Prince Andrew, war hero?

[ZeBedie]

Something I've been wondering for a long time: During the Falklands war, Prince Andrew was a heroic decoy for Exocet missiles, hovering just above his ship in a Sea King. Is this true, or was he told to get airborne to put him out of harms way?

[ZH875]

Does it really matter, he was there. Exocet may have been a threat, but the other side did have aircraft capable of downing helicopters.

Besides, if the Exocet had decided to go for a small helicopter instead of a very big ship, I doubt if the helo could have got out of the way.

[johnny99]

ZH absolutely spot on – like all others who were there he was doing his job whatever it was, making his contribution to liberat the FI no less no more. He was there and that needs no further explanation.

[AlanM]

Not the greatest Royalist here... But I do agree with the last two comments. (esp after being unimpressed with HRH who left the top table early one night......)

Anyway:

He was there, making an effort. Forget the rest of the "Royals in Easy life" headlines.

[L J R]

ZH whatever, a basic flaw in your understanding of Exocet terminal guidance prevails in such observations.

[ZeBedie]

Yes, fair enough,he didn't have to be there. (or maybe his father said he did!)

So did all the other ships have their Seakings hovering over them?

[ZH875]

ZH whatever, a basic flaw in your understanding of Exocet terminal guidance prevails in such observations.

Yes, I know that there is more chance of Gordon Brown giving the military a good payrise, than an exocet diverting from its target to hit something that is hiding in the background behind the target.

Does that matter, HE WAS THERE. I do not care what measures were taken to protect a member of the Royal Family. Let people think what they want, how many people who were there complained, compared to how many people who weren't there.

ZH (Op Corporate 1982)

[TheWizard]

and wasn't HRH flying one of the cabs that was hovering in/around the thick black smoke of the Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram plucking people off the burning deck? That must have taken some balls from all involved!

[Strictly Jungly]

The Wizard,

If memory serves me right the aircraft that were utilised the Sir Galahad incident were Junglies and "Pingles" ( stripped out ASW Sea Kings).

HRH was onboard INVINCIBLE at the time, quite some distance away. Nevertheless, outstanding airmanship by all involved.

[normally right blank]

A recent good book on the Falklands Islands War: "Hostile Skies - My Falklands War", David Morgan, 2006. A Sea Harrier pilot on HMS Hermes, he has many observations on all the different "players", he encountered. You get the feeling that the outcome was not so sure, as has been "painted" afterwards. (As they well knew at the time).

[airborne_artist]

Wizard and SJ - I think SJ is right. My 705 beefer, Nige North, by then serving with 846 (a Junglie Sqn), was awarded the DSC for his part in the action.

[Brewster Buffalo]

'Airmiles Andy' attempts image overhaul

By Genevieve Roberts

Published: 24 February 2007

Prince Andrew has been heavily criticised for exploiting his role as international trade ambassador, criss-crossing the globe to promote British business while taking in the best ski slopes and golf courses.
But now Airmiles Andy, as he has been described by his army of detractors, is hoping to neutralise his negative image by calling in Sir Digby Jones as an adviser.

It has emerged that the former head of the Confederation of British Industry is on the royal payroll to the tune of £1,000 a month. Sir Digby spends one day a month, or a fortnight a year, helping to rehabilitate the Queen's favourite son in the eyes of the international business community.

nice pay :)


full story



http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2300439.ece

[KENNYR]

I was in the Falklands post conflict in '85 running heliops with a couple of RAF chaps. I was allowed out of the office to maintain currency on the Gazelle. As a PSI pilot I was tasked to pick up Rex Hunt and wife and fly them to a remote RV with a Navy Lynx somewhere on East Island. The Navy Lynx flew in from HMS Brazen and yes, you guessed it, it was Bonny Prince Andy at the controls. We both shut down and I escorted Sir Rex + Frau to the Lynx where Mr Arrogant Bast*rd remained strapped in waiting for me to load HIS pax and their baggage into the Lynx.

Surprise surprise, pax and baggage were left at the door to the Lynx whilst this Pongo Pilot walked back to the Gazelle and flew back to Murray Heights.
I never did hear any more about it until I had to land on Brazen to remove a naughty boy from the ship. There he was, Mr Arrogant Bast*rd watching me struggle a little putting the plastic pursuit ship down on the deck with a smirk on his face.

I never did hear anything from the Navy about calling a member of the Royal family an arrogant basta*d whilst on the way to the ward room for a cuppa....but if looks could kill! ! ! He got his own back by zapping the sh*t out of Gaz though.

Anyway, what he did during the conflict was no more or no less than any other person flying, dug in, tabbing or whatever. He will however always stick in my mind as being an arrogant basta*d.

[Tourist]

May be just me, but that story makes you sound like a chippy class war type tw@t Kenny.

And what's difficult about landing a Gaz? No wonder he was smiling, ineptitude is amusing!

[mlc]

Friend I went through Dartmouth with was a young subby on the Hunt class (name forgotten) during HRH's comand.

