Operation Codename - Operation BRAGGSTER
Agents - SP 52 SEAL (So Easy And at Leisure) Team
Assault Vehicle - Cessna Conquest II
Vehicle - 1974 VW Passat
Weapons - Strictly hand to mouth combat
Sponsors - Justerini & Brooks
Ministerial approval by - Denmark, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, RSA, Malawi, Kenya & UK
A finely tuned & motivated multinational
team left under BDF protection (genuine!); thanks
to ‘52 PRO Erik (friends in high places)
Bartsch, on a mission that would go down (one of
us anyway) in RT52 history as one of our
greatest.
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| Waved off by bluthering wives and
tearful kids, a solemn silence filled the
aircraft cabin as Tony taxied to the
runway. Unspoken, it was clear to all
that the uppermost question in most minds
was that of the excruciating task ahead
and if we were ever to see our loved ones
again. The atmosphere was almost too much
to bear when Eliah (I’ll look after
the banner) Chembweti "Broke the
Biltong" that had been so lovingly
prepared by his wife Linda. We soon
got over it however, and by the time we
had cleared Selebi Hills the cooler box
was open and Tony has his yellow shirt
on. Craig Britz was getting to grips with
the video camera and pledged to capture
as much ‘evidence’ as possible.
It was to be a long 24hrs!
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Mumba & Eliah
at the Biltong (While Erik secures scraps
for pilot Tony)
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| We easily thwarted Johannesburg North’s
feeble defence effort by smuggling Mumba (I
don’t need a Visa) Mabula through Lanseria
Airport Immigration (something technical about
expiry dates & visas I think). Our suspicions
about how 71 have fallen in grace were heightened
when we heard that the business meeting was no
longer at the Inanda Club but was being held at
some school hall. Ties were off (otherwise a
first time for some of us). Undaunted we got to
the school gates and arrived at the hall 45mins
later! Were they surprised to see us? I think
not, but it didn’t matter. Phillip (I could
have sworn I packed your banner) Bragg made a
purile effort to retain the chair but the bulk of
our Chairman Wayne (spud) English put a stop to
that. The SP52 banner went up, and stayed up! -
SOMEONE forgot to collect it afterwards! Relative
chaos prevailed until he handed the chair to Erik
when all hell REALLY broke loose. These ARTSA
tablers don’t like to stand when they
address the chair. The best excuse was given by
one lad (forget his name now) who when questioned
on why he failed to stand up, answered that he
was in a wheelchair - he was right!
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Erik & Wayne breeze
through immigration (note the stylish shirts and
cleverly concealed J&B!)
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| The ARTSA brand of tabling in certainly
different, no written reports of any kind and
each convenor tried to get away with a mild
"nothing to report" or "all is in
hand". The latter statement was certainly
met with appropriate response when James (A drink
in the hand, can be followed by another) Hughes
was called more that once to administer
"Mexican Scotch’s". For those who
had to drive home there were complimentary
Botswanan eggs; "they slide down your gullet
like a pint of Duckhams on a winters
morning". The most constructive bit of
business performed was the acceptance of a
proposal to shift the date for ARTSA ’98
since it clashed with the ARTCA Area 8 (Botswana)
AGM. It was pleasing to note that ‘71 had
gone to the trouble of organising a PTA meeting
next door which ended just in time for them to
treat us to their leftover cheese & pate. A
nice classy touch guys!
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Sergeant Jamie offering
advice on how present a report
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| After the last egg had been thrown we were
treated to 71’s "usual"
drinking-hole. Tony (How much money do you need?)
Hopkins had by now got fully conversant with the
array of cheap aftermarket toggle-switches
hanging from the dash of the Passatand confidence
was high. His evening was however mysteriously
cut short while "fetching something from the
car". Phillip Bragg enjoyed our company
so much that he wanted us ALL to stay at his
house. A bracing swim saw most of us ready for
more but he was tired. A brilliant breakfast
prepared by daughter et al saw us leaving (in two
flanks) for the journey home. Jamie did send his
girlfriend flowers so I hear we will be welcome
again next time!
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Phillip Bragg showing
customary ARTSA courtesy to the Chair
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| The trip home was delayed somewhat by the
‘shoppers’ when Steve (I’m not
normally fussy) Kenworthy took an hour to choose
a set of golf socks. The impatient
"Passater’s" gave up and headed
north after getting a mountain of Chinese in
Sandton (No decent take-aways in Phikwe). We
caught up at Ellisras just as a self-recruited
mechanic was setting fire to the engine after it
had failed to restart with a full tank. This
turned out to be a blessing since without this
mishap, none would have be treated to Erik
(Shumacher) Bartsch’s towing skills. It
was a dark & dusty Phikwe that saw the merry
band of salted 52’ers return to their
awaiting friends & families. The North (?!)
had been conquered by the North. The Gavel (nice
one too - from 1961 and older than RT52) - and
other nasty loot, had been seized. Gentlemen of
Joburg North 71, do you want it back?
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RT71 Secretary not paying
attention again!
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