1151 Marine Craft Unit - thanks
Many aircrew who flew from Malta will have fond memories of 1151MCU. Taking off from Malta daily on No. 39 and No. 13 Squadrons in 1965-1968 and 1976-78 we would fly over many miles of Mediterranean sea to Libya (El Adem/Benghazi/Castel Benito-Tripoli) , Cyprus (Akrotiri), Turkey (Cigli-Izmir, Eskisehir), low level in Calabria or Sicily, to Gibraltar or home to UK, and we always know that if we came down in the drink, 1151 would be there to pull us out.
Each member of our two-crew Canberra PR9s and PR7s had a single-seater yellow dinghy with pull-over hood, SARBE radio beacon, light, baler, mirror, whistle, water and food tablets, and we used to practice rescues out in the Med near Gozo or Dingli cliffs, with us being pushed off the back of a Marine Craft at about 25 knots, pulling the cord to inflate the dingy, scrambling in, baling out, getting the hood up and radio beacon deployed, and then sitting tossing up and down rather miserably waiting to be 'rescued', usually by the Marine Craft Unit, or occasionally by a visting helicopter/winchman (watch the static on that strop!). We were very grateful to be back on the boat, and occasionally we were able to turn this training to good effect afterwards, with a happy picnic on board at Blue Lagoon, etc....
The Marine Craft also used to act as 'targets' for us on night flying sorties using photoflashes - the boat would deploy at night to the south east of Malta, and we would fly overhead the Gozo lighthouse on a fixed course and height, and illuminate our (up to 252) mini-photoflashes, and photograph the boat from about 600 ft over the sea in the dark, thereby exercising a limited capability that might have been used by NATO.
Finally there would be occasions when ships were in trouble, or folk in the water, that we would be sent out as recce aircraft to find the boat in distress, and then home the 1151 MCU lads towards the location, sometimes in not very pleasant weather.
The chaps on the boats were warm, humourous, cheeful and essential. Thank you 1151 MCU.
I knew some of the MCU blokes and posted a memory (MCU a Nimrod a TV Crew & Seasickness!) on the Memories page.
I sailed (Dinghies) with Tank Ashford, teaching him to sail, and I know he came from Cinderford which is not far from me in Gloucester but can't find him now.
Reno Grech was one of the Maltese blokes that worked at the MCU and it was he that 'Pop' (Barman in the sailing club) pointed me to when I wanted a flat to live off camp. The photos of the flat Bruce Robinson and I shared is one of Reno's.
Happy days indeed, and must have been very reassuring for you flying types.
I worked in the commcen [Luqa 1975 to 1978] and use to know a LAC who worked on the radio side on 1151 [I was also a telegraphist]. We also I belive had both voice and CW to them using some of our flight watch freq. Went back 3 years ago and they are still building Malta, Found the flats in Hamrun that I use to live in and walked to the old NAAFI and BFPO station site before going into Valleta.
A marble plaque was recently unveiled in the Upper Barrakka Gardens in Valletta, dedicated to those who served in the Royal Air Force Air Sea Rescue and Marine Craft Section units from bases in Malta over a period of almost 60 years.
Thanks very much Emanuel, I have placed this on the home page of the website and also passed the Times of Malta link onto the RAF Association and the RAF Air Sea Rescue website.
May I also say thank you to all whose dedication achieved such a dignified and fitting tribute.
Hello all old Malteesers, I am Brian [ Paddy ] Mc Cauley Deckhand 1954 to 1956, ended up F/Sgt Master Coxswai, now just 77years young. Just moved to a new house in the Vienne France, so when sorted out will send in some stories and pics, thanks for the kind words about us webfoots from your members. How can I add photos , help the aged.
