade. ……….enjoy this edition…..and thanks to everyone who contributed……..Mick. 2 Where are they now, what are they doing? By Ian Berry Mark Bagnall (Baggy) is still serving and is presently a Sgt employed on the Air Movements Squadron at Brize Norton. Dave Roberts lives in Gloucester and flies as a Loadmaster on DC8 freighters for Intavia, at present he has not renewed his membership. Terry Hoy is now retired and lives in Sleaford in Lincs, sadly his wife Brenda died a few years ago whilst they were on holiday in Australia. Douggie Armstrong lives in Swindon and is a Manager for a local security firm, he too has not renewed his membership but we’re hoping Merv Corke will work on him! Bryan Morgan (ex-OC UKMAMS) is we believe now retired and lives in the Abingdon area. Sam Heaphy has now retired from the Royal Mail and lives in Wootton Bassett where he is actively involved as Secretary of the Wootton Bassett Rugby Club as well as Welfare Member for the Association. John Dunstall now lives and works in the Tetsworth area of Oxon and is yet another who has not renewed his membership. Gid Wych is still serving and is presently a Sgt serving overseas on the Air Movements Flight in Gibraltar. John McGrath lives in Thornton, Lancs and is employed in the Prison Service. Steve Duke is also still serving and is presently a FSgt on UKMAMS but lives and works at the Joint Air Mounting Centre at South Cerney. Andy Thomson is also still serving and is presently a Wing Commander last seen departing Lyneham for a 6 month tour in Seeb. He has not renewed his membership even though we allowed him use of the VIP lounge! Dave Barton is now retired and lives in Kings Lynn. He was up till recently still an active sailor and is still busy ‘penning’ his memoirs! Les Charlesworth lives in Worcester and worked for Securicor although he may now have retired. Arthur Rowland is now retired and lives in St Ives. Meirion Jones lives in Barry, South Glamorgan and works for Servisair at Cardiff Airport. John Osborne lives in Lincoln and owned his own surgical instrument company. Pete Cowan lives in Carterton and works as a civilian in the Supply Squadron at Brize Norton. Pete had a heart scare earlier in the year but is now as fit and well as ever. Mike Stepney retired as a Sqn Ldr and now lives and works in the Staffordshire area. Chas Cormack left the RAF some five years ago and spent a lot of time with 4624 Movs Sqn, RAuxAF. He was ‘called up’ during the Kosovo conflict and spent his time as a DAMO at Lyneham. He lives in Swindon and now works for Asda/Wallmart. Keith Simmonds lives in Calverton near Nottingham and works as a Transport Manager. Roger Wood was last heard of living in Godmanchester and worked as a Manager of a firm manufacturing plastic pipes. He has failed to renew his membership. Jeremy Porter is still serving and is presently a Sqn Ldr serving on the Headquarters Staff at Vincenza in Italy, prior to that he was the last SAMO at RAF Bruggen and oversaw the close-down. John Billingsley is still serving and is presently the Warrant Officer i/c Air Movements Flight in Ascension. He is there with his wife on his last tour of duty and will leave the RAF in March 03 on return to UK having forfeited his rights to resettlement so as to remain at Ascension. David Gamble (ex-OC UKMAMS) now lives in retirement in Plymstock near Plymouth. Peter Wood (ex-NEAF MAMS) lives in Sutton Courtenay near Abingdon and works in the local area, he too has failed to renew his membership. Geoff Simpson lives in Henfield, West Sussex and works for Intavia Cargo Airlines as their Senior Loadmaster. John Gardiner left the RAF some two years ago as a Sqn Ldr. He now works for a firm dealing with miners claims for compensation concerning lung diseases. Fred Kitts now lives in Sunderland, Tyne & Wear after working for man years in Saudi Arabia, he too has not renewed his membership. Liam Devlin lives in Swindon and works as a paper buyer for a local printing firm. Bob Parker is still serving and is presently a Sqn Ldr working we believe at RAF Brampton. Mike Young although no longer a member is still serving and was last known to be a Flt Lt based at HQ AFCENT in Belgium. Tug Wilson lives in West Swindon and works at Honda. Mick Steed lives in Newport on the Isle of Wight and works in the Prison service at HMP Parkhurst. Tony Freeman lives in Gloucester and works at RAF Innsworth as a Sqn Ldr full time with the RAuxAf. Rick Galvin (ex- MAMS Eng) lives and works in Grantham in Lincs but has not renewed his membership for two years. Andy Marshall is still serving and is presently a Flt Lt working at HQSTC at High Wycombe. Ray Ralph is still serving and is presently a WO who has recently left UKMAMS as TSO and moved on to Brize Norton where he has taken over the reins from Graham Fitzgerald as the new C17 Standards Officer.