After a short stay at Wattisham I was sent to RAF Manston Kent for my basic fire training, this was a real eye opener with regards to the types of aircraft awaiting their destruction in the hands of us crash firemen. To be cut up and set fire to were such types as the Gloster Javelin, Hawker Hunter, Vickers Valiant, Hunting Prop provost, Supermarine Swift and several mixed airframes, pretty unbelievable to think of the aircraft available then, museums would have a fit today. 

After the few weeks course at RAF Manston, crash fire tender driving was carried out at RAF ST.Athen S.Wales. 

On the completion of the course at RAF St-Athen  a further two weeks course was required to undertake a deployment exercise using the Mk6, DP2, DP1 fire crash tenders. The journey to Catterick was quite a way so we stopped at RAF Wittering for the week-end,  Victors were in residence at that time.  Catterick consisted mainly of airfield buildings not far from the main road, no flying took place and we practiced on Sycamore helicopters for deployment purposes, for some reason I remember the food being very good for those days. Evenings were about horse racing and local clubs, however, I passed the courses and returned to RAF Wattisham.

After my training, I returned to RAF Wattisham and the noise from the mighty Lightning's and below are some of the Fire tenders I used during my time (1963 - 71). They were the Mk7, Mk 6 major foam, Mk 5 major foam, DP2 dual purpose, DP1 dual purpose, and the ACRV aircraft crash rescue vehicle and some pictures of practice crash and rescue operations.