Probably not the time of day for mosquitos but still water in Dhofar was a source of the parasitic worms which cause both immediate upsets and chronic schistosomiasis which can damage multiple organs.

The webmaster has some concerns about the long term effects of exposure to infectious diseases whilst on overseas service. He personally knows of one person who has had bladder cancer which is more common where someone has had the infection but does not know whether in fact he had schisosomiasis. His bladder could have been damaged by tobacco and/or alcohol so it would be difficult to attribute blame.

There are images on the RE pages of sappers working bare chested in the sun high up on the Hornbeam Line. Unquestionably they were exposed to high levels of UV radiation. Might that have caused their skin cancers or were they caused by a “flash fry” when they went on holiday in Majorca ? Difficult to say.

“Tongue in Cheek” – Could the RAF be blamed for this particular serviceman’s Body Mass Index which look as  if he might be heading for later life Type II Diabetes ?