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John Walker

Napier Barracks was located on Flughafen Airport, which had been used by the Luftwaffe during World War Two and still had the (only) runway intact. Periodically one of the Firing Batteries would transport a missile to one end of the runway and erect it so that the whole system could be checked out in a simulated firing. Usually things went reasonably well but since the army is supposed to be ready at any time there were sometimes night-time practices which didn't go quite so well.
During one such exercise the weather was nasty; rain and sleet all night, and the set-up at the top of the cherry picker must have been particularly uncomfortable. The following morning those of us not involved learned to our amusement and horror that the missile had somehow fallen off its launcher, and next to my truck, sure enough, was a temporary rig on which a missile was languishing with a rather serious bend in the middle. I had to assist Mick Powell with writing a damage report for estimated repairs.
After making recent contact with Chris I asked him if he could remember the incident.


Chris Fagan

Hi John
I should have thought that the bent missile would be something that the REME would like to forget. What happened was that when the checks were done with the missile erected the breakaway cable was hoisted to the top of the missile on the cherry picker, and to relieve the weight on the head it was tied to the cage. UNFORTUNATELY WHOEVER IT WAS needed to descend for something and forgot to untie the cable. ERGO:- all fall down.
I had a full set of photos which they got me to take for the enquiry but I left them behind when I got demobbed in 64,along with hundreds of other photos. Someone had them when the regiment went to Barnard Castle but I do not know who.
Regards Chris


John Bosher

Hi Johnny
I also remember the incident with the bent missile as I had to help recover it. I also have photos of it; must look them out and send them. The person responsible was Sgt. 'Fiddler' Fairbrother and it was known as Fiddlers Folly.
All the best,
John


Major Needham is near the missile.
The others are ASM Norman Moss
and AQMS Shaw. 		Oops! Photo: John Bosher



Oops! Photo: John Bosher



Major Needham and Wally (Sgt Recovery Mech) are at the launcher with uncle Norman, Q Shaw and a VM (I think it's 'Legs' Fullbrook-Leggat) by my Forward repair vehicle.


Wally again.
(I expect Reg Elsey will remember his name).
Hope this arrives ok
John (Bosh)


Wally's last name was Bohanna.
- Reg Elsey, 2005-11-16 		Oops! Photo: John Bosher







Mike Powell
Dec, 2005

I recall the bent missile incident although for some reason I have always associated it with the mini exercises that took place in the training area in the woods opposite the Crossroads cafe at Crookham. From the photos it was obviously on the airfield at Napier Barracks so I will have to reindex my memories! I believe the incident brought to an end an exercise which was designed to find out just how many missiles could be prepared and fired before those involved dropped from exhaustion.
Training missiles were used initially for water-shoots followed by operational ones taken from stock but not "fuelled" with water. Eventually everyone became too tired to operate safely and the loss of an operational missile resulted. Luckily no-one was hurt and I'm sure the report that we concocted got it written off.




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