Grostenquin France

430 (F) Squadron
Believe It or Not

Here's your chance to "tell it like it was". There's a better than 50-50 chance that your story will probably fall into the category of "Believe It or Not". None the less - do you have a story to add to this section?

Green Rope - Story Related by Roy "Normie" Norman: (1952-1955)

Working in the hangar tent, with the front and back open, one day about 10:00 am, the roof started flapping up and down in a strong wind. Cpl. (Paddy) Waters (originally from Ireland, only a few years hence) sent two fitters up on the front with a bundle of rope and told them to tie it down. They only got half finished when they ran out of rope. He told them to stay there while he went to the Supply Tent to get more. It was about an hour later before he got back with the green colored rope. One of the men said "What took you so bloody long, did you have to go to Ireland to get it?" His answer "Sure now, and it's green ain't it?".

Green Rope - Additional Comments by Bob Cooper: (1952-1957)

Our old buddy Paddy Waters was posted to Greenwood and remustered to Flight Engineer on the Argus. He made quite a name for himself when the nose wheel stuck in the up position. He chopped through the floor and was lowered through to break the lock and lower the wheel ensuring a safe landing. I sometimes wonder if our bold Paddy broke a few locks on the Irish jails before we met him. But like the rest of us, marriage did settle him - somewhat.

What's That Awful Smell? - Story Related by Bob Cooper: (1952-1957)

Rosie, our rather wild looking canteen manager, took off to England on leave and surprised us by bringing back a rather beautiful bride. They moved on to the trailer site and Mrs. Rosie went to work on the base. It was winter, the weather was freezing cold so one afternoon Rosie went up to their trailer to empty the biffy bucket. It was ice bound, frozen solid, so Rosie lit the stove put the bucket on to thaw and went back to work. Came quitting time, Rosie picked up his bride at work and headed home. As soon as the door was opened they were hit by an odor that neither one of them ever wanted to smell again, "Eau de Boiling Biffy Bucket", What's that awful smell, dear? asked the bride. I would not be surprised if he is still trying to explain that one.

First Visit to Paris - Story Related by Norm Avery: (1952-1953) - Version I

One young GT airman, from 430 Squadron, made his first visit to Paris about 1953. Of course, he blended the Canadian custom of drinking VO with the local culture which included a lot of wine and food. There was so much wine that he felt obliged to return to his half star hotel and retire. Before he could hit the sack, however, he felt ill and so took advantage of the bedside bidet, or douche bowl as we called them then. He upchucked into the bowl but had the good sense to turn the water on. He had the bad sense, however, to flame out on the floor beside the flowing bowl. Some undetermined time later, he awoke suddenly sitting in the middle of the street, having been ejected from the hotel without his permission. Through a lot of yelling and threats he discovered that the blocked bidet had overflowed, run through the floor and collected in the plaster above the lobby. You guessed it -- a ton of water finally brought the entire ceiling of the lobby down in one gigantic splash-crash. (I think he suddenly became an American.).

First Visit to Paris - Story related by Don Hines: (1952-1954) - Version II

In reference to Norm Avery's story, this is the way I heard it. One young airman made his first visit to Paris on New Year's Eve l953 with 5 other airmen. On the train to Paris we met some US soldiers with their 20% proof whiskey. We had 80% proof VO so we exchanged proofs. By the time we got to Paris most of the soldiers had their heads in the toilet. Some sick. When we arrived in Paris, we headed for PIGALLE where they had a Carnival on Rue Pigalle. We won a few bottles of wine on the games of chance, but smashed them all on the Bumper Car ride. After we were kicked of the rides we headed for the Cafes. M. Bowers was leading the Parisians in an Irish song when his hand accidentally hit an expensive floor vase which broke into a hundred pieces. After being ejected from the Cafe I went back to the half star Hotel. I decided to have a whiz, but there were two toilets there. Which one to use. I decided on the one with no seat. After flushing I decided to go out on the town again. When I came back the irate French lady was waving a bill in front of me and hollering "You owe me 5000 francs for water damage to 5 floors, ceiling and walls, or something to that effect in French. On that day I wish I was an American.

