Sea Harrier photos from Falklands War - my dad? (E-J)
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Sea-Jet photo's
Anna,
I was a photographer at Dunsfold where all Sea Harriers were built & test flown; my own archives are limited but I do have access to a museum which should have all the shots I took, + many more...
Please let me know if I can be of any help.
Andy
I was a photographer at Dunsfold where all Sea Harriers were built & test flown; my own archives are limited but I do have access to a museum which should have all the shots I took, + many more...
Please let me know if I can be of any help.
Andy
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I.M.Esperto
I am not sure why you suggested Anna might find the link you posted useful but I had a look at it and feel obliged to comment.
The story by Greg Goebel under the side bar of Origins has some serious errors of fact. One example is his version of Camm’s letter to Hooker. I attach a copy of the actual letter for you to see what I mean.
His version of how the BE53 came to grow a pair of rear nozzles and so became the Pegasus made my jaw drop. In my view there were many other errors (or repeated myths) but this is no place for such a list. However history deserves better.
Regards
JF
I am not sure why you suggested Anna might find the link you posted useful but I had a look at it and feel obliged to comment.
The story by Greg Goebel under the side bar of Origins has some serious errors of fact. One example is his version of Camm’s letter to Hooker. I attach a copy of the actual letter for you to see what I mean.
His version of how the BE53 came to grow a pair of rear nozzles and so became the Pegasus made my jaw drop. In my view there were many other errors (or repeated myths) but this is no place for such a list. However history deserves better.
Regards
JF
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E-J, your Dad, my pilot.
Anna,
I have been watching this thread for a few days and wondering whether I should contribute. I also realised that your Dad would have been 65 this year which in itself is frightening because when we first met I think he was a mere 27 years old.
I flew with E-J when I was a student on the Vixen training squadron, 766 NAS, and he was an instructor. I then did a short spell on 893 NAS on HMS Hermes before she was decommissioned in 1970. I was then despatched to 899 NAS to join HMS Eagle's air group. It was my good fortune to be crewed with E-J for the latter part of 1970 until around February 1971 when I suspect he left 899 to go to the States.
Your Dad was the only fighter pilot I ever knew who could do an hour's air combat at fairly constant high g and lots of aggressive manoeuvring and climb out of the aircraft without a trace of perspiration or exertion. More importantly, no sweat or otherwise, we invariably won. E-J and I shared an experience in a Sea Vixen that is worth relating and before I start the story I should say that the events I relate reflect no criticism of E-J's flying skills, indeed exactly the opposite because with a less capable pilot I suspect we may have left this particular Sea Vixen to its own ends in the Irish Sea. My log book entry merely says: 25 Jan 1971-XN657-Lt Eyton-Jones-Low Level Intercepts, diverted RAF Valley-1hr50mins. This was the final day of HMS Eagle's work up in UK waters before heading for the Mediterranean.
E-J and I had launched off Eagle mid afternoon to do low level radar intercepts against another Sea Vixen in the Irish Sea. Because the Vixen radar could not see targets well looking down against the sea, the recognised technique was for the fighter to fly low to pick up the target. It was a fairly rough January day over the Irish Sea and during the course of the sortie we accumulated a fair amount of salt spray on the windscreen. The Sea Vixen dispersed rain from the windscreen with a hot air blowing system...no wipers, no washers. This did nothing to remove the salt layer, but that was OK E-J could see well enough to get us home to “mother” with no problem. All was well until we turned finals for the deck and came back to landing speed, this raised the nose and this combined with the fact that the ship was steaming straight into the setting sun turned the slightly opaque windscreen into a white sheet through which E-J could see absolutely nothing. He called for a voice talkdown, this was a practised procedure whereby the landing sight officer (LSO) gave instructions over the radio to allow you to land on the deck when you could not see the “landing sight”.
