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an eighteen-year-old I was sent out to Mauripur without a clue what my
duties were going to be but I soon found out what a cushy number it
would be working in Air Movements. On arrival I was to work with Geordie
Knight and he soon showed me how to compile weight and balance sheets
for Hastings and Valettas, which was going to be the main function of my
time at Mauripur as we had daily arrivals of these aircraft. As with all
the other sections working on the flight line we worked a 24hr-on,
24hr-off system, I used to love it when American
aircraft staged through. Each Sunday morning a US Navy Super-Connie
would arrive from Delhi and stay for an hour or so and whilst it was
being checked over the passengers would use our lounge: generals,
entertainers, doctors and a host of others on their way to Dharan. It
would stage back on Monday. The US Air attaché had a DC3 based at
Mauripur and the pilot, a major, would often come into the section prior
to a flight up to I’ve attached a photo sent to me by Tony Nicholas to which I’ve added the names of the Air Movements wallahs who were there in early 1955. .I’m the good looking youngster on the back row, stood next to Geordie
(Click picture to enlarge) Anecdotes
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