Following the success of my Hells Angels story (only one insult from ass-man) I have decided to follow up with another installment from my mis-spent youth.
It was 1976, 'the troubles' were in full swing and I was a young corporal in the British Army. Based in the Outer Hebrides, in Benbecula, my CO told me I was going to a place called St Kilda for a six months tour.
The day I was due to sail, a storm blew in, so the landing craft was aborted and they got a chopper in from Scotland. They had to get fresh food to the island so they planned ten trips, with me and ten sacks of fresh veggies on the first trip.
So I gets on the chopper , the wind was howling and buffeting and we set off out over the stormy Atlantic. I will never forget seeing that little island coming up over the horizon, surrounded by mountainous waves.
Anyways we arrived over the big 'H', and I could see a dozen soaked faces looking up, one of them was desperate to be on that chopper going home. Then the pilot comes on 'We cant land, too risky, I'll go low, co-pilot, throw the cargo down, Corp, you help him'
We threw the ten sacks down to the waiting soldiers, who chucked them into the back of a rover, I sat back and buckled up, the chopper is rolling all over the place. I put the headset back on and the pilot came on, 'get ready corp, you're staying. Dont jump till the co-pilot gives you a shove'
I threw my kit bag down onto the H and waited, then I felt a mighty shove and I was flying down towards the ground. It was only ten feet or so but it felt like a mile.
It was too dangerous for the chopper, so it never did make those other nine trips, We didnt see it again for over a week.
hey ho
It was 1976, 'the troubles' were in full swing and I was a young corporal in the British Army. Based in the Outer Hebrides, in Benbecula, my CO told me I was going to a place called St Kilda for a six months tour.
The day I was due to sail, a storm blew in, so the landing craft was aborted and they got a chopper in from Scotland. They had to get fresh food to the island so they planned ten trips, with me and ten sacks of fresh veggies on the first trip.
So I gets on the chopper , the wind was howling and buffeting and we set off out over the stormy Atlantic. I will never forget seeing that little island coming up over the horizon, surrounded by mountainous waves.
Anyways we arrived over the big 'H', and I could see a dozen soaked faces looking up, one of them was desperate to be on that chopper going home. Then the pilot comes on 'We cant land, too risky, I'll go low, co-pilot, throw the cargo down, Corp, you help him'
We threw the ten sacks down to the waiting soldiers, who chucked them into the back of a rover, I sat back and buckled up, the chopper is rolling all over the place. I put the headset back on and the pilot came on, 'get ready corp, you're staying. Dont jump till the co-pilot gives you a shove'
I threw my kit bag down onto the H and waited, then I felt a mighty shove and I was flying down towards the ground. It was only ten feet or so but it felt like a mile.
It was too dangerous for the chopper, so it never did make those other nine trips, We didnt see it again for over a week.
hey ho
Aldershot.
Comment