We missed the wires on the first 2 attempts to land and before the final approach E-J and I discussed the fact that if we missed the next time we needed to divert to RAF Valley. On the 3rd approach we were about 400 yards from the back of the deck when the LSO's radio failed....Flyco (the ultimate authority over deck operations) decided that we were too close to safely be instructed to “wave off” or go around. Instead he took over the talkdown but without the accurate references available to the LSO. The net result was that we came over the back end further right than we should have been, only about 22ft but it shows the accuracy required. I was aware that we were further right than I had ever seen before through my back seater's small window by my right knee. We both felt a thump but the aircraft was still moving at 130 knots or so, everyone had stopped talking on the radio, I started to eject but then thought better of it as I managed to see aspects of the deck which were familiar. I called our speed and a heading to RAF Valley as we left the front of the carrier. We had concluded that we were flying and E-J was in control of the aircraft, having shared a few expletives and the fact that we had both nearly ejected. About now Flyco called “Don't eject, don't eject...check your hydraulics you have lost half your starboard wing.”
Helpful! We set off for Valley and decided we didn't have enough fuel to get there unless we raised the undercarriage to reduce our fuel consumption. So E-J selected undercarriage up at which point the aircraft turned itself violently upside down, he regained control by putting the undercarriage down again and we proceeded to land at RAF Valley very short of fuel, having found a rain shower on the way to wash the windscreen. The fact that we got this wreck safely on the ground at RAF Valley was entirely thanks to your Dad's innate skills in an aircraft, his reactions in a truly life threatening situation were instinctive and intuitive…and right. He wasn't even perspiring when we landed off this one. Some after the event issues; A Sea Vixen pilot cannot see the end of the wings from the cockpit, so it was only after we landed at Valley that we saw what we had done. 8ft of the starboard wing was missing and the aileron was hanging vertically down behind the starboard undercarriage leg...hence turning upside down when we tried to raise the gear. We got a bol****ing from OC Flying at Valley for not declaring an emergency...we thought the ship had told them. Everyone at Valley seemed to have given up smoking and we couldn't scrounge a fag from anyone. Eagle sent a helicopter to take us back on board and upon alighting on the flight deck we were instructed to report to the Captain on the bridge.
His words will live with me forever; “Not your fault E-J, bit of a c**k up in here.” Turning to me he said “So you're a crab are you, that will show you what the Navy's all about. Pair of you go and see the Doc.” We had hit a Buccaneer, a fork lift truck, 2 Sea Vixens and another Buccaneer during our brief excursion along the deck of Eagle. The Doc was a famous FAA doctor whose name I will not mention. He took our pulses and blood pressures and determined that we were a bit excited, opened his desk drawer, removed a bottle of brandy and said “Drink half of that between you and I'll declare you fit to fly in the morning.” He did, and we did.
Anna, your Dad was the most convincing and capable fighter pilot I ever flew with, and I flew with a lot over the next 25 years.
Qwin
I have been watching this thread for a few days and wondering whether I should contribute. I also realised that your Dad would have been 65 this year which in itself is frightening because when we first met I think he was a mere 27 years old.
I flew with E-J when I was a student on the Vixen training squadron, 766 NAS, and he was an instructor. I then did a short spell on 893 NAS on HMS Hermes before she was decommissioned in 1970. I was then despatched to 899 NAS to join HMS Eagle's air group. It was my good fortune to be crewed with E-J for the latter part of 1970 until around February 1971 when I suspect he left 899 to go to the States.
Your Dad was the only fighter pilot I ever knew who could do an hour's air combat at fairly constant high g and lots of aggressive manoeuvring and climb out of the aircraft without a trace of perspiration or exertion. More importantly, no sweat or otherwise, we invariably won. E-J and I shared an experience in a Sea Vixen that is worth relating and before I start the story I should say that the events I relate reflect no criticism of E-J's flying skills, indeed exactly the opposite because with a less capable pilot I suspect we may have left this particular Sea Vixen to its own ends in the Irish Sea. My log book entry merely says: 25 Jan 1971-XN657-Lt Eyton-Jones-Low Level Intercepts, diverted RAF Valley-1hr50mins. This was the final day of HMS Eagle's work up in UK waters before heading for the Mediterranean.
