mr1RAF Mountain Rescue Photo Gallery

Rab de Scab

Bob Hankinson. Good heavens, there's a name from the past! Been a while since we got soaked on bivvy on A'Chir Ridge circa Easter 1978? Re picture above, it was taken in Summer 1978 during the last Nejat exercise held in Scotland. Taken near Castles Farm, Loch Awe with track heading towards Beinn a' Chochuill and Beinn Eunaich. Me with complete head of black hair (Top of centre wagon). All gone now - grew it too fast! Cheers Rab.

#1 Sun 5 March, 2006 2:20am

bobhankinson

good to hear from you. I'm quite active with the Seattle Mountaineers now (Tacoma branch), both for sea kayaking and mountaineering. The hills here are awesome, hundreds in the 3000 - 7000 foot range, and a couple of big ones with glaciers. I keep to dry rock scrambling mostly, but I built a snowcave last weekend and slept out, doing a 25 hour Mountain Oriented First Aid course next.

#2 Mon 13 March, 2006 4:57am

JJaydee

#3 Sun 9 April, 2006 1:56am

Selwyn

I must be getting really old, I'd forgotten all about Nejat78. Leuchars proved once again to be King of the Scottish teams. Memories of the exercise seem to revolve around getting very wet (pre gortex days), the Turks chatting up Nick Sharpe and lots of drinking.

#4 Mon 18 June, 2007 6:06pm

Andy Craig

That particular day was more with the Turks than the Iranians. Quite a few of the Senior NCOs had a patch on their uniform showing they had parachuted into Cyprus during the 1974 invasion. The rest of their guys were conscripts and they only let them out for a drink on the last night at the Falls of Lora Hotel in South Connel. What a night for singing and the Turks spiking our beer with Raki and red wine! The fall of soot from chimney hood being used as percussion. G.... C...... being found in a ditch by the local Polis and put in the cells and being bailed out by John Vernon (JV). The monster football match at Machrihanish against the Turks. They absolutely stuffed us. We were good on the hill and crap at football, they were good at both. The monster end of NEJAT booze up in the back of the NAAFI at Machrihanish. Each country building up walls of empty beer cans and resisting other nations raids to try and knock them down. The distance sliding competition started when the lino floor got wet with spilt beer. Won by Selwyn using his body mass and low centre of gravity to best advantage (where are you now Selwyn?). The Iranians just about cleared every available garage and motor dealer from Mac to Fort william of Hillman and so on spare parts to take back for cars back in Iran. I've always wondered how many of them survived the ousting of the Shah by the Ayatollah Khomeini.

#5 Thu 7 May, 2009 6:24pm

Rab Russell

Hi Guys, Rab de Scab here. Currently working offshore nowadays since I left the RAF in 2007. Left the Mob as WO and now back to being 'Duty Medic'! Bobbing about on an FPSO some 32 miles off Fraserburgh as a Medic. Gosh where did all these slim fit young men go to? That's a rhetorical question Andy! Nice to bump into you again in Forres, sad day watching Kinloss personnel hold their final Parade with bayonets fixed etc. Aye, who would believe Kinloss will soon be history. Fingers crossed for Lossie. Great memories. It was a guid year in 1978....even if we were 'crap' at Footie! Slante, Rab Russell...ps. scabs healed nicely!

#6 Tue 14 June, 2011 10:58pm