What were you doing?

[jumpseater]

10 years ago tonight I was sitting in Luton radar approach when the news broke that Desert Storm was under way, and on the telly the CNN images were coming in.

The controller I was with expanded our radar range to 60 odd miles and we could see primary returns from around the military airfields as we watched aircraft going to war, it was a very sobering night shift realising that some of the blips might not be returning, and realising 'chuffin ell, this is for real!'.

Thinking about it even now still gives that 'hairs standing on end' feeling we had watching those blips, and I wonder what some others of you remember of that night?

RIP those that didn't come home.
JS

edited cos I put a rude word in a 24/365 environment

[This message has been edited by jumpseater (edited 17 January 2001).]

[Ham Phisted]

Drinking my flat mate's beer and sha55ing one of his girlfriends as he went to war. Sorry, mate, I know you've forgiven me.

HP

[Tonkenna]

Going round and round in figure eights a few miles from Kuwait in an a Nimrod. As I remember, know one told us it had started! Ignorence is bliss.

Tonks

[Noddy Staltern]

Early hours of his morning 10 years ago: Tanking the first wave of Tornados on their way to a target in Iraq. When we got airborne it hadn't started, by the time we landed, all hell had broken loose...

[John Nichol]

10 years ago to the minute?

$h1tting myself!

[JimNich]

In a bar in the French ski resort of Flaine during the 1991 RAF Ski Champs watching people pack as they'd had recall action served on them (some of them came back a week later having RTB'd and been asked what the hell they were doing back).

[fergineer]

Looking after the boys in the Intercon in Oman before my lot got involved as well. Cost me a fortune but hell it was worth it, the music the parties I need say no more. Cheers guys

[Jensen]

Standing around on an cold, wet airfield somewhere in the UK with a platoon of US Marines (grunts - not aviators). It'd been p!ssing down for hours, and they obviously wanted to be in the Gulf with their mates. They were the most miserable bunch I've ever met.

[Snapshot]

What a fantastic thread, if all add their moments in history from 10 years ago you could make a book from the comments and send the proceeds to a charity.
Lets not ever forget those that did not return and also those that did, but were changed forever.
Snapshot

[Dimmer Switch]

I was in a sandy ops room thinking "5h1t, what do I do now?!"

I've never been so nervous/frightened/excited in my life, and I suspect I never want to be again....it can't be good for you!

Editted for Splleing!

[This message has been edited by Dimmer Switch (edited 17 January 2001).]

[Smokingole]

Waking up in my Scud proof 5* billet wondering if I was going to be alive in a few hours time!

Scared the s**t out of me!

[This message has been edited by Smokingole (edited 17 January 2001).]

[BEagle]

Had been night flying late and got back in the early morning. Did some 'Q' planning and stacked to the hotel in Riyadh. Just about to go to bed when called in for some spurious reason. When we arrived, were given the real SP. Big replan over the secure phone with the mates from Muharraq, just about to brief when we went to Air Raid Red. After that had finished, went to the jets and led a 3-ship to RV with 8 Tornados from Muharraq. Airborne as fragged, but v.difficult weather. Let the boys go at the cast-off point at 0036 with best wishes, couldn't balance up the fuel amongst our formation due to centre-line hose fault. Waited for over an hour for all the team to reappear safely from Iraq; all aboard and homeward bound. Then a night flapless approach on absolute minima on a BDZ arrival (very carefully!). Debriefed, stacked to hotel, much smiling from friendly Saudis at the gate, up to room, watched F117 images, went to bed. Another 36 missions followed, then home on Mar 13, back to the pre-war Bulldog job on Mar 15.

[Crabo]

Sat in the Tower at Marham all night watching the MT personnel trying their best to keep the only significant snow that Norfolk had seen for years off the runway. Clearing the Victors to take off in the early hours of the next morning and wondering if they would make it back.

[Brian Dixon]

Great idea for a thread.

I was sat in the sand, amazed at how far the tide went out!!

My first emotion was one of relief. At least the waiting game was over. I then realised the enormity of it all and got a little scared. My thoughts then went to my family, although God knows how they felt at the time. Then it was time to concentrate on work.

Did my bit, went home. Will never forget the experience. Damn proud to have been there.