Gauthier In The Belly of the Sabre and the Aftermath - Story Related by Bob Cooper: (1952-1957)

Gauthier always carried a bundle of comic books in his parka pocket and would sit reading them in any odd corner. One day he was pulling the chocks from his aircraft, he got the first away and then thoughtlessly walked in front of the aircraft to get the other one and was sucked right into the intake.

Now Gauthier was a pretty tough little Frenchman and the aircraft found him hard to digest, or the comic books were sucked out of his pocket to cover the intake screen, or maybe it was a combination of both. The aircraft burped fire back through the intake over Gauthier burning him badly over one shoulder and down the chest and back.

I happened to be admitted to the Station Hospital and was in the same ward while he was there. One quiet, peaceful morning when all appeared to be right with the world I was lying in the bed just through the door, on my left was someone coming out of an anaesthetic and mumbling away to himself, Gauthier, the only other occupant of the ward, was curled up facing the wall in the far corner, and appeared to be dozing. I was about to close my eyes when through the door came the Bishop of Metz, in all his glory, purple robes, big hat, the works, followed by the Senior Roman Catholic Padre of the RCAF and the RC Station Padre and I suppose there were more.

The Bishop was a huge man and he bore down on me with his hand out stretched. Now being Irish of the other kind, and not taken to kissing rings, I took him by the hand, shook it and said "good day, Sir". I thought the fire in his eyes was going to burn holes through me and the mattress and I just might have heard a voice whisper "bloody pagan" as he headed for the next bed.

Just about then the patient in the next bed became very vocal and in a very loud voice proclaimed "I am the Lord High Executioner and I am going to cut the f---ing head off the lot of you!" The Bishop and his retinue, were shocked, came to a sudden stop and then headed towards Gauthier.

Those members of the Priesthood were completely uninspired that morning because if they had the faintest idea of what was about to happen they wouldn't have got out of bed that day!

I cannot recall which one laid his hand on Gauthier's shoulder and shook him but Gauthier came up off that bed like a rocket and nose to nose with the Bishop of Metz and with fire in his eyes he said, "You guys get the F--- out of here. I have been to the gates of hell and I don't need you. Now get the hell out of here and never come near me again!"

The amazing thing, they were all French but Gauthier carried on the conversation in English.

The Bishop and his party got out of that ward and Gauthier rolled over and went back to sleep. The following morning the MO asked Gauthier if he would like to go for a walk. He got dressed and headed out the gate when a car stopped and he was asked if he wanted a ride. He got in and a little further down the car rolled in the ditch and Gauthier was brought back to the hospital with a broken neck. He recovered from that and was returned to Canada. We later heard a rumour that he was run down by a taxi and killed in Montreal but it was never confirmed.

Gauthier In The Belly of the Sabre - Story Related by Bob Jones:

I know of only one occasion when an airman was "sucked in" by a Sabre and lived (Jeff St. Germain of 430 Squadron. At FTTU everyone was warned to stay at least 25 feet from the front of a Sabre with its engines running. During operations this distance was largely ignored and it became normal for ground crew to duck under the nose of active Sabres in roder to get aircraft scrambled. Jeff forgot that sometimes aircraft engibes are running although the aircraft might not be ready to fly.

An engine test was being done at the squadron dispersal area with an LAC fitter at the throttle. The first indication he had that something was wrong was a terrific bang, followed by a belch of black smoke from the tail pipe. The fitter immediately shut down the engine and dismounted. He quickly determined that someone was up the intake and a brave soul crawled in and pulled St. Germain out. His winter parka had wrapped over his head and prevented his lungs from collapsing but he had severe injuries to his head and back; after a period in hospital he was posted back to Canada. The engine was a write-off.

Extract from 1 Air Division HQ Historical Report

13 Jan 62

4 Wing Operations advised Salesman that a Corporal Mitchell was sucked into the intake of an F-86 while the aircraft was undergoing a ground run up. Corporal Mitchell suffered severe injuries and was air evacuated to Landstuhl Hospital. Corporal Mitchell died in the hospital on 23 Jan 62.

