falklands war

[jimmyoc]

Hi all, posting again as my last post included photo that were too large, so it was removed,
I am now putting together a book about the battle for Mount Longdon (Falklands War), as I have never seen an accurate version of that battle, and in doing so I have spoken to as many members of the battalion as possible,
I have been trying to obtain any reconnaissance photos that may have taken, but is proving a very hard task indeed, I contacted RAF Hendon, who put me in touch with the RAF Museum London, who told me "They do not recall seeing any aerial reconnaissance imagery except for the Black Buck" they then put me in touch with The Aerial Reconnaissance Archives, who have said "We do hold a large amount of recently-declassified RAF aerial imagery flown between 1938 and 1989 but this is in an un catalogued state and we are at present unable to carry out searches within this archive for imagery of specific geographic locations,
If you happened to have specific photo reference numbers or sortie references, perhaps from research at another source, we would be able to retrieve individual films for you to look at in our search room. Without these, I regret that it is not possible for us to supply imagery of locations in the Falklands at this time,
Does anyone know where I may obtain "Photo reference number or Sortie references" I am desperate to view these images, for the information they may obtain, reconnaissance photos of the mountains around Port Stanley do exist, any help would be greatly appreciated,

Bye for now Jimmy O`Connell ex 3 Para

[Justanopinion]

Falklands Air War (http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/air-war.htm)

Jimmy - look at this link and see if you can touch base with any nimrod people as they may have old sqn records ... or their int cell may have archives that go back that far. If no joy pm me and I will make some calls at work but please try first.

[jimmyoc]

Hi Thanks for that, I will try it,
I have just sent a couple of emails off to Sir Peter Squire GCB, DFC, AFC, ADC, D.Sc, as he was operating in that area, he may get back to me, you never know,
Wing Commander Squire flew his Harrier off the cargo vessel, Atlantic Conveyor, a few days before she was sunk by an Argentine Exocet missile. He was in action, day after day, with no respite, attacking Stanley Airport and other Argentine targets including Dunnose Head air strip in which an Islander, Tim Miller, was blinded in one eye by shrapnel. The two men later became friends. He became the first ever RAF pilot to launch a laser-guided 'smart' bomb - attacking the Argentine troops on Mount Longdon. He had narrow escapes when he crash landed at Port San Carlos airstrip, and again just days before the war ended when a Blowpipe missile exploded near his Harrier, and a bullet penetrated his cockpit. After the war, engine failure forced him to eject before his aircraft crashed into the sea off Cape Pembroke.
Wing Commander Squire kept a fascinating personal day-to-day diary of operations. His awards include a Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Force Cross. In his last year of nearly forty in the RAF, he visited Argentina and met Argentine Air Force Chief, General Walter Barbero, who flew Boeing reconnaissance aircraft in the Falklands War, which Wing Commander Squire was tasked to intercept. Commenting on the possibility he might have shot him down, Air Chief Marshall Squire remarked: "We had great respect for the Argentine Air Force. They flew with great courage and skill. Having now met General Barbero, I am delighted that in 1982 I was unable to locate him."

[The Old Fat One]

Nimrods didn't do overland photo recce, not in the Falklands nor at any time prior to 2003 (when I left).

Hand held photography of shipping and other targets of interest, the odd vertical from the 126, and in the MR1, some attack camera stuff.

Overland photo recce from that era - Canberra's and Satellites I guess. Don't think the Canberra's were about in the Falklands, but I could be wrong.

PS

Harrier with a recce pod????

PPS

A good chance that the quote from the recce dudes might tell it as it is...nothing but Black Buck photo's (which are widely available) might be all there is.

[PPRuNe Pop]

Jimmy, we are always happy for people to post their photo shots. The rule though, is that they must not be more than 850x850 to avoid, as yours did, a huge lateral page shift which makes for impossible reading. You also had them horizontally and that just made it worse! So, its over to you.

Try the sizes you will find it works OK.

PPP

[TheSmiter]

Jimmy, just confirming TOFO's mail that Nimrods were not involved in any overland recce during the Falklands. The link from Justanopinion states facts about the Nim's role which I'm afraid is erroneous. The MR1's of 42 Sqn were first off the blocks to the war, however they had no AAR capability and wouldn't have had the legs to get to the islands. They did provide surveillance around ASI and ahead of the southbound TG until the MR2's of 201 and 206 Sqns, which were newly modified with refuelling gear, arrived. Even then they were used for maritime surveillance to the north of the Falklands and up the Argentinian coast as well as maintaining the ASI 200nm surface picture.

Very best of luck with your research mate, any contact with Sir Pete Squire is probably your best bet; failing that just get in touch with the Sqn historians of any of the Harrier units if you can catch them before they lock the doors.

[draken55]

Suggest you should also contact the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton and the Imperial War Museum in London.


The Sea Harrier used at the time of the Falklands War was the FRS1 with the R standing for Reconnaissance. The aircraft carried a F95 camera fitted internally to starboard.

