Army/navy issues with the RAF.

[wing commander]

Geoff, I have played rugby out here for Al Khobar against HMS Atherstone. What a dirty set of t@$ts they were!!! 2 broken ribs and bones in my right foot. I bruises that you could tell were finger gouge prints all over. Great game though.
NOF, Bahrain is home to the US 5th fleet. Non of them are allowed out in uniform and are meant to blend in. But they still stand out a mile away, usually due to them being built like brick s#*h houses, totally off there face and the standard pulled up long socks with there flipflops/sandals attire.

haha I was loaned to HMS Atherstone for 3 weeks when they had a engineer crisis..Hunt class sweeper...Made one appearance for there football team against a local Scottish team as her home base was in Rosyth at the time...Luckily I don't do egg chasing :-)

[Sprotyrover]

My mate was in the Light Infantry in the late70's when they were the Gibraltar Garrison at that time he said there 300 pubs and bars on Gib, on day the Old Ark Royal called and a couple of escorts, next day the US sixth Fleet sailed in, then followed a three day running battle which the Royal Navy won with the help of all off duty Squadies on the Rock.

[auckleyflyer]

Ex PO stoker!! Loved it but tired of the bravado after ten years and didnt want to turn into the sad cases in the cheifs mess. Done a few stints in Bahrain, rugby 7s with the expats +it was the only place to drink bar the hotels. Early 90s.
Gib, wowcher been dozens of times always a heady mix of squaddies opposing ships and spanish lasses!
Always had more greif from other ships or pfk vs jfp (pompy fat knackers vs janner fcuk pigs)
The raf didnt exist??!?!? Geeks and 2st wet through lady boys!
Seen and done lots tho so although I came out after ten years wouldn't change a thing.
Good times

[Martyn1968]

Great thread this I left as a PO Stoker in 2007, time done, had a few tri service drafts, Gib in 92, PJHQ Northwood in 2001, and Naval Engineering Falklands in 2003. Always got on, just the inevitable banter. Escorted the Royal Yacht in the Western Isles, and the rare time we got ashore while the Royals were out we had to dress smart. Upperdeck was strictly out of bounds too. Diana was onboard and apparently she preferred a few beers with the lads down the mess.
Out the Gulf in 1989 on HMS Battleaxe during the Iran Iraq war and the lads on the minesweepers trashed the bars in Dubai, Pancho Villas was one, the midget who greeted people was thrown downstairs. Thanks to them all the ships were banned from many bars for quite some time. So many dits to spin. Just back from a weekend in Plymouth so all worn out for now.

[bahrain rover]

Auckley, The rugby is still good out here. The vets midnight 10's in Bahrain each February is the big one attracting teams from all over the Gulf and Middle East. I don't think you would recognize the place now, there has been and still is a lot of land being reclaimed from the sea. As for bars the place is crawling with them now, especially Juffair and Adliya areas. You know its a good place to party when people drive up from Dubai and Abu Dhabi just for the nightlife.

[not on facebook]

Since I was working in a British run and themed pub out here years back ,every time navy was in a navy v our pub football team would be played.

The navy team allways gave us a wooden  wall shields  which was tied to the ship we played.

Got 4 of said shields up on me lads wall ,with HMS illustrious been the cream of the crop.

Allways had a good drink with what ever navy  ship after the game,and it alllways stood out with me on how young some of the operatives on whatever HMS ship was.

[RobTheRover]

Had about 300 British navy in the pub one Saturday day > afternoon > night .

As you went to the downstairs bar which in day time showed whatever football and night time turned into a disco .

The stairs on the way down had frammed football shirts on the walls.
Man utd,lpool,Spurs,arsenal, dirty Leeds,Coventry,Everton,Newcastle,England and a full team signed Doncaster rovers shirt which Ian snodin fixed for us .

After a great days takings in the pubs tills and no stress at al from any navy member I could not stop laughing when only one football shirt was taken out of its frame, and grew a pair of legs and legged it out of the pub.

You guessed it the Doncaster rovers one.


I did not have the heart to report it to the contact we had with the ship ,as any navy person is welcome to me Rovers shirt who served in our armed forces.

Replaced with the Billy Sharp one, NOF?

[not on facebook]

Had about 300 British navy in the pub one Saturday day > afternoon > night .

As you went to the downstairs bar which in day time showed whatever football and night time turned into a disco .

The stairs on the way down had frammed football shirts on the walls.
Man utd,lpool,Spurs,arsenal, dirty Leeds,Coventry,Everton,Newcastle,England and a full team signed Doncaster rovers shirt which Ian snodin fixed for us .

After a great days takings in the pubs tills and no stress at al from any navy member I could not stop laughing when only one football shirt was taken out of its frame, and grew a pair of legs and legged it out of the pub.

You guessed it the Doncaster rovers one.


I did not have the heart to report it to the contact we had with the ship ,as any navy person is welcome to me Rovers shirt who served in our armed forces.

Replaced with the Billy Sharp one, NOF?

No rob I gave the billy sharp  signed one away some months back .it type of lost its appeal for me since he did not play for rovers anymore.i have this nagging fealing that in years to come I will regret giving it away like I have done with all my sex pistol records .

[auckleyflyer]

Hms rustybus (illustrious) cream of the crop!!?!?!!? R05 all the way invincible. (Had two stints on her)
Dont mention flagship Arkfekingroyal. Smaller sister invince was the biggest by 20ft and first, like the Navy (senior service).
Can you see how inter rivalry is so much more fun than inter service banter?