Let There Be Light! - Story Related by Bob Cooper: (1952-1957)

Around Easter 1953 my family moved onto the trailer site at Grostenquin, France. It was primitive living. The trailers were English travel trailers designed for England's narrow roads of that era, a long way from being mobile homes. They had oil heat, toilet buckets, gas light, in fact, all the inconveniences of Cousin Jedd Clampet, except the bubbling crude, of course. We had folded out the rear end of the trailer for the children's bedroom and the sealing around the fold was so poor that the first time it snowed we awoke to find our kids covered in snow.

When G/C Weiser took Command of the Station he was heard to ask during his inspection of the trailer site "Don't they have any power?" and when the answer was negative, he remarked. "If it was me, I would beg, borrow, or steal the material to hook up the power!"

Up to that time there was an electrical cable which ran the full length of the runway and did not appear to be connected to anything at either end, or in between. Maybe it was originally intended to anchor the runway to keep it from sinking. As soon as it got dark an assorted gaggle of airmen left the trailer site and liberated the 430 Squadron bus. They then headed across the airfield to a hollow beside the runway where the cable crossed. They jumped into the hollow and pulling the cable, gathered it into a bundle which was loaded into the bus. The following night a large section of the trailer site was a blaze of light. Soon after this we moved to Germany while our runway was being repaired and when we returned the new site was ready for us.

Many years later I met a retired Warrant Officer friend in Victoria who had been a member of our original "raiding party". He told of standing in the Control Tower while the Station Commander was telling a visiting American General about all the runway lighting he had. He had the normal lighting, he had emergency lighting and there was secondary lighting laid on the surface. My friend said he was praying that the American wouldn't ask for a demonstration, the ghostly trailers on the now deserted buttons might have lit up but not the runway.

Please Don't Make Me Jump! - Story Related by Don Hines: (1952-1954)

While we were deployed to 3 Wing Zweibrucken during the summer of 1953, 430 Squadron went on an exercise to Aalborg, Denmark for 3 weeks. The ground crew were to fly there on USAF C-119 (Flying Boxcar). As we were boarding the C-119 we were all handed parachutes. I started to get a little nervous. We were shown how to wear the chute and activate the rip chord. Around that time I heard that the C-119's were crashing all over the world and the USAF decided to take precautionary measures. The final straw came when the Pilot of the C-119 said "It only takes me 10 seconds to get from the Cockpit to that open door and I don't want anybody in my way". Fear started to set in and I sat frozen for 3 hours until we landed safely in Aalborg. Then I thought, Oh God, I've got to make a return trip. Can anyone else elaborate on this trip?

Do You Remember? - Questions asked by Don Hines: (1952-1954)

1. The mud and pot holes - issue of rubber boots to all personnel? 2. No heat in barracks? 3. Herman Nelson heaters? 4. Wind storm took roof of the Mess? 5. Ma Hemmerings Pub (official 430 hangout)? 6. Pipes in sky going nowhere? 7. Red MacGillvary riding motorcycle in Chapel? 8. Pilots taken oxygen before Flights? 9. Brooke Claxton, MND, opening 2 Wing during windstorm? 10. Bagpipes froze during marchpast for MND? 11. Arabs digging ditches around runway? 12. Bus trips to Switzerland & Holland? 13. Swimming pool in Metz and chaud rum toddies afterwards? 14. McEwans ale from Scotland, replaced immediately by Carling Red Cap from Canada? 15. Sunday walks to GT? (some drank to much wine) l6. Irish Bowers on top of barracks saluting the 43 empty VO bottles? l7. The Maginot Line bunkers and the piles of manure in front of houses? l8. Poppies growing wild? 19. Henry "The Hawk" mascot of 430 Sqn? 20. After Henry we got a Goat for a mascot that drank beer & liquor and ate mostly anything? 21. The Goat had a nice funeral after resting in Yak's room for a few days. It was buried outside the barracks, in a tear jerking ceremony? 22. The exercise to Furstenfeldbruck, beer tents in Munich, and a visit to Dachau? 23. The trailers on base, where married personnel lived? 24. The airman who stole a French Flag in Faulquemont and wound up at Crowbar Hotel? Cast on arm gave him away. 25. Our master songwriter Sgt Lewis who gave us "The Lobster Song", North Atlantic Sqn, A little bit of heaven fell on GT, ETC? 26. Bristol a/c with plane parts from Langar?

