Colin made contact with me August 16th 2010 having arrived at my website while googling for names and places to put against his extensive collection of pictures covering his time in the RAF and 107 MU in particular. I always knew him as the guy with the pricey Cannon equipment. As I was busy saving up to return home for a month Christmas 1954, I had to restrict myself to an Iloca Quick 35mm camera which I had saved up for and ordered from Wallace Heaton Ltd of New Bond Street, London. Cost me around £11 plus a small sum for sea freight. When I got married in January 1957 I sold all my photo stuff including camera to a local man for £7. He was Charles Boddington from Irchester, an accomplished pilot who flew old kites and did aerial stunts for films, including "Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines". He unfortunately crashed in Ireland and lost his life.
Colin was conscripted in June 1953, kitted out at Padgate, square-bashed at Wilmslow then waited two weeks up at Lytham-St-Annes waiting to be sent overseas. I was there too and like Colin I thought that we stayed at Warton which is now a BAE estblishment and airfield, but there was also a small camp called Weeton four miles closer to Blackpool so I am not too sure now.
He flew out by Dakota from Southend of all places, pit stopped in the south of France and overnighted near Luqa in Malta. There was another pit stop at El-Adem before de-planing at Fayid in the Suez Canal Zone. From there, and like the rest of us, he crossed over the Treaty Road into Kasfareet.
He spent his time there in MT parts section in No 2 PSCO Wing hanger from Sept 53 to Jan 56 again same as me. He had the standard accomodation, a tent pitched on the sand, but later progressed to one with brick sides and a concrete base, and lucky for some, a parafin stove !! Next stop, he moved into Billet 8.
Colin got into photography while in the Zone and even provided pictures for guys to take back home with them. He now holds a large portfolio of well catalogued RAF related pictures and has kindly invited me to use some to add to this website, hence this page in his name. Thank you Colin.
Colin was conscripted in June 1953, kitted out at Padgate, square-bashed at Wilmslow then waited two weeks up at Lytham-St-Annes waiting to be sent overseas. I was there too and like Colin I thought that we stayed at Warton which is now a BAE estblishment and airfield, but there was also a small camp called Weeton four miles closer to Blackpool so I am not too sure now.
He flew out by Dakota from Southend of all places, pit stopped in the south of France and overnighted near Luqa in Malta. There was another pit stop at El-Adem before de-planing at Fayid in the Suez Canal Zone. From there, and like the rest of us, he crossed over the Treaty Road into Kasfareet.
He spent his time there in MT parts section in No 2 PSCO Wing hanger from Sept 53 to Jan 56 again same as me. He had the standard accomodation, a tent pitched on the sand, but later progressed to one with brick sides and a concrete base, and lucky for some, a parafin stove !! Next stop, he moved into Billet 8.
Colin got into photography while in the Zone and even provided pictures for guys to take back home with them. He now holds a large portfolio of well catalogued RAF related pictures and has kindly invited me to use some to add to this website, hence this page in his name. Thank you Colin.
Colin`s wife Marion recently unearthed this picture of Colin`s No 2 squarebashing squad No 4 S of RT RAF Wilmslow June 7th 1953 with full complement of autographs other than the Cpl Wooley
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