one dive too many

ONE DIVE TOO MANY.

Anyone who remembers the Rock will never forget being ‘dive-bombed’ by Frigate or 'Gooney', birds. These were not your average British seaside type of seabirds but big fat things with a huge wingspan of about 5 or 6 feet as I recall. They were expert aerobats and could rip your bait or catch from the end of a fishing line whilst the hook was still airborne.

These kitehawks would also menace moving vehicles at certain times by swooping down in front of them in a kind of Kamikaze manoeuvre, for what reason I know not.

The run to main Camp for us fitters billeted at Port Camp meant standing up in the back of a crowded Bedford 3 tonner full of sweaty squaddies, a few blue things and several Gilbos. One tried to hang onto the metal supports without touching the slimy bodies around you as the truck swayed along.

There was a place just on the Main Camp side of London where the Gooneys massed in squadrons and took aim at our transport. Alfred Hitchcock and his ‘Birds’ had nothing on this lot as they plummeted down on us forcing us to duck each time one came near as an impact from one of them was a sure-fire ride to the sickbay. Not much of a story this, but one day, after stopping to drop off passengers at various stops, one of them waved to the driver before he carried on with his journey. The driver got out and there was much kafuffle at the front. Being curious, we all got off and were astonished to see what had happened to one particular Gooney. Anyone who remembers the 3 ton Bedford RL will recall that on the front on each side of the radiator grille there were 2 oval ventilation slots about 2" by 12" or thereabouts. Well, this Gooney had gone headfirst into this slot at who knows what speed and bent the surround, jamming his body tightly in the slot. The driver said that he wondered why he didn’t have a breeze up his shorts as he drove along!. Anyway, it was his truck and he had to remove the deceased which was not pleasant. One wonders what was the last thing that went through the mind of the Gooney as he impacted with the truck - probably his neck!.