Story of a duck

The photo is 20 squadron celebrating their 50th anniversary in Singapore in 1965. The duck which was named Sierra, is circled in red and was the squadron mascot. He was bought, together with his mate Tango, as day old ducks late one night down Bugis Street, by an inebriated airman and released the next morning in the squadron operating area. They never lacked for anything to eat or drink as there were dozens of erks around to feed and water them.

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Their names were derived from the two T7 Hunters which we had and whose squadron codes were S(ierra) and T(ango). If you look closely you will see both T7s parked at the end of the line.

They soon grew accustomed to the sound of loud jet engines as the aircraft taxied in and out of their hardstandings. Occasionally they would take to the air if caught in the jet blast of a taxiing Hunter, but it never seemed to do them any harm, they were birds after all.

When the squadron went on detachment, a Beverly (large transport aircraft) would come in to pick up both us and the ground servicing equipment. Needless to say, Sierra and Tango were also loaded on board. On arrival at the detachment airbase they would be released in the new squadron operating area and they took to it like the proverbial duck takes to water.

In the evenings after flying had finished for the day, the chaps would usually retire to the NAFFI for beers. And of course we were accompanied by Sierra and Tango. It wasn't long before the ducks were invited to join us on the table and there to my great shame I corrupted both birds into the habit of drinking Tiger beer. You’ve not seen anything until you have seen two drunken ducks.

All efforts to convince our pilots to take one of the birds up in a Hunter so it could fly through the sound barrier met with a resounding NO.

We did have a tortoise which was taken into the air in a Hunter and exceeded the  speed of sound. Making it possibly the fastest tortoise in the world.

The ducks were still wandering around the squadron when I finished my tour and returned to old Blighty. A couple of years later the UK pulled back from east of Suez, which meant the disbandment of the squadron, but I never found out what happened the two ducks after that.