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Old 07-18-2018, 09:27 PM   #165
woofa.express
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Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Tocumwal, NSW, Australia
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Default Re: tell a Model A related story

Working in Sudan.
Yesterday I told you about working in Sudan. When one starts to think about old times one remembers more.
It was all cotton laid out in rectangular blocks. One year in every three it is all lined up. Navigation in the irrigation area was difficult as it was rectangular blocks for miles and every village looked the same. One had to follow cotton blocks to the location and follow the area blocks even whilst spraying. We did seven runs per block and a local clerk would take a tin and seven stones to work and put a stone in the tin for each run. I would guess at some time pilots were short cutting them.
It was a cosmopolitan squadron of fellows. 3 poms, 3 Dutchmen, a Spaniard, Dane, 2 Kiwi’s a Frenchman and self. All were great work companions except for 2 of the 3 poms and one inparticular was selfish and miserable. He was new to cropdusting and I would guess an only child and mummy’s boy. Unmarried, communicated with mummy and we were told sent home his film roll for mummy to develop and view. Well one of the Dutchmen name Gerry Post said he’d fix him. Took his camera to a local brothel and had some girls pose for him. Quite pornographic of course. The camera was returned from where Gerry had taken it and not a word was said. I thought that was pretty good and it met with my approval.
The village houses were of rammed earth construction. There were some houses in farm or on the edge. They were always stick framed and straw clad. One mean bloke said he would approach them and pull up at the very last moment. He claimed the down wash created by the wings and fuselage would blow the straw off. He said they would have it rebuilt in less than two hours.
Our living quarters had flushing toilets. The septic tank did however run down the dirt street. In the mornings at daylight when we went to work we would see the girls squatting out on the flat. Never saw where the blokes went. Maybe there was allocated squat times, I don’t know. I do know the town used to stink of urine when the day warmed up.
The cook purchased the food. That allowed him to cream a little money from what he was given. Meat. The bodies ( sheep and goats) were hung up and meat was just cut off. No such thing as specific cuts. No charge for the flies. Thank goodness there were vegetables and we had good salads as well. I did catch dysentery and came home 12kg (30 pound) lighter. The weight loss was sorta welcome.
There were two occasions when village kids threw stones, rocks and clods at the aeroplane. I would chase them and they would run like their lives depended on it. Up the streets and through the houses. They were frightened. That stopped them.
One of the blokes landed on a road only to read there was a sign post denoting a bend in front of him. The road continued straight for another 4 miles.
The aeroplane loading area always drew an audience. Kids and villagers were fascinated. One day where Gerry Post was working a kid rode in on a donkey. Donkeys were a most prized possession. A bit like owning an up market car here. Well the jenny was on heat. It was mounted by a Jack that pushed Jenny into the propeller. Jenny became sliced meat. The kid distraught and in tears. Well Gerry bought him another. Gerry never did have any money so it may be fair to say Gary bought the donkey. Kid was elated.
A spray job goes like this. pesticide is mixed with water to the correct proportions, agitated and pumped into the aeroplane through a filter and delivery hose. The year previous to my being there, there was no filters so John the Dutchman went to Khartoum and purchased many pairs of women’s pantyhose to substitute. The year I went (1977) the Sudanese operator was delighted to tell John he had acquired 2 full cartons of pantyhose and they would not run short.
The local operations manager was known as “bulls eye”. For obvious reasons. He had only one eye. Apparently it was practise for parents to blind their sons in one eye so as they could not be commandeered to any government or warlords army.
Gerry theDutchman had a pet monkey. He had gone to a tree full of monkeys. They were cheeky monkeys. Gerry pretended to drink beer and left three bottles at the base of the tree and departed. Half hour later there were drunk monkeys and easy to catch. He took it back to Holland at the end of the season.
Did I tell you about being sent to Khartoum control tower.? I'll check. A funny story.
Sudan. Would I go again. Yes, but three months is enough.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg gerry and pet.jpg (36.5 KB, 26 views)
File Type: jpg thrush sudan.jpg (34.2 KB, 21 views)
File Type: jpg sudan.jpg (102.3 KB, 20 views)
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Last edited by woofa.express; 07-19-2018 at 06:55 AM.
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