Page 71 - Demo

67Chapter 8Once home we were faced with a categorisation board check of the squadron. This was an annual event and much hated. As we had not done any North Atlantic warfare training for 2 months, we were obviously going to be a bit rusty. However, Coastal Command was about to be disbanded and we were going to be in 18 Group as part of Strike Command. This meant a big parade to mark the occasion down at St Mawgan and so we were the obvious crew to disappear to take part. I was to be the Squadron Adjutant which meant I had to do a certain amount of the commands at the start of the parade. Memories of Cranwell helped with that. I had grown a moustache in Sharja but thought it was too scruffy for a parade and so shaved it off. There were 7 Squadrons in Coastal Command at that time, and I assume they all took part. Actually, as the aircraft servicing was done centrally the only Squadron members were the aircrew. Consequently, the mass of the parade was made up of airmen from the 3 stations with selected Squadron officers in front. On the day the weather was poor and so the parade took place in a hanger. It was awful. The sound echoed all around and so you could not hear the orders properly. We were at one end and all movements rippled out from the centre. Once it was over most of the aircrew went down to The Riviera Lodge that was our pub of choice run by a landlady everyone called Aunty Pearl. She had an extension after lunch probably to about 4pm. In those days pubs closed at about 2pm and opened again at 6. When it came time to go no-one was keen to do so. Sqn Ldr Benjy Hives from 203 Sqn said %u201cWhat is the point, you are opening again soon%u201d. Aunty Pearl said she had to clean up before reopening at which Benjy climbed onto a table saying you can sweep around me. It did not work, and we were all thrown out. And soCoastal Command ceased to exist. Now we were in Strike Command some things had to be done