The Red Arrows closed the

commemorative events in
London in a Vulcan
formation, representing
the contribution of the
Vulcan bomber to
the 1982 conict.
See The Vulcan bomber in
action Operation
BLACK BUCK, Page 8

Sir Peter Squire GCB DFC AFC

DSc FRAES

A notable victory for

Air Power
FOREWORD

t the outset of Operation

CORPORATE, it was difficult
to see how the Royal Air Force
could play a major role because of the vast
distances involved and the lack of suitable
mounting bases. Before the Argentine
invasion took place, our capability would
have amounted to no more than flying
Hercules transport aircraft into Port
Stanleys short and reportedly unsuitable
runway, with but a few lightly armed
troops. There was little off-runway parking
space and insufficient fuel available to
recover the aircraft, even if we had sent
them. The nearest base, to which we
had access, was Wideawake Airfield on
Ascension Island, some 3,900 miles away
across open ocean, and approximately only
halfway between the UK and the Falklands.
Hence the operation to recover the Islands
was at first perceived as being largely a
Royal Navy / Royal Marines operation.
Indeed, it was of course initially hoped
that the presence of the Task Force
would be sufficient in itself to cause the
Argentine forces to withdraw. In the event,
however, we became involved in a full
scale joint operation, which involved both

amphibious landings and an extensive

land campaign with all the demands for
air support that they entailed. However,
when considering the campaign, the initial
perception is important.
In the time it took to assemble the Task
Force and then for it to transit south to the
combat zone, our intentionally NATOoriented air force acquired, or in some
cases re-acquired, the ability to project
effective air power over these enormous
distances. Thus many of the aircraft, which
subsequently became involved, required
modification and the time available
was put to good use; ingenuity and an
outstanding response from our Britishbased aircraft industry, plus some timely
assistance from our friends notably the
US provided us with the capabilities
which, in the end, enabled the Royal Air
Force to make an important contribution to
the success of the operation.
At the start of the crisis, the first requirement
was to build the airhead on Ascension, a
small volcanic island catering for just over
1,000 residents, whose airfield was used to
handling just two or three aircraft per week.

It lacked fuel, water and aircraft parking

areas and yet, in only a few weeks, it was
able to handle movements equal at times to
the worlds busiest airports. Had Ascension
Island not been available, the job of
repossessing the Falkland Islands and South
Georgia would undoubtedly have been very
much more difficult. Indeed, it might have
proved militarily impossible.

aircraft strength possessed by the enemy.

However, their aircraft were older, less
capable and, although operating only 350
400 miles from their bases, were short on
combat endurance over the Falklands. This
handicap would be remedied if they could
use Port Stanley as a forward operating
base for refuelling and re-arming their
combat aircraft.

From the outset, RAF transport aircraft

delivered a constant stream of men and
freight for trans-shipping by helicopter
to the vessels of the Task Force, which
had been assembled in haste, often with
loading incomplete, because not all of
the equipment required was immediately
available. Recognising the vital importance
of Ascension Island, steps were taken to
defend it. Initially Harriers, supported
by a mobile air defence radar, provided
some air defence cover. Subsequently
the Harriers were replaced by Phantoms,
while elements of the RAF Regiment
were deployed to provide ground defence
against a possible attack by Argentine
Special Forces.

The Argentine forces had to be denied,

therefore, the use of Port Stanley for the
operation of fighter bomber aircraft and,
since the limited number of Sea Harriers
had to be preserved for the air defence of
the Task Force, the Vulcan offered at the
outset of the campaign the only option
with any reasonable statistical chance of
penetrating and cutting the runway with
the weapons available. This it achieved on
the first raid and, although the Argentine
forces were able to maintain a limited
airlift with transport aircraft some 30
sorties in all no high performance aircraft
ever used the Port Stanley runway and,
since that was the foremost aim, the Vulcan
and subsequent Harrier counter-air effort
can be seen to have been successful.

The distance of the Falklands from the UK,

and more particularly from Ascension,
dictated the use of in-flight refuelling for
almost all operations mounted into the
South Atlantic. In order to permit even
long-range aircraft to operate in-theatre,
meant equipping them for receiving fuel
in flight. The equipment on the Vulcan
had not been used for more than 10 years
because of the aircrafts purely European
role, for which it had adequate range. This
had to be activated and the crews trained.
The Nimrod in-flight refuelling installation
was designed, installed, tested and cleared
for use in just three weeks, and permitted
the mounting of long-range surveillance
operations right down the Argentine coast.
The two squadrons of Victor tankers were
very heavily committed in support of these
operations.
The most dramatic and highly published of
the long-range operations was undoubtedly
the Vulcan bombing attacks on Stanley
airfield. An early appreciation showed that
the major threat to the Task Force was from
the air and, with only two carriers and a
limited number of Sea Harriers, it was only
possible to deploy a quarter of the combat

Moreover, that initial raid against the

runway on 1 May, which heralded
the opening of active hostilities in the
campaign, had a most salutary effect upon
the enemy. Not only must it have dented
the morale of the Argentine forces on the
Islands but, more importantly, it showed
the Junta that the Royal Air Force had the
capability to attack targets on the mainland
itself. It is now known that their Mirage III
air defence fighters were redeployed away
from the southern airbases after 1 May to
defend Buenos Aires plus air and naval
targets in the north, and this accounts for
the fact that the subsequent attacks by
fighter bomber aircraft did not have fighter
escort. Had they done so, it would have
posed a far more difficult problem to the
Sea Harriers, which accounted for the bulk
of enemy aircraft shot down, and drove
many others to jettison weapons and head
for home.
Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft were the
first combat aircraft to become involved in
CORPORATE; they commenced operations
from Ascension on 7 April, following
the invasion by Argentina five days

earlier. Effective surface and sub-surface

surveillance of enemy naval forces was of
great importance to the Task Force. This
was a formidable, indeed at the outset
a seemingly impossible task with the
distances involved and the great expanse
of ocean to be covered. The Nimrods
normal radius of action was some 1,900
miles but, by the end of April, the hastily
fitted air-to-air refuelling capability
enabled them to provide direct support to
the Task Force right down to the Falklands
and to monitor shipping in the inshore
areas off the South Argentine ports.
Owing to the relatively few numbers of
Sea Harriers available, and the worst case
predictions on potential losses in combat,
the RAF was directed to make available
GR3 Harriers as attrition replacements.
Following considerable modification,
including most importantly the fitting
of an air-to-air missile capability, six
aircraft were sent south via Ascension,
where they embarked in Atlantic Conveyor
for passage to the Total Exclusion Zone.
On arrival, they cross decked to HMS
Hermes not, in the event as attrition
replacements but as reinforcements and
rightly committed to the attack role, both
as a Task Force asset as well as in close
support of the Land Component. Over
the next seven weeks, operating from both
Hermes and the Forward Operating Base at
Port San Carlos, they carried out the full
gamut of offensive and reconnaissance
missions before going ashore in early July,
to operate from Stanley primarily in the
air defence role.
No record of the Falklands War would
be complete without mention of support
helicopter operations. The Royal Navy
provided the majority mainly Sea Kings
and Wessex of the 160 helicopters, which
were in theatre at the height of the land
battle. The Army Air Corps provided
Scout and Gazelle light helicopters
and, after losing three Chinooks, which
sank with the Atlantic Conveyor, the
RAF contribution was but one solitary
Chinook, which happened to be airborne
at the time the Exocet struck.
After the San Carlos landings, it quickly
became clear that many of the wheeled
vehicles could not be used in the advance

on Port Stanley and, with the prevailing

ground conditions and lack of roads,
support helicopters became the primary
means of movement and re-supply.
Indeed, the scale of helicopter support
was unprecedented in the experience
of British Forces and it put great strains
on the refuelling organisation, which
had not been scaled to match this rate of
tasking, and much of this vital equipment
had been lost with the Atlantic Conveyor.
Moreover, that one Chinook was the
only means of moving some of the larger
items of equipment. Consequently, there
was a lack of forward refuelling sites
and this cost much vital on task time.
Nevertheless, over the next four weeks,
that one Chinook carried over 1,500
troops, 1,600 tons of stores and equipment
and 650 prisoners of war more than a
whole squadron of Sea Kings over the
same period and so earned the praise of
ground forces.
Throughout the campaign, the air defence
of the Task Force remained the primary
role of the Sea Harriers, supported
by ship-borne weapons systems. Sea
Harriers flew over 1,100 air defence sorties
and, whilst scoring 27 claimed kills,
suffered no losses in air-to-air combat.
The Royal Air Force made a small but
significant contribution to the Sea Harrier
effort. One in four of the pilots to fly with
those two high scoring Naval Squadrons
were RAF; indeed the first Argentine
aircraft shot down were destroyed by RAF
pilots flying RN Sea Harriers.
In the final analysis, it was a notable
victory and important lessons were
learned or re-learned about the
capabilities of Air Power and the need
for strategic reach. At every level, both
military and civilian, individual ingenuity
ensured that equipment effectiveness was
optimised to the nature of the conflict;
indeed, more so than many would ever
have considered possible. Above all,
however, it was the quality of our people
sailors and merchant seamen, soldiers
and airmen that won the day. Their
ability, through physical fitness, mental
toughness and thorough training, to
adapt to the conditions and cooperate
together in battle, gave a decisive
advantage.

FRONT COVER

The 25th anniversary of the end of the Falklands conflict was

commemorated across 8,000 miles and five times zones, in
London and the Falkland Islands on Sunday 17 June 2007.
(Photographed by Sergeant Mick Howard, RLC)
Inset pictures, left to right:
The Vulcan bomber in action
Operation BLACK BUCK, page 8
A South Atlantic sojourn, page 16
Chinook Bravo November, page 14

The official RAF website: http://www.raf.mod.uk/downloads/sota.html

The Ministry of Defence Freedom of Information Website: http://www.
mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FreedomOfInformation/PublicationScheme/
SearchPublicationScheme/SpiritOfTheAir.htm
The Defence Intranet: http://defenceintranet.diiweb.r.mil.uk/DefenceIntranet/
Library/BrowseDocumentCategories/OrgsRollHist/RoyalAirForce/
ChiefOfAirStaff/SpiritOfTheAir.htm
Please note that the inaugural Issue of Spirit of the Air can be found on the:
RAF Heritage website: http://www.raf.mod.uk/heritage

Volume 2 Number 4 2007

1 Foreword: A notable victory for Air Power
6 News from the News
8 The Vulcan bomber in action Operation BLACK BUCK
12 Victors at Ascension
14 Chinook Bravo November
16 A South Atlantic sojourn
18 The first operational C-130 air-to-air refuel in the South Atlantic
24 Nimrods, Ascension Island and the Falklands conflict
27 Conundrums of leadership in the RAF from the Falkland Islands campaign
30 Bomb disposal in the Falklands
34 The RAF Regiment on Operation CORPORATE
37 RAF Familiarisation Training Programme
38 Airspace matters: No 1 Air Control Centre Ops in Afghanistan
40 Flight safety with Wg Cdr Spry
42 Book reviews
44 Falklands prize Quiz
46 Reader survey: The results
48 Air Talk

Managing
Editor

Editor

hazel.rice510@mod.uk

Designed By

Hazel Rice

Jay Myers

jay.myers420@mod.uk

Harvey Grainger
Dave Mitchinson
John Griffiths
Pauline Aquilina

Spirit of the Air

RAF IMTTP
St Georges Court
Floor 1, Zone A
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London, WC1A 2SH
Tel: 0207-305-2166
Mil: 96305-2166
Fax: 0207-305-4145

Distributed by:
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NewsNewsNewsNewsNewsNewsNews

News from the News

By Steve Willmot

Longest RAF bombing mission

Left to right: Former Squadron Leaders Hugh Prior, Dick Russell, Bob
Tuxford, Derek Aldred and Tony Wright (Alan Chandler, AC Photographic)

Veteran pilots, who took part in the longest

bombing mission in the RAFs history during the
Falklands conflict, have been reunited after 25
years. On 1 May 1982 Operation BLACK BUCK
carried out the first of many successful missions
to destroy the Argentine air and air defence
assets. This included a hastily planned raid that
saw Port Stanley airfield put out of use before
the UK forces retook the Islands. Vulcan and
Victor crew members met at RAF Waddington
and are pictured in front of the delta-wing Vulcan
XM607 the actual aircraft that spearheaded the
raids which is now on display there. Squadron
Leader Dick Russell, a Victor pilot and one of just
a few experts in Victor-Vulcan air-to-air refuelling
(AAR), was selected to fly as advisor on board
XM607 during the operation. I was told I had
just 12 days to train up Vulcan flight crews in the
art of AAR techniques before we were deployed
and I was told to go along so they could learn
while the actual mission was underway!

Flypast brings curtain

down on events

Military aircraft flew over London on Sunday 17 June 2007 bringing to

a close official commemorative events held to mark the 25th anniversary
of the end of the Falklands conflict. Aircraft and aircrew from the three
Services represented all of the squadrons that took part in the campaign
for the Falkland Islands in 1982. As they flew over Buckingham Palace
for the commemoration, they were reviewed by HRH The Prince of
Wales, HRH The Duke of York and the Prime Minister. The 27 fixed-wing
aircraft included Hawks representing the Royal Navy Sea Harriers and
RAF Harriers, the Red Arrows flying a Vulcan formation to represent
the contribution of the Vulcan bomber, and the new Typhoon fighter
representing the 29 (Fighter) Squadron Phantom jets that provided air
defence over Ascension Island. The 22 rotary-wing aircraft included
several Sea Kings, Merlins, and Joint Helicopter Commands Chinook,
Lynx and Apache attack helicopters.

Five Typhoons form part of the flypast over

Buckingham Palace (Allan House)

Tribute to a fallen hero

The remains of World War II RAF fighter pilot, Flight Lieutenant
Desmond Ibbotson, have been laid to rest in a special rededication
ceremony in Assisi, Italy, nearly 63 years after his death. He was born in
Harewood near Leeds and died at the age of 23. Ibbotson, who shot down
11 (confirmed) enemy aircraft and survived being shot down by the enemy
three times, was tragically killed in a test flight when his Spitfire crashed
close to Assisi in November 1944. For his courageous flying in combat,
Ibbotson received a Distinguished Flying Cross in 1943. The reinterment
ceremony, included personnel from the Queens Colour Squadron of the
RAF, and Desmond Ibbotsons family. The ceremony also had special
meaning for the inhabitants of Assisi as it took place on the anniversary of
the liberation of the town by Allies in 1944.
Flt Lt Desmond Ibbotson as a young man (RAF)

Royal Tea at Bentley Priory

World record bid

for charity
The RAF has helped charity fundraiser Polly
Vacher to launch her bid to set a world record
for landing at the most airfields in the UK in a
two-month period. During the journey, aviatrix
Polly hopes to raise thousands of pounds for
Flying Scholarships for the Disabled (FSD)
a charity that promotes air mindedness and
personal achievement among the physically
disabled. Polly plans to land her Piper Dakota
at all of the 206 airfields in the UK (17 of them
military) that feature in the official manual
of British airfields, Jeppesen Bottlangs Airfield
Manual. A Typhoon from 11 Squadron, flying
as part of a training sortie, was on hand at its
home in RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, to give
her fundraising marathon a flying start. Polly
hopes to fly each leg with a physically disabled
passenger to promote FSD and raise funds for
more scholarships.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall chat with

Air Commodore (retd) Pete Brothers, Chairman of the
Battle of Britain Fighter Association (RAF)

His Royal Highness Prince Charles and HRH The

Duchess of Cornwall joined veteran aircrew from
the Battle of Britain at their spiritual home at RAF
Bentley Priory in London on 15 June. The former
stately home was identified in 1936 by Commanderin-Chief Fighter Command, Air Chief Marshal Lord
Dowding, as his headquarters from which he masterminded the Battle of Britain. More than 20 veterans
from the Battle chatted about their experiences to
Prince Charles and his wife Camilla over tea as part
of the BBFAs annual summer gathering. Guests
were then treated to a spectacular Spitfire and
Hurricane display from the RAF Coningsby-based
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Wg Cdr Vivian
Snell of 501 Sqn, RAF Kenley, was 22 when he was
shot down after destroying a German Bf 109 towards
the end of the battle. He baled out and watched
his Hurricane crash into a field at Brenchley near
Tonbridge in Kent. As he chatted to the Prince
he pointed out his caterpillar tie, which aircrew
are entitled to wear if their lives are saved by a
parachute. Sgt Tony Pickering also flew Hurricanes
from 501 Sqn. On September 11 he was shot down by
a Bf 109 and baled out, landing in the Guards Depot
in Caterham. He said: I couldnt believe the soldiers
were prodding me with bayonets after I landed but
then I realised it was because I was dizzy and unable
to talk clearly. Also it was so hot that summer none
of us wore much more than a shirt with no rank or
markings. No wonder they thought I was German.
Once it was sorted out I was given a large glass of
whisky by the Colonel, who ordered his personal
car to take me back to Kenley. I was flying again
the next day.

Polly Vachers Piper Dakota alongside a Typhoon

from RAF Coningsby (John Dunbar)

Aircraft tractors
enhance capability
The RAF has invested in new aircraft towing tractors
that enhance ground handling and protect the
environment at the same time by saving thousands of
pounds on fuel. The RAF purchased 32 Large Aircraft
Tow Tractors (LATTs) to move such heavy aircraft as
the giant C-17 Globemasters and Tristar passenger
jets. The tractors will be distributed across all RAF
main operating bases including RAF Brize Norton in
Oxfordshire, RAF Marham in Norfolk and RAF Kinloss
in Scotland. Others will operate in the Falklands,
Ascension Island, Akrotiri and Gibraltar.

