I had this email in a few years ago, some may relate to this

My first association with the Hastybird came at RAF Negombo in 1952/3. I was a lad of 14 going on 15 and there was a Hastings wreck up on the airfield which me and my mates Nobby Clarke and Dickie Hird used to frequent.. It was a great place to hide away and read our Hank Janson books and smoke the odd cigarette and play pilots. In 1953, I passed the entrance exam to RAF Halton and flew back to the UK to join up in a Hastings.  As I remember, we night-stopped at Mauripur (Karachi) Habbaniya and Idris.. Luckily a Wg Cdr padre was my parentis in loco.. so I was billetted in officers messes..The next time I came into contact with the venerable old bird was 1958 ? when a gang of us were detached from 32 MU St Athan to RAF Colerne to carry out base servicing on aircraft which were needed for deployment.. I believe to the middle east somewhere..In 1959  I was posted to Changi.. luckily the trip out was by Britannia.. However, little did I know that my association with the Hastings was about to recommence..  I served in ASF at Changi until I was tourex in 1962.. There's quite a few stories I can relate about that experience.. but one in particular stands out.. You'll remember that when letting the aircraft down off jacks. the tail oleo had a tendency to stick.. so you had to get the tail jack out pretty smartly.. One of our riggers was a bit langsam (slow).. and the oleo collapsed and the tail jack punched a hole in the rear fuselage skin..  I did a temporary skin repair.. and it was signed off as such in the F700.. Some 3 years later, I was on the Victor airframe course at Handley Page's at Radlett.. and when we walked round the factory.. sure enough there was this Hastings being readied for delivery after it's refit.. Guess what.. Yep.. my temporary repair was still in place.. There's lots more I could relate.. about magnesium alloy rivets.. dodgy dzus fasteners..PK screws when anchor nuts were missing... plymax flooring corrosion.. and twinlay cables..But I guess that's enough for now    

Bob (Tich) Young        

Here are some slides taken of Hastings in Changi during the middle of 1963. The slides were in a very bad condition and have had to be 'massaged' some appearing better than others.

This next photo was taken at sunset on the 22nd June 1963. I was driving to RAF Changi Hospital to see our first daughter, who was born that day. It was beautiful sunset ending a beautiful day for my wife and I.