Dear all Some memoirs from my SAAF days. Pietersburg AFB circa December 1983 – July 1984. I was a July intake, and it was kak, even at Valhalla Gym as the pongoe’s labelled the place. I did my basics July 82, and the went to Bourke’s Luck in October 1982 as I was assigned/mustered as a “doggie’ . (see ‘who who walks around with dog on leash trying to stay awake’) Rather, see who has to pick up 35kg+ Rottweiler and run up and down the countryside while said hound chomps on your ear, or any other available body part in his/her bid at administering love bites. It was during such training that the pongoes decided to give us budgies an opfok, but not before they’d considered that the ambient temperature was a moderate 38c. For those that have ventured to Bourke’s Luck, the instructors had a wonderful game to play- ‘Monument Building’ This involved running down the ravine, fetching a rock and hauling it upstairs to build a monument. i.e- a huge pile of rocks. The instructors would of course have a case of beer or two on the bet as to who’s flight (platoon) built the biggest monument the fastest. That’s said, most of the okes had to drink from the Blyde River as the instructors didn’t consider dehydration (rehydration) – no water break offered, so fend for ourselves was the case. A day later and some 90-odd troepe ended in sick bay with the remaining 38 or so walking around doing fokoli. The commandant of the camp soon got wise as to why 80% of his budgie intake got booked into sick bay and duly called a bosberaad. He ‘treed aan” his instructors and duly gave them a similar opfok while us roofies sat back with smokes and water bottles and watched the fun as he jaaged them up and down the countryside. Never again did the pongoes give the budgies kak! Much later, I ended up at Pietersburg AFB, affectionately known as 85AFS/GVS- delete according to taste. I rose through the lower ranks and eventually became an office jockey – drawing up guards lists was a pain in the arse, as was answering why said doggies under my watch had managed to infiltrate the hangars (Mirage and Impalas) and relieve them of much sort after cokes, crisps, chokkies etc. Nevertheless, as part of my duties, I had to issue/verify/print access passes to the various domestics working on the base and, one such occasion, a certain major Barron arrived in my miniscule office. This was not before I had scorched Nimrod Bekker’s fingers with cordite stole from an R1 round or two and placed surreptitiously in his ashtray. I got 7 extra duties for that prank/misdemeanour. To cut a very long story short, part of my duty/duties also included escorting the school kids on the SAAF school bus, to the dorp and back, etc. And there was a naughty little shit on the bus, son of Major Barron, and, if memory serves correct, Richard. Cute little bugger, especially when he pranced up and down the isle kissing the younger ladies’ cheeks, or for that matter, any young bokkie that he could lay his peckers on. The young damsels would blush for hours afterwards! The above was duly related to “Ol man Barron” who needless to stay, was extremely proud of his offspring’s conquest. He’d warmed to me from the above, and instead of a non descript number in the SAAF and one who had his name inked on the ‘guest list’ to fly in a something exciting, I suddenly found myself in a flying overall with Mike Weingartz (ZU-IMP) behind the ‘stick’ Mike was an absolute gent and took me through the manoeuvres before executing them. Climbing to FL230 and a wing-over back down again in a MK1 remains one the biggest, highest of highs in my life. No, I didn’t puke even after a non-pressurised overall with +4g tugging away. But the pongoes at Ellisras must have known that the oke in the back seat was having the time of his life! (I’ve had a spin in a modified F1 Arrows car at just under 300km/h.) The Impala rose above that, easily I might add.. And so, to lost souls who have made somebody’s life very special for just 90 minutes, thanks Major Barron! That word you put in for me and getting me to leapfrog the PFs remains very special (to a nondescript one liner) and some PF’s are still muttering as to why a NDP (National Service Man) got preference over them..
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 20:04:26 +0000
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