[mrmrsmith2]

re Nimrods didn't do overland photo recce, not in the Falklands nor at any time prior to 2003 (when I left).

sorry to correct you " The Old Fat One "

Nimrods did many over flights of the Falklands in 1987 during FIREFOCUS, were overland via F126 high level, spent 3 weeks at MPA processing them post flights. will now be gathering dust at JARIC on a shelf somewhere:*

[Lima Juliet]

Jimmy

Have a look at this thread that may help - half way down are some recce photos:

Falklands War 1982 (http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?73922-Falklands-War-1982)

Mount Longdon holds a special place in my heart as a good friend of mine lost her father there when she was just 5 years old. He got a VC for his actions. I also had the honour to welcome and then escort in her grandmother (his mother) in my Tornado when she visited the FIs about 10 years ago.

All the best in your research mate and I hope you find what you're looking for.

LJ

[Dimmer Switch]

MrMrsSmith2,

My log book shows it as March 88 - a thundering good det from what I recall :ok: - you definitely got the activity right, but could you have gotten the year wrong ?

Jimmy - don't know if the date will help - there's no force in the universe that'd make me able to remember sortie numners or anything, but mid-March 88 was the time bracket. Can't be sure of the areas we covered, but it was, as Smithy says, quite extensive.

Good luck

DS

[mrmrsmith2]

Dimmer Switch

98 sounds good to me, air photogs have no log books.. though if you were with the first Nimrod, thanks for the wake up by the RSM after you all drunk the tigers beer in the brounx corrider and left in the early morning, oh was he pissed off with you lot he he

[Justanopinion]

Jimmy

Thought you might like to see these links
... sorry about the duff link before ref nimrod - sometimes google not my friend. You could also ring government house in the Falklands.

Ministry of Defence | Picture Viewers | IN PICTURES: Images from the Falklands conflict of 1982 (http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/PictureViewers/InPicturesImagesFromTheFalklandsConflictOf1982.htm)

Centre for Naval Aviation Records & Research- Fleet Air Arm Museum (http://www.fleetairarm.com/en-GB/research.aspx)

[The Old Fat One]

Nimrod Chaps

Well aware of the all the gash, ad hoc, 126 footage shot over the years - processed much of it myself during three tours in ops.

A vertical camera does not make for a battlefield photo recce capability.

Lets not die in a ditch over it though.

[bwfg3]

Jimmy,

I have loads of aerial pics from a tour I did in 1990's

I have sent you an e-mail with contact details.

[Dimmer Switch]

TOFO,

We did some quite specific 126 runs, and there was oblique stuff too - nice work if you can get it :ok:

I posted because, although the old grey matter isn't what it once was, it might be just the sort of thing that Jimmy wants.

Smithy - don't rmemeber anything about beer - it was work, work, work all the way !!! Sorry you had to give the RSM a listening to.

DS

[The Old Fat One]

Oh that brings back memories...

The old vertical oblique...basically pilot b*****cks so they can get get 90 degrees of bank on.

Fell out with a few drivers airframes over the years when I unclipped the photo SOP from the checklist and passed it forward.

[mrmrsmith2]

sorry " the old fat one "

do you have a nice thing to say about anyone, the 126 footage of 88 may have help Jimmy if coverage of that area was flown and the footage can be found. As for tac recce I know all about it, i.e, first film on the table within 4 minutes of engine shut down. think positive t(he old fat one )were only tring to help, glad I never worked with you, can see the dark cloud above your head in the crew now. what trade were you anyway
cheers mr try to be helpful he he:D

[The Old Fat One]

Lets not die in a ditch over it though.


Calm down.

To recap,

A poster asked for help re aerial recce associated with a battle in the Falklands. He was directed to a link which states that Nimrods conducted overland recce in the early part of the war (and therefore implies that in 1982 they had some sort of overland recce capability).

I - amongst others - pointed out that the information is totally duff.....helpful?

I also pointed out that the Nimrod is not an overland battlefield photo recce platform which it never was when I served......helpful?

The rest is mainly banter. So is this...your grammar, style and presentation needs some attention.

Toodle Pip

PS If the original poster just needs some aerial pictures of the subject area, he doesn't need to go to all the bother of digging out some old Nimrod F126 footage, he just needs Google Earth........helpful?

[Dimmer Switch]

Jimmy,

Notwithstanding the little bits of to-ing fro-ing preceding this post, the March 88 photography to which I refer consisted of medium level vertical and low level, hand-held shots. I can't recall where, specifically, we operated, but the nature of the task may have meant that your area of interest was covered. TOFO's point about level of effort versus value of results is valid, but his premise that these would be no better than Google Earth views may not be in this particular case. I can't promise, but it might be worth a try.

Cheers

DS

[jimmyoc]

Hi Thank you for that, I am just waiting for a member to get back to me he says he has some great aerial pics of Longdon, taken from a C-130 of Stanley, Mount Longdon from loads of angles, the FOB at Estancia house etc etc. Also few of wireless ridge and Falkland interior.
So fingers crossed..
bye for now Jimmy
ps also a member who flew a chopper up to longdon to pick up prisoners whilst the mountain was still under bombardment on the 12th June, he will elaborate more for me, so all is good..:ok: