Nco Aircrew

[SPIT]

Hi
I am curious to know (being a nosey so and so) if any NCO Aircrew flew as part of the V Force Valiants that took part in the Op Grapple series of Ops ? in 1956 or ANY of the prev nuclear tests ? :confused::confused:

[Daf Hucker]

Don't know for sure, but it was certainly possible, MAEOps flew in Valiants at least.

[green granite]

There is a reference to a Sgt Matthews presumeably flying with Flt Lt S. O'Connor and possibly Wg Cdr Hubbard
in this document: http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/collections/aircraft/aircraft_histories/1994-1352-A%20%20Valiant%20XD818.pdf

[Tankertrashnav]

Try asking the same question on the V Force reunion thread http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/368963-v-force-reunion-2010-a.html. There were chaps who were on Op Grapple at the last reunion and there is a lot of interest from Valiant guys this time, so I'm sure one of them will be able to help.

[Old Hairy]

1957/59 ...199 Sqdn. had Sgt AEOps.flying in both the AEO and Spec.Ops. role. They did the Gaydon OCU and a Spec Ops course at Watton.Normal squadron flying had them proform both tasks.Im not aware that the Sqn. was involved in Op Grapple. Nearly all the Sgts came from 199 Sqn. Lincolns.

[Jackonicko]

Was 199 just ECM/jamming, or did they do comint/elint, too?

And why did they have a Canberra alongside the Valiants?

[Old Hairy]

!99 at Honington, ECM. We did not have a Canberra there.When they moved to Finningly and morphed into 18 Sqn.I had left,so I am not sure of the task there,maybe thats where the Canberra came into the picture.

[Jackonicko]

Thanks, Hairy!