The Vampire Incident

[Alan Jones]

After discussing the removal and repositioning of the Vampire on the parade ground with various people, it appears there are several accounts doing the rounds. It would be interesting if anyone who has any recollections of the event would post them here for comparison purposes. Any takers?
BTW, What ever happened to Cpl Brian "Sqizzy " Taylor, whose sermon on the mount I still remember (just).

[Merv Wruck]

As I remember the event we had been to the cinema that night and we discussed moving the Lincon but that was impractical so we decided on the Vampire. I recall waiting for the Base activity to settle down. We were lying on our backs in the football oval near the railway line. Mostly Electricians though I think there were some Instrument fitters. Looking up at the stars we noticed shootng stars. Lots of them. That would have been the Geminids meteor shower which occurs every year around the 13/14th December. Around midnight we went to the Vampire and pushed it to the rails and maneouvered it across. I remember the tail booms striking the rails with a terrific crash ( BOOM!) as the aircraft ran down the embankment.

[Alan Jones]

I remember Gers Roberts was there, and I recall that they had a lot of grief getting it off the parade ground, bogging a tractor in the process. I don't know if he was involved, but I vaguely remember John Seward being quizzed as to who did it, but they didn't water board him so he didn't spill the beans.

Merv Wruck said:

As I remember the event we had been to the cinema that night and we discussed moving the Lincon but that was impractical so we decided on the Vampire. I recall waiting for the Base activity to settle down. We were lying on our backs in the football oval near the railway line. Mostly Electricians though I think there were some Instrument fitters. Looking up at the stars we noticed shootng stars. Lots of them. That would have been the Geminids meteor shower which occurs every year around the 13/14th December. Around midnight we went to the Vampire and pushed it to the rails and maneouvered it across. I remember the tail booms striking the rails with a terrific crash ( BOOM!) as the aircraft ran down the embankment.

[Graeme Bauchop]

As I recall, the whole thing was planned in class in which Cpl Harry Hogan was the lecturer. I believe it was Harry who provided the additional inspiration and guidance in case we didn't already have enough. (I think we referred to him as Harry Hormone) I have vague memories of lying down waiting for the right time, but clear memories as to how easily the Vampire moved until we hit the ditches on either side of the railway line. Somehow we managed to bounce it over the ditches and railway track, then onto the apprentice car track around to the parade ground.
There was supposed to have been a OC's parade the next morning, but cancelled due to rain. Most vehicles slowed considerably as they drove past the parade ground, with the exception of Wing Commander Greenham who all but drove his ute into the gutter.
The Sumpies were considered the most likely offenders as the duty NCO that evening was "one of them." His argument when challenged was it could not have been them because they would have closed the canopy.
As a footnote, I have been lead to believe Dexter saw the whole thing, knew everyone who was involved but said nothing. And finally, Vampires adorned the parade ground for all subsequent graduation parades