Whilst serving at Waddo, and in the process of helping to introduce the Nimros AEW 3 to service, we were called out, to play our part in the ritual of TACEVAL. We need to remember that, at that time, we had one aircraft, and due to its inability to perform any useful airborne function spent most of its time cosseted in one of the hangars. Meanwhile, the aircrew were improving their handicaps on the Station Golf course, of which I was secretary.
We get in to our first night of TACEVAL and at around 2130 hrs, even at distance, we hear an almighty "crump", multiple explosions, see flashes that light up the sky and generally get the impression that " it's kicked off". Around twenty minutes after the incident, we hear the following tannoy message:
" Attention, attention, this is the Station Commander. An attack on the main entry point has ended with criminal damage and personal injury, beyond exercise parameters. Many intruders are still at large on the unit. Waddington personnel are to offer no resistance if confronted with these intruders, stop. For the intruders. Your activities have exceeded the limitations of peacetime exercise, and, as Station Commander I am ordering a stop to any further intruder activity. I advise you that any attempt to interfere with the prime asset ( Nimrod AEW3) will be met with armed defence. You are to report to the main guardroom for processing off the unit".
Now, it appears we were hit by 23? SAS ( I always thought the reserves were 21 SAS), who drove a Ferret through the main gates, closed at the time, and took the Guardroom. Word spread that these chaps had made all occupants form a neat pile in the middle of the main room, SWO at the bottom. As a result the SWO suffered a heart attack and came close to his own personal endex. They then went on the rampage, and rumour had it that several guards, armed with our state of the art "pick axe" handles were subject to boisterous visits. I can't vouch for the attacks on Guardroom or guards various. I did hear the tannoy broadcast, and standing in the pitch dark hoped that my guard commander would call us in before the beggars paid us a visit.
Whilst that was only, eventually, a one day exercise. Stopped to protect our newly acquired asset, I believe it was the first I was involved in where I actually believed I was under any threat. In fact far more threat than the trips in to Sarajevo or the "other stuff" in GW1. Perhaps, sometimes, a bit of "exercise" does you no harm.
Smudge