RIP those who never came back and those who suffered.

[Kaitak]

In a cold and damp 'War Zone', sat in FBL's room, having a Bud and watching the telly thinking F@CK Me, they're off, then getting hammered in the Bar with the rest of FOLA at a 'Critical Mass' Party!!

SWIFT

[Fortyodd]

Sat in the crewroom at Omagh, of all places, wondering why Tiswas were bitching about the football being taken off air to go to a "report from our Bhagdad correspondent".

[CJS]

Great Thread.

Woke up in my parents house having got back from a 3 month Tornado GR1 det in Bahrain 4 days before. A group of my squadron offered to stay in theatre but Wg Cdr Nav GR1 Detco told us we weren't needed (2 days later 2 of our replacements were dead, 2 were POW's and 2 of his sqn were POW's and on there way to making loads of money capitalising on there mistake.) I was the most PI55'D off I have ever been seeing mates on the TV who 5 days before I had been drinking and flying with (although obviously not at the same time) now going off and doing "The Job" when I was freezing my parts off back in the UK.

Got a 24 hour recall back to Germany and then watched the war progress for 2 weeks before getting the call to replace a crew who had gone sick. I think the Boss sent me just to stop me from hassling him any more. Flew 6 Op trips, all med lvl LGB attacks against airfields, with varying levels of success but at least I survived. Whilst I am not a household name, not wealthy, not an author and not on TV every time any military aviation aspect is discussed I know that I did my job and came home without the benefit of the quality room service on offer at the Bagdhad Hilton.

Divorced 18 months later.

Remembering those who gave in 1991 along with those who have become part of aviation history since then.

CJS

[Vortex_Generator]

Sat at home watching the action unfold on TV as my Bahrain suntan faded after 3 weeks back, half wishing I was still there and half relieved that I wasn't.

[Paul Wesson]

Acting Station Int EWO at Odiham. Left bar to go to bed, turned on TV and caught news of first raids. Went back to my office and sat up all night answering questions and trying to work out the scores on the doors from ASMA - impressed by how much info I could get out of the system with a little bit of patience. Got no sleep. Gave OC Odiham his morning brief at 08.00. Went to bed. Not very exciting I'm afraid.

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Saudi airfield, initials A J. Been there 3 days with 2 GCs, recceing then setting-up FOB for Flt ops. Having watched a Pave Low launch in front of a bunch of visiting Apaches earlier, I was trying to get some sleep 20m from the flight line where the US C130s planned to bring in the first casualties for triage. Woke up to find that a GR1, an F14 and something else which I forget now had joined us for boil-in-the-bag breakfast, unable to make it all the way home owing to the odd requirement for BDR. Didn't see the Apaches again, but once the rest of the Flight had joined us 2 days later we did work with the Pave Lows again from time to time. Oh, and we moved our tents away from the flight line...

[This message has been edited by Thud_and_Blunder (edited 17 January 2001).]

[Daneboy]

I remember being at uni, or rather being at my parents' waiting to return to uni;far better to stay up all night watching BBC and CNN- a real sense of something historic happening as I watched.

[Wycombe]

Just gone to bed when news of start that ops had started began to come through. Listened most of night, rivetted/apprehensive

My Sqn (RAuxAF) had been "called-up" a few days earlier and now the reality of leaving civilian life for an unknown period was beginning to dawn (didn't know where we were going at that stage).

In the end, spent 4 months at the large Oxfordshire airbase handling every type of freight aircraft (and type of freight) imaginable.

Abiding memories:

1. When the Albert arrived with the bodies of the victims of the "friendly fire" incident. Had a big effect on all of us, despite our distance from theatre.

2. Seeing 101Sqn arrive home en masse (9 VC10's in formation), "beat-up" the field and taxi in behind a Guinness lorry "follow-me". Being on the pan as the crews were re-united with families in full glare of media etc.

3. Oh, and some staggering p*ss-ups in Cartoon-town when off shift.

Played my (small) part, but will not forget it.

[dingducky]

i was watching the movie back to the beach!
i was 13 and bored ok :)
they cut into the middle of the movie, to bring us the its evening in bagdad.
it was months before i finally got to see the rest of the movie!!! :O

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Follow your dream! Unless it's the one where you're at work in your underwear during a fire drill!