E-J and I had launched off Eagle mid afternoon to do low level radar intercepts against another Sea Vixen in the Irish Sea. Because the Vixen radar could not see targets well looking down against the sea, the recognised technique was for the fighter to fly low to pick up the target. It was a fairly rough January day over the Irish Sea and during the course of the sortie we accumulated a fair amount of salt spray on the windscreen. The Sea Vixen dispersed rain from the windscreen with a hot air blowing system...no wipers, no washers. This did nothing to remove the salt layer, but that was OK E-J could see well enough to get us home to “mother” with no problem. All was well until we turned finals for the deck and came back to landing speed, this raised the nose and this combined with the fact that the ship was steaming straight into the setting sun turned the slightly opaque windscreen into a white sheet through which E-J could see absolutely nothing. He called for a voice talkdown, this was a practised procedure whereby the landing sight officer (LSO) gave instructions over the radio to allow you to land on the deck when you could not see the “landing sight”.
We missed the wires on the first 2 attempts to land and before the final approach E-J and I discussed the fact that if we missed the next time we needed to divert to RAF Valley. On the 3rd approach we were about 400 yards from the back of the deck when the LSO's radio failed....Flyco (the ultimate authority over deck operations) decided that we were too close to safely be instructed to “wave off” or go around. Instead he took over the talkdown but without the accurate references available to the LSO. The net result was that we came over the back end further right than we should have been, only about 22ft but it shows the accuracy required. I was aware that we were further right than I had ever seen before through my back seater's small window by my right knee. We both felt a thump but the aircraft was still moving at 130 knots or so, everyone had stopped talking on the radio, I started to eject but then thought better of it as I managed to see aspects of the deck which were familiar. I called our speed and a heading to RAF Valley as we left the front of the carrier. We had concluded that we were flying and E-J was in control of the aircraft, having shared a few expletives and the fact that we had both nearly ejected. About now Flyco called “Don't eject, don't eject...check your hydraulics you have lost half your starboard wing.”
Helpful! We set off for Valley and decided we didn't have enough fuel to get there unless we raised the undercarriage to reduce our fuel consumption. So E-J selected undercarriage up at which point the aircraft turned itself violently upside down, he regained control by putting the undercarriage down again and we proceeded to land at RAF Valley very short of fuel, having found a rain shower on the way to wash the windscreen. The fact that we got this wreck safely on the ground at RAF Valley was entirely thanks to your Dad's innate skills in an aircraft, his reactions in a truly life threatening situation were instinctive and intuitive…and right. He wasn't even perspiring when we landed off this one. Some after the event issues; A Sea Vixen pilot cannot see the end of the wings from the cockpit, so it was only after we landed at Valley that we saw what we had done. 8ft of the starboard wing was missing and the aileron was hanging vertically down behind the starboard undercarriage leg...hence turning upside down when we tried to raise the gear. We got a bol****ing from OC Flying at Valley for not declaring an emergency...we thought the ship had told them. Everyone at Valley seemed to have given up smoking and we couldn't scrounge a fag from anyone. Eagle sent a helicopter to take us back on board and upon alighting on the flight deck we were instructed to report to the Captain on the bridge.
His words will live with me forever; “Not your fault E-J, bit of a c**k up in here.” Turning to me he said “So you're a crab are you, that will show you what the Navy's all about. Pair of you go and see the Doc.” We had hit a Buccaneer, a fork lift truck, 2 Sea Vixens and another Buccaneer during our brief excursion along the deck of Eagle. The Doc was a famous FAA doctor whose name I will not mention. He took our pulses and blood pressures and determined that we were a bit excited, opened his desk drawer, removed a bottle of brandy and said “Drink half of that between you and I'll declare you fit to fly in the morning.” He did, and we did.
Anna, your Dad was the most convincing and capable fighter pilot I ever flew with, and I flew with a lot over the next 25 years.
Qwin
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Anna, Dino's excellent site, Sea Vixen. Royal Navy. Carrier Jet. - Home has details of this incident from the outside, and much else. Tony Buttler's first rate book, "The de Havilland SEA VIXEN" published by AIR-BRITAIN is also a terrific evocation of those times and also provides many other interesting tales from those days with references, of course, to Richard as well.
I can remember E-J, with some marginal assistance from me, hacking a Phantom at night during 892's ORI. In it's haste to escape us the F4 managed to drop a boom over Tiverton, to the surprise of the locals, and our great amusement in the debrief.
25 years of being terrified by assorted fighter pilots must qualify you for something Mick, but I'm not sure what!!
I can remember E-J, with some marginal assistance from me, hacking a Phantom at night during 892's ORI. In it's haste to escape us the F4 managed to drop a boom over Tiverton, to the surprise of