He once asked 'ol Andy if his mum was coming to families day.

Yes, he was a touch on the arrogant side.

[airborne_artist]

Anyway, what he did during the conflict was no more or no less than any other person flying, dug in, tabbing or whatever. He will however always stick in my mind as being an arrogant basta*d.

But for the extra tuition he rec'd by the bucket-load at BRNC from the bro of a course-mate he wouldn't have graduated from there and got to EFT...

By all later accounts he was a natural stick-monkey, but his arrogance was noted as early as his first day at the College.

[diginagain]

KennyR, remember it well. ISTR you debriefed us all at the next 'Flight Safety Meeting'!

It was either you or Johnny W who stopped me lamping him at the pumps at Goose after his rather childish 'dagga-dagga' game on the way back from somewhere much further West.

[KENNYR]

Tourist, Just the one question.........have you landed a Gazelle on a deck at sea ? :ugh: :=

Diginagain, Forgot you were there. It was Joihn W at Goose I believe. I seem to remember that you were the one who drew the short straw and had to crew with me on my "escape" days :ok:

[Strictly Jungly]

AA

I had the honour to serve along side Nige North in 82..........a splendid chap! His leaving run at Portland (late 90's ) was an outstanding affair too!

Charles was always considered the better pilot, naturally a jungly too!

[diginagain]

KennyR - it was either fly with you or fly with the Boss!:ok:

[Tourist]

Yes.
It's rather expected in the navy......:rolleyes:

[timex]

Never saw a Navy gaz on deck, did see a few RM one's though....:ok:

[Tourist]

Thought you were going to mention how bad my landings were there Timex

[diginagain]

Timex, the AAC Sqns did DLQ on the little barge in Portland Harbour prior to doing a stint in FI. I did mine on a cracking Spring day, which did nothing to help the first time I ventured onboard a moving target. Good job I wasn't driving in those days.

[timex]

Thought you were going to mention how bad my landings were there Timex

Nah, let he who is without sin etc etc:eek:

[airborne_artist]

SJ

Nige's squeeze box is still very clear in my memory of my time on 705, only 27 years ago :ok:

[vecvechookattack]

Is Nige still alive? I nlast heard of him at Portland where he was the MTP and also taken to lobbing himself off the Verne with some parathingy contrapption strapped to his back. I left Portland in '97 and have been in sunny Kernow ever since so haven't heard from Nige or any of his era since...apart from Shag who I understand is now outside but still fying at Fleetlands....

[airborne_artist]

Dir Enqs reports an NN about 30 miles from Portland. The only one in Dorset, in fact.

[sharmine]

To answer the original question

He might well have acted as the decoy. In the early days of the conflict after the shooting had started we received a signal advising us of a method of providing decoys. We had to make a cube but with only three side, so much like a cone, and mount it out ahead of a helicopter and fly fairly low somewhere behind the ship. We cobled together such a cone made out of 18swg Dural and using a long girder mounted from a weapons hard point managed to get the device to be sturdy enough to actually be airworthy (of a sort). Off they flew every day from both Hermes and Invince.

The funny thing about it was that after the first few days we got another signal that told us that the dimensions were wrong in the first and that it should be bigger. So we had to quickly make a bigger one.

If the pilot pointed the thing in the direction of the threat the radar return of the cone appeared bigger than the ship and the Exocet would go after the Helo. When the pilot saw it coming he simply hauled up on the collective and climbed above the missile which simply passed beneath.

Whether it actually ever seduced a missile I don't know. After a few weeks of use we actually received some electronic gear which was fitted to a couple of Lynx which then took over the duty.

You can read more about it when my book comes out.

So Andy could well have been that decoy.

Sharmine

[ZeBedie]

Thanks very much for an informative reply!

[Hardly Worth it]

NN is alive and well, had a beer with him last Summer.

[ORAC]

We had to make a cube but with only three side, so much like a cone
It's called a corner reflector. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corner_reflector)

[sharmine]

Orac.

Thanks for the update and the link. I see "it is also known as a corner cube" So I wasn't that far off.:)

Zeb

Pleased to be of assistance.:ok:

S

[Gainesy]

Also known as a "Mongolian Ghost Trap".

They have a pair arranged either side of the runway at the PAR touchdown point so you can quickly re-align the azimuth markers on screen after a runway change.

(I knew that'd come in handy one day).:zzz:

On topic, Missus Kwin's lad made me a cup of coffee at Portland once.

[diginagain]

On topic, Missus Kwin's lad made me a cup of coffee at Portland once.
I wonder if he was aware of the concept known as 'rimming'?

[Xmit]

It was much safer being the Exocet decoy than trying sleep on 5 deck during the day!

[dogrobber]

sorry this has been a while in coming...........wot a total and complete incompetent 2nd pilot ...just ask his crew ,,,remember tom ......a real guardion

[vecvechookattack]

Dog Robber....who ? Nige North? negat shippers....top bloke