Hello, My name is Natasha Howard and I'm going to Addu Atoll to set up two rowing clubs as part of the Rowing Association of the Maldives initiative to encourage school children on the Atoll, and especially girls, to get involved in the sport. Apparently, rowing used to be very much a part of Maldivian life and this project hopes to re-kindle this. I will be based there for 6 months on a voluntary basis with board and lodging covered by the county council. We have had 7 coastal double boats built in Italy and shipped to Male, where three will stay with the other volunteer, Rachel Loveridge, while the remaining four are sent down to Addu with myself. We will be coaching rowing and swimming to children from the local schools as a means of promoting the range of activities offered at the schools. Rachel is also currently working with the juvenile offenders on their island off Male. 

As I was searching for information about the Maldives, and specifically Addu Atoll, on the internet I came across your site and thought with all your readers connections to the atoll they may be interested in hearing about our project! I was also wondering if any of your members may have photos or pictures of the wooden rowing boats the Maldivians, I am assured, used to use? If so it would be lovely to see them. I gather the art of building traditional rowing boats is dying out - apparently the design varied greatly between atolls. I'm hoping to track a few down while I'm out there. The boats we are taking out are fibreglass - not quite so romantic! 

We have a website of our own with a blog so if anyone is interested they can read about our progress. Of course there are lots of photos and more information about the project and what we hope to achieve while we are out there. The project is very much in it's infancy so any help or advice people can offer would be gratefully appreciated!

www.maldivesrowingvolunteer.weebly.com
I hope you enjoy reading about our endeavours and am really looking forward to leaving in 3 days time and all the new experiences that will be coming my way. If anyone is passing through the Atoll and fancy a spin in the boats or see how we're doing please do get in touch.

Kind regards,  Natasha Howard

Hi, Just looking through some old snaps and came across this one, it is the Radio Gan crew July 64.

Click on Image for full Photograph

I was with SASF Nov 63-64 and was the programme manager for the radio station and lots of the staff were actually SASF.

I'm the one, short sleeve shirt holding a beer on my old mates head.

Took the bride to Gan 2007 so much had changed.

Cheers

Keith 'Nick" Nicholson 

Catering Staff from the Late 1960's

Photographs from Pete Thornburgh

Hello,  I admire the scope of your site.  I have a fragment of information for your consideration.  I was a pilot with the RAF and had completed two operational tours between '54 and '59, overseas postings both, with 87 Sqn at RAF Wahn and 151 Sqn at RAF Leuchars.  My next job was 12 months Admin at RAF Sharjah.  As the result of a football injury I was medevacuated to UK with a broken arm and considerable consequent nerve damage.  Eventually I was settled into a looooong period of rehabilitation at (Sound the Trumpets!) RAF Headley Court in Surrey.  In '60 the unit was an RAF-staffed hospital and rehab centre but dealt with members from all the services.  It is more than that now.  My treatment was prolonged but all the staff were dedicated, efficient and friendly, as well as being successful.  I returned to active service in '61 and flying duties in '63.  The Wikipedia site will give you more information.

Cheers, Peter Hart 

Frank Carrington

Hi there,
I thought you might be interested in this photo of the RAF Transport crews who flew the supplies into Gan from RAF Katunayake, Ceylon while the runway was being built.  My father, Flt Lt "Joe" Douglas is the one in the white flying suit and the plane is a Valetta. He was seconded there from RAF Changi, Singapore for 9 months from August 1958 to April 1959.

     

Regards

Diana Newson (Nee Douglas)

Don't know if the origination of the "Road Runner" on the tie is known to you?

Anyway, in 1969/70, one of the staging flights had a Flight Lieutenant called Peter Nutt (no guessing for his nick name- behind his back!!!). Peter went to Singapore on holiday and brought back a large number of plain white tee shirts. We then printed on them S  A (a road runner in picture form) S  F across the chest in large black print. I still have one of the original ones. Since then the Road Runner has been the emblem of we poor souls who served our YEAR on that island. 

A funny story followed the beginning of those tee shirts.  One night we had a load of sailors came to the island (not unusual, you say) but this time they actually landed and helped us to swallow a large quantity of booze. At the same time the SASF boys used a bar at the other end of the complex. One of the sailors was heard to complain that it was very crowded in the main bar and it was suggested to him that he would find it more comfortable at the boys bar, to which he replied. I'm not going there it is full of SAS blokes and they are hard nuts!!! 

I see that you have a picture of a football team showing all their trophies. In my time there weren't any trophies and the SNCO`s had a team which everyone nicknamed "Dad`s Army" but the still couldn't beat us.

I have a great deal of memories of this Island and most of them are very good ones. I was single at the time and single men were sent to Singapore for their holidays where the married ones were sent home to Blighty. My holiday is a story on its own.

I hope this is of use to you? You can contact me at the above e-mail address if you want to.

Herewith a couple of photos of RFA Wave Ruler being handed over to Gan. 1970. [Click on Photograph for larger image.]

Regards

David Gerrard

www.rfaaplymouth.org

I found this slide from my time on Hittadu between, I think, Aug 1959 and Aug 1960.   All I can remember is that a parade was ordered by a departing sergeant and this is what he got !!!

John Mowbray ex J/T