The Vulcan bomber in action

Operation BLACK BUCK

By Martin Withers

s a modern airline pilot, I could

jump into an Airbus A330 on
Ascension Island, fill the tanks
with up to 110 tons of fuel, programme
the Flight Management Computer, align
the Inertial Reference System (updated by
GPS), fire up the economical Rolls Royce
Trent engines and cruise to the Falklands
and back in comfort.
So why was it such a feat for a single Vulcan
to cover that same route in 1982 and put just
one bomb on the runway at Port Stanley?
The idea of using the Vulcan to mount
an attack on the Argentine forces, which
would require the support of the whole
Victor tanker force, was the brainchild
of the then Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Sir
Michael Beetham, himself both a bomber
and tanker pilot. However, his plan was
met with much scepticism.
Why did it not seem feasible?
Range
The Vulcan was designed for operations
against the USSR, with a maximum range
of about 2,500 miles. The round trip over
the South Atlantic from Ascension to the
Falklands and back was more than 7,000
miles. Although the Vulcan was equipped
with an air-to-air refuelling (AAR) system,
these had all been deactivated in 1967 and
no crews had any experience of tanking.
Bombing accuracy
All the V-bombers (Vulcan, Victor, Valiant)
were designed to carry a nuclear weapon
and a large number of conventional bombs.
The Vulcans bomb bay would hold 21 x
1,000lb HE bombs. However, by the mid1970s it was decided that the Vulcan should
no longer have a secondary, conventional
role, and all such bombing would be left
to Jaguars, Buccaneers, Harriers and later
Tornados. Quite simply, the Vulcans
bombing system was not accurate enough.
Using the H2S radar, very little different
from the one in the Lancaster, with an
ancient analogue computer to work out the
bomb release point, a gyro-compass system

to align the radar to true north, and little

more than guesswork to determine the
wind effect on the bomb as it fell, hitting
the airfield, let alone the runway, would be
quite an achievement!
Navigational accuracy
Although considered good enough to go to
war against Russia, at night and in cloud,
the Vulcans position was plotted using
an old fashioned (World War II) Ground
Position Indicator (GPI). This centrepiece of
the navigators panel would constantly click
over the changes in Lat and Long, albeit
with inputs of ground speed and drift from
a modern Doppler system, and heading
information from the Heading Reference
System (HRS) a large gyro-compass
system which automatically adjusted for
magnetic variation. But errors build up in
a GPI and the aircraft position needs to be
constantly updated. Ideally, this would be
done by transferring a radar fix. In this,
the two navigators, Nav Plotter and Nav
Radar, worked together as a team to keep
the aircraft on track. A good team, with the
radar on and the GPI updated, could be
trusted to steer the pilots down valleys in
cloud or at night. But there would not be
much to fix on over 3,500 miles of South
Atlantic Ocean. Shooting astro while
refuelling might prove difficult!
Vulnerability
We were trained to recognise and react to
threats from Russian fire control radars
associated with SAMs and fighter aircraft.
The rear end of the aircraft was full of
jammers, specifically tuned to Russian radar
frequencies, but we had little to counter the
Argentine equipment. We were acutely
aware that a low-level attack, even at around
400kts and 300 feet at night, would make the
Vulcan a nice, meaty target for their radarcontrolled Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns.
So what made it possible?
What most impressed those involved
during the final build-up to the Falklands

The type of
attack, not lowlevel laydown
using retarded
bombs, but a
pop-up attack,
dropping from
above 8,000
feet, was finally
approved by
the CAS...

Conflict (Operation CORPORATE), and

of the war itself was the wonderful cando attitude which pervaded everywhere.
Nothing was too much trouble, normal
peacetime rules and financial constraints
went out of the window, and common sense
prevailed. Our engineers managed to find
parts to reactivate the AAR systems on the
aircraft, and overcame problems of leaking
probes and jammed fuel valves.

and bank with maximum payload. A

wonderful aeroplane.

The bomb-racks and control systems,

including the bomb selection mechanism (90way), were miraculously found - they should
have been thrown away years previously!

The Nav Plotters were given a piece

of kit that would greatly improve the
navigational accuracy. Carousel Inertial
Navigation Systems were acquired and
rather crudely plumbed into the aircraft
we no longer needed the sextant!

The nav teams were given a quick refresher

course on the conventional bombing system,
or in the case of my crew, Bob Wright
(Radar) and Gordon Graham (Plotter), a
slightly longer introductory course!
We trained hard, flying 11 times in 14 days
equivalent to about four months work for
a typical Vulcan crew in 1982!
The captains were taught the art of AAR.
It was great sport. The Vulcan is a joy to
fly in formation, but why did they put that
probe there? Unlike just about any other
aircraft, the probe is not in view of the
pilots line of sight during the final stages
of making contact with the basket.
We dropped live bombs at low level at
night on Garvie Island (very dark and
bumpy with big cliffs around), practised
pop-up attacks for ballistic releases from
around 8,000 feet, and had plenty of
realistic night low level flying around
the Scottish Isles. We really put the old
Vulcan through her paces, flying beyond
the original flight test parameters of speed

The Nav Radars position was up-rated

to bombing competition spec, with triple
offset boxes enabling him to aim on a
selection of radar returns during the attack,
both to refine the aiming and, hopefully,
to find an aiming point close to the actual
target to minimise error.

The Air Electronics Officers (AEOs) also

got a new toy. A Westinghouse ECM pod,
borrowed from the Buccaneer, was slung
under the starboard wing using an RSJ
from the local builders merchants, itself
attached to the Skybolt missile mounts.
The frequencies used by Argentine forces
had been discovered and these were preprogrammed into the jammer.
The type of attack, not low-level laydown
using retarded bombs, but a pop-up attack,
dropping from above 8,000 feet, was finally
approved by the CAS. This would not only
ensure a much larger crater from a freefall
bomb, but gave more time for aiming and
made the aircraft much less vulnerable.
At this altitude we would, theoretically,
be outside the range of the Oerlikons, and
would be turning away from the airfield by
the time the bombs exploded.
As a final boost to the morale of the Vulcan
captains, it was decided that a Victor
refuelling instructor (AARI) would fly

with each of us on the mission. The same

enthusiasm was not shared by certain Victor
pilots! Dick Russell, who had never even
flown as a co-pilot in his entire flying career,
had been volunteered to come with me,
taking off on the evening of his 50th birthday.
His birthday present was to go to war for
the first time, sitting on his parachute in the
dark, down the back of a Vulcan . . .
How did it work out?
Ascension Island is some 3,700 miles from
the Falklands, with no diversion airfields
in between. While Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
was available to the Vulcan, it was only to
be used as a last-ditch, emergency option.
For this reason, the whole mission plan
involved providing enough fuel for all
eleven Victors to take the Vulcan down, and
a further recovery mission to send tankers to
meet it on its way back. In total, on BLACK
BUCK 1, this required 18 tanker sorties, 23
air-to-air refuellings (7 to the Vulcan) and a
total of 635,000lb of fuel transferred.
There was no spare capacity in the
formation and no reserve tankers.
Fortunately, only one aircraft became
unserviceable, the Primary Vulcan. My
crew were airborne in the reserve bomber
when we learnt that John Reeves aircraft
would not pressurise. No Victor or its
refuelling equipment let us down.
Only one out of all the refuellings did
not go as planned. When we hit a
storm around the ITCZ (Intertropical
Convergence Zone), we had to close in
from our relaxed loose formation position
to maintain visual contact with the last
two remaining Victors, only to observe
them trying to transfer fuel while bouncing
up and down in turbulence with the
hose whipping around, making a join-up
virtually impossible.
During this phase, the tanker attempting to
fill up his tanks to take us on to the descent
point broke the end off his probe. This
should have meant aborting the whole
mission, but with quick thinking, the two
Victors switched roles and the receiver
became the tanker and transferred as
much fuel as he dared he now had no
probe if he got the sums wrong!

10

The Victor which had now become the

receiver, captained by Bob Tuxford, then
took us to the descent point. There, at
considerable personal risk, since it was
not part of the refuelling plan, they left
themselves without sufficient fuel to get
back to Ascension. Even so, they were still
unable to give us all the fuel we wanted.
Unknown to us, the Vulcan was burning
far more fuel than had been planned.
No one had accurately assessed the
consumption of a Vulcan cruising at levels
and speeds to suit the heavy Victors. As
we were constantly topping up to make a
return to Ascension possible at all times,
we remained close to maximum take-off
weight, and fuel consumption was up by
50% as a consequence.
Up until the moment when Bob Tuxford
turned north, leaving us about 5,000lb below
the planned amount, we had no concerns
about fuel, our gauges always looked very
healthy. This was not the case for many of
the Victors, who were religiously sticking
to the plan and giving us all we asked for,
as we stayed plugged in until the specific
geographical points denoting the end of
each bracket. At which point they would
peel off rapidly and recover to Ascension
on fumes. With no parallel taxiway at
Ascension, Victors were landing, and then
had no option but to taxi to the end of the
runway while others landed behind luckily
no ones brakes failed!

A Vulcan bomber drops its bombs

during a training mission (MoD)

The attack phase of the mission was tense,

but went like clockwork. We let down to
low level about 250 miles from the target
to stay below the cover of the Skyguard
Early Warning (EW) Radar, and then
seemed to fly for ages at low level over
the sea, aware of the moon glinting on the
water, but little else. Pete Taylor (Co-pilot)
was flying, Hugh Prior (AEO) was paying
attention to his Passive Warning Receiver
(PWR) with plenty of noise coming from
the radars of our own fleet, including firecontrol radars locked on we hoped they
had received the signal informing them of
our attack! Gordon Graham (Plotter) was
watching his Carousel, in which he still
did not have complete faith; Bob Wright
(Radar) had nothing to look at because
his radar had to remain switched off until
just before starting the attack for fear of
announcing our arrival to the EW radar
operators. As for poor Dick Russell, he
was simply regretting the day he ever set
eyes on a Vulcan!
When we thought we had 40 miles to run,
I took control and with full power poppedup to 10,000 feet to start the run in.

When we thought
we had 40 miles
to run, I took
control and with
full power
popped-up to
10,000 feet
to start the
run in...

Our position was good. Bob found his

main aiming point on the headland, and
stuck with it, as other offsets he looked
for did not show up clearly. As we
approached the release point, all was very
calm and steady. We could see some lights
on the airfield through broken cloud,
still a couple of miles away. Then, after
shedding around 10 tons of bombs, we
turned and climbed for home. The attack
seemed successful but we would have to
wait a couple of days for the score (sorry
bombing competition lingo!). In the final
stages of the attack, one of the fire control
radars had locked onto us, but Hugh used
the Westinghouse pod to jam it and broke
the lock. I am glad that I didnt know at
the time!
We were very short of fuel when we met
up with the Victor off the coast of Brazil. I
clearly remember that beautiful sight of a
Victor turning in front of us with its hose
trailing. Somewhat akin to finding a petrol
station open at night when in a car with the
fuel gauge on empty; but even better! No one
has calculated whether we really could have
made Rio if we had been unable to refuel.

We did have a few fraught moments as

the probe leaked when in contact, and fuel
flooded over the windscreen making it like
flying in formation in a carwash, but we were
able to take on enough fuel to get us home.
The total flight time was 15 hours 45
minutes, and until surpassed in the Gulf
War, was the longest bombing mission in
the history of aerial warfare.
Was it worth it?
Little credit is usually given to the effect of
the BLACK BUCK missions (three bombing
attacks and two Shrike (anti-radar missile)
attacks). Most military historians fail to
mention that BLACK BUCK 1 opened the
UKs action against the Argentine forces.
The actual damage caused by all the attacks
was small, but their effect was considerable.
Port Stanley airfield was denied to fighter
aircraft for the rest of the war. But, possibly
more importantly, Britain demonstrated an
ability to attack the Argentine mainland,
and for this reason, squadrons of Mirages
were redeployed from the south to defend
airfields and HQs in the north of Argentina.
This significantly reduced the numbers of
fighter aircraft capable of operating over
the Falklands, which could have supported
their fighter-bombers, and made life very
different for our aircraft.
After the Shrike attacks, all radars were
turned off whenever any aircraft was seen
approaching within about 40 miles, thereby
denying the enemy a clear picture of what
was going on in the air around the Islands.
The final BLACK BUCK mission, on 12
June, two days before the final surrender,
will have been a further blow to morale,
by demonstrating that while our ground
forces may have been running out of
supplies and munitions, Britain could
continue to mount attacks from Ascension
ad infinitum.
XM607
On all three bombing missions, the aircraft
used was XM607 making it the only
Vulcan to have dropped a bomb in anger.
So, when you see this aircraft as the gate
guardian at RAF Waddington, dont forget
its unique place in history.

11

Victors at Ascension
By Air Cdre Tony Gunby

t was a couple of days after the

Argentine invasion that I first read of it
even then I couldnt get to grips with
why a South American country had invaded
islands which I presumed were somewhere
to the north of Scotland. Confident there
would be no role anyway for the Victor, I
resumed my trekking in the Yorkshire Dales.
I returned to Marham to find the Station
in a whirl of activity: Vulcan pilots being
trained to in-flight refuel for the first
time in 20 years, engineers working on a
Maritime Radar Reconnaissance (MRR)
capability for the Victor, and refuelling
towlines being flown to increase the
number of tanker-qualified Victor pilots.
Separately, work was underway to enable
Nimrod in-flight refuelling and, on 28/29
April, I flew to British Aerospace Woodford
to trial a rapidly-installed refuelling probe
on a Nimrod and, the next day, do it for
real over the North Sea.
May 1982 was a crazy month. I flew the
equivalent of three months normal flying
26 out of 31 days mainly on Nimrod
and Hercules tanking sorties, but also two
trips to Banjul in The Gambia, deploying
Harriers to the naval Task Force. There, our
accommodation bore the pit marks of the
recent abortive coup and there was still a
dusk-to-dawn curfew. Called from our beds
one night with orders to fly to Ascension as
soon as possible, breaking the curfew and
running the road blocks was an interesting
experience, but capped when face-to-face
with an agitated and armed Senegalese
soldier woken from his sleep when my
captain trod on him while trying to wake the
ex-pat British Air Traffic Controller!

12

Fresh out of the OCU (Operational

Conversion Unit), I recall one or two of
the old Victor hands casting doubt on
the ability of me and other recent Victor
arrivals to cope with the operational pace
and challenge. At face value, their concerns
were not entirely surprising, at that stage
I had amassed a grand total of 320 flying
hours; just 67 on the Victor. But I dont
think we let anyone down which says
much for our training, but also the ability
of inexperienced people to rise to the
challenge of operations.
Several equipment modifications were
swiftly incorporated. The Lancastervintage H2S radar, notoriously unreliable
Green Satin Doppler, single ADF
(Automatic Direction Finder) and TACAN
(Tactical Air Navigation), hardly left us
well-equipped for the long-distance oceanic
flights we were anticipating. But the UOR
(Urgent Operational Requirement) process
came to the rescue and aircraft were
quickly equipped with Carousel Inertial
systems or an Omega. The Carousel gyros
were plonked on the aircrafts sixth seat
plinth and covered with foam to make it
a bit more comfortable for the crew chief
to sit on! It was a case of all hands to the
pumps; our SEngO (Senior Engineering
Officer) was even caught one day cutting
a hole in an aircraft to install another
Omega aerial. We got briefs on how the
kit worked, but not everything sank in it
took me three flights with Omega to get it
to work due to my switch pigs.
Arriving eventually at Ascension on
2 June, the first things to strike you were
the barren landscape, the jet noise and that

...the first things

to strike you
were the barren
landscape, the jet
noise and that the
artificial lighting
effectively made
it permanent
daylight...

the artificial lighting effectively made it

permanent daylight. Our crew was billeted
in Concertina City, a vast camp of portable
cabins equipped with bunk beds and
powered by a jet-engine generator which
ensured that most of us got little sleep
without the help of pills from the doctor.

...when the chips

are down, we
excel in bringing
ingenuity and
innovation to
bear. Todays
UOR process
is far more
sophisticated,
but the principles
were already alive
in 1982

Three days later we flew our first trip:

Cadbury 11 Airdrop Wilma II, refuelling a
single Hercules on its mammoth round-trip
airdrop to the Falklands. Each Hercules
task was supported by three or four Victors
transferring fuel between each other as they
chased the Hercules which left Wideawake
Field a couple of hours ahead. Timing
and tracking to the same point in space,
the Victors would eventually overhaul
the Hercules, join and refuel in a shallow
dive or toboggan. We were always on
the edge between success and failure; the
Hercules flying at its maximum speed and
us just above the minimum required for our
refuelling hose to work. Starting at around
20,000 feet, we would sometimes end up
refuelling just a couple of thousand above
the South Atlantic. Three days later, it was
an 11-hour sortie for our crew the first of
two waves of Victors deploying one Harrier
each to HMS Hermes. In radio silence,
we transferred fuel within the formation
any failure to refuel would have meant
the Harrier trying to land on to container
ships or ejecting alongside. After six hours,
I keyed the radio to provide a heading
and flight time to Hermes, turning tail for
Ascension and leaving one very lonely
Harrier pilot to find his way to the carrier.
Between trips, we often spent time trekking
the inhospitable volcanic landscape. Local
features like Green Mountain, Comfortless
Cove, Donkey Plain, English Bay, Devils
Cauldron, and the Letterbox quickly
became part of our vocabulary; as did the
Exiles Club and Volcano Club where we

socialised. One of the weekly highlights

was the USAF C-141 flight bringing in
steaks for the American Mess Hall to
serve. The flying itself was pretty boring,
interspersed with brief periods of activity
usually as our captains wrestled to make
contact and take on fuel. But at least it
provided an opportunity to write home
Blueys and to read books. A few people
even caught up with some sleep snuggled
in their sleeping bags in the visual bomb
aiming position beneath the pilots feet.
On 12 June, my captain flew the fifth,
and final, Black Buck bombing mission,
completing the in-flight refuelling in
the Vulcan. The Black Buck story is told
elsewhere, but it was an anxious wait
for the rest of his crew until our captain
arrived safely back at Ascension. The
ceasefire was quick in coming thereafter
and after two months of non-stop action
we were left wondering what next?
Progressively, our forces at Ascension
were drawn down and they made the long
journey home, but the Victors were to stay
in Ascension for almost three more years,
refuelling the daily Hercules flights south.
So what do I take away from the Falklands
experience? I offer three observations, as
true today as they were 25 years ago:
First, when the chips are down, we excel
in bringing ingenuity and innovation to
bear. Todays UOR process is far more
sophisticated, but the principles were
already alive in 1982.
Second, our training is excellent and
exposure to operations at an early stage in
your career is a good thing.
And thirdly, never underestimate the ability
of young people of all ranks and experience
levels - to rise to the challenge of operations.

