Blacksheep
The exercise in 1967 was always a Mickey Finn. The Mick used live weapons as there were never enough YS2 shapes to go around. As an operational generation the Mick was a real **** or bust. Rapid generation for a 24 bomber stream from main base as the missiles creamed in. Not a chance.
The reason why the disperse order took so long is the time it took to generate the Blue Steel force. The freefall wings had viable numbers after about 6 hours and usually full force generation in 8-10. The Blue Tool on the other hand took at least twice as long as you had to get both missile and aircraft generated and then mated. The quick ones were the ones declared for free-fall only <g>.
On that exercise the Victors took over 72 hours to reach their generation target. AOCinC liked to have a 'large' number of aircraft ready to disperse in one go. It looked far more impressive than a 'disperse when ready.'
On one exercise, possibly that one, he opted for a simultaneous scramble of all aircraft throughout the UK. Normally there was an element of 'secret' preparation as the ADOC was pre-warned and flight plans (CA48/F2919) were filed in advance. Not this time.
Flight plans were not released until after the scramble order, ie with no more than 10 minutes notice, maybe less depending on whether the scarmble was from 05 or 02.
As a simulataneous scramble meant all aircraft would be a, out of fuel, and b, recovering to main base at the same time, they adopted a modified flight profile with aircraft recovering from about 1hr 45min. The number of addressees on the flight plans meant each had to be sent twice. Also this year flight plans were filed at main base and not dispersal. This meant Waddington had to file 56 ATC Immediates. We also had to send a number of Flash to report the scramble times. Several aircraft landed before their flight plans had been sent. Then the Blue Met and nuclear war plan signals started to stream in.
I remember the Queen Bee at Nocton Hall ringing to find out why her immediate, sent at 1000 had not been received at 1500! She was told its precedence was not high enough.
On the NBC play, the Bomber Fallout Controller began his broadcast:
"This is the Bomber Fallout Controller, Bomb No 1, Bomb No 1, Waddington, 5MT, High Air Burst . . . "
After a few minutes of this, the phone went in the GDOC. Why are you not reporting in. "Well", said Keith Batt, "I plotted bomb no 1 and assessed we were all dead." "Dont be a fool Batt, lay the game."
Keith had the last laugh, last I heard he was C Regt O.
Another day, the RAF Police went around the camp to make sure everyone was in shelter posture, I kissing their arses goodbye in the barrack blocks. In the open air swimming pool, Fg Off Davis, a permanent flying officer, was sun bathing and floating in the pool. "You there, why aren't you in your shelter?" I think he replied that he was in the pool to wash off the radio active dust. Why didn't the plods join him?
Just another thought on disclosure. In 1964 WW2 had been over for just 19 years. In 2004 the cold war will have been over for 15 years. The events related above took place 40 years ago. Much of the detail is on the AWRE site. Humphrey Winn's superb book on the RAF Nuclear Deterent Forces is a classic.