[sprucemoose]

Got back from the watering hole alone but in fine spirits and watched the tracer fire arc over Baghdad for about five hours, courtesy of CNN!

Then spent the next month or so bricking it because it looked like my Dad (not someone you'd want to send to a war zone) might be on his way to Riyadh.

Thankfully, he didn't have to go and dodge Scuds/Patriots as it turned out.

[Ganf]

Flying down at the range at Deci because, at the time, our jet was only cleared to drop 3kg bombs. Another victory for bureaucracy - how difficult can it be to bring an ac into service with capability too? Well done to all the boys and girls who went and did the business. Sorry you didn't all make it back.

[FE Hoppy]

Staggered home from the pub to see CNN, got home from SEEB 3 days before.
We had left the AEO behind due to some ar$e making a c0ck of himself and being sent home with us. Despite a brief one out all out before departure the det com would have none of it.
Spent the next few weeks desperate to get back out to the real job but all to no avail.

and like the rest of the crew was delighted when "jabba" came home unscathed.

the "Five Star Foxhole" T Shirt seams a little distastfull now.

[67Wing]

Just over 600 kts, a lot of e-scope interpretation and having passing thoughts of the mate who accepted to service the GR1 Rad Alt which had already locked out.

[Top Bunk Tester]

Just staggered out of the Rugby Club at closing time, RAF Car Park (Sorry, Finningley) whilst in flying Phase of Air Engineer training, got back to Gatehouse, flipped on the TV. Staright back to Rugby Club, word with DJ, he announced "There are bombs falling all over Bagdhad tonight" Bar reopened, got shedded and realised that I missed another one (In Cyprus for FI). Still pissed off that I never got do it properly, Oh well my flying suit would probably have turned brown anyway.

[SirPeterHardingsLovechild]

Sat in the Q shed at Leuchars on Treble One, watching CNN, cursing our sister sqn, 43(F) for being there.

[opso]

Watching it on tv whilst at Innsworth working on the move from Barnwood to the maze that was to become the PMA building. Come the following morning, got a call from Lyneham telling me that all was forgiven & that I could come back for the duration.

Scudded for the first time about a week later and spent the next few months getting intimately acquainted with different grades of sand and throwing empty booze bottles off the ramp in the vain hope of hitting some camels! Must have disposed of a couple of Mk3's-worth of bottles that way eventually!!

[snafu]

Naval training aboard HMS MINERVA somewhere in the Channel, having been woken at 0345 to go up to the bridge for some Nav training and being told that we were now bombing Iraq. First reaction? "Bloody hell, we were only off Plymouth when I racked out!"

Much respect to all the boys and girls who went, even more to those who didn't come back.

[Pub User]

Awoke to the sound of an air-raid siren, wondering what to do now. Room mate in similar position. Eventually (2 seconds later!) decided to put NBC kit on, then wondered what to do again. Covered the window with the spare bed, then wondered what to do again. Took a photo.

[NorthernSID]

All asleep in my little bed in the Reziat Village, Dhahran. The air-raid sirens went off and we all ran to the COLPRO (collective protection), grabbed a bunk and got NBC suits and gas masks on.

The COLPRO was a squash court with breeze block walls and a tin roof containing a +ve pressure tent called a Winterborne liner.

It was about midnight and there were some 30ish aircrew in a poorly lit squash court in a tent listening to the BBC World Service. It was like something out of WW2.

Went on to do 16 missions and returned home safely.

Remember those who didn't. It IS important.

[teeteringhead]

Working in a small cupboard in the corner of the Int Citadel down the hole at High Wycombe. We'd just acquired some reservists as watchkeepers, so the team had slipped off downtown for a wet or three. (Incidentally, saw one of the team on telly last night, hosting some women through a jungle in Brunei). Got back to the accomodation (Portakabin in car park) and the Boss says "I'm sure there'd have been a message if anything happened - best 'phone the watchkeeper to make sure." After long call to said (reservist) watchkeeper - much triff traff and nivea - says "Anything else?" "Oh yes he says, we've just bombed Baghdad!" Though at first he was pulling our p@ss@r but not so - "Best we get in to work says the Boss" It got kind of interesting thereafter. Shame we've not finished the job yet - not least for the sake of the guys who didn't make it back.

