Wiggy - Re Phandet.
The picture may well be the damaged F4 due to the cable engagement. It was about late November/early December 1982 and I think Madsox was the pilot. I was in the tower at the time with Sheriff
JS and he remarked the pilot should have bolted. When we inspected the aircraft shortly after, the cable steel coupler had gone through a major part (no 14?) of the rear end and the whole lot would have come off if he had tried to get airborne. I do believe the front end was eventually stitched to the rear end of XV 436 "E" which overshot Coningsby's runway (sans crew) earlier to make a new airframe although I am not sure - just one of those stories.
Just to put the record straight, No 29 were the first F4s in the Falklands. OC Fadge went on 17 Oct 1982 to receive the heroes welcome and I went the next day as a pair with Jim, Budgie and Laurie. After 8.30 hrs flying and 14 tankers later, and after several practice approaches, I remember OC Ops telling us to keep 93% to stay in the RAG and we were thinking what a silly bug!er. What we did not realise was that it was a Navy type arrestor (an A RAG) and it was like hitting a brick wall compared to what we were used to. A few half eaten sandwiches migrated from the rear cockpit to the front. So he was right after all.
Oh and by the way, despite what has been said, CM was NOT there at the time (or at Ascension immediately beforehand - he was in the original detachment there much earlier when the war was on I think). He came to FI when we left to go home in December 82 ISTR.