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RAF |
Priorities
by Fred Bellingall (SSQ 1955-56) |
| 1300 hours Saturday saw the start of my 24 hour shift on duty at Station Sick Quarters. 45 minutes later the bus with the Station Rugby team left camp for a match against the Gymkhana Club. No sooner was the bus out of sight than the CO's car drew up outside SSQ and out stepped Squadron Officer Jones, the senior Nursing Sister who informed me that the CO wanted me on the Rugby field. She had been ordered! to relieve me. I was to collect my kit and his driver would get down to join the rest of the team.
The Wing Commander as you can guess was a Rugby enthusiast ( he wasn't a bad squash player either, having received a thrashing from him in the Station Knock Out competition) In September 1956 Transport Command were withdrawing all aircraft to Lynham as a prelude to what became the Suez Invasion. I was one of those due for demob early in the October and there was no place for me on a UK bound transport. Instructed by SHQ I went into Karachi to try and find a seat on BOAC. All to no avail, being September all the expat kids were going back to School. I was more fortunate with Air France and found a seat for the end of September. A couple of days later I was asked by the CO why I was not available for the Karachi team in the forthcoming All India Rugby Tournament in Calcutta. I explained that I was due for demob 4 days after the end of the Tournament. He said that he would guarantee that I would be demobed on time and I reluctantly agreed to go. (Never regretted it, had a marvelous time). True to his word on the Sunday morning, the Tournament having ended on the Saturday, I boarded an AIR France Super Constallation at Calcutta. As it transpired this was the same aircraft that I was booked on to from Karachi. On the following Thursday I was demobed
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