Hi
I served on Gan for a brief time as an engine mechanic attached to SASF from RAF Katunayake in May/June 1959. Landed and took off on the old 'cross the island runway' as the main runway was not completed by this time.
I went back to the UK on March 1st 1960 via Gan unfortunately the Hastings we were travelling in landed in the sea 1.5 miles short of the runway threshhold, all survived the ordeal.
I am in touch with many Gan Pioneers from this time, all the names and section worked in are on my site above.
We can read about the floods in Mali, but what about those poor people in Gan has anyone heard anything as to whether the island is still there??
Jim
ex Rockape 1962/63
The only thing I have heard is that Male is/was underwater, that 200 islands have communication problems and 15 or more islands of the 1192 have been washed away according to reports. I did read where they were asking people with dhoni boats on Willingili to help fellow islanders in Addu Atoll. Sad state of affairs all round
This website covers a lot of the islands that make up the Maldives Chain, it reported on Wednesday that Equator Village (ex RAF Gan) was unaffected by the tsunami
Difficult without names and trade etc but who knows , hens eggs have turned up before!JC
Hello John,
I hope you can help me. I am looking for an ex-RAF type that I knew at Finningley [230OCU Vulcans] around 1961-63, whom I remember was posted to Gan around early-1963. I believe he was, then, an airmech or similar, posted as a Cpl.
FYI - I served in the RAF from 1957-66 mostly with BC & CC, latterly with 224 SQN Gibraltar [the beautiful Shackleton] then finished at HQCC Northwood before leaving on transfer to the RAAF. I served a further 22 years in Intel with the Aussie mob before retiring here on the Indian Ocean coast north of Perth.