13

CHINOOK

Bravo November
By Wg Cdr Andy Lawless

n 25 May 1982, Atlantic Conveyor

which was transporting four
Chinook helicopters was hit by
an Exocet missile fired from an Argentine
aircraft. The ensuing fire destroyed
three Chinooks before Atlantic Conveyor
sunk. Tragically, Captain North and 12
personnel died. Fortunately Chinook
Bravo November was airborne and the
sole surviving Chinook recovered to HMS
Hermes.

Above: Atlantic Conveyor hit by an Exocet missile

On 26 May 1982, Bravo November was

flown from HMS Hermes to the Falklands.
Bravo November was met by a small
detachment of 18 Sqn ground crew at
Port San Carlos. Our detachment was
commanded by Squadron Leader Dick
Langworthy. On strength were one
Chinook helicopter, two four-man crews,
nine technicians and 10 airmen. All the
spares, tools and servicing manuals had
been lost aboard the Atlantic Conveyor.
This lone Chinook was the largest
helicopter available to the British forces in
the Falklands, capable of carrying about 10
tons. On 30 May, Bravo November was
transporting ammunition to the guns in the
forward positions, and returning Argentine
prisoners (60 at a time) from Goose Green
to Port San Carlos. However, that evening
the SAS discovered that the Argentine army
had withdrawn most of its troops from
Mount Kent. After dark, three Sea Kings
from 846 Squadron flew K Company of
42 Commando from San Carlos to Mount
Kent, while Bravo November carried 28
men and two 105mm guns in her cabin
with a third 105mm gun underslung.
Flying close to the ground with the aid
of night vision goggles, Squadron Leader
Langworthy and I flew Bravo November
from Port San Carlos to Mount Kent in a
half-hour flight through occasional snow
showers that temporarily reduced visibility
to almost zero. Upon reaching Mount
Kent, which we had been led to believe
was relatively flat, we found a sloping peat
bog flanked by stone rivers on either side.
Bravo November landed the underslung
gun without any trouble. When we tried
to land to unload the two guns carried in
the fuselage, Bravo Novembers back end
sank into the peat so that the ramp could
not be lowered. A new site was chosen and
just as the guns were about to be unloaded
by our crewmen Flight Lieutenant Tom
Jones and Sergeant Gary Rogan, 22 SAS,
covering the landing area, engaged a
company of Argentine troops to the northLeft: Wg Cdr Andy Lawless. His lone
Chinook was the largest helicopter available
to the British Forces in the Falklands

14

Above and below:

From the commencement
of operations until the
Argentine surrender,
Bravo November moved
1,530 troops, 1,600 tons of
stores and 650 POWs

Bravo November set course for San Carlos

and then I informed the rest of the crew
that when I jettisoned my door all the maps
and codes to prevent us from being shot
down by our own forces had been lost out
the door. Bravo November approached
San Carlos with all its lights on and hoped
that the Rapier missile defences would
realise that no Argentine aircraft would
dare to fly lit up. We stepped out of Bravo
November and a careful inspection
revealed little damage apart from my
missing door and damage to the fuselage
and the rear-loading ramp.

east. Unloading the guns continued, despite

the engagement and tracer fire flashing past.
With the guns unloaded, Bravo November
lifted off and started back to San Carlos,
avoiding the enemy engagement.
As Bravo November departed at low
altitude, we ran into a dense snow shower
and lost all visual references. If Bravo
November had climbed to safety she could
have been shot down by Argentine surfaceto-air weapon systems. Bravo November
descended and hit something, we were
unsure if we had been hit by enemy fire.
Bravo November had actually hit the
surface of Estancia Creek, one of the creeks
west of Mount Kent, at about 100mph.
The impact threw up spray which flooded
the intakes of the two engines which then
lost power. Simultaneously, the hydraulic
power controls failed, making it impossible
to control the helicopter. I jettisoned my
door in case Bravo November started to
sink. We both heaved on the collective
levers and as the engines wound back up
again Bravo November lifted and cleared
the water. In the back of the helicopter, Tom
Jones lost his helmet and had been about
to jump from the helicopter believing it to
be breaking up. Gary Rogan had beckoned
to him to put on another helmet and by the
time he was on the intercom, learnt that the
helicopter was climbing and passing
1,500 feet.

On 2 June, Bravo November was

commandeered while it was airlifting
Argentine prisoners from Goose Green.
Our other pilots, Nick Grose and Colin
Miller, flew two companies of paratroops
from Goose Green to Fitzroy to seize the
settlement as it had been confirmed that
the Argentine troops had pulled out. Scout
helicopters led Bravo November and its
cargo of 81 paratroops. The Scouts left
10 minutes before Bravo November and
reconnoitred the immediate area. Despite
being overloaded and encountering poor
visibility, the Scouts met Bravo November
about five miles west of Fitzroy and led her
into land. The paratroops were landed and
Bravo November returned to Goose Green
to pick up a second load, this time of 75
paratroops which were landed near Fitzroy.
On 8 June, Bravo November assisted
rescue operations when the Welsh Guards
were bombed at Bluff Cove and flew many
wounded to the field hospital at Ajax Bay.
Two days later Bravo November flew
64 injured in one lift from Ajax Bay to the
hospital ship SS Uganda. Bravo November
continued bringing supplies and ammunition
forward to support the advance on Port
Stanley until the Argentine surrender on
14 June 1982.
From the commencement of operations until
the Argentine surrender, Bravo November
moved 1,530 troops, 1,600 tons of stores and
650 POWs. Bravo November hauled its
loads until it was reinforced on 15 June 1982,
when four more Chinooks arrived aboard
the Contender Bezant the day after the white
flag was raised in Stanley. On reflection,
a job well done by every member of our
detachment. Thank you Bravo November
for looking after us.

15

A SOUTH
ATLANTIC
SOJOURN
By Sqn Ldr Tony Harper

flew further in my life in the first few

months of 1982 than ever before or
since. I also went to war. In March
1982, I spent a very pleasant three weeks
flying Harriers from Tromso in Norway.
On 13 April, I flew a jet from RAF Wittering
to Goose Bay in Canada and then on 3 May
I flew another aircraft from St Mawgan
to Ascension Island. The only difference
between the three journeys was that I
did not fly straight back from the final
destination, but kept going to the Falklands
on the SS Atlantic Conveyor. Thus began
my South Atlantic adventure.
Nine pilots and six Harrier GR3s from No
1(F) Squadron RAF joined HMS Hermes
(known as Mother by the Fleet Air Arm
pilots and as the Rat Infested Rust Bucket
by the RAF) as attrition replacements for
the Sea Harriers (SHARs) on both HMS
Hermes and HMS Invincible. Fortunately,
the Sea Harrier losses, whilst still
significant, were not as bad as anticipated
and we were quickly re-roled into our
primary tasks of BAI (Battlefield Air
Interdiction) and CAS (Close Air Support)
whilst the SHARs fought the air superiority
battle. Initial actions were part of the
softening up of the Argentine ground
and air forces on the Islands and after our
troops landed, we were used in closer
support tasks for the ground forces.
The most significant action in which I was
involved was probably that of the evening
of May 28, when Pete Harris, Jerry Pook and
I attacked artillery which was pinning down
2 Para in open ground on the approach to
Goose Green. The Paras attack had stalled
and we were called in to put the artillery
out of action. It was a calm clear evening.
The target area was obvious from some way
out as there was a lot of smoke overhead.

16

Peter and I ran in and delivered our cluster

bombs along the artillery line, followed by
Jerry with two pods of rockets. Last week I
finally met someone who was on the ground
there that evening and he confirmed that
our attack was the final move in what had
been a nasty and costly engagement that
day. Following our intervention the Paras
managed to move into Goose Green and
took the Argentine surrender.
Other significant events included several
short notice attacks on Stanley airfield in
attempts to catch the Argentine Air Force on
the ground. It was an exciting place to visit
as there were strong AA (Anti-Aircraft) and
SAM (Surface-to-Air Missile) defences.

Above: Syds Strip

We operated the Harriers either from the

deck of HMS Hermes (an adventure in itself
getting safely from the Ready Room to
the aircraft across a moving deck often
humming with noise and activity), or from
the forward airstrip at Port San Carlos.
This strip was built by the Royal Engineers
on the side of the hill overlooking Port San
Carlos water. It was known colloquially
as Syds Strip, after Sqn Ldr Syd Morris,
who was in charge of the RAFs smallest
airfield. It was very basic although we ate
royally, courtesy of the local farmer and
his family. We waited here on call, ready
to take off in support of the ground forces.
Unfortunately, communications were so
bad that we often waited in vain all day
before returning to Mother for overnight
retasking. The flying from the deck was
fairly easy, once the techniques had been
acquired and launching off the ski-jump
was exhilarating. Landing back on was
also straightforward and much easier than
landing on the small pads we used on
deployed field sites. Entertainment was

Right: Port Stanley

airfield through a
Harrier bombsight

Left: 1 (F) Squadron pilots

taken on the Atlantic
Conveyor circa 8 May 1982.
From L to R: Sqn Ldr
Peter Harris, Flt Lt Jeff
Glover, Flt Lt Mark Hare,
Flt Lt John Rochfort, Sqn
Ldr Jerry Pook, Wg Cdr
Peter Squire, Sqn Ldr Bob
Iveson. Sitting the author

Right: Port Stanley airfield

(first GR3 ashore)

provided by the three tins of beer we were

each rationed to daily, whilst listening to
the First Lieutenant giving a summary of
each days actions over the evening pipe.
(Later, amusement was caused by watching
the First Lieutenant finish his game of
bridge in the wardroom, so that one could
erect ones camp bed and get some sleep on
the wardroom floor.)

I went back to the Islands on a Staff Ride last

year and visited many of the places where
I had arrived somewhat faster and more
aggressively in 1982. My overwhelming
impression is one of a place and people at
peace. It made 1982 seem so worthwhile.

When peace was declared on 14 June, we

were quickly despatched ashore to fly
from Port Stanley airfield whilst the Rat
Infested Rust Bucket set warp speed for
Portsmouth. The RAF Harriers remained
as the air defence fighter in the Falklands
for over a year afterwards and we all had a
second chance to visit the Islands, for a few
more months away from home.

Right and above right:

HMS Hermes

17

The first operational C-130

air-to-air refuel in the
South Atlantic
By Squadron Leader (then Flt Lt) Harry Burgoyne AFC RAF (Retd)

All photographs courtesy of

h. Wouldnt it be great to have a

nice, safe job like being on a frontline fighter squadron!

The line was delivered by Flt Lt Bob

Bumper Rowley, the co-pilot of RAF
Hercules, registration number XV200, as it
slowly taxied past the two Quick Reaction
Alert F-4 Phantom fighters parked just
off the edge of Runway 14, Wideawake
Airfield, Ascension Island early on the
morning of 17 May 1982. Across the
cockpit, in the Captains seat, I smiled
and gave both aircraft a wide berth as I
gingerly moved past them in the darkness.
Just behind us, our Flight Engineer, Flt Sgt
Steve Slug Sloane, wiped the grit from
his eyes and passed his last fuel reading
to Flt Lt Jim Cunningham, who duly
completed his Navigators log and placed
it in his bag. As the aircraft came to a halt
on its parking slot, my Loadmaster MALM
Mick Sephton opened the door, stepped
down on to the tarmac and gratefully
filled his lungs with the fresh, salt-laden
Island air. I called for the Shut-Down
Checks and, as the propellers of the
Hercules slowly wound to a halt and the
allpervading noise faded, I extracted my
aching body from my seat, stretched stiffly
and reflected inwardly on what my crew
had just been through in the lead up to our
record-breaking flight of 24 hours and five
minutes from Ascension to the Falkland
Islands and return.
It seemed a long time ago, yet it was
barely 46 days since that fateful day, 2
April 1982, when it all began . . .

18

All personnel of No 47 Squadron, RAF

Lyneham, were eagerly looking forward
to the Easter weekend and a well-earned
break after a particularly busy exercise
period. The news of the Argentine invasion
had not made much of an impact. After
all, the Falkland Islands were over 4,000
miles from any usable airfield; well outside
the operating range of the C-130 Hercules
aircraft and thus unlikely to have any
impact on our activities. However, others
had different ideas.
Two of our five crews were hastily
detached to Ascension Island, to begin a
steady programme of parachute re-supply
drops to the ships of the British Task Force
as they steamed steadily southward.
Simultaneously, the remaining three
crews began an intensive programme of
mission rehearsals and developing the new
techniques that would be required to meet
the operational plans being developed
at the Northwood HQ of Operation
CORPORATE as the task to re-take the
Falkland Islands had been named.
New equipment such as Inertial Navigation
Systems and Night Vision Goggles arrived
daily and were fitted, trialled and tested.
To increase the range, four ex-Andover
aircraft fuel tanks were mounted in the
cargo compartments of several aircraft and
experimental trial flights of over 12 hours were
commonplace. In three weeks, we completed
a trials and training programme that would
have taken almost two years in peacetime.
Towards the end of April, it became
apparent that our main job was going to

AHB (RAF)

Far right: Hercules

being refuelled

Right: Hercules
dropping supplies

be the re-supply of the Task Force which,

by then, was at the extreme range of the
Ascension-based Hercules, even those
fitted with the auxiliary fuel tanks. A
means of further extending the range of the
aircraft to the 4,000 nautical miles required
had to be quickly evolved and the answer
was Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR).
The necessary extra equipment was fitted
to a Hercules in record time and, on the
morning of 6 May, The Boss and I, plus
a composite crew, assembled in a briefing
room at the Aeroplane and Armament
Experimental Establishment, Boscombe
Down, to prove the system and learn how
to conduct AAR operations under the
tutelage of Test Pilot Sqn Ldr John Brown.
Five days later all was complete. In that
time, we cleared the Hercules to refuel
from a Victor tanker aircraft at weights
above 155,000lb (the normal maximum
take-off weight of the C-130) on four and
three engines. Two-engine AAR had been
attempted but had proved impossible at
the extreme weights involved; but I vividly
recall my excitement at flying the aircraft for
the first time in my 10 years on the Hercules
with two engines actually shut down!
Already an experienced RAF Qualified
Flying Instructor, and with all of four
trips and five hours experience under
his belt, Max Roberts was nominated as
the first Hercules AAR Instructor and set
about teaching AAR to other pilots and
forming what would become the Lyneham
Tanker Training Flight. Meanwhile, my
crew hopped on a VC10 and detached to
Ascension Island to start re-supplying the
task force using our newly acquired, but
unrefined, skills.
On our arrival at Ascension on the
morning of 14 May, Wideawake airfield

appeared initially to be a scene of total

chaos. Apron space was at a premium
with Victors, Nimrods, VC10s, Hercules
and even a visiting USAF C-141 apparently
shoehorned into their parking slots whilst
overhead a never-ending stream of buzzing
helicopters went about their business.
The predatory shape of a lone Vulcan
bomber parked just off the runway seemed
to preside over this hive of activity and its
Shrike anti-radar missiles slung menacingly
under the wings, only added to the sinister
image. It was hot, dusty and the noise level
was ear shattering.
After extracting our bags from the VC10, we
were driven the three miles over the stark
volcanic plains of Ascension Island and up
the winding hill road to the relative calm
and marginally cooler surrounds of the
bungalow in Two Boats settlement which
would be home for the next few months.
Pilot, Flt Lt Jim Norfolk and Navigator, Flt
Lt Tom Rounds had already flown several
long-distance sorties to the Task Force
and passed on a wealth of knowledge and
experience regarding naval procedures,
weather and, especially, the techniques of
operating the Hercules at its limits.
On 15 May, I was asked to report, with
my crew, to the Air Transport Ops at the
airhead where we were briefed on our first
AAR mission. This was to be an airdrop
of eight parachutists and 1,000lb worth of
stores to a ship, the RFA Fort Austin, at a
position approximately 60 miles north of
Port Stanley airfield.
The drop was scheduled for mid-afternoon
of the following day which, since transit
time would be almost 13 hours, meant a
take-off time of 0230, less than 12 hours
ahead. Time had suddenly become very
much of the essence!
Because our overstretched ground crew
were working all out to unload and refuel
the constant stream of transiting aircraft,
it was left to the aircrew to prepare our
aircraft. My Air Loadmaster (ALM)

19

Mick Sephton and Flight Engineer, Slug

Sloane, aided by two other ALMs, Pete
Scott and Roy Lewis, departed to start the
lengthy process. Fuel tanks were filled,
aircraft equipment checked, survival suits,
life jackets and parachutes transferred
from another Hercules and the 1,000lb
load prepared and carefully rigged for
parachuting. At the same time the pilots
and navigators started flight planning.
Three hours later, as the sun sank behind
Green Mountain, preparations were
complete with the exception of the all
important fuel and AAR plan. As nearly all
the Victors were still airborne, re-fuelling
a Vulcan en route to attack the Falklands,
we had no way of knowing how many
tankers would be available for our task
until some hours later. My Navigator,
Jim Cunningham, volunteered to stay in
the AAR planning cell and complete the
planning, thereby allowing the rest of the
crew to return to Two Boats to catch what
sleep we could.
Back at Wideawake, the crew rushed
through an intelligence brief and then
rejoined Jim Cunningham at the flight
planning tent who had worked throughout
the evening to complete his work. With Jim
Norfolks help, and the experience he had
gained on his previous flights, I managed
to work through the aircrafts performance
manual and calculated all the required
speeds for our expected take-off weight.
Unfortunately, as this weight was above
the maximum weight shown in the various
performance graphs, those speeds had to

be extrapolated and were, in fact, nothing

more than educated guesses. What I did
know was that if we lost an engine during
the take-off, the remaining three engines
would be unable to produce enough power
to keep us flying and would, therefore, be
taking us directly to the scene of the crash!
However, Jim Norfolk assured me that he
had already made several take-offs at this
weight and I was confident that the aircraft
wouldnt let us down.
It was a strangely quiet atmosphere as
we completed our mission briefs, walked
out to the aircraft and set about our
individual pre-flight tasks. Survival suits
were unpacked, parachutes checked, flak
jackets issued and everything positioned
ready for immediate use. I went into the
freight bay to check on progress and was
immediately struck by the lack of space.
The four Andover fuel tanks filled the main
cargo area, while the boxes containing the
parachutists equipment filled the ramp
area. The chemical toilet that normally sat
there had been removed and now sat in
the middle of the freight bay between the
forward and aft fuel tanks and offered no
privacy to anyone who might have cause to
use it. The eight troopers had found space
in the webbing seats adjacent to the fuel
tanks and were trying to create an area that
might offer some comfort during the 13
hours that they were going to be on board.
As the last few minutes before departure
ticked away, there was little of the normal
friendly banter; everyone seemed
engrossed in their own little world,
all pre-occupied with their individual
thoughts. However, at the appointed time,
the familiar ritual of the pre-start checks
concentrated minds, the sleeping Hercules
was slowly nursed into life and, with a
Good Luck from the Air Traffic Controller,

20

Left: Hercules-to-Hercules
refuelling during
tanking trials

Far left: Internal view

of a Hercules tanker

we were cleared for taxi and take-off.

