First posting to Air Movements duties March 1957 at Abingdon as Sgt Supp 2 (learned the role as you went along!). SAMO was Flt Lt Hedges, shift officers Fg Off's Gordon Spiers (taught me trim sheets) and James Mc Donald. I started work led by Sgt Pete Smith who taught me loading and lashing basics, restraints etc. Our main aircraft was the Beverley but handled whatever came along. We ended up with thirteen Sgts (I believe) none movements qualified as far as I remember but included  a couple of grounded AQMs'. Sgt John (Paddy) Guerin arrived and was sent on the "long" movements course at Kidbrooke. On his return I was drafted likewise. This was an all rounder course covering movement by road, rail, sea, air and inland waterways. About 12/13 weeks we did. Operations were quite lively at the time especially in the middle east.On my return I did a bit of everything but the new SAMO Flt Lt Jones put me i/c Cargo Control which I did until posted. One day, we had an op on, several shunts to Aden and the its route stations via Nice or Orange, Luqa, Nicosia, and Bahrein. Meanwhile the UGB (UK Germany Beverley) flights were suspended and replaced temporarily by Germany based vehicles from Bruggen. I had to reorganise our documentation systems for this headache but it worked though we did have a massive bill to sort out with HM Customs (will explain another day). We were very stretched manpower wise as many of our airmen, some SNCO's and an officer were dispatched down route to assist other units. (Pre MAMS days!). Very chaotic. Little or no organisation personnel wise. Anyone not being detached remained and all ranks carried out multi-role duties regardless of normal duties, which had to be done regardless. Fantastic esprit de corps.
During a non operational phase we enjoyed a surprise visit by our Transport Command C Mov O, Wg Cdr Morgan I think. I was was on the phone to Mov 3c Air Ministry when he walked in and asked who had selected the load for Spec xxxx? Who had cleared a mixed load of explosives and mixed the groups illegally?  Offload immediately! We were askance, clueless, no idea what he was on about! It seemed we were loading aircraft with explosives and nobody movements-wise local was available and qualified to do this. Out come Durkin and one other dispatched to Calshot to do another long course, Specialist SNCO Explosives.  Before I left for Germany, John Guerin and me were told to meet Fg Off Spiers at the Station Cinema. We watched  some films on Movements and then Gordon told us we were to be employed with the TACAMDU? people. Result, I was deselected due to lack of funds for the project, only one SNCO allowed. John moved on to what was a very mobile role doing lots of flying but I dont know if he became UKMAMS, if he did I think he would certainly be in very early.
A problem with HM Customs at Abingdon came about some time after the the Abingdon - Bruggen vehicles had been running successfully replacing temporarily the Beverley UGB, Tuesday to Wildenrath and return same day plus Thursday to Berlin via Wildenrath and returning Friday. We had a HM Customs officer, Mr Chaundy I think was his name. He was a HMC Collector, a very nice and polite man but a very experienced officer. He came into the Docs Office one day with a sheaf of papers and asked me to look into things as his head office had sent bills for urgent payment addressed to the SAMO Abingdon. I remember the sum was huge, I think it was for something like £140 000! (large but I can't be sure but certainly six figures). Mr C reminded me that the bill was up to a particular date and was growing weekly! It seemed that the inbound vehicles should have had a document which would have been presented at the port of arrival which would have been noted and returned to the driver who would complete it with his return load details for exports and return it to customs on his return trip. Abingdon had not been told of this document, The vehicles were arriving in UK with incomplete documents, customs were not delaying the military loads but were getting the drivers to sign a document. In effect the drivers were signing that the vehicles were being imported and were thus accumulating import duty. We copied lots of manifests which the SAMO delivered to Mov 3 (Air Ministry) and I believe Wg Cdr Cadwallader sorted things out. He later became the top the senior supply and movements office I believe.
I enjoyed my Abingdon tour and was posted December 1959 to HQRAFG, Command Movements staff Munchen Gladbach, later renamed JHQ Rheindalen. I was i/c the Traffic Office where the staff handled the sea bookings, freight, internal and external Com Flights, compassionate cases and civil air bookings. A great tour this. We were planning for civil air trooping and phasing out sea transport. I became Mov Ops 2(a), saw air trooping set up and running. Paddy Guerin joined the team later, was not too impressed as he had been quite happy serving at Sylt. I left Germany for Stafford 1962.
During this tour I was detached to RAF Labuan from March 63 to Oct 63 on air movements duties (following Alfred (Paddy) Vance's team wings!) . We had a very small team where we did a bit of everything including Mobiles, some of these were troop movements, lots of cargo, some "flimsy" dropping, as you can imagine very busy, we were in all resects other than public in a war situation. One in particular we flew a hydraulic jack to Brunei for a grounded Hastings (with Sgt Les Charlesworth who I knew from Kasfareet 1949-52 and Stafford). Most of the mobiles were completed on Twin Pioneers and Single Pioneers. Routine was a daily Hastings PCF from Changi, 3 hour turnround allowed but due to the operational situation we gave a QTR of 45 mins this became accepted and expected by the air crew who could become quite twitchy if the felt they would be late back for tea at Changi
 
Back home at Stafford I was sent to Abingdon for the Advanced Air Movements Course (Reg Carey and Don Wickham instructors). I knew Reg from Abingdon about 1956 worked with Don at Abyad 1954-56. Small world. Shortly after completing the course I ended up at HQFEAF at SABC Singapore as FS Air Cargo for a short time then SNCO i/c Long Range Transport Task Force. a posh title for SNCO i/c UK Pax Bookings for Transport Command Flights, Singapore - UK including route stations. Singapore - FE Theatre.  A brilliant tour work wise and socially. Sadly That was my last involvement with Air Movements (1968) but I did meet Les Charlesworth again at Stafford where we both were presented with Bars to the LS&GC.

Update September 2013:  I forgot to mention I was one of those awarded the GSM Clasp 'Canal Zone' some 60 plus years after the events and I also picked up PJM (Pinjat Jasa Medal) along  with another large parade of male and female ex-service. faster we only had it 37 (years I think - n my case after the odds. HM the Queen gave us the OK to wear it with as normal on the left breast! In that respect I followed Sgt Alfred (Paddy) Vance (later WO MBE) into RAF Labuan April 1963 and Sgt South (forgot his forename was one of two Sgts relieving me and Sgt Harry Kidd who was not a mover but was sent to us to help out. A great lad an Ex Air Gunner. Looked a bit like James Cagney someone once said!

Reg Carey, John Guerin, Jimmie Durkin & Joe Marmion