Pen Portraits: what happened next

Pen portraits of post-graduation life, as submitted to the 69th Association newsletter over the period 1994 - 2011

Derrick Kyaw Khin Gyi (Armourer)

After our graduation we had one year's OJT at various RAF bases and factories. Our mob consisted of Kyaw Shein, Sein Hla Hung Than and myself.

Got back to Burma in 1955; I was posted to a fighter sqdn of Spitfires and Seafu-es earning my tapes and then being posted to an Explosives Maintenance Unit closer to civilisation. Being a keen bopper since our Aylesbury and Walton Hail days, I got into the swing of it and met lots of chicks. I got invited to a lot of parties at some elite places until I crossed one of the Staff Officers at a party and got shunted out to a God-forsaken place called Miticyina, close to the commies. This was a jet conversion squadron for pilots going from props to jets. I was in charge of the Station Armoury.

The place was still in the Stone Age, nothing to do, miles from anywhere, so you either got drunk and slept or for excitement you got into a scrap. The booze was cheap and highly volatile - one could use it for lighter fuel! So NO bopping. I had to do something so I took up big game shooting and eventually found myself as a guide to all sorts of dignitaries - and my venison bar became a treat for the VIPs.

By this time I was a Flight Sergeant and never to get further than that until one day opportunity came my way. Our fighters came back from a sortie and one had a hang up, spilling its bombs on the main runway (2 fraa bombs). The runway had to be cleared immediately for a VIP landing and the buck passed to me. I surveyed the situation and the bombs could not be moved as they were fully armed. I told the CO that I would have to improvise to disarm the bombs with a method I picked up at Binge in the United States from the Bomb Disposal boys while training there. I cleared the runway for the VIP landing and for this I was promoted to Warrant Officer.

I emigrated to Australia in 1977, had my Trade Papers evaluated and was classified as an Aircraft Fitter. I was employed by the Government Aircraft Factories and worked on 727, 747, 757 and the Nomad doing mostly assembly and fabrication. Also worked on McDonnell Douglas F18 Hornet flaps and shrouds as well as the main landing gear doors of the A330/340 Airbus. Became a foreman and after eight years as a foreman took a retirement package in 1992.

I have four sons, and thank God, they are not as rowdy as me and no punch ups. With the brats off my hands, I can catch up with what I like doing; I am now into a lot of fishing.

I miss Halton a lot; it made a man out of me, it was the happiest moments of my life. I wish I could turn the clock back and start all over again. This time I would be prepared for old Sgt Brace. He had me stripped from my LA, first day back from Easter break he found the whole room still in bed after reveille.