As I released the brakes, I noted the time
as 0220 and wondered when we would
be back in Ascension, but those thoughts
quickly vanished as the aircraft gathered
speed. As I anticipated, the take-off roll
was much longer than normal but in
answer to my tentative pull on the control
column, XV200 rose slowly into the warm
night air. I had never flown the Hercules
this heavy before but the aircraft seemed
to behave as normal; the only really
noticeable difference was that everything
seemed to be happening a little slower
than usual.
I wanted to have plenty of speed in hand
before attempting any manoeuvring at
this weight so, following a long period of
acceleration, I slowly eased into a gentle
turning climb and, as the aircraft settled
on course, the Southern Cross appeared off
the nose, clearly visible among the myriad
stars twinkling in the deep purple-black of
the night sky.
Having stabilised in a cruise-climb at
just under 16,000 feet, the next few hours
passed fairly routinely although the
crew were kept busy with hourly fuel
calculations and checks. ALM Mick
Sephton opened the galley and, amazingly,
produced freshly made egg and bacon
sandwiches which were gratefully received
and swiftly despatched. Dawn broke
around 0600 and this, combined with
copious amounts of hot, sweet coffee,

restored the energy levels in preparation

for the airborne refuel.
During the six-hour transit, we burned off
about 30,000 pounds of fuel which allowed
us to climb to just over 22,000 feet and as
we approached the re-fuelling point I noted
with some relief that area was clear, apart
from some cumulo-nimbus clouds far below.
They wouldnt be a factor or so I thought!
As I pondered the job ahead of me, I was
roused from my reverie by the harsh
intrusion of the radio call from the
approaching Victor. Having taken off from
Ascension some time after the Hercules,
the much faster tanker had gradually
closed the gap and was now only five miles
behind. My Co-pilot, Bob Rowley made a
radio call in reply and after confirmation
that all was ready, the delicate airborne
ballet of air-to-air refuelling began.
Following the UK trials, it had been
established that the AAR would have to
be conducted at a minimum speed of 230
knots but the fully laden Hercules would
be unable to maintain this speed in level
flight. Therefore, the refuel would have to
be done in a descent to allow both aircraft
to maintain the required speed and ideal
refuelling position about 20 feet apart.
The slim, elegant shape of the Victor
swiftly overtook the ungainly Hercules,
stabilised itself just forward of the
Hercules right wing and, on Rowleys
command, both aircraft began a gradual

Right: Aircraft at
Ascension Island

21

Left: Hercules at
Port Stanley, 1982

of fuel from the refuelling basket, a clean

disconnect was achieved.

descent of about 500 feet per minute.

Trying to keep my control inputs to a
minimum, I carefully manoeuvred into a
line astern position about 20 feet behind
the Victors trailing refuelling hose and
began my hook-up run. Under Bobs
calm directions, and with the engineer
monitoring the engines, the two giants
slowly closed until the refuelling probe
on top of the Hercules and the Victors
dancing basket were only 10 feet apart.
AAR has been described as trying to
spear a rolling doughnut and this was no
exception. Time and again, I edged my
aircraft forward but each time failed to get
the probe into the basket. Although I was
getting frustrated with my inability to find
the target, I had to put that aside and keep
on trying but I was conscious that valuable
fuel was being used up and the formation
was getting lower and lower. Finally,
as we passed through 17,000 feet and
with my self-induced pressure becoming
almost unbearable, at the sixth attempt
a successful contact was made and fuel
began to flow.
Transferring the required 37,000lb of fuel
took 30 minutes and, towards the end, it
was a real touch and go situation. By that
time, both aircraft had descended to around
2,500 feet and we were dodging around the
cumulo-nimbus clouds that I had assessed
earlier as not being a problem!
Just maintaining contact in the turbulent,
low-level air was proving very difficult and
I knew that if I accidentally disconnected
early I would not have the power to
reconnect and the mission would be lost.
Luckily, the tanker Captain was on top
of his game and skilfully led us around
the worst of the big clouds and showers.
After what seemed like an eternity, Flight
Engineer Steve Sloane announced that the
refuel was complete. With an enormous
feeling of relief, I eased back on the power
and, with a soft clunk and a slight spray

22

I watched as the Victor completed a

sweeping turn away from us and eased
back northwards to Ascension and then
noticed that Bob had steadied our aircraft
and that the compass needle had settled
once more on south, towards the Falklands
Total Exclusion Zone (TEZ).
To avoid detection by the Argentine radar
on the hill overlooking Port Stanley, the
descent to the Fort Austin was initiated
about 250 miles north of the Falkland
Islands. The specially devised Combat
Entry Checklist was completed to
set the aircraft up in its best fighting
configuration and, as the Hercules levelled
at 2,000 feet, the paratroop doors were
opened and our two army despatchers
from No 47 Air Despatch Regiment
checked in on the intercom from their
observation positions.
Conditions were not ideal. It was a grey,
foreboding day with a cloud base of about
2,500ft, and a visibility of about 6km which
decreased markedly in the widespread,
squally showers. It was bitterly cold and
as Bob Rowley established contact with
the Royal Navy, the sea temperature was
reported as two degrees.
Luckily, the wind speed was just within
limits for the drop and as the parachutists
were wearing immersion suits it all looked
reasonable. As we homed towards the
ship, our hastily-installed, primitive,
hand-held Radar Warning Receiver
chirped and squeaked indicating that
several radars were illuminating the
aircraft although, thankfully, no firecontrol radars had lock-on.
I spotted the Austin about two miles out,
riding on a grey sea and with its recovery
boat already in the water. This part of the
mission turned out to be straightforward
and went almost exactly to plan. With
minimum delay, the parachutists were
despatched on the first run and the stores
on the second and, as we turned back
north into the gathering dusk, a faint
voice on the radio confirmed that all the
parachutists were safe and that the stores
were on board Fort Austin.

By the top of the climb, darkness had

descended and a new problem had arisen.
Unforecast headwinds had developed,
seemed likely to continue for some
time and, as this had fuel implications,
a solution was required. It was Jim
Cunningham who offered a possible way
out using a technique borrowed from
sailing ships tacking. Jim suggested that
instead of applying drift to our heading we
should allow the aircraft to be blown east
by the wind and then turn hard into it until
track was regained.
I thought it sounded a bit strange but
the alternative options of ditching in the
Atlantic Ocean short of Ascension or
diverting to the South American mainland
were not terribly inviting, so I elected to
give it a try. Amazingly, it worked and,
thereafter the procedure was repeated until
the wind eventually abated about two
hours later.
As we continued the 11-hour night flight
back to Ascension, seats were swapped and
meals eaten but more to combat encroaching
fatigue than from hunger. Games were
devised but we discovered that there is a
limit to I Spy. Meanwhile, the BBC World
Service continued to provide hourly updates
on the overall progress of our operation to
restore the Falkland Islands to their rightful
inhabitants.
About an hour out from Ascension, it
seemed that the most demanding and
potentially hazardous portions of the
flight had now passed and we allowed
ourselves to relax. However, this air of
calm was shattered when Jim Cunningham
announced that he had a contact on the
radar at our 10 oclock position about five
miles distant!
Our intelligence briefs had mentioned the
remote possibility of an Argentine Air Force
Boeing 707 being equipped with air-to-air
missiles and sent out on patrol. Indeed, we
had heard a rumour that this aircraft had
already intercepted a reconnaissance flight
by one of our own aircraft, although on that
occasion nothing further had developed.

well versed in fighter evasion techniques

and immediately disengaged the autopilot,
reduced the power and started a high bank
angle, high G turn towards the threat.
Jim Norfolk had shot forward to my side
and it was his timely intervention that
avoided a possible catastrophe as he
identified the lights as a string of refuelling
Victors on climb out from Ascension. What
had appeared to my very tired eyes as
an aircraft in a turn was, in fact, a mass
formation of tankers setting out on another
BLACK BUCK mission which had not been
known about when we had been briefed
some 27 hours earlier!*
Following these hair-raising few minutes, the
approach and landing were straightforward
by comparison. However, fatigue ensured
that everyone monitored everyone else very
closely as XV200 finally touched down on
Wideawakes runway some 24 hours and five
minutes after take-off.
I was given the news by the Ascension
Ops Officer that things hadnt changed
greatly in the time that we had been away
all the bars were shut and transport was
unavailable. At 0300, the only way back to
our accommodation at Two Boats was to
wait until a vehicle was available or to try
hitchhiking back up the hill.
Oh well, I thought, never mind. Im pretty
sure that some of the other crews would
still be around in the bungalow putting the
world to rights over another Irish coffee
and the most wide-awake drunks in the
South Atlantic would, no doubt, have
ensured at least one beer was waiting in the
fridge. Wouldnt they? . . .

*Historical Note: As a result of this incident,

widely separated arrival and departure routes

were devised and used thereafter.

I acquired a visual sighting almost

immediately and confirmed it as a group
of lights that appeared to be an aircraft in
a left bank and turning towards us. I was

23

Below: Mess block

at Two Boats

NIMRODS, ASCENSION ISLAND

AND THE FALKLANDS CONFLICT
By David Emerson

still jog occasionally in a disreputable

tee shirt bought for 50 cents in 1982 and
emblazoned with the Ascension Island
logo. This says a lot for the durability of
the shirt, but also brings back memories
of the seven weeks I spent at Ascension
during Operation CORPORATE. Travel
to Ascension was via a VC10 freighter
flight, sleeping on 10,000 cans of Newcastle
Brown destined for the troops in transit to
the South Atlantic. Only 9,998 arrived!!
At the time I was based at RAF Kinloss,
commanding the only squadron equipped
with the updated Nimrod Mk 2 maritime
patrol aircraft. Throughout April 1982 we
had undertaken contingency planning for
a possible deployment to a third-party
country in support of the Falklands conflict.

24

Thus it was not a complete surprise on

landing back from a sortie on 20 April
to be met by the Station Commander
with instructions to fly two hours later
to London for a pre-deployment brief at
the Northwood headquarters. The brief
was sketchy, but assumed (correctly) that
the Nimrod Mk 2 would soon replace the
Nimrod Mk 1 detachment that had been
despatched earlier to Ascension Island to
provide surveillance ahead of the fleet as
it deployed south. That night I was on
my way.
Ascension Island
Ascension Island is a volcanic rock in the
South Atlantic with about 1,000 residents
and limited facilities that welcomed,
but was overwhelmed by, up to 1,000
British military for the duration of the
campaign. The Nimrod detachment
consisted of between two and five
aircraft, with available ramp space
dictating numbers. At first there was
little support infrastructure but, as one
of the first to arrive, the detachment had
acquired the only air conditioned working
accommodation, usually used by USN P-3
Orion aircraft. Domestic accommodation
was desperately cramped but adequate
for the aircrew and improved when
the US Rangers appeared with a small
village of pre-fabricated buildings. The
enormously committed and professional
ground crew of some 50 people were less
fortunate and were billeted in tents some
three miles from the airfield. Fortunately,
the resident Americans provided excellent
food. Transport was non-existent, but
within a day or so, the ground crew had
located an abandoned American lorry that
was soon roaring around the island in a
cloud of black smoke, fuelled by a mixture
of aviation fuel and oil. We also bought
two civilian cars, and I still await a bill for
$400 paid from a co-pilots imprest for the
Squadron Commanders Mini.

Ascension Island is a
volcanic rock in the
South Atlantic with
about 1,000 residents
and limited facilities

The Nimrod was employed on a variety

of challenging tasks although these were,
understandably, not visible in PR terms

Some were less fortunate and

were billeted in tents some three
miles from the airfield

The Aircraft
The Nimrod Mk 2 that first deployed
to Ascension was equipped with a
sophisticated submarine detection and
tracking system, an adequate Electronic
Support Measures suite and the new
Searchwater radar for the detection,
tracking and (in ideal conditions)
long range identification of snorkling
submarines and shipping. It carried
torpedoes and also air-droppable SAR
equipment. The normal crew of 12 was
soon enhanced and, amazingly, within
three weeks the aircraft possessed infrared
flares for self-defence and an in-flight
refuelling system to allow 24-hour longrange sorties. As the conflict progressed,
the aircraft was also equipped with
1,000lb bombs, a new torpedo, Sidewinder
air-to-air missiles (for both self-defence
and to confront the Argentine Boeing 707
recce aircraft never again sighted), and
the Harpoon air-to-surface anti-shipping
missile. Unfortunately, the major sensors
of the aircraft depended on the accuracy
of the closed-loop navigation system that
did not prove up to the task on the longer
range sorties. Oh for GPS!
The Flying Tasks
The Nimrod was employed on a variety
of challenging tasks although these were,
understandably, not visible in PR terms.
The main tasks and one or two personal
memories of incidents that come to mind
include:
Long range in-flight refuelled
surveillance sorties
From 10 May, Nimrod Mk 2 aircraft with
an in-flight refuelling capability were
available at Ascension Island. It had taken
three weeks to design, modify and test the
aircraft and to train the crews. Long range
sorties were commenced in support of the
deploying fleet and from 15 May these
included patrolling areas off the Argentine
and Falkland coastlines. The main purpose

of these latter sorties was to check for

any sign of Argentine Navy activity, and
thus the routing during the six-hour
low-level on-task period attempted
to cover likely exit points for surface
vessels and submarines from Argentine
ports. The sorties lasted up to 20 hours,
requiring support from a total of seven
Victor tankers, with two refuelling points
outbound and one just after climbing up
from the patrol area when homebound.
Not surprisingly, the Victor crews were
somewhat wary when feeding their new
and inexperienced charges and I remember
many cries of too close back off. The
sorties were all within Argentine air
defence cover and that too kept everyone
alert and the adrenalin flowing. Some
occurrences were also somewhat bizarre,
including the sight of the still blazing
lights of Port Stanley as we flew by on the
night before the re-invasion occurred.
Search and rescue and support sorties
In some ways the SAR and Support
missions were the most exciting, although
the holding of an aircraft at Ascension

25

on a one-hour standby throughout the

campaign for SAR duties, was less than
stimulating. This contrasted with the
demands of escorting deploying Harriers
and the SAR cover provided for all nonNimrod long-range sorties launched from
Ascension. In the case of the Vulcan sorties,
the Nimrod also acted as shepherd by
guiding the returning Vulcan to its waiting
Victor tanker using the Searchwater radar.
In particular, I remember with absolute
clarity flying beside a returning Vulcan that
broke its probe as it attempted to refuel,
followed by an Oh s**t, thats us for Brazil
from its pilot. We accompanied the Vulcan
to about 100 miles from the Brazilian coast
where we monitored the R/T exchanges
with an increasingly alarmed air traffic
controller, and then reported the diversion
to the UK authorities as we turned for
Ascension and our own tanker. However,
my most vivid recollection of these sorties
was of listening to the R/T exchanges
during the first Vulcan mission, when the
Victor crews totally reorganised the complex
refuelling programme as unserviceabilities
threatened the mission. An incredible
performance by the Victor crews who were,
in my view, the real unsung heroes of the
RAF contribution to the campaign.
Protecting Ascension Island
Throughout the period of the campaign
there was a concern that the Argentine
forces might attempt an attack on the critical
re-supply base at Ascension. Nimrod
aircraft flew daily surveillance sorties
covering an area out to 150 miles from
the Island and reported shipping and the
position of the ever present Soviet AGI
(intelligence gathering) vessel.