Do You Remember? Chapter II - Questions asked by Grant Armstrong: (1952-1953)

1. Mud, potholes and wellies - supply ran out so only and we had to LPO at Henri 's cafe. 2. No heat in barrack blocks - nor water either - portable donkey engine boilers that didn't work, panning ditch-water to shave in. 3. Herman Nelson - Ray Johnson and Al Albright carrying buckets of fuel, slopping gas onto tiles and them lifting, sticky red gum residue. 4. windstorm - hey, I was Firebirding at Luff then - add the RC chapel and a hangar roof too. 5. Ma's - Chopped bread, Vache Qui Rit, and Tigre Bock. 6. Skypipes? no rec here. 7. Red Mac was just checking that the roof was still attached. 8. Pilots preflight O2 - also Bob C and Jack P patting their backs behind hangar when O2 not effective. 9. Again, Firebirding at Luff. 10. Bagpipes freezing? Sgt MacQueen making excuses; wrong kind of antifreeze. 11. Arabs and ditches - digging tiger-traps for tigers - remember their pay parade? Quite the war dance they put on down the main drag. Maybe they dug Lac Louis too, the place where P/O May disappeared between Officer's Mess and barrack block. 12. Bus trips - start with VanMear ramming his bus at a group of Arabs. Then trips to Nancy and some walking back. Then the bummenzug (train) to Saarbruecken. Trips to civilized countries came in the spring, after Fursty. 13. Swim pool? Maybe Norm Avery; us pazzints didn't see that. All we saw at Metz was the Black Hole at the Kasern. 14. Last MacEwan I saw was at Prestwick billet after Keff. I remember Neufang*Pils before the Star-loads of Carling, it tasted like thinners. 15. Sunday walks to GT - some of us never even SAW GT, it was off the track. 16. Irish Bowers on the roof - those of us who put him up to it should have been whipped. That was close to XMas '52 - the power went off, the stoves went out, and soon all the authorities scooted off to Metz. Who's in charge here? Who's ON charge? 17. Maginot bunkers? that sounds like teepee-creeping in Morhange! 18. Ah, the poppies, growing in four thousand years of accumulated manure! 19. Henry The Hawk. Roy Smith's explanation of Henry's demise didn't wash. 20/21. The goat had a terminal addiction to Gauloises. 22, Fursty, the plache with the 16-liter biermaedchens. Without a tray, that is. Was it Christie's sabre that caught one in the windscreen? 23. Trailers on the marguerites. Honey buckets. The night procurement of electricity, and accomplicing the Groupie the next day. 24, Le drapeau du Maire; actually it was the version of the Marseillaise he was singing at the time that got the natives so uptight. 25. Master songwriter Jack Lewis - (where did he disappear to?) Don't omit Ginger Barron who sang those songs. And Red Mac who was a master troubadore too. 26. Bristol Freighter! In Oct '52, we Two-Six'd one out of the mud back onto the apron by handpower. Coming back from Firebird in one, we crossed The Wash three times and got blown back twice, took six hours to get to GT. But they could devour a whole bent Sabre and take it to Speke for mending. Too frequently, too. AND MORE - The coal pile by the airmen's mess, which diminished when the trailers arrived. The chief cook wasn't very sporting about it. The morning (Roy?) found a bullet hole in 259's rear fuselage. Not our calibre. The Arab who wandered about three days with Tommy's bullet in his rump (those 303 shells had one strand of cordite in them or it would have been a bother). How Red Mac arranged his posting to Zwei with a muddy tractor, and the horrible things he did to those T-Birds with his paint sprayer once there. The time 430 Supply scrounged six new radar inverters meant for Zwei, thus giving the Yo-Yos a leg-up on the other squadrons that they kept for a long time. What the armourers did to Bedcheck Charlie the Meteor in Exercise Coronet. And the way people kept giving Pappy Gibbs Sabres to fly when he was "blind" and supposed to be permanently grounded. The Saturday noon 25-plane fly-overs that 430 used to do, and the ridiculous things the other COs and EOs used to say about it. You see, 430 was a gang of loose cannons who wouldn't "play the game" , that's why the HQ finally gave the squadron to the Army after Hellyerfication.