Like many of the others here, my introduction to NVG was in Northern Ireland in 1980/81, when the first generation PNG arrived for us to use (AN-PVS 5?). This wonderful device was worn (I use the term relatively) by one pilot and the crewman, with the other pilot sitting as a safety pilot watching the T’s and P’s and frightened out of his skin by some of the comments between them and rapid applications of power by the pilot flying. How we missed some of the wires (and other aircraft) in South Armagh I don’t know – I do remember the limited field of view when wearing them, and how relieved I was when I took them off, and also when it was decided that it was time to stop using them altogether.
In mid ’82 I converted to the Chinook, and was also introduced to Gen 2 ANVIS, which was a whole world away from earlier experiences, and we were quite happy operating with them, including landing in fields etc with little or no light.
However, the little snippet I have to add comes from my first visit to the Falklands in late 82, when we were based at Port San Carlos rather than the later site round the bay. On Christmas Day we were invited to have lunch with the Estate manager, who also took us out in his Land Rover ‘to have a look around’. Apart from visiting a penguin colony, he took us out to the western most point of land, overlooking Fanning Bay and the entrance to San Carlos water, and showed us the Argentinian positions there. There were two or three recoilless rifles still there, with a large amount of ammunition (in fact we toyed with the idea of ‘trying one out’), but the surprise of the day was to find a bunker with 6 pairs of PNG neatly stacked – all of which still worked. Not only that but two of them had UK MOD markings on them! Had the FP been manned on the night the fleet sailed into the bay there could have been a lot of damage. Fortunately for us the guys who should have been manning it were apparently at a party at PSC and then couldn’t get back. When we told the int guys in Stanley they weren’t interested, and the next time I went out there the position had been ‘liberated’.