26

Reflections
With the passage of time the Nimrod
involvement has tended to take on a rosy
glow the flying was challenging and
different, and no one was hurt physically.
Of course there were problems and
some peacetime procedures were to
be found wanting. The learning curve
was steep for the crews who adapted
remarkably well with, for example,
fishing fleets operating in Argentine
waters complicating the surface picture
both with their large numbers and also
their radar transmissions that were in
some cases remarkably similar to those
of Argentine warships. We had to
remember that an ill-considered report
could result in a vital SSN (submarine)
being diverted to investigate. Certainly,
my seven weeks based at Ascension was
a unique experience that affected my
subsequent service career and life
in general.
As a postscript, some seven years later
I, at last, set foot on the Falkland Islands
when escorting the Chief of Defence Staff,
Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Fieldhouse.
We toured all those sites with names that
had become familiar to the British public
in 1982 and appreciated the kindness
and gratitude of the Falkland Islanders.
However, my lasting memory is of
standing beside the Admiral, with tears
flowing down his face, as we looked at
the War Memorial in Port Stanley that
recorded those who had died in the
conflict. David, that was all down to me
he said, to which I responded, No Boss,
if its down to anyone its the politicians.
For many it was a nasty, bloody and
tragic war.

The Nimrod detachment

consisted of between two
and five aircraft, with
available ramp space
dictating numbers

Leadership

RAF GR3s and Sea Harriers aboard HMS Hermes

Conundrums of leadership in
the RAF from the
Falkland Islands campaign
By John Jupp

n 1982, Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter

Squire was OC 1(F) Sqn and faced
many challenging firsts to allow the
Air contribution to the Falklands campaign
to provide its full capability. Each of these
will have provided a leadership challenge
alongside all the normal leadership
challenges that arise within a squadron
going to war. I have taken two extracts
from the 1(F) Sqn diary to illustrate a
leadership point; the rest of the diary has
been published on the Web1 and provides
more background for those interested.
To set the scene, part of 1(F) Sqn is
embarked on the Atlantic Conveyor, a civilian

transport ship, en route to the Falklands,

contemplating moving the Harriers from the
ship, on which they were being transported
to the Falklands, on to the Royal Navy
aircraft carriers ready for operations.
9 May
I fly in a Wessex of 848 NAS to look at
deck operations with various wind
conditions and to assess the best direction to
the vertical take-off (VTO) which we
will have to carry out in the transfer to
the CVS (aircraft carrier). It concerns
me that no one will have flown for two
weeks prior to this important and possibly
tricky sortie.

27

first carrier launch on standby instruments!

It has not been a pointless exercise for I have
been able to mentally adjust from a peacetime
to operational environment.
That evening the ships commander (John
Locke) invites me to his cabin for a drink.
There he tells me in confidence of the captains
aversion to the RAF. He warns me of the
difficulties which may lie ahead.

RAF GR3s aboard the civilian transport ship Atlantic Conveyor

Just nine days later but much further south,

and with considerably worsening weather in
general, the transfer takes place.
18 May
Hermes and Invincible close with the
amphibious group in order to effect the transfer
well out of range of the enemy. In the end only
four GR3s make it as two are unserviceable;
Self, Pook, Harris and Rochfort. The VTO is
straightforward although Steve Brown in a
Sea Harrier does a 40-degree VTO and almost
crashes as is the landing on. Harper remains
on Atlantic Conveyor and Rochfort returns
to bring the remaining two aircraft when
serviceable. The long process of cross-decking
of troops, remaining pilots and squadron stores
will take hours.
On arrival on Hermes, I am introduced to
Cdr Air2 (Robin Shercliffe) and the Captain
(Lin Middleton). This is followed by briefings
on deck procedures after which the captain
orders three aircraft to get airborne. It is now
1800 and it will be dark in 2 hours and I am
the only one to have received all the briefings
Bob Iveson and Jerry Pook have joined in
halfway through. I persuade Cdr Air that
it would be unwise but he is subsequently
overruled and at about 1900 we are told
to man up. We brief to do a 2v1 combat
but although ready to start by 1915 we are
held from doing so. The FINRAE3 is not
available and so our only reliable instruments
will be head down. At 1945 I change the
brief to singleton CCAs (carrier-controlled
approaches) to land and at 2015 we are stood
down. Just as well by this time it was well
and truly dark. Not ideal conditions for ones

28

What is clear from these diary entries is

that clear, logical and well thought out
arguments are necessary for operations,
but not sufficient. It is vitally important
that leaders understand the people they
have to deal with, the internal politics of the
situation and are able to make the most of
the hand they are dealt. This is the intent of
the RAF Leadership Attributes of Emotional
Intelligence and Politically (and Globally)
Astute4. Emotional Intelligence is about
understanding yourself and others so that
you can influence them better. Dealing
with office politics is not Machiavellian;
it is a vital part of any leaders job to
influence those about him or her for the
better accomplishment of the mission and
the protection of his or her people. In being
politically astute in this manner, it is also
vital to act in a morally responsible way and
remain true to the RAFs core values5.
What is also clear from these extracts is
the need for a leader to network with a
wide variety of people to gain their trust
so that communication moves beyond the
realm of ritual and clich, information and
facts to those hugely important areas of
feelings and emotions as well as ideas and
judgements. To the Commander of 1(F)
Sqn in 1982, it was manna from heaven to
know that the feelings of the Captain of
Hermes towards the RAF were of aversion.
He could then act accordingly to ensure the
successful conclusion of his tasks with the
minimum of risk to his men. Who would
tell him of that aversion without reposing
huge trust in him? Trust is only gained
by successful communication between the
people involved, alongside such factors
as whether the parties feel secure, how
similar they are and how well aligned are
their interests. Those wishing to be trusted
must also behave with benevolent concern,
capability and integrity6. Above all though,
it is good communication that is important.

It is vitally
important
that leaders
understand
the people
they have to
deal with, the
internal politics
of the situation
and are able to
make the most
of the hand
they are dealt

In 1982, Air Chief Marshal

Sir Peter Squire was OC
1(F) Sqn

How often do
we seek out and
listen to our
leaders views?
Good followership
demands that
we should

The following extract by Air Chief Marshal

Sir Peter Squire is from the RAF Leadership
Anthology and demonstrates the effect of
good communication.
As a good leader you do not have to be a great
orator but the ability to communicate is vital.
When serving in the Falklands War, I saw a
number of different styles, some hugely more
effective than others. For example, the Captain
of the ship in which I was embarked for seven
weeks, did not speak to the ships company
once in that time, despite having access to
CCTV and PA systems. As a result, it was
not a particularly happy ship. During that
same deployment, I spent a few nights in HMS
Invincible and her Captain used the CCTV
system to speak to the ship every evening just
for five minutes to tell them what had gone on
during the day and what they might expect
in the next 24 hours. He was a naturally
inspiring man and, as a result, the buzz in his
ship was totally different. Equally, I spent one
night in HMS Fearless whose Captain had a
serious stutter. Nevertheless, whilst the ship
was at Action Stations he would use the PA
system to keep the crew briefed on events going
on around them, specifically the threat of air
attack. These examples are black and white
and it is easy to see the more effective, but there
are lots of areas of grey between; the important

thing is that a good leader will find a way of

communicating with his or her team.
Communication, though, is a two-way
affair. Someone has to talk, or write,
and others have to listen. Sir Peter did
obviously listen to the PA systems in the
ships in 1982 as, I suspect, many others
did too; after all, there was much at stake.
But how often do we seek out and listen
to our leaders views? Good followership7
demands that we should.
Notes
1 http://www.raf.mod.uk/falklands/1sqn_index.html
2 When embarked the RN system was that the Cdr
Air had overall command of launch decisions, not the
captain of the aircraft.
3 Ferranti Inertial Navigation Reference and Attitude
Equipment (FINRAE is the internal equipment which
will allow the GR3 INAS (Inertial Navigation and
Attack System) to align on a moving platform).
4 Explanations of these attributes can be found on the
RAF Leadership Centre Intranet website; http://www.
cranwell.raf.r.mil.uk/live/RAF_Leadership_Centre/
Index.htm
5 See the RAFs Core Values and Standards, AP1.
6 Harvard Business Review, The Decision to Trust,
Robert F Hurley, September 2006.
7 More on followership can be found on the RAF
Leadership Centre website.

29

A 1,000lb bomb
found at Port
Stanley

Bomb disposal
in the Falklands
By Sqn Ldr Alan Swan

or No 1 RAF Bomb Disposal Unit,

Operation CORPORATE started
when we were put on a 24-hour
standby for three weeks. The RAF are
experts in aerially-delivered ordnance of all
nations, and, as the Argentine forces had
over 200 fixed-wing attack aircraft which
they would use to counter our counterattack, it was apparent to us that it was our
expertise that would be needed.

our farewells to our families, travelled

down to Southampton on 27 April, loaded
everything on the RFA Sir Bedivere and
settled down for a long sea trip. The
following morning, one hour before we
were due to sail, we were ordered to
disembark. We were offloaded and left on
the dockside. The Sir Bedivere sailed with
our vehicles, kit and explosives. UK Land
Forces Planning Staff had ordered us off.

We were therefore incensed to find that two

Royal Engineer (RE) bomb disposal men
had already sailed on the Canberra. There is
intense comradeship and rivalry amongst
EOD men, and the Engineers had definitely
got one up on us by sailing before we had
even picked a team!

So there we were, standing on the side of

the dock in disbelief. Transport came to
take us back to our base at RAF Wittering.
The following day, while we were in the
office, getting angry, trying to find out
from Strike Command what was going
on, we were informed that two of a fourman team clearing BL755 bomblets from
West Freugh range in Scotland had been
killed. The dead and the injured had been

My orders were simply to Clear Stanley

airfield of unexploded ordnance. We said

30

Background image: Bomb Alley (aka San Carlos Water)

BL755 anti-armour
bomb

moved from the range, but

there were still UXBs to clear.
I was stunned. We hadnt had
a fatality since 1956. I rushed
home, said goodbye again to
my family and went to break
the sad news to the families of
the deceased. Within 24 hours
of being offloaded from the
Bedivere Id got the grim news,
comforted the bereaved and
was now standing on a bombing
range in Scotland trying to
understand how some of my
best men had been killed and wounded.
The Falklands disappeared completely
from my mind.
The UXB that killed those men was a
bomblet from a BL755 anti-armour bomb.
We were subsequently to face nearly a
thousand of these UXBs at Goose Green
and Stanley.
When one of these bomblets functions,
a plasma jet forms which will burn
through a foot of steel, it also gives off
over 2,000 pieces of shrapnel. Thats
what caused the deaths and injuries to my
men. We finished clearing the UXBs and
returned home only to say goodbye to
our families for the third time some four
days later.

The sinking of
HMS Antelope

This time we flew to Ascension Island by

VC10, planning to intercept the Bedivere
there and pick up the threads of our
interrupted journey. We touched down
in Ascension and having found a billet,
hitch-hiked into town to find out what
we could about the Bediveres arrival.
The Naval staff at HQ professed to
know nothing of the RFA Bedivere, so we
returned to Two Boats camp and waited.
Two days later, with still no information
forthcoming from HQ,
we retired to a local
bar to find, during a
casual conversation
with a Marine, that
not only was the
Bedivere in, but it was
loading a Marine
contingent the next
day and sailing the
day after. We were at
the quayside the next

day at crack of dawn, and by joining the

tail end of the line of Marines, we at last
got on board.
All of our kit and vehicles were still intact
on the ship; theyd even left the sticker
on my cabin door which read: ROYAL
AIR FORCE BOMB DISPOSAL UNIT.
It was all a bit odd, as if part of us had
been going south while we were still in
England. We sailed into Bomb Alley (aka
San Carlos Water) early one morning and
as the haze lifted, the two halves of the
Antelope could be seen burning not 400m
away. It hit us then. This was it, war. Its
frightening to see a ship on fire, to smell it
and see it burn. Knowing that the Royal
Engineer bomb disposal team had been
blown up with the ship brought back the
ghosts of Scotland. What made it worse
was the fact that FS Doc Knights and I had
been on the same bomb disposal course as
the RE who was killed, Jim Prescott, and
we had come to know him well. From
witnesses, we found that the bomb that
had taken out the Antelope was a British
1,000lb bomb fitted with a 78 MKII allways acting pistol and a delay detonator.
The next day it was our turn. At first light,
the first of four air attacks came in. The
Bedivere was missed in the first attack, but
other ships were hit. It was like shooting
fish in a barrel. All the ships seemed so
close together that it was a miracle none
were sunk. During the next attack the
aircraft came over so low you could see the
oil streaks and rivet heads. We watched in
disbelief as a bomb was released and went
into Bediveres sister ship Sir Lancelot. The
disbelief was due to the fact that the bomb
didnt have a tail on it. It was a British
1,000lb bomb with the 78 tail pistol in it
as the others dropped on the Antelope had
been. That meant it had been dropped
safe, as the 78 pistol needs a tail on the
bomb to arm it. Incredibly, on the next
attack another bomb with no tail on it, hit
the Bedivere. To watch an aircraft bombing
you is a terrible unreal experience. It
happens in slow motion. The bomb
detached, hit an aerial, went through a
crane jib, exited through the focsle, hit the
water and went through the side of Sir
Galahad, another of the Sir Bediveres sister
ships. On the last attack that day, a Mirage
came over the top of us at about 100ft.

31

Our small arms fire opened up and stitched

the Mirage down its belly. The pilot ejected
right in front of us, and although every
other ship claimed it, it was credited to the
Bedivere. Wed been eating carpet most of
the day, but when night fell it was time to
earn our pay. As expected all the UXBs
were British, and safe. A relieved Naval
clearance diving team got them off the
ship and dumped them over the side.
At about that time, wed heard through
various sources that an army of instant
experts was appearing nightly on TV at
home, giving forth on how the war was
going, how it should really be fought and,
in particular, why there were so many
unexploded Argentine bombs on our
ships. The reason supposedly given was
that the Argentine pilots were coming in
too fast and too low. Therefore the bombs
werent in the air long enough for them to
arm. Coincidence or not, two days later
we got the Argentine response. It was
time for the evening meal, and there were
long queues of men at the rear of the old
meat processing plant, which now housed
our hospital. I had just got my meal when
two Skyhawks dropped three bombs each
on us. The blast, which, had it come five
seconds earlier, would have killed me,
blew me down the corridor. All hell broke
loose, part of the building collapsed and
we were scrabbling at the masonry and
twisted girders with our bare hands to free
the dead and wounded. The Skyhawks
came in so fast and so low that we didnt
get an air-raid Red warning. The bombs
they dropped were French 400kg SAMP
parachute retarded. This means that the
bombs can be dropped from a low flying
aircraft at higher speeds. I dont know if it
was a case of careless talk costs lives, but
there were five dead and about 26 injured
in that raid.
The surgeons were operating on the
wounded with a UXB just 30ft away.
We shored up the intervening walls and
made blast corridors with sandbags.
Whilst this was going on, a report of a
third UXB came in. This one had gone
through the whole length of the roof void,
exited through the gable end, having
passed over the working surgeons, hit
the ground 50ft in front of the hospital,
bounced between two Marines who were

32

having a conversation and landed

up the hill some 500m away on our
forward perimeter.
Defensive positions close to the UXB
were evacuated and we were asked
to deal with it as a priority so that
the defensive perimeter could be reinstated. Having blown the UXB up,
in the dark, we returned to the hospital
to look for the other bombs. Within
minutes of getting back to the hospital,
having blown up the bomb on the hill, we
had several reports of two large splashes
in the shallow water in front of the landing
stage. That left one bomb to be accounted
for. WO Dave Trafford and I went back
to the site of the explosion, and started
checking around. As I swung the beam
of the flashlight around, there, some 20ft
above our head was a parachute hanging
out of the wall. Above it was a perfect
bomb shaped hole. The bomb had gone
through the wall side-on and was sitting
up there waiting for us. The worst part
was that to get to it, I had to do a balancing
act along four wire girders. I squeezed
through the hole and found myself in the
roof void. Some 30ft away was the bomb.
It was directly above the operating theatre
area. While Doc Knights and the lads were
shoring up the roof under the UXB, I had
decided not to touch the bomb fuse. It had
been there some four hours by now. I was
taking a chance, but on balance, it offered
the best option. Next, we had to convince
everybody else. We decided the best way
was to put our money where our mouth
was, so we bedded down under the UXB
with fingers, legs and eyes crossed. The
tension broke and everyone in the hospital
went back to what they were doing before
the drama started, except the theatre staff,
who hadnt stopped working anytime
during that post-attack period. Brave
people.
A few days later Goose Green was
captured. Goose Green was a major
Argentine airbase. It had a grass strip
that would be ideal for the Harriers. As
my brief was to clear airfields for Harrier
operations, we made preparations to move.
Later that day, the 18 Sqn Chinook brought
in some POWs. Amongst them was a
Major Tomba, a Pucara Pilot. He was the
CO of the airbase, and would know what

Argentine A-4
Skyhawks

Background image: RFA Sir

Bedivere as it looks today
( Crown Copyright
www.defenceimages.mod.uk)

facilities were intact, as well as UXB

density and minefield location. Tomba
was signed out for the day and we went
to Goose Green. There were extensive
minefields, hundreds of UXBs and tons
of leaking napalm. The extent of the
task was daunting.
HMS Fearless gave no priority to the
airlifting of our trailers and kit to Goose
Green; so all we had was what we
could carry. Again, because we werent
part of any recognised Unit, food was
a problem. By rationing what wed
acquired and by shooting geese and
sheep, we kept body and soul together.