Salutes and thanks to them, and our thoughts and prayers for their loved ones.



------------------
tee-head

[Smokingole]

Almost to the minute....dodging AAA and trying to release bombs!

[Lord Flash-Heart]

Evening of day three of my first OCU ploughing through Perf A - thinking "bugger - bang goes my Far East Trainer, guess we won't be going beyond Bahrain".

After joining my Sqn post OCU, three years later I started the first of 10 dets in Muharraq in support of Op JURAL/BOLTON and due there again next month.

[Spectre150]

Picking through the remains of Kieran and Norman's jet in Oman. Interesting ADR/CVR. Even more interesting than being in the Detco's office when the clerk rushed in with the Execute signal (err, we'll get our coats then shall we Sir?).

[MightyGem]

In Al Jubyal listening to "Pearl Beach, Pearl Beach...Air Raid Warning Red!!" and trying to decide whether it was better to stay indoors in case of a chemical attack or jump in the trench in case of HE.

[Sven Sixtoo]

Sitting in a 4x4 in pitch darkness in the desert ( Not quite sure where), giving an impromptu NBC refresher to about 12 other people as we waited out for the next move.

[PlasticCabDriver]

At Biggin Hill doing my Part 2 medical.
Got up in the morning to find that the boys had gone to war. Even the DS and medics seemed distracted.
20 or so blokes who had just become even keener to get in (if that was possible). All wondering if it was possible to do IOT, EFT, BFT, AFT, an OCU and get Combat Ready in 2 weeks. No better motivation required at that point!

[Zoom]

Running my little retirement hotel in the Midlands meant that I could watch the BBC/CNN Gulf reports all day long. I felt 3 emotions:

1. Envy (believe it or not), as I never got to be a squadron boss, or even a squadron shag, doing the real thing. Kept seeing my old muckers on the tube.

2. Anguish, since every TV news report began with 'Another RAF Tornado has been lost in the Gulf.........' and the updates came thick and fast, so how quickly were we losing our aircraft? I reckoned about 48 at the end of Day 1, 96 by Day 2, etc. An 'information saturation situation' if ever there was one.

3. Admiration, for all those involved on our side. They done good.

[Jeep]

MG i remember being in a similar excavation to yours one row closer to the sea on a dark night with 3 others at least in the trench. your infamous sergeant major could be heard shouting "lights out, take a NAPS tablet, in fact take 2!!" i duly took one (only did take 1 other when the OC was stood next to me one time as NAPS time) and contemplated taking the other as well as atropine and morphine. after about 10 minutes in the dark it suddenly dawned on us all that turning the lights out, sitting in the dark was OTT when missiles were the only thing allowed cricket side!

do you remember the choggie camp janitor who would rip us off for using his telephone to make international calls? he didnt know i had a telephone in my bergen that i would connect up to other chalets that still had working phone lines in them. the electric shocks were well worth it.

he did do us one favour though. while trying to deal with some u/s marines they would only part with the desired equipment for a bottle of whiskey and a bottle of bacardi. as we had been dry for over a month, i wasnt sure how we were going to swing this one. on asking the choggie, he duly gave us a 2 litre bottle of clear liquid, with a toothless knowing smile and simple instructions of "very good stuff, cut 2 or 3 times minimum!" My father had told me when he worked out there, pour some into a spoon and set light to it, if it all burns, its good stuff. the choggie was right. we cut it, poured it into black plastic water bottles of 1 litre each and went to the rv down at the docks with the sgt bilko types. we watched in amazement as each in turn professed it to be the best bacardi/whiskey(irish spelling) they had ever tasted and immediately put an order for more.

memories of war:

its 98% very boring except for the 2% bit that makes you wish the director would say "cut luvvies".

gazelle pilots are excellent for passing the time.

lynx pilots have the best grass in their tent.

you get to know your mates very well, their good and bad parts.

biggest regret? only taking one photo through my nvg, i didnt know it was so easy, id have made a fortune.

claim to fame? being charged on active service somewhere in iraq.

most fun? souvenir hunting.

funniest sight? seeing a lynx at dusk lighting up in flames and then the american exchange officer come running out from under the CARM cover juggling a peak petrol stove.

most enlightening moment? finding out my true worth. 4 gold sovereigns and an IOU for £10,000 from HMG. i think my flight comd got 5 sovs.

thats enough tilly lamp swinging i think :)

[This message has been edited by Jeep (edited 21 January 2001).]

