Trying to Trace Ex Force in Belize?

[Tango34]

Spend 6 months in Belize in 1992, when we got back some of the unit decided to go "native", and move back to Belize to live with other halfs. Anyone that was in Belize at that time, will remember the BFBS Phantom, that was running round Airport Camp, causing problems etc, well it was ME! I even have the pics to prove it!!!!
So if you were there, lets us know......

 

[Baddass]

Yeah. Thanks for that.

 

[Mighty_doh_nut]

Yep thanks indeed, I haven't slept a wink since out of curiosity

 

[The Sailor]

Was stationed there in 69/70 when it was named British Honduras, It was great then, have revisited it since and think soldiering is softer there now so it appears pillocks like you abounded , ask Mighty_Doh_nut, he is from your era, maybe he is the Phamtom!!

 

[Baddass]

Just out of curiosity here..........our man says that he went back to live with his other half? Is he suggesting that his other half is Belizean? If so, was she on the game when you met her? The only Belizeans who I am aware of who married Brits, all worked out of Raouls Rose Garden.............and they weren't pretty.

 

[The Sailor]

Met mine, two of them in the Bamboo Bay, one wrote to me after the tour but never got round to replying. The lads who I went back I think were with Guatamalans.

 

[Baddass]

One who could write? Bet you snapped her up.

 

[The Sailor]

God, did more than snap her up, verrrrrry fond memories.

 

[Speedy]

I was there in '92. 24 Sqn RCT (our own personal weekend getaway fleet to the quayes). Were you LI? You provo CPL was an inbred halfwit.

 

[Tango34]

But arn't most provo staff.............................

 

[Busterdog]

Fond memories of Belize in 1978 and 1982.

In 1978 we still wore OG shorts and tartan hose tops with boots and puttees (same rig I was issued in 1965 in FARELF) at Airport camp. I recall the RAF were much taken with the fashion some were seen wearing puttees with shoes. We spent our time patrolling on the lookout for Guat incursionists who were in turn lead by US spooks - strange days.

1982 was much different, had half my platoon locked up in a Cancun jail for BOP it hit the press much to my horror. None of our Jocks/Toms married locals though. The RAF still did funny things, I recall a senior crab doing a vertical landing in his Harrier and forgetting to lower his under carriage - maybe he had become tangled in his puttees.

 

[jockmarr]

Hi
I was stationed in rideau camp 1982 with 51 Fd Sqn RE we had initially gurkhas then 3 para as the Inf Det.
I remember we were doing some building projects up in salamanca camp when one of the gurkhas tried to chop one of his mates arm off in the TV room lol never a dull moment.
Or when 3 para turned up the provo sgt in rideau came into the engineer bar and proceeded to do his impersonation of He man by biting the lid off the bottle of beer only to be told by lad from our troop that they are screw off lmao not the brightest bulb i can tell you.
I had to cabbie a muirhill A 5000 Bucket loader all the way from rideau to salamaca.
I had a mate who was the reccy mech REME up in salamaca if you read this get in touch many nights in punta gorda including our toga party which didnt go down with the locals too good lol.

If anyone has any old pics would be great to see em

Tom

 

[blacky]

We had a bloke who married a black girl from Edinburgh, and after the Belize tour (87) the OC thought she was from Belize at a Company smoker. He asked her about the weather and did she miss her parents. What a knob.

What a place Belize, I was at Rideau those dark long way's from PG at 3 am with night fighters everywhere.

 

[wedge_cadman]

I was there in '92. 24 Sqn RCT

Ah yes I remember. You had the first 2 young ladies posted in and you were mightily peeved that 2 engineers were the first to plough them. I had a run in with one of your fullscrew badge collectors. I seem to recall he got lost in a jungle valley with some gurkas over in indonesia a few years later.
Best posting I ever had.

 

[Arte_et_Marte]

If anyone has any old pics would be great to see em
Tom

I was the full screw Recy Mech at Rideau in ’85.
40 Cdo RM were the resident tough nuts.
0600hrs every morning for a 5 mile run? Oh how we (REME LAD) laughed. Not.

Pic 1. Our objective was the top of Saddleback ridge OP.

Pic 2. Halfway up.

Pic 3. View of Rideau from the OP.

I took shedloads of photographs of my tour in Belize even though I hated the place. More if you want them.

 

[jockmarr]

Hi
Yes if you have more pics of Rideau would love to see em. Does anyone know did the BDF take the camp over or have they just left it to go to shit? the same probably with Salamanca, and the Op Cadenas


Ive got a few pics of Rideau when the Engineer bar was called the " BOG INN" and a few other pics of Bobby Bar down Punta Gorda.

Great times sadly missed now

Tom

 

[Fibua]

Hi

I was in Belize October 1985 to April 1986 I was mainly in san ignacio, but covered Rideau and Salamanca for a couple of weeks each in 86 no pictures sadly.

Steve

 

[Egg Banjo]

A couple of pics APC 1979:

 

[eodmatt]

Any pics of the jungle warfare camp me an my blokes started building in 197 er maybe 6? It was somewhere down the hummingbird highway.

 

[HIGHLANDER_SPY]

Anyone deploy for the Emergency in July 1977. The Guats were threatening to invade (again). The Garrison was reinforced by a Squadron of Harriers, and I think an Infantry Battalion. The threat was ramped up when the Guats loaded their only running tank, an M3 Grant, onto the back of a low loader outside the Presidential Palace in Guatemala City, and drove up to the Guat Engineer Camp just below the Cadenas OP (Punta Melchior Mendez?). They unloaded the tank, it drove along the road parallel to the OP, and then it was promptly re-loaded onto the trailer before being driven off back to Guatemala City.

I think 3 Queens were the resident unit at the time.

Unfortunately, at 63, I cant remember the Operational Name given for the reinforcement.