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EXERCISE “FLYING SPANNER” Contributed by: Leonard SYMONDS (54A) An
account of an Adventure Training Exercise carried out by three members of 74
Aircraft Workshop REME at the completion of their tour in the UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES 74 Aircraft
Workshop REME, Sharjah Objective To
obtain the release of a ‘Cast’ Landrover, bring it up to standard and drive
it home via The
Exercise was promulgated in Workshop PT 1 Orders, briefly described and
called for volunteers, there was to be a 5 month lead time, departure March
1969. The
chosen three were: WO 2 (AQMS) L.A. (Len) Symonds Art Ac
EI&R Cpl S.G. (Steve) Langridge Ac Tech A&E Cpl M.J. (Mike) Estridge Driver OC
Workshop Major C.R. (Chris) Collier REME decreed that before serious
preparations began NOK would be required to agree the participation of their
loved ones. (Speedily obtained of course – tongue in cheek) Application
for exercise approval was made to Headquarters Land Forces Gulf (HQLFG) who
readily agreed, allotting us the code name ‘Flying Spanner’ and authorising
an allowance of £12 per head to offset expenses. The Vehicle The
search for a suitable vehicle began and it eventually came to our notice that
the Trucial Oman Scouts (TOS) had just cast a SWB Landrover which although
mine plated was still a ‘runner’. This was a valuable piece of information,
as all the vehicles we had been offered to date had been very sick indeed. Q (AE)
HQLFG speedily secured it for our use – 45ER72 was ours and we took
possession immediately to stop the flight of its already depleting inventory
from 1 Field Workshop BLR Park.
The Vehicle Preparation
of the vehicle for it’s 6,000 mile journey made a very pleasant change for
the Aircraft Tradesmen who delighted in taking large hammers to big rusty
nuts, not so delightful for our driver who spent his working life down in the
MT Section doing just that all day and had to be constantly reminded of the
forthcoming delights of Istanbul and Usküda to maintain his enthusiasm. A
large number of sunny afternoons were taken up in this way. During this time
Major Chris Collier who had been enormously supportive of the exercise left
for home and was relieved by Major Dennis Bingham who proved to be equally
supportive. Paperwork While
work proceeded on the vehicle HQLFG were obtaining political clearance from
the embassies on route, maps and a route guide were ordered from the AA, a
heater kit obtained from the Rover Company, antifreeze liberated, insurance
organised for the Landrover and for us, foreign currency obtained and
negotiations opened with the TOS for use of their Dhow to cross the Gulf to
Bandar Abbas in Iran. The bills were coming in thick and fast. The £12 per
head allowance was long gone.
Sharjah ( Major Overhaul 45ER72
was stripped right down to bare metal in the Aviation MT yard, thoroughly
checked, important parts ‘procured’ from other cast vehicles, re-painted with
primer/white undercoat and re-assembled. Eventually, after a great deal of
work the vehicle was pronounced roadworthy and registered with the local
police as ‘SHARJAH 5203’, the number it was to carry all the way to CVD
Ashchurch.
Len Symonds
With
the vehicle complete it was time to concentrate on loading lists and camping
equipment. We were able to purchase Propane Gas Bottles with cooking and
lighting attachments and these were to prove a tremendous boon especially in
the cold weather experienced covering the high passes in With a
month in hand we were ready. By this time the white undercoat had been
superseded by Army Aviation blue (coincidence), the Arabic registration
plates were fitted and we were insured with the Royal Insurance Group for
motoring within the Trucial States. It was time for a ‘work up’ exercise.
Published: 1st January 2007
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