60 Squadron

Roy Bloor runs an excellent website for 60 Sqn members, and the membership there is very healthy from what I can see.  Sappers.co.uk is really just a big email address book, if you want to see the photographs and get involved in a good social site for your squadron then I'd recommend visitng http://www.60squadronvets.co.uk/ once you've put your service history on here.  REgards, Gordon

60 Field Squadron (26 Field Engineer Regiment) was formed December 1950 at Hameln. It was then disbanded in 1958.

 In April 1964 it was re-formed at Shorncliffe (36 Engineer Regiment) and was later deployed to Aden in Nov 1964 returning in August 1965 to Maidstone. Further deployments were as follows:

          Mar – Oct 1967, Aden Taff C writes - During our tour of Aden we lost Sapper Terry Allchin on the 4th June 1967, Killed by an IED near Habilayn. 1 Troop were up in Dhala at the time working to try to get a water supply and storage tank built for the village ( see pic's ) and every night after sundown the camp would be attacked by mortar and small arms fire from the surrounding Jebels.

          Dec 1969 – Aug 1970, Gibraltar (1 Troop went to Cyprus) Submitted by Richard Brookes on Sat, 2011-10-08 18:39 - 60 Squadron actually went to Gib in January 1969, except 1Troop, who went to RAF El Adem in Libya, when Ghaddafi seized power we sailed from Tobruk to Famagusta on an LSL, the trip took 3 days. we spent about 3 months at Dhekelia with 62(NE)Support Squadron.

          Sep 1970 – Jan 1971, Long Kesh, Northern Ireland  Submitted by Dundas on Thu, 2012-02-02 16:40 - Northern Ireland 1970/71 60 Sqn were based in Antrim, at what is now Maserine Bks. It was just Nissen huts and some tents when we got there, and during our time there we built the first Twynhams. 1 Troop spending several weeks at Crossmaglen and Enisskillen.

          Nov 1972 – Feb 1973, Long Kesh, Northern Ireland

In Apr 1977 renamed to 60 Field Support Squadron and moved to Waterbeach (39 Engineer Regiment). Deployed to the Gulf War Sep 90 – Mar 91.

In 2006 renamed to 60 HQ and Support Squadron (Air Support)

      Also from Taff C:              
                 In Anguilla I was with 521 STRE drilling for fresh water in several locations around the island. It was just after they had their uprising, which the Para's went out and sorted out. There was a Squadron out there I think it may have been 39? they were trying to upgrade the roads, which were really no more than tracks. The government at the time had also sent lots of Metropolitan police officers out there to help keep things in control, and we spent many a day off playing them at volley ball, ( I don't think they had much more to do!! ) and then seeing who could drink the most after.
                 Kenya was a long tour, broken only by 10 days R&R in Mombassa at a resort called Silversands which at the time was run by the Navy. We split the team into two, each drilling in different areas, hundreds of miles from anywhere, ending up in the North East Province where the Ethiopia and Somalia borders meet. Entertainment was volleyball on a court cleared out of the bush, and played against some great guys from the Kenyan Army defence platoon who were with us. Now and again we would have a film sent up by air with the supplies, but not very often.
                In Northern Ireland 60 Sqn were based in Antrim ( I think it was then called Antrim "B" camp ) it's now Maserine Bks. Again 1 Troop were sent to some interesting places, Crossmaglen and Eniskillen being two of them.                I also met up with some of my old mates in 1 Troop when I was sent straight from Kenya ( after 10 days leave at home ) to El Adem in Libya, again to do water well drilling, and also cleaning out an existing well at the British military cemetary. The rest of 1 Troop and the Squadron having gone on to Gibraltar.t