Rabby, you caught me on a good sunny day with that snap.
You should see me when it rains. I look really miserable!
The RAF Regt have a permanent Sqn in N.I. now but in my time it was a Squadron Rotation consisting of a 3 month tour with 6 months away then back again for another 3 months etc.
The main duties were airfield defence for Aldergrove and Bishopscourt which were the 2 airfields out there, but they also did tours of Londonderry in the 70's. There were static points including 'Delta' which was the main VCP coming into Belfast Airport, Mobile, Foot and Heli Patrols. Occasionally a section would be deployed as a support unit to various Army units in or around Belfast.
As for the name 'Rockape' there are various theories. I was told it was that when the Corps was formed in 1942 they opened the military nicks on Gib and the occupants became the RAF Regiment. (None of this glorious beginnings malarkey for us chappies!
)
The most common held belief is that somewhere in Aden in the 50's 2 Rock Officers went out for a bit of sport shooting the local baboons known as 'rockapes'. It is not recorded as to what the baboons had done to upset the aforementioned upstanding gentlemen. Well officers being officers one ended up shooting the other one by accident and at the enquiry pleaded 'I thought it was a rockape sir' and so the name stuck.
It is refreshing to know that the behaviour and aptitude of the officer breed has not altered over the years!
P.S. Just a thought. The use of smileys can save a lot of misunderstanding.