[Edmund Blackadder]

I had just started flying training. Sat up and watched it all night on BBC. I remember thinking at the time 'God that looks exciting, that could be me one day'. Still could, s**t!!

Be safe

Ed

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Jeep,

Four/five (half-) sovs apiece? Makes me positively glow with misplaced self importance as I recall the 10 with which we were each entrusted. Go on, folks - any advance on 10?

[Roc]

Laying on a couch, in my womans arms, when CNN breaks into the show with their reports..At first I'm thinking its a false alarm, all I saw were the tracers but no explosions...then I hear a HUGE explosion and fireball on TV and I'm at once happy and sad, Happy because I've been flying non-stop since 3 August building up the forces and happy Saddam was getting his due, sad cause I knew alot of guys there and knew I would be back within hours!!! Everyone should be proud to have been part of the greatest ass-whipping in the annals of military history!! and no matter what you did, feel proud of the fact that when the call came you went without hesitation.

[bad livin']

Remember being woken for school by my mother to be told - "that's the war started". Was keen before that day, single minded after it. Since had the pleasure of speaking with one or two of SH's short term guests - pride vastly increased by their refusal to admit to any achievment other than doing their job, even under conditions my contemporaries can only imagine.

[ROGERTHAT]

i was about three weeks into swinderby as an aircrew cadet thinking "bl0*dy hell i`ve only been in five minutes and the`ve started a war"

"wrote a note in my diary on the way over simple said "b*gger"
long live charlie luncher and dimmer switch

[ROGERTHAT]

i was about three weeks into swinderby as an aircrew cadet thinking "bl0*dy hell i`ve only been in five minutes and the`ve started a war"

"wrote a note in my diary on the way over simple said "b*gger"
long live charlie luncher and dimmer switch

[navbag]

Mooching around the Muharraq Ops room counting them all out and counting them all back and feeling a tad nervous!! Because our 4-ship lead pilot had gone wibble a few days earlier our 4-ship had been grounded until a replacement was rushed out (top decision?!). Went on to do 18 missions, but plenty more since!!

[Roland Pulfrew]

Unfortunately In the bar at Scampton after a dining-in or course grad or something watching the war start on TV. V. Sobering V. quickly but the piano went up in flames all the same!

[Captain Widebody]

At my university halls of residence, very drunk and just back from the pub with a Fishhead mate who was trying to convince me to join the RAF (??).

We were wandering through the TV room on the way to try our drunken charms on the ladies, when for once, the TV news seemed far more important than getting laid (or blown out)! Put my application in a month later...

CW

[MightyGem]

Jeep, your OC must have been keeping them back for himself. We all had 10 or 12 in our sqn. Shame we had to hand them back.

[IHADDS]

Half-way through training wondering how long it would last!

[bluntie]

I had just gone to Norway with 40 Cdo RM on exercise. Couldn't have been further away if I tried, although I was in Cyprus during the build up (and they gave me a medal for that!).

------------------

Two lorry loads of paperclips, actually!.

[TqNrT4NgGreenlightCWP]

gave our sovereigns back after endex, along with our live rounds, then spent the rest of the evening burning several weeks accumulation of rubbish - including one 9mm round which had slipped through the net. Thinking s&*t, I can't get shot - they've called endex! close one though - it went somewhere under my armpit before whizzing off into the boonies, leaving sod all sympathy and several dead ant impressions from my erstwhile comrades-in-arms!

[Charlie Luncher]

Sat in on a briefing being told my OCU had reverted to a op sqn ready for war, watching all the old farts spines turn to yellow jelly and making some excuse why they coulndt go.

Next day being told we were no longer an operational sqn and just an OCU again.

Flying with the screen crew as their bitch dreading another student pilot solo when the course started again a month or two later.

student pilot = 3.5 G landing ouch!!!!!