El Adem
Reminisce
Clive Lancaster's Gallery
El Adem - Tobruk 1957-59
Are you in any of these photographs, or is your name mentioned on this page?
If so, Clive Lancaster (Cliff) is waiting to hear from you.
Use the email button or [email protected] and I will put you in touch.
HI Don,
recently discovered your site on El Adem, well well, talk about memories
I was posted there in 1957 Cpl Fireman from Little Rissington, lived on the base
for a number of months till i found a hiring, in fact i am looking at the Contract
Of Tenancy between myself and the landlord Mr Abdussalam Hawil, dated 20/10/58
for a two bedroom flat in a block of four in Sheikh El Mabry street Tobruk.
At this moment in time my 82nd birthday will catch up with me in April and as its taken all this time to find out about your site plus a few more, but the majority of which are centred around the 1960s and many of the pics I have are as Tobruk was after the war, streets still with rubble everywhere.
Maybe someone may find my info interesting, i have discovered a guy that was actually
on my crash crew but how to get in touch ???
However Don, best wishes & regards.
Clive Lancaster (you can guess my nickname)
Hello Clive
Thank you for getting in contact and I am pleased that memories have been stirred, though a couple or so years before mine.
I can of course put your info on my pages, with your permission, and see whether anybody gets in touch. We have several fire crew people that attended airfield crashes, and they did move about.
Be sure to let me know the name of the person you wish to contact.
I await hearing from you and you are welcome to send any pics, though I cannot promise space for all.
Best regards
Don
Hi Don, thanks for reply,
The guys sat on the ACRT are not my crew, the guy in the centre front is Paddy Corrigan Cpl,
from here its all more or less nicknames, a few of their names are in the old grey matter,
but if published on line I guess someone maybe will recognise a face.
There is a guy called "snabu" nickname of course!! his real name is Fred Bickham and he was one of my lads he would remember them.
Do you know, I forget they must all be getting on in years, but a few years younger than me.
Best wishes Don.
Cliff.
Not my crew, recognise yourself?
My crew, L to R: Tony Bartlet; Len Bushal;
Jock Cockburn; Stan Redman; Ted Hall; Lofty Baylis; front Cpl. Corrigan
My crew, L to R: Me; Fred Bickham;
Charlie Wratton; Lofty Baylis; Stan Redman;
Standing: Unsure; Tony Bartlet.
Crew for the day, Top L to R: Cpl. Gallagher; Fred Bickham;
Below: Yorkie Snr; Shadow Girt; Pixie Pearson; Roy Clements; Charlie Wratton.
Radio Ga-Ga! Test!: Geordie Lawson; Cpl. Harvey. How he hoped to hear anything like that, goodness knows.
Stan Redman & Fred Bickham on the trailer with the 'kero' drum on flarepath detail, refilling 'Goose-necks'.
Roy Bussey on Fire Picket duty? (and proud of it!). How he will manage to carry that lot, remains to be seen, altho, he did manage to get a bargain at 'Rent-A-Donk' for the day.
Look no wheels!
Canberra with hydraulic problem...
...and consequences.
The 'only' injuries were to the ACRT crew and armourers in their vehicle
...and another
Were they flying one of the above?...
... more consequences?
The Eagle 'Airways' has landed! Evidence accumulates that wheels are not needed on sand
Main gate, Guard Room and swimming pool on right
PSI, barber and shop on left
Comet 'Casavac' en route Brize Norton
Beverly...
...and around the back, Fred Bickman, 5:30am Sunday 23rd July 1958
York
If I remember correctly we were on our way to Derna and this was a stop off either before or after Barchi via the Wadi-El-Kuff Bridge.
I remember a very, very dodgy bridge which had been hastily, and obviously put together by goat herders?
I put the lives of my wife and daughter plus my own in danger by risking that makeshift contraption.
It was more or less a metal frame with planking, literally hung by steel wires from the side of this ravine filling the gap between the road which had obviously collapsed into the depths, and we were in my "first" (and only ever) new car. a Morris-Minor, (delux) !! Cost me a whopping 695 pounds!!! honest.
King Idris' Palace, Tobruk
The world is a stage
A scene from Caesar
Xmas at El Adem!! Fire Section Bar (won 2nd prize)I think?
The lads, names to follow
Station Commander Grp Cpt Law, SWO Tate. I/C Fire,Flt Sgt Dowling.
A change from KD, its Frills this time, The Alex Finley C.S.E. show 1956. Three young ladies,who unfortunately will have to remain nameless !! Group shot, again names are scarce, last but one on the right is Jock Ferguson Fireman (of course) last also Fireman but name ?? Jock with Alex Finley (jock the one in trousers) The two leading ladies. sorry about the lack of names, maybe someone out there will remember them, no doubt they gave out lots of autographes ?? maybe a few kisses here and there, who knows??
