Radschool Association Newsletter

Radschool Association Newsletter - Vol 6

31 Aug 2000

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Nick Names

Jim Legg, at the 19Appy reunion at Laverton in 1992 - also called "Foot" by his mates.

In the late 60’s, early 70’s, anything and everything, including people, was hardly ever called by its proper name. If you had a mate who was named John, it just didn’t seem right to call him by his given name, you had to invent a "Nick-name" for him. Doesn’t seem to happen now as often as it did, perhaps the political correctness phase some years ago put an end to all that, if so, it’s a shame.

Prior to that nearly all blokes with red hair were called "Blue", tall blokes were called "Shorty" or "Tiny", fat blokes were either called "Bones" or "Porky-là", you were called "Goat" if your first name was Bill, "Trackless" if your legs were a bit short and bald blokes were either called "Curley" or "Chrome-dome".

There were Dollars, Nerks, Camels, Soapies, Chuggers, Bengies, Fuji’s, Pygmys, Bugsy’s, Spuds, Buckets, Black Jacks, heaps of Tommos, Mats, Tobys, Basty-bums, Sams and lots and lots more.

Likewise, there doesn’t seem to be the number of "characters" around that there used to be. At Richmond there were some wonderfully colourful characters; blokes like "Throbber" who it was said could weld together any two metals, except blue metal, but who loved the grape a bit too much, there was Butch and Meggsie who "owned’ the corner in the Airman’s Bar and hardly ever left the Base and "Hydraulic" who used to pinch the odd bit of stuff, and who it was said could lift anything.

All married blokes were called "Baggers" because they bought their lunch to work, and the married quarters where they lived was called the "Cabbage Patch". Your bed was called a fart sack (to go to bed was to "hit the farter"), push bikes were called "treadlies", the snack mobile was called a hungry van and its driver was called "hungry", the Sergeants Mess was called the "Snake Pit" and the Officer’s Mess was called the "Pig Pen". Even jobs were given names. Radio/Elec/Inst blokes were called queer traders, Sumpies/Framies were called black handers, Cooks were called "Bait layers" and Service Police were called "Spits".

Do they still do that......

The Globemaster

We recently came across the above photo of the old Douglas C124, otherwise known as the Globemaster. In the late 60’s, these giants of the air would regularly call into Richmond on their way to and from somewhere, for a load of fuel and a crew rest, and if you were on duty crew you got to have a look over them. Although they gave the impression of being an ungainly old war horse, with the flying characteristics of a brick, they must have been better than they looked because the USAF bought 448 of them.

Developed during 1947-49, they were first flown in 1950, and were in service until 1974 when they were eventually phased out and replaced by jet aircraft. From memory they were powered by 4 x 27 cylinder engines-each engine having 3 rows of 9, and each developing 3,800 HP. (Imagine doing a plug change-216 spark plugs). Inside was huge, with three levels, each being reached by the onboard elevator. It was 48ft or 14.7 metres high, could cruise at 260 knots, and had a range of 1,950 klm-Sydney, Melbourne, Sydney, not a lot really by today’s standards. (Full of fuel, a Herc will go about 6,000km).

There was a little door on each side that opened into the wing, and you could walk out inside each wing to the inboard engines. The back end opened up with two side hinged doors, and they were used to carry all sorts of things-tanks, field guns, bulldozers, trucks, atomic weapons, or they could be fitted to carry 127 casualty stretchers or with seats to carry 200 fully equipped troops. By comparison, the C141A is 39ft high, and can carry 140 troops.

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