Gloster Javelin
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In my youth I heard a story about a Cyprus based Javelin intercepting a light aircraft at night suspected of carrying arms from Greece for EOKA .The person relating this tale informed me that he made a close pass and then witnessed the flash as the aircraft hit the mountains. Anyone have any hard info on this?
Jaques David...
......'scuse a knackered old kipper fleet chap intruding. When did "radar observers" morph in to navigators? I flew with a nav who'd started his aviating career as an RO and was on Shacks as a nav when I met him - Del Littlefield??
My next ex Jav man was the headline chap above - born in France, family emigrated to Canada where he joined the RCAF when he grew up, flew the CF-100 for a while then transferred to the RAF where he flew the Javelin in Butterworth. He fell out with his flt cdr and asked to go "anywhere but where S/L XXX might be" and ended up on 120 Sqn on the Mk3 Shack. We detached to Sharjah where he discovered S/LXXX as S/L Ops!!! Big stramash in the bar the night our hero decided to try and kill S/L XXX. Remarkably little was said about it afterwards. But then that was Sharjah at that time.......
The Ancient Mariner
My next ex Jav man was the headline chap above - born in France, family emigrated to Canada where he joined the RCAF when he grew up, flew the CF-100 for a while then transferred to the RAF where he flew the Javelin in Butterworth. He fell out with his flt cdr and asked to go "anywhere but where S/L XXX might be" and ended up on 120 Sqn on the Mk3 Shack. We detached to Sharjah where he discovered S/LXXX as S/L Ops!!! Big stramash in the bar the night our hero decided to try and kill S/L XXX. Remarkably little was said about it afterwards. But then that was Sharjah at that time.......
The Ancient Mariner
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Forgive an old "RO" from entering the Javelin exchange but the correct designation was "Radio Observer". Not many were actually trained-perhaps 100?.
After 6 months of basic Nav training at one of the Nav schools the RO progressed to radar intercept training either at North Luffenham or Leeming. Chasing blips up and down scopes sitting sideways in a smelly old Brigand (in total darkness) was not an easy game and many fell by the wayside. However, many of those "chopped" returned to Nav school and emerged later with a Navs brevet and a commission. The advantages of this procedure were not lost on other ROs and some were suspected of not exactly doing their best to succeed.
Subsequently after a tour in the back seat most ROs followed back through Nav training. The odd very lucky individual got into the front seat (yes, I was one of them) and somewhat late in career found our way into the Hunter force.
After 6 months of basic Nav training at one of the Nav schools the RO progressed to radar intercept training either at North Luffenham or Leeming. Chasing blips up and down scopes sitting sideways in a smelly old Brigand (in total darkness) was not an easy game and many fell by the wayside. However, many of those "chopped" returned to Nav school and emerged later with a Navs brevet and a commission. The advantages of this procedure were not lost on other ROs and some were suspected of not exactly doing their best to succeed.
Subsequently after a tour in the back seat most ROs followed back through Nav training. The odd very lucky individual got into the front seat (yes, I was one of them) and somewhat late in career found our way into the Hunter force.
Last edited by Fixed Cross; 3rd Apr 2013 at 15:29.
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There may be the odd Javelin back seater on here. Worth a check:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/389719607763196/
http://www.facebook.com/groups/389719607763196/
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There are some odd Phantom backseaters on there too!
blaireau...
....I take it you mean S/L XXX? Probably the man you're thinking of. Each evening in the bar, after dinner, he had the barman set up a silver tray with a bottle of champagne and two bottles of Guiness to see him through the evening.
When I said "Sharjah was like that at that time" I also had in mind the F/O admin who arrived back from his "LUKFREE" on the Andover from Bahrein at lunch time and went straight into the bar to top up the already heavy overload of alcohol. Taken to task by OC Admin for being late and in no fit state to do anything workwise; our hero vented all his misery at being back by launching into a verbal and then physical assault on his boss. Again, not a lot was said about it in the form of disciplinary action.
Funny old place.....
The Ancient Mariner
When I said "Sharjah was like that at that time" I also had in mind the F/O admin who arrived back from his "LUKFREE" on the Andover from Bahrein at lunch time and went straight into the bar to top up the already heavy overload of alcohol. Taken to task by OC Admin for being late and in no fit state to do anything workwise; our hero vented all his misery at being back by launching into a verbal and then physical assault on his boss. Again, not a lot was said about it in the form of disciplinary action.
Funny old place.....
The Ancient Mariner
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Sharjah
It was an odd place; the MO was found one day standing on the threshold of the runway. When asked what he was doing he replied ' waiting for take-off clearance" - he disappeared soon afterwards.
This link East Anglian Film Archive: Battle Formation: The Story of the Royal Air Force Coltishall, 1959 has some nice Javelin footage. A few might also recognise an ex RAF pilot for whom opportunity later "knocked" 
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72 Sqn
Hi Newt, are you aware of the No 72 Sqn Association? You can make contact via Home - No 72 Squadron Association
Anyone remember a Javelin driver called Brian Henwood? Flew several sorties in the JP with him at Cranwell, including one where we shared the flying as both so hung over from Bruce Holben's 21st (and what happened to him - went through Cranwell as a scribbly as he had been told he was not medically fit aircrew, and his commissioning medical said he was, so ISTR went to helicopters). BH ISTR was recalled briefly to the Javelin fleet during the Rhodesia crisis when I think Javelins were based in Zambia for a bit
Last edited by Wander00; 4th Apr 2013 at 13:48.
Red On, Green On
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blaireau
The Flight Commander with whom Jacques"Vin Ordinaire" David did not see eye to eye at Butterworth was C--- I---. At the same time there was also a Sqn Ldr J--- J--- at Labuan with whom I think nobody got along, might he have become the Sharjah person later on?
Wander 00
Brian was our IRE on 43(F) Sqn in the early 1970s; he renewed my rating on the F4 a couple of times. I remember him well as well laid-back, one of the most relaxed and cheerful people I ever flew with.
Was that Jimmy J---?
Wander 00
Anyone remember a Javelin driver called Brian Henwood?
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There is someone posting some superbly clear images of the Javelin in Africa during 1966 when he was an engineer on them..
See
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=123478
See
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=123478
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Wander00 said
I was on duty in the commcen on the night that 29 Sqn was sent to Zambia, I think another squadron was also sent but nearly 50 years on my memory is a bit vague. A "base alert" on Akrotiri was always an event - the fire engine driving around the married patch with bells & blue lights and everyone not on duty getting into uniform and reporting to their section.
The commcen had 4 watches covering 24/7, on a base alert the watch on their day off was split among the remaining 3 watches who began an 8 hours on, 16 hours off system until the alert was over. However, we all had to get to work (2 miles from the accommodation) in uniform ASAP because that was what the orders said!
BH ISTR was recalled briefly to the Javelin fleet during the Rhodesia crisis when I think Javelins were based in Zambia for a bit
The commcen had 4 watches covering 24/7, on a base alert the watch on their day off was split among the remaining 3 watches who began an 8 hours on, 16 hours off system until the alert was over. However, we all had to get to work (2 miles from the accommodation) in uniform ASAP because that was what the orders said!
Last edited by ricardian; 7th Apr 2013 at 20:31. Reason: Forgot a few details
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As I said, look at the piccie link I posted 
he really has some cracking pictures, hope he posts more, here are two from that link.
he really has some cracking pictures, hope he posts more, here are two from that link.
Last edited by NutLoose; 7th Apr 2013 at 22:05.