A minefield near
Goose Green

One of the first jobs to tackle was the

napalm in the centre of the settlement.
The containers were punctured, and
acetone fumes were leaking out. These
fumes are highly dangerous, and a
spark or a match might have set the lot
off. Unfortunately, it was stored on steelrunnered sledges, and as we towed it over
the ground, away from the village, sparks
struck, so it was a bit nerve-wracking. By
now the Gurkhas had taken over from 2
Para, and no amount of cajoling would
get them to move away from the napalm.
They just grinned and stood their ground,
they didnt want to miss the show if things
went wrong. The Gurkhas were keen on
minefields, so they asked us to lay some
mines in strategic positions. During the
previous week wed been plagued with
chopper loads of souvenir hunters off the
ships. They were a real problem as they
ferreted through piles of guns, helmets,
etc., ruining days of painstaking clearance
work. As we laid the last mine along a
hedgerow, the bushes parted and another
party of Naval tourists headed towards
the piles of loot. One of the lads screamed
Youre in a minefield. The four-ringer
and his V formation stopped instantly and
went all thin. The lads ambled slowly
towards the statues, and stopped some
20ft away, grinning. I walked carefully
up to the Captain and told them to
follow me in single file. Their relief at
reaching safety was second only to the
speed at which we relieved them of a sack
they were carrying. It contained 4,000
cigarettes, bread and a couple of Mayfairs.
A handsome reward. When we drew the
minefield map, we realised the mines

finished about 20ft away from where the

Naval party had appeared; apparently
they were safe all the time. All is fair in
love and war. Still, we did give them a
goose wed just shot, so they didnt go
away empty handed.
The team cleared hundreds of thousands
of items of ordnance from Goose Green
and made it safe for the islanders.
Meanwhile the Paras were fighting their
way towards Stanley, so Dave Trafford
and I hitched a ride back to Ajax Bay.
There, we found Colonel Helberg
was preparing to move out. Hed
commandeered a ship, the Elk, and in
return for a promise to clear his allocated
billet and HQ area in Stanley of UXBs
booby traps etc., he readily agreed to ship
our vehicles, and men, to Stanley. The
team flew back to Ajax Bay whilst Dave
and I took off for Stanley. Before we
arrived the Argentine forces surrendered.
It was over. There was no elation for us.
The worst was to come. You always lose
more EOD men clearing up after a war
than during it. Over 4,000 died in the UXB
aftermath of WWII, more than 1,000 of
these were EOD men.
Stanley airfield was a mess. UXBs
everywhere, Russian SAM7, American
500-Ib Mk 82 bombs, French Exocet,
British Tigercat, Israeli ground equipment,
a real international cocktail, and, of course,
hundreds of those BL755 bomblets. There
were 13 Pucaras all apparently boobytrapped plus others including Aermacchis,
each one taking hours to clear. The Paras
had herded all the POWs onto the airfield
and left them to their own devices for
three days. This had given them the
chance to plant hoax and live booby traps.
It took nearly four days before we cleared
the airfield sufficiently for our C-130
Hercules to land in safety.
We were eventually shipped home, having
taken just one casualty. Doc Knights had
frostbite in his big toe. In three months
wed dealt with over 900 unexploded
bombs, cleared hundreds of plastic mines,
tens of thousands of items of ordnance
and tons of napalm. Wed been shot up,
rocketed and bombed, and survived.
Seven of the 11 men got gallantry or
bravery awards.

33

THE RAF REGIMENT ON

OPERATION CORPORATE

By Wing Commander Martin Hooker RAF (Retd)

RAF Regiment Secretary

wenty five years ago in May 1982,

No 63 Squadron RAF Regiment
a Rapier air defence unit based
at RAF Gtersloh in Germany and a
number of officers and gunners employed
on the support helicopter units, deployed
to the Falklands as part of Operation
CORPORATE, the British Task Force
operation charged with recapturing the
Islands and restoring British sovereignty.
Barely a week before, during the period
of intense political activity, a Warning
Order for deployment had been rescinded,
and the Squadron deployed on exercise.
However, on its return on Friday 7 May, the
Squadron Commander Squadron Leader
Ian Loughborough was summoned to
Operations Wing Headquarters to be told,
Youre going in 48 hours!
Ian Loughborough was, of course, the envy
of all his colleagues when the Squadron
deployed. It was the most logical unit
to deploy to the Falklands to protect the
Harrier aircraft. It was based with the
RAF Germany Harrier Force and deployed
regularly in the field with it. The Squadron
spent more time on bare-base operations
than deploying at regular airfields; it knew
the way the Harriers operated and, as
importantly, the Harriers knew Rapier. Ian
Loughborough recalls:
I still marvel about what we achieved in
those few days getting ready for such a
remote war in such a short space of time.

During officer training we are taught to

carry out a military appreciation, based on
reconnaissance and intelligence, produce
and give orders and then deploy. Certainly
in the 1980s, orders for a Rapier squadron
deploying at an airfield were extremely
detailed, including exact locations, airspace
control, etc. For us though, Operation
CORPORATE was a venture into the
unknown and I cannot ever recall being
given or being able to give a full set of
orders. I had little or no influence on
how the Squadron would be divided up
for the journey south or how we would
eventually go ashore at San Carlos. Indeed,
when we joined RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
at Southampton along with 5 Infantry
Brigade, the Brigadier had no idea why we
were there.
Activities on board ship were well
organised and everyone was able to
make the most of the time to prepare
themselves. Throughout the voyage south,
various plans were discussed on where
and when they might land. They knew
that they had been sent to defend the
Harrier Forward Operating Base (FOB),
but where that might be and how they
would get there was far from clear. Matters
were made even more complicated when
they reached South Georgia. There the
Squadron divided yet more. As a small
unit, the priority was given to 5 Infantry

Left: WO Callaghan
inspecting an
Argentine Tigercat
air defence system at
Stanley

34

Right: En route south

blind weapon training
onboard QE2

Brigade units. When the Squadron left

South Georgia on 28-29 May, it was divided
amongst four ships HMS Fearless, SS
Canberra, MV Norland and RFA Stromness
- with no contact between them. Each day,
as they sailed nearer to the Falklands, the
Squadron Commander expected to receive
orders, but none came. His notes at the
time summed it all up:
I still have not been told if I am just to
defend the Harrier Site or the Brigade
Maintenance Area as well. As we prepare
to go ashore I do not have the locations of T
Battery (the Royal Artillery Rapier Battery
with No 3 Commando Brigade) or where
their Control Post is. The only information
we get is from the BBC and the odd signal
that the ship manages to intercept, thus
giving us a glimpse of what might happen
or what is going on. During the evening
of 31 May I attended a Force meeting to
end all meetings. We met and no one, not
even the Brigadier, had anything to say.
The meeting lasted 30 seconds. That really
sums up the situation as we go ashore.
Circumstances beyond the Squadrons
control dictated the order that the unit
went ashore and it was totally in the
wrong order. When the two Rapier flights
landed at Green Beach, they found the
entire complement of Squadron vehicles,
equipment and stores, including fire units
and missiles, dumped unceremoniously

on either side of the only track leading

away from the beach. By the time the
Squadron Commander arrived, A Flight
was already deploying; so much for orders,
reconnaissance and the normal deployment
sequence! However, it was all rather
inevitable, as events moved so quickly
and Amphibious Operations tended to
change the whole sequence of events for
such a small unit in the blink of an eye.
The necessary orders were issued and the
unit deployed properly on 2-3 June. No
reconnaissance was possible prior to

Right: RAF Gtersloh

Welcome Home
15 September 1982

35

deployment and six of the eight Rapier sites

required helicopter support as they were, for
the most part, inaccessible from the ground.
With the Squadron fully deployed and safe
procedures established for friendly aircraft
using the FOB, an operational routine set in
and it became clear that their field exercises
during the past few years had prepared the
Squadron well for the operation. With the
fall of Stanley on 14 June, the atmosphere
changed and speculation started about
when units would be going home. The
first task was to re-deploy to the newly
established RAF Stanley. After a successful
redeployment, the Squadron settled down
again to a new operational routine at what
was to become Black Eagle Camp the
black eagle being the centrepiece of the 63
Squadron badge - on the side of Sapper Hill.
For sometime after the ceasefire, there was
still a significant risk of a rogue air attack, so
while the army units could largely relax, the
Squadron had to maintain its vigilance at a
very high state of readiness.
Warrant Officer Pat Patel, then a RAF
Regiment corporal embedded in the Harrier
Force on ground defence duties, recounts:
As we landed at RAF Stanley, we came in
contact with the Argentinian prisoners of
war. I will never forget the scene; desolate
faces of sadness and failure among the
prisoners and heaps of weapons and
ammunition lying all over the place. The
look of abject defeat was obvious and
the discipline and control was noticeably
different between the conscripted
Argentinian soldiers and the professional
British servicemen. The important
prisoners were searched, disarmed and
sent to our ship. My fondest memories
of the campaign were how the British
troops worked together as one, and of the
friendships that were forged in adversity.

We were also tasked with the guarding of

General Menendez, which was quite an
experience in itself.
The transition to peace was far from easy
with the new Force Headquarters asking
for lists of vehicles, laying down new dress
codes, etc. Helicopter requests required
far more detail and advance booking was
essential. All in all, life became more
difficult. Each day they watched yet another
operational unit returning home and being
replaced by fresh troops who had not been
involved in the conflict. The winter set in
with heavy snowfalls, but the unit was not
equipped for arctic conditions. Then came
the thaw with attendant flooding. It was not
surprising, therefore, that morale took a dip
as everyone became frustrated.
Eventually, the Squadron recovered back to
Germany. When it landed at RAF Gtersloh
on the evening of 15 September, there was
a VIP Party to greet the returning heroes.
Having left four months before under a
cloak of secrecy, the welcome home was a
fitting end to a traumatic few months for
all concerned, including the families. But
the Squadron Commanders most precious
memory is that he took his Squadron to war
and brought everyone home safely. Some
units were not so fortunate.
Footnote: The RAF Regiment was to
continue its association with the Falklands
for another 24+ years, defending RAF
Stanley and then RAF Mount Pleasant on a
24/7 basis, until it handed over the groundbased air defence role to the Royal Artillery
on 31 October 2006. It also marked the last
operational Rapier deployment for the RAF
Regiment and the end of its 64-year long air
defence role in the RAF.
( RAF Regiment Centurion Journal 2007)

Left: Rapier fire unit

overlooking San Carlos
Water early June 1982

36

Royal Air Force

Familiarisation Training Programme
By Nicky Jones, DAS

bjective To help MoD civil

servants develop a better
understanding of the role and
organisation of the Royal Air Force.

RAF Lyneham 2006

RAF Marham 2005

RAF Marham 2005

RAF Odiham 2005

This year marks the 15th Anniversary

of the Royal Air Force Familiarisation
Training Programme (RAF FTP). The
Air Staff has been successfully running
the scheme since it was established in
September 1992, during which time more
than 1,700 civilians have taken advantage
of the unique training opportunity.
The Programme is open to all MoD civil
servants who, primarily, deal with the
RAF or RAF-related work and who would
benefit from a greater appreciation and
understanding of the Service. The course
is sponsored by the Chief of the Air Staff
and is co-ordinated and administered
by a team of four civil servants within
the Directorate of Air Staffs (DAS)
Information Hub. A great deal of time
and effort researching, organising travel
and accommodation and liaising with
station Media and Communication
Officers (MCOs) goes on behind the
scenes. Additionally, stations involved
in the scheme devote much of their
already stretched resources to deliver
an informative and fun day out for the
delegates; which 15 years on is in great
demand and still pulling in the punters!
From its inception to the present day, the
Programme has been evolving, subject to
ever-changing demands and constraints.
VISIT SCHEDULE 2007

RAF Kinloss

11/12 Sept

D and above

RAF Leeming

17 Sept

D and above

RAF Leeming

24 Sept

E1 & E2

RAF Benson

26 Sept

D and above

RAF Odiham

27 Sept

E1 & E2

RAF Valley

2 Oct

E1 and above

RAF Lyneham

3 Oct

All grades

RAF Leuchars

11 Oct

All grades

RAF Waddington

16 Oct

E1 & E2

RAF Marham

18 Oct

All grades

RAF Coningsby

23 Oct

E1 & E2

RAF Wittering

1 Nov

D and above

RAF Lossiemouth

Currently, it consists of two stages: Stage

one, a day visit to an RAF station; this
includes a tour and briefing of the station
facilities providing a rare opportunity for
civilians to experience an insight into the
function of an RAF station. There is also
the chance to see aircraft in the flesh and
meet the people who work on the front line.
Additionally, the day also involves a taste of
life working in the armed services including
its protocols, for example, the experience of
dining in a service mess! Finally, stage two;
this is a feedback exercise, giving delegates
the chance to put forward their suggestions
and comments they may have regarding
their day. These questionnaires also act as
a valuable management tool enabling the
training and developmental value of the
Programme to be monitored and measured.
A review of the Programme is currently in
progress to assess whether it is achieving
its objective effectively and to ensure that it
remains fresh and up to date. As part of the
review, participating stations will be asked
for their thoughts and ideas on how the
Programme can be improved for everyone
concerned, so any thoughts you have about
the scheme would be greatly appreciated.
Please send them to me at nicky.jones435@
mod.uk. We, in DAS, fully appreciate
the time and effort that stations put into
providing this exclusive experience and I
would like to take this opportunity to thank
everyone that has been involved in the
delivery of a training day for their continued
support.
If you are interested in attending a training
day this year, the scheme is advertised
in numerous internal publications, or
for further details regarding this years
schedule please see Defence Instruction and
Notices (DIN) 2007DIN06-061.

RAF Odiham 2005

37

Airspace matters
No 1 Air Control Centre (1ACC)
Ops in Afghanistan
By Fg Off Sean Langrish, 1ACC

o 1ACC is the RAFs only

deployable ground-based Air
and Aviation, Command, Control
and Communication (A2C3) Unit. Since
deploying to Camp Bastion in Helmand
Province in October 2006, 1ACC has been
conducting operations to enhance the
effectiveness of air support to both the UK
Task Force (UKTF) and other ground forces
supporting the NATO-led International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in
Afghanistan. This is achieved using a T101
long-range search radar, which enables
the production of a real-time Recognised
Air Picture (RAP) from the Tactical Air
Control Centre (TACC). A combination of
secure and insecure ground-to-air radios,
including SATCOM, are used to co-ordinate
air and aviation assets, and airspace within
an assigned area. The T101 can detect and
track aircraft, helicopters and UAVs within
southern Afghanistan, using a combination
of the primary radar and secondary
Interrogator Friend or Foe (IFF) system.
24/7 operations are conducted from the
TACC, from where the RAP is disseminated
to the Combined Air Operations Centre
(CAOC) at Al Udeid, and also to other
airborne C2 and Intelligence, Surveillance
and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms
which require enhanced situational
awareness, using a suite of Digital Data
Links. The Units Area of Responsibility
(AOR) covers a large part of southern
Afghanistan.
As an A2C3 Unit, 1ACCs primary roles
are to enhance Air-Land Integration and
provide air situational awareness within
southern Afghanistan, with particular

38

emphasis on the conduct of Close Air

Support (CAS) operations. The dynamic
nature of the ground situation requires air
support to the ground forces be equally
dynamic and flexible in its application.
To achieve this, 1ACC provides a robust
air command and control capability from
the TACC, including the Intelligence
function, which enables the rapid tasking
and re-tasking of CAS assets in support
of Troops in Contact (TIC) situations on
the ground, in addition to tactical control
of Air Refuelling (AR) assets that are vital
in extending the on-station time of the
CAS aircraft. Several times during any
typical day, the Unit will be ordered to
re-task CAS assets from their pre-planned
mission to support a TIC. Able to see and
communicate securely with the aircraft,
1ACC operators will safely expedite
the re-tasking of CAS to the target area,
providing necessary deconfliction from
other air, aviation and active airspace.
Details passed will include the callsign and
contact frequencies of the Joint Terminal
Air Controller (JTAC) on the ground,
who will then take control of the aircraft.
Importantly, the Unit will also liaise with
higher authorities to co-ordinate changes
to AR for the tasked aircraft if required,
co-ordinate follow-on air assets, and relay
instant Bomb Damage Assessment (BDA)
and recce reports from the aircrew to
other agencies. This level of coordination
becomes even more important when
several TIC situations are in progress
simultaneously, as the limited number of
CAS and AR assets must be prioritised and
utilised as efficiently as possible to ensure
Land Forces are fully supported.

A significant
proportion of the
Units output is
driven towards
providing safety
of flight for all
air platforms...

A significant proportion of the Units

output is driven towards providing
safety of flight for all air platforms, and
maximising flexible use of the air element
of the battlespace. Afghan airspace can
become very congested with fast jet,
multi-engine, rotary and UAV platforms
all requiring specified airspace in which to
conduct their missions. In addition, there
are ground formations with particular
airspace requirements for a multitude
of tasks such as artillery and mortar fire,
and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD).
1ACC plays a vital role in deconflicting
and co-ordinating the airspace ensuring
that all platforms and formations can
operate safely with the tactical freedom
of movement they require to carry out
their missions. This is especially evident
when, for example, a multitude of different
aircraft and aviation types converge over a
TIC. 1ACC, having comms with all players
and excellent situational awareness from
the RAP, will deconflict the assets from one
another laterally and/or in height, prior
to handover of tactical control to a JTAC.
This ensures that the aircraft can operate
effectively and safely in the target area and
deliver the required effect. With extensive
radio and radar coverage of Helmand
Province, 1ACC is well equipped to
manage the fluid air situation by providing
aircrew with tactical information on
positions of other air platforms, in addition
to enhancing the situational awareness of
aircrew with regard to changes in tasking,
airspace restrictions, AR availability,
weather and airfield status. Within
the AOR, the typical daily operational
tempo involves the coordination and deconfliction of all pre-planned CAS missions
as promulgated in the daily Air Tasking
Order (ATO), including: land and carrierbased RAF and other Allied fast air; the
tactical control and coordination of all AR;
the provision of a flight information service
to rotary traffic; ISAF inter- and intratheatre logistic flights (typically C-130,

C-17, C-5 and the APOD Tristar trooper

flights); and ISR platforms. Additionally,
the Unit constantly monitors the aircraft
emergency and distress frequencies and
can assist aircraft that experience in-flight
emergencies.
1ACC, garrisoned at RAF Kirton-inLindsey in North Lincolnshire, is a
formed unit with embedded engineering
and support staff, including chefs, MT,
medical, RAF Regiment, Intelligence,
and logistical/movements personnel.
Moreover, 1ACCs equipment capability
requires a wide-range of specialist technical
skill-sets to ensure continued operational
output. The Operations staff are drawn
from the Fighter Control specialisation of
the Operations Support Branch and Trade
Group 12 personnel. Formed unit status
means that 1ACC can rely on outstanding
in-theatre support from elements that
remain in-garrison. 1ACCs commitment
to the UKTF and ISAF mission also
utilises Emergency Reinforcement Scheme
(ERS) personnel drawn from a variety of
Branches and Trade Groups to augment the
required in-theatre manning levels.
The Unit is a constituent element of the
Air Surveillance and Control System
(ASACS) Force which is headquartered
at RAF Boulmer in Northumberland.
Operations personnel from across the
ASACS Force, at Control and Reporting
Centres Boulmer and Scampton and at the
RAF School of Fighter Control, provide a
significant element of the ERS personnel
required to support the 1ACC deployment.
1ACC was previously deployed to Tallil
Airbase, Iraq, in support of Operation
TELIC during 2003-04. While retaining
its original role as a mobile Air Defence
C2 unit, 1ACC is now at the forefront
of Air-Land Integration and frequently
participates in UK-based CAS exercises
which provide realistic operational
readiness training for personnel about to
deploy on Op HERRICK.

39

Flight safety with

Wg Cdr Spry

fter years of denial, Ive just

succumbed to a mobile telephone;
hadnt bothered with one before as
Mrs Spry had one and as wed never had
two normal phones at home, what was the
point of having two of these? Its pretty
handy though and its even got a little
camera on it as well, but I havent found
out where the film goes yet. Anyway, the
weirdest thing is being able to send written
messages with it, texts I think theyre
called. I got a text thingy from one of the
grandkids the other day and I couldnt
understand a word of it - fab bday pres

thnx
shd c u
n gran l8r
- I guess she liked
whatever it was wed
given her! I thought that I
stood a chance of being able to
communicate with the youngsters when
they started using words like fab and
expressions such as Man, thats cool - I
had visions of the 60s all over again. So
imagine my surprise when I was mocked
mercilessly for mentioning I say, that
rocks! - whats wrong with that? Even
the long-suffering Mrs S seems to
come up with confusing
stuff now. We were
watching the athletics
on the TV a while ago
and she commented that
this chap had a nice lunchbox.

40

Well how daft, I thought, if he was running

a marathon I could understand it, but hes
only running the 100 metres and he could
easily go to the canteen afterwards for a
snack. No
says Mrs S,
its down his
shorts. But I
still couldnt
get what she
meant; now
Ive hidden
a couple of
Mars bars in
my Y-fronts
on Escape
and Evasion
exercises before, but a
tupperware lunchbox, thats
ridiculous!
You might remember in my last missive
that I mentioned all these new ways of
doing things that were expected to master
at Hot (oops) Air Command; theyve even
got a catchy name for it; Improved Ways
Of Working apparently. But what about
IWOT - Improved Ways Of Talking. Fine,
so youve been to Airship School or youve
done an MBA, but why use words that
mere mortals like us dont understand;
worse still, why dont us lesser beings
say that we dont understand? Maybe
we dont want to be the odd one out,
or maybe we dont want to show our
ignorance to the demi-gods; the presence
of rank and power can do funny things to
us; in my case it was normally to be told
I had a few weeks of Orderly Officer! By
the way, have you ever noticed
our big cheeses at official
parties? Theyre very
slick and they
always have
been. I
must
say that

I couldnt understand
a word of it fab bday
pres thnx shd c u n
gran l8r I guess she
liked whatever it was
wed given her!

I must say that some of

the colonial G & T and
Pimms-on-the-verandah
with the memsahib
functions that Ive been
to at various outposts
of the Empire have
been fantastic

some of the colonial G & T and

Pimms-on-the-verandah with
the memsahib functions that Ive
been to at various outposts of
the Empire have been fantastic;
I really can recommend the
Diplomatic Service to you, should
have joined it myself, but I
dont think my liver could
have stood it. Anyway, even
if you dont know them,
you can spot the Airship, Stn Cdr or Sqn
Boss miles off as they work the crowd,
theyre so smooth and suave, and they
always seem to know what to say; just
put it down to the natural confidence and
experience that comes with having a big
star on your PMA dossier I suppose. The
rest of us just goad each other on with
infantile humour and blunder through
a drunken haze, slobbering over the
local nurses or teachers - ah the good old
days! Now theres a thing, why dont we
ever actually say anything meaningful
to the girls at some parties? Could be
the environment, you know, all those
people around and you dont want to
look a twit do you? The RAF never
used to commission shy Johnnies, but
sometimes you just cant seem to get the
right words across that theyll understand.
Conversely, have you noticed how the
girls dont need to actually say anything
for us chaps to get the message? A
withering glance from Mrs S certainly tells
me that Ive been breathing too regularly
for her liking!
I bet youre asking yourself what have
all these meanderings got to do with

Flight Safety? Did you know

that an Air Traffic Control
instruction can best be
described as converting the
information on a radar screen
to a change in direction of
the aircraft without passing
through the brains of
either the controller
or the pilot? Its true!
Seriously though,
have you ever thought about why the
message youd wanted to put across
didnt get understood in the way youd
intended? There are lots of reasons if
you think about it; someones age and
rank, which is often linked with power,
confidence and experience; individual
perceptions, personality and peer pressure
are all barriers. But dont forget that
our cultures, gender, emotional state
and the environment will also play a
part. Effective communication is crucial
to everything we do and that means
communication in both directions. The
master race has traditionally been content
with honest debriefs after sorties, after
all, its the only time that you can tell the
Stn Cdr hes useless (maybe I was a bit
too honest with that). So why dont we
all do it? Honestly, weve got some jolly
clever boys and girls in the Service these
days and its not that difficult to say what
you mean in a language that well ALL
understand. Dont wrap important stuff
up in unintelligible mumbo jumbo just to
impress it doesnt; believe me, when you
do that, most of us think youre a - well, I
wont say here!

41

The Fly By Nights

RAF Bomber Command Sorties 1944-45
By Donald W Feesey

he Fly By Nights describes those who

indulge in vanishing acts known as
Moonlighting. This book, however,
is about RAF Bomber Command fly-bynights the aircrews whose bravery and
courage were put to the test in 1944/45,
usually when there was no moon at all!
Don Feesey had not intended to join
the forces as he felt that fighting was no
way to settle a dispute. However, after
the death of two of his close friends, just
teenagers themselves, his attitude changed
and he felt justified in joining the RAF as a
fighter pilot to defend his country against
the German aggressors.
The author starts by describing his
progress through recruit and flying
training. His chatty style is full of wit
and is an easy read. His amazingly
detailed recollections often made me
laugh out loud, which is always a good
indicator. Dont be put off by the number
of chapters; although there are a lot, they
break the book into very digestible chunks
that make it ideal to dip in and out of
during a coffee break. That said, I was so
engrossed I read it all in the same sitting!
Don recounts his first impressions of the
RAF with the incessant cleaning of kit and
blocks and the NCOs who mentored(!)
him through the first few weeks! From
there we follow him through his first
experiences in flying which included going
up with the Station Commander no less,
who promptly got them lost in fog, made
an emergency landing and then got Don to
pay for lunch whilst waiting for the MT to
take them home! Later he was posted to
Canada to complete his flying training, but
a defect to his vision curtailed his initial
aspirations to fly Spits and Hurries and
instead he was re-branched to become a
NCO navigator.
Returning home he continued onto
Advanced Training in Wales and an
Operational Conversion Unit at Blyton
navigating on Halifaxes before joining
166 Sqn (Lancasters) at Kirmington in

42

Reviewed by
Sqn Ldr Amanda
Martin-Smith

September 1944. From here he cut his

teeth operationally, navigating sorties
in support of Bomber Harris Operation
HURRICANE that focused on eliminating
the German industry, oil supplies
and communications network. Gritty
recollections of his sorties are woven
beautifully with funny stories about
sneaking off through a hole in the hedge to
a local farmers wife who would feed him
and his crew fresh pork and vegetables.
He speaks warmly of his fellow crew
members and of the aircraft he flew,
including his favourite and most loved IItem and the ever unpredictable W-Willy
who made her crew very nervous with her
rattling and vibrating, but always made it
home . . . just!
Dons memories of the raids he flew

are narrated in an amusing and casual

way, which belies the bravery and
seriousness of the reality he faced such
as when they had to land with a bomb
stuck half in and half out of the bay (the
ultimate stoppage!!). On another occasion
Willys engines completely failed over
Belgium whereupon the rest of the crew
were ordered to bail out and Don and
the pilot were left to nurse the limping
aircraft home. Towards the end of the
book we hear of his participation in the
Dresden raids, which were so significant
in bringing the War to an end, yet had
questionable legitimacy and motive.
Don completed 34 operational
sorties before retiring from his life
in the air and talks candidly about the
extreme mental and physical effects of his
experiences, of the different personalities
he encountered and of the difficult
transition between war and peacetime
RAF. I would thoroughly recommend this
book to anyone wanting to learn more
about the challenges faced by bomber
crews and the tenacity and courage with
which they undertook their duties. This is
an engaging and thoroughly entertaining
autobiography.

Publisher: Pen & Sword

Aviation
ISBN 1-84415-470- X
Price 19.99
(164 pages, Hardback)

Reviewed by
Gp Capt Neville Parton

Airlaunched
Doodlebugs
The Forgotten Campaign
By Peter J C Smith

Publisher: Pen & Sword

Aviation
ISBN 1-84415-401-7
Price 19.99
(243 pages, Hardback)

any readers of Spirit will be

aware of the German attacks
mounted against England from
mid-1944 until early 1945, using the
vergeltungswaffen (literally vengeance
weapons) better known as the V1 and V2.
However, not so many will be aware that
in an attempt to increase the usefulness
of these weapons, a dedicated Luftwaffe
unit was set up to enable the air launching
of V1 missiles. This not only significantly
increased the effective range of the
weapons, but also allowed them to be used
against a much broader array of targets
across the country enabling Manchester
to be attacked for instance. The story of
that Luftwaffe squadron, together with
those RAF and army units who stood
between the missiles and the population
of the UK, forms the basis of this wellresearched book.

Comprising 13 chapters, it begins with an

examination of the development of the
overall concept and associated techniques
at Peenemunde, before moving on to the
deployment of the operational squadrons,
initially in France and then latterly in
Holland. The different phases of the
air-launched campaign are covered, with
plenty of material encompassing both
German and British aspects of operations,
as well as follow-on elements such as the
development of a longer-range version
of the V1 to allow London to be struck
from ground launch points in Germany.
Whilst the overall military effect of the
V1 and V2 campaigns was negligible, and
the air-launched element only formed
a small part of the overall whole, it did
have some effect at the political
level, which again is well
covered.

Richly illustrated with pictures, diagrams

and maps, it provides an in-depth
examination of the entire campaign,
with a blow-by-blow account of the
changing fortunes of both offenders and
attackers. The operational-level decisions
regarding deployment of defences are well
explained, together with the difficulties
in trying to intercept the actual launching
platforms although Mosquito nightfighter aircraft would eventually have
a considerable degree of success in that
role. The lions share of actual missiles
destroyed went to the coastal-based
anti-aircraft units where a combination
of radar-aimed guns and proximity fuses
made for an extremely effective shield.
However, they were unable to intercept
any weapons that did not fly within
their area, which was why their location
was so key. Other elements of the story,
such as the attempt to produce what was
effectively an AWACS-type aircraft in early
1945 to increase the interception rate of the
launchers, are also well told.

The book also has a huge

amount of detail contained
within the copious annexes,
covering everything
from the organisation
of Kampfgeschwader
53, through a
comprehensive listing
of all air-launched V1
operations against
the UK, to details
of the anti-aircraft
units and RAF
squadrons who
participated in the
campaign and their successes.
The only drawback is actually the huge
amount of detail provided within the
body of the book itself, where it is possible
to get lost in terms of the overall picture
because of the tremendous quantity of
information imparted. However, this is a
small criticism and should not put anyone
off who has any curiosity about such an
interesting footnote to history.

43

Falklands Prize Quiz

By Wg Cdr Andy Lawless

BOOK PRIZE: RAF Harrier Ground Attack Falklands, by Sqn Ldr Jerry Pook (Retd). Entries should
be sent to the Editor, Jay Myers, St Georges Court, Floor 1, Zone A, 2-12 Bloomsbury Way, London,
WC1A 2SH, no later than Monday, 14 August, 2007. The Editors decision is final in awarding the
prize. The competition is not open to members of DAS. Answers to the quiz and the name of the
winner will be published in the next Spirit.

Q1. In April 1982, Argentine forces

invaded the Falkland Islands sparking

a furious political response. The United
Nations Security Council passed a
Resolution. Which number was it and
what did it require Argentina to do?

Q4. The Falkland Islands provided

Q2. Who previously operated the

over one hundred and fifty people to join

the war effort for Britain during the
Second World War. The Islanders also
contributed in the form of fund-raising and
donations. How many Spitfires did the
Falklands donate to the Royal Air Force in
1940?

Q3. During the conflict, RAF Avro

the SAS destroy during the Raid on Pebble

Island on 14 May 1982?

General Belgrano and what was her former

name?
Vulcan aircraft carried out several bombing
and anti-radar missile missions against the
Argentine garrison. What was the code
name for these missions?

44

Q5. What Argentine aircraft types did

Q6. How many Victoria Crosses were

awarded in the Falklands campaign and to

whom?

Q13. The emblem of the airborne

forces (2 Para and 3 Para) who fought in

the campaign is Bellerophon mounted on
the winged horse Pegasus. Which RAF
squadron that served in the Falklands
campaign features Pegasus on its crest?

Q14. The first operational mission

carried out by a Victor aircraft during

the campaign established a record for a
long-range operational reconnaissance
flight. The Victor flew from Ascension
Island towards South Georgia with the
sortie lasting 14 hrs 45 mins. What aircraft
exceeded this record sortie length later in
the conflict and what was the sortie time?

Q15. What was the sortie length of the

first air-refuelled Hercules mission during
Op CORPORATE?

Q7.

Which aircraft carrier did No 1

Sqn Royal Air Force operate from during
the campaign?

Q8. How many Chinook Helicopters

were sunk on Atlantic Conveyor and what

caused her to sink?

Q9. Where did the Falkland Islands get

their name from?

Q10. What is the history behind

Desire the Right on the Coat of Arms of

the Falkland Islands?

Q11. Who was Chief of the Air Staff

during the Falklands campaign?

Q12. What is the significance of the

Black Eagle at Port Stanley airfield and

which RAF unit does it represent?

45

Reader survey

The results
By Jay Myers

ince the inaugural heritage edition

in November 2005, Spirit of the Air
has attracted a growing and varied
audience. Our original objective was
to produce an easy-to-read bi-monthly
magazine packed with a series of features
covering contemporary and heritage topics,
aimed at RAF personnel and the civilians
who work with them. Were now in our
second year of publication and bursting
with ideas for all sorts of stories. Now its
your turn! Our success now and in the
future depends on reader involvement.
What do our readers think? What do they
want us to write about? What are we doing
well and what can we do better? So, in Vol
2 No 1 2007, we published our first reader
survey to find out what you think.
Readers judgement
Although our survey did not generate
a huge number of replies, those who
responded provided some interesting and
valued feedback. Overall reader reaction
to our first complete year has been both
positive and constructive. The vast majority
of respondents were, as expected, from the
RAF. Nearly two-thirds of all respondents
rated the general content of Spirit as very
good. Three per cent felt that the content
was adequate. However, 8% of respondents
found the content to be poor.
On average, more than 40% of respondents
judged the Foreword, Airspace matters,
VCs, High commanders, Leadership, and
News from the News as good. And nearly
one-third of our feedback rated VCs as
excellent. More than 80% of participating
readers agreed that the magazine is aimed
at everyone associated with the RAF. The
majority of respondents also agreed that
Spirit has a good focus on the RAFs heritage
and history, as well as on issues that matter
in todays Air Force. Survey readers liked
both the presentation and layout and found
the publication easy to read. Although Spirit
is available on the Internet and Intranet,
about half of all questionnaire readers
reported that they did not read it online,
preferring instead to read the printed
version. Nearly a quarter of respondents
reported that they didnt know that Spirit
was actually available online! (A little

surprising as the addresses are published on

the contents page.)
Although a small percentage of readers
said they would prefer to see the circulation
increased to monthly production, nearly
60% voted to retain its present bi-monthly
format, while nearly 90% of respondents
said that the size of Spirit was about right.

The balance
of history and

Spirit also scored well on its ability to engage

readers: 85% of all questionnaires reported
that Spirit had good focus on the RAFs
heritage and history, while 71% revealed
that it had good focus on issues that matter
in todays Air Force. However, only 56%
of respondents claimed that it was easy to
find a copy of the magazine. We will look
again at our distribution list and make sure
that the right number of copies are going to
the right places.

current ops is

Editorial quality
As to Spirits editorial format, reactions
were mixed (see Table 1). The overall
trend suggests that the editorial format
is good, satisfying nearly half of those
readers who wrote to us. Nearly a third of
replies pointed to average quality, while 6%
claimed the quality was poor. However, it
is encouraging to note that 15% of replies
graded our editorial quality as excellent!

to read this

good.
It is this honest
picture that will
make me want
publication again.

Finally, on balance (see Table 2), the results

were also mixed, although here too, the
trend does indicate that the balance of
editorial material is about right. Overall,
22% of respondents want more, while
16% want less of those sections specified

Please note that

for Tables 1 & 2 ,
not all questions
were completed by
respondents.

Table 1

Quality of various sections

Excellent

Good

Average

Poor

Foreword

10%

63%

24%

3%

Airspace matters

8%

46%

32%

5%

VCs

32%

49%

10%

3%

High commanders

22%

44%

27%

5%

Quiz

10%

37%

29%

15%

Leadership

10%

51%

29%

5%

News from the News

10%

54%

29%

5%

Overall average

15%

49%

29%

6%

Editorial balance

Want More

About Right

Want Less

Airspace matters

10%

56%

24%

Articles about operations/exercises

34%

61%

5%

Historical articles

39%

49%

10%

General news items

17%

59%

17%

Station-based articles

22%

59%

15%

News from the command

10%

61%

24%

Overall average

22%

58%

16%

below. Airspace matters and News from the

command fared the worst, followed by
general news and station-based articles.
Critical comment
Our survey provided a cross-section of
opinion, from positive pat-on-the-back
praise, to editorial recommendations and
complaints focusing on financial investment:
Whilst it is interesting to read along with
all the other glossy publications, wrote one
reader, it would be better to divert some of the
money towards better resources for operational
effectiveness. Internal PR is important but only
with a receptive audience.

An excellent
publication, which
I enjoy reading
from cover to
cover . . .
Extremely good
read, cant wait for
the next issue.

Another reader found the whole enterprise

an utter and complete waste of money:
. . . publications also aimed at civil servants
is a vast waste of funds. The RAF should have
ONE monthly publication that employs one
small team of people. This is just all about jobs
for the boys and girls . . . Spend the money on
food, accommodation and recruitment.
This theme was echoed in another reply,
although this reader was in no doubt about
how best to invest Spirits financial resources:
A good read, but in the current financial
environment, the money it costs could be better
spent, e.g. allowing us to turn on the heating at
RAF Leuchars as it is February.
One reader suggested that Spirit should
become an abridged version of Air Power
Review with short pithy articles, while
another respondent believed there should
be a resonance with the former Air Clues:
Striking a balance between populist copy and
scholarly insight is the key. Spirit of the Air
is possibly erring towards the latter and risks

Reader survey

Table 2

being less accessible to all ranks. That said, it is an

excellent journal, and I would rather keep it as is
rather than lose it.

Recommendations
The subject of Air Clues and scholarly
historical articles resurfaced in our collection
of recommendations. Said one respondent: I
believe that more of the I learnt about series from
Air Clues would be of tremendous value, not only
from an ethos point of view, but also from a flight
safety aspect.
[This request is now being addressed, Ed.]
Another reader shared his enthusiasm for:
Shorter historical articles, more diverse than just
aircrew snippets on our ethos, history, why we
do certain things. (i.e. why do we wear a beret?
Where do our badges come from? Wheres our
motto from?
[Our two-part feature on RAF battle
honours appeared in Vol 2 Nos 2 & 3; while
an article on Heraldry and RAF badges was
published in Vol 2 No 3, Ed.]

Ideas for future issues of Spirit included:

n A more individual focus on the problems
RAF personnel face today.
n Some mention of the space environment and
the existence of RAF Fylingdales.
n More stories about modern heroes of the
air people who have achieved from 1982
onwards.
n Any interesting website addresses relating
to individual stations work and/or historical
traditions, squadron histories and aircraft used;
battles/raids where aircraft proved decisive;
air/sea rescues.
n An in-depth article on different trades in the
RAF . . . what different section/squadrons have
achieved and what they do currently.
n Book reviews pertinent to military history
would be good.
n Interviews with old Battle of Britain
pilots would be fascinating and a great way
to preserve history that we will soon lose,
unrecorded.
n Leadership articles that are written in plain
English, not Advanced Staff College-speak.
From everyone involved with Spirit, we
thank all of you for writing and sharing your
ideas with us, and for getting involved with
Spirits future. The winner of our prize draw
was Sqn Ldr R Fielder, DCAE Cosford, who
has won 25 of Marks & Spencer vouchers as
a token of our appreciation.

New Year Prize Quiz Solutions

from Vol 2 No 1 2007

Zeppelin souvenir takes wing

On the night of 1-2 October 1916, Zeppelin

L31 on a bombing raid to London, was shot
down and crashed at Potters Bar, killing the
airship commander and his comrades. Our
story on the most successful Zeppelin raid
on London in the First World War by L13,
mentioned this airship see London Zeppelin
Walk by David Forsyth, Vol 2 No 3 2007 (page
36) brought back a few personal memories for
Syd Hewett, RAF Lossiemouth.

There were no winners.

27 Squadron dinner date

L31

My Grandmother (20 at the time and

living in London) obtained a souvenir from
the crashed Zeppelin. Apparently some of
the aluminium frames were melted down
and reproduced into the wings of the
Royal Flying Corps a piece thats about
two inches long. My mother still has that
piece.

The newly formed 27 Squadron

Association would like to hear from any
ex-serving Sqn members, particularly
those from the Vulcan and Tornado eras,
who would be interested in joining the
Association. In order to welcome the
membership, OC 27 Sqn will be hosting a
dinner at the Officers Mess, RAF Odiham
on 28 September 2007. For further
information and to register your interest,
please write to: 27 Sqn Association
Membership Secretary, RAF Odiham,
Hook, Hampshire, RG29 1QT.

Prize crossword solution

from Vol 2 No 3.

Our winner is Jenny Caines, TISMT,

Boscombe Down

Wreck of L31 draped over an oak tree

Also, my wife is German and her

brother lives in Friedrichshafen, southern
Germany home of the Zeppelin. I took
this souvenir into the Zeppelin Museum
there; they took photos of it and we were
shown around the museums basement,
which is not normally open to the public.
Its full of interesting stuff including parts
of an old Lancaster that was discovered in
Lake Constance.

48

Please note that our regular

Prize Crossword puzzle will
appear as usual in the next
issue of Spirit.

1. The Red Pelicans, aerobatic display

team of the Central Flying School,
flying Jet Provosts.
2. The Bristol Blenheim, which
originated as the Bristol 142.
3. RAF Finningley (now Doncaster
Robin Hood International Airport).
4. Fred Mulley, the then Secretary of
State for Defence.
5. The Royal Hospital, Chelsea.
6. Duxford was a 12 Group sector
station, all the others were 11 Group.
7. Manchester it had two engines, all
others had four.
8. Madame de Pompadour, Maitresse
en titre to Louis XV: Apres Nous le
Deluge (617 version Apres moi le
deluge).
9. RAF Woodhall Spa.
10. It is the first frontline combat
aircraft to have recycled the name of a
predecessor.
11. Westland Whirlwind first seen as
a twin-engined fighter in WW2 (only
two squadrons were formed), then the
Whirlwind helicopter.
12. The Gloster Gladiator.
13. Handley Page Heyford.
14. Fairey Swordfish in service (antisubmarine operations) until May 1945.
15. The Kestrel is the only British bird
actually capable of hovering.
16. 1 February 1942.
17. The first shooting down of a jet
aircraft by ground fire.
18. 2nd Lt W B Rhodes-Moorhouse, No 2
Sqn RFC, 26 April 1915.
19. Lockheed Hudson (Coastal
Command) a Dornier 18 flying boat
8 October 1939.
20. Air Marshal William SholtoDouglas.
21. 4 July 1942 Douglas Boston
bombers of 15th Bombardment Sqn,
operating with No 226 Sqn RAF.
22. RAF High Wycombe.

Lt McNamara of No 1
Squadron, Australian
Flying Corps

F H McNamara, VC

(Australian War Memorial)

Palastine 20 March 1917

By Paul Dale

rank Hubert McNamara was born

in Australia on 4 April 1894. After
graduating from a teacher training
college of Melbourne University he took up
his first teaching post at Shepparton, and
following positions in a number of schools
he became a head teacher in 1912, despite
being no more than 18 years of age.
It was therefore a surprise to many when
McNamara suddenly decided to change
career to join the 47th Infantry Battalion of
the Brighton Rifles. However, his suitability
for doing so was shown when, in July
1913, he was offered a second lieutenants
commission. Throughout this time he had
increasingly shown an interest in aviation,
and such was his enthusiasm that he was
sent to Werribee (later Point Cooke) Central
Flying School, near Melbourne, to attend the
No 3 Course in military flying.
He had his first lessons in a Bristol Standard
Biplane before graduating to the more
powerful types such as the Caudron GIII,
and the successful McNamara was granted a
Royal Aero Club certificate having gone solo
on 4 January 1916 in a BE2a aircraft. He was
immediately posted to the relatively new
No 1 Squadron of the Australian Imperial
Forces Flying Corps as its Adjutant.
On 16 March the Squadron, by now the first
operational squadron of the Corps, was
ordered from Melbourne for service in Egypt
where it served alongside British frontline units. McNamara, however, headed
for England to undergo further training at
Bristol and he returned to the Squadron in
December, now based at Mustabig in Suez.
The operational area of 1 Squadron was vast,
calling for lengthy patrols which took crews
over a huge area of desert surrounding the
Suez Canal and McNamara made his
first operational sortie three days before
Christmas 1916.

Flying a BE2c, his orders were to bomb

positions around Magdhaba to soften up
the Turks there prior to an infantry assault on
23 December. Air support operations such
as this, together with general reconnaissance
and photographic sorties were punctuated by
attempts to rescue stranded colleagues from
the barren wastelands into which they had
been forced to descend.
On 19 March, a pair of BE2c aircraft had
taken off for an attack on the enemy railway
communications at Tel el Hesi. They were
accompanied by two Martinsyde G100
Elephants, flown by Lieutenant L Ellis
and McNamara. These were not only to
expand the bombing force but also to act in
a protective capacity for the BE2s. Having
set course for the far side of Wadi Hesse, the
trip was uneventful except for the inevitable
ground fire when the BE2s went in, dropping
their bombs. It was then the turn of the two
Martinsydes, Ellis making the first bombing
run, followed by McNamara, who released
three bombs on the railway and two on a
train. However, the makeshift nature of the
armaments were to prove costly for him as
one bomb from the second salvo suddenly
detonated in the air as it left the rack of the
machine.
The explosion caused shrapnel to tear
through the lower surfaces of the aircraft,
wounding McNamara in the right buttock,
but by luck leaving the engine undamaged.
Now in searing pain and fearful that the loss
of blood would rob him of consciousness,
he turned for home, maintaining the sharp
lookout in all directions that operational
pilots who had a desire to survive were
instructed to keep.
Almost immediately he spotted one of
the BE2s, now stricken on the unfriendly
terrain below, its marooned pilot, Captain

He was unaware
that the machine
with which he
had rescued his
colleague still
carried three
bombs on its
racks

Air Vice Marshal

McNamara, Air Officer
Commanding, RAAF
Overseas HQ

Rutherford, firing a distress signal. The

advantage of height also gave McNamara a
clear view of the Turkish cavalry which had
also spotted the downed aircraft, and were
now thundering across the desert, cloaks
billowing as they urged their mounts to even
greater speed.
Mindful of the accepted code of practice in
such an emergency, that knit together even
more closely these flying men, McNamara
fought to close his mind to the waves of
pain from his wound. He shut down his
engine, turned in a sweeping bank to port
and glided down to make landfall where
the uneven ground permitted. Rutherford
rushed towards the Martinsyde and
scrambled on to the lower wing and seized
the centre-section struts. He hauled himself
on to the engine cowling, clung on as best
he could and bawled to McNamara to take
off. The latter immediately opened up
the engine to full power and began a
take-off run, which within the first few
hundred yards showed signs that it
was not going to be easy.
The excitement of the previous
events had temporarily driven from
McNamaras mind the pain and
discomfort of his wound. But it
quickly became clear from the way the
little machine determinedly swung
to port, that the pilots right leg was
nearly useless, so that unless flying
speed could be attained immediately
the venture was doomed. The next
few moments revealed that it was
and the Martinsyde swung ever more
violently over the rough, uneven
ground, sodden from recent rain. On
three occasions it stuck in the soft sand and
had to be coaxed on to firmer ground until
the undercarriage collapsed, the tail was
upended and the nose dug in, smashing the
airscrew, at the same time ripping off both
wings on the port side.
Shaken, but calm, the two dragged
themselves to safety, but not before
McNamara had disposed of his machine
by the book, puncturing its fuel tank with
a shot from his revolver and then firing the
escaping spirit with the aid of a Very pistol.
While all this was going on, their minds
still full of escape, the two flyers had all
but forgotten the approaching horsemen,

who now indicated their proximity by shots

from their rifles throwing up little eruptions
of sand nearby. The two men exchanged
glances, their expressions showing that they
shared the same thoughts. They sprinted to
Rutherfords abandoned BE2, McNamara
bringing up the rear, slowed by his almost
useless leg.
The aircraft was in a sorry state, several
bracing wires hung loose and the clumsy
landing caused by the rough terrain had
rolled one tyre from a wheel. McNamara
dropped into the cockpit, kicking away
with his good leg the ammunition drums
that threatened to jam the rudder bar.
Rutherford, relinquishing his grip on the
machines Lewis gun with which he had
kept the advancing Turks at bay, sprinted
to the front and swung the propeller. The
aircraft trundled forwards, labouring in
the patches of soft sand all the while being
pursued by the enemy. However, the
machine negotiated these spots and finally
clawed its way into the air, gaining an
altitude of about 1,500 feet at which course
was set for the 70-mile journey back to base.
During the flight McNamara, in considerable
distress and fully aware that he was in
danger of losing consciousness from both
his buttock wound and the exertions on
the ground, frequently had to put his head
out of the cockpit where the rush of cold
air dispersed the clouds of oblivion that
threatened to engulf him. After more than
two hours of this, a safe landing was made
and he, now confused from blood loss and
weakness, was rushed away for medical
attention that would hospitalise him for five
months. He was unaware that the machine
with which he had rescued his colleague still
carried three bombs on its racks.
The period of McNamaras recovery and
convalescence was marked by two key
events, the first being his promotion to
Captain on 10 April, the second and greater
being the announcement in the 8 June 1917
issue of the London Gazette that he had been
awarded the Victoria Cross in recognition of
his gallant rescue attempt. He was the only
Australian airman to be awarded the VC in
the First World War.
This article is based on The Air VCs by Peter G.
Cooksley, Sutton Publishing Limited, 1996.

Eighth Air Force

The American Bomber Crews

in Britain
By Donald Miller

his is a big book in every sense of

the word in fact I tried hard to
get the boss to review it as I was
alarmed at the prospect of reading a book
this thick. But the subject that it seeks to
cover is huge and the detail that it goes
into, without becoming dull, tells the story
admirably I am glad that it fell to me in
the end.
Starting with the author, Miller is an
established and respected American
historian a Professor of History at
Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. He has
written a number of historical books and
been nominated for every major American
literary prize including the Pulitzer. I
say all this because as you read the book,
you could be forgiven for thinking that
it was not written by a serious academic
you would be wrong and have fallen
into the cultural differences trap. This
book is very readable and packed full of
fascinating facts.
Jimmy Stewart, one of my favourite
actors, was a member of the Eighth Air
Force as was Clark Gable. As you read
the book, names like Carl Spaatz, Hap
Arnold and Curtis LeMay come next to
more recognisable individuals such as
Churchill, Eisenhower, Harris and Tedder.
One starts to see the American view of
some of the strategic issues in the war the
debates around strategic bomber support
for OVERLORD and the formation of the
Transportation Plan begin on page 286
for example. Here we find issues such as
measuring the effectiveness of operations
designed to have a specific effect on the
enemy and on the impact of unintended
consequences for example the 12,000
French and Belgian civilians who
were killed by the bombing of railway
marshalling yards. All of these resonate
today.

Reviewed by
Wg Cdr Steve Pitcher

The book is valuable in that it gives an

American perspective and it gives us some
clues about the American psyche that is
very valid today. Some of the attitudes and
beliefs that our people come up against on
current operations have their genesis in the
events described here.
There are also some very interesting
insights into the impact of such a huge
influx of American men on a British society
that had sent so many of its own men to
other countries to fight. It took over seven
months to ship the 45,000 British wives of
US Air Force personnel back to the States
after the end of the war in Europe. One
such wife recalled: As we sailed from
Southamptonwe ran into a British
troopship ofreturning souls who booed
us out of site. Many husbands did not
turn up at the docks to meet their often
very new wives and some that did simply
refused to have them and

sent them and their
young children home.
In all this a great
book well worth
the effort of starting
and written in such
an easy style that
it continues to
engage despite
its length. In
fact the books
size is a fitting
testament
to a huge
undertaking
by a vast
number of
people which
undoubtedly affected the
course of World War II and was the
making of the modern USAF in very many
respects.

Publisher: Aurum Press

ISBN 1-84513-221-1
Price 25.00
(671 pages, Hardback)

Nimrods and
Victors at
Ascension Island
See Nimrods, Ascension
Island and the Falklands
conflict, page 24

Vulcan XM607, the actual aircraft

that spearheaded the raids on
Port Stanley aireld, and now on
display at RAF Waddington.
See Longest RAF bombing mission,
News from the News, page 6