opcrownchat

The Mamasan of the Swaddii Bar asked me to contact Sapper Mickey Mouse who according to her Bar-Book still owes 150 Bahts.

Entertainers at crown.
Although I wasn’t there for the visit of Harry, Anita and Johnny (I’m ex 59 Sqn), I do remember another group of what could loosely be termed “Entertainers” visiting us over one Christmas period and ”performing” in one of the Romney huts.
I think they were provided by a senior Thai Army officer who had a financial interest in the Patpong area of Bangkok!! They were definitely not provided by ENSA or the NAAFI.
The lead “Exotic Dancer” (female) was an absolute stu ...

John Forbes asked me on Roger Andrews W/S - was i at Tidworth in 66 and did i remember S/Sgt. Pennington? My answer was yes to both, and said that the S/sgt. was in a bad Land Rover accident on Salisbury Plain in 68. John said that he and others were at the scene at the time and helped to pull him out of the Land Rover.
Does anybody else remember the above?---TAFF.

Wishing all who read this a Happy Christmas and all the best for 2011 Very Happy

The photo was taken when 59 first arrived at Gillman Barracks in JANUARY 1964 when we were all Whitys from Blighty. How many can you name?

Note a) the difference in the smartness of the uniforms compared with the above photo and b) Taff Williams standing on tip-toes at the back.

STANDING: Don't know, Rick Knowles, Taff Williams, don't ...

My photo's from the recent trip to Thailand can be found at:- http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerandrews
Rolling Eyes

As we know, Crown was never used operationally with any real venom but after the last Association Reunion Event to Thailand we now know that plans are really taking shape.
The chain of events leading to this to my knowledge is this:
About 10 to 15 years ago there was a rumour circulating around Loeng Nok Tha that Mercedes Benz were going to set up an engine assembly plant in the area and use Crown to transport materials and products.
About 2 or 3 years ago a small building appeared on the s ...

34 Fd Sqn finished the concreteing of the apron on Crown airfield around Christmas 1966, it became a fully functioning airfield. The proof of this is that the RAF Beverley's and Argosy's flew into Crown from then on by-passing Ubon. However, the airfield fell into disuse when the Brits left and the Thais resolved the communist insurgency problem. Since then it's stood idle for forty plus years. This situation appears to be on the cusp of changing. The recent trip back to T ...

“The tale of Yorkshire Bob, Pibun Mike and an Ozzie piper named Neil”

I must congratulate Yorkshire Bob (ex WO 2 Robert Longridge R.E) on getting a good job in Bangkok. Apart from the soul destroying job teaching English to uninterested students, work here in Thailand is not easy to find. Bob did well.

However, all the work that he has done over the past 5 years, organising the Remembrance Day Parade ceremony, liaising with the Thai ...

The Diary Of a Thai Odyssey

By Roger Andrews

An ageing Sapper’s view of the
OCA Re-union to Thailand November 2011.

Friday 04\11\2011.
As if by magic, all those travelling from Heathrow suddenly appeared at the at the Oman Air check-in desk at the same time.
After checking in we all passed through security and into the departure lounge for a couple of boring hours wait. During this time Somrak Jackson produced a small pot of earth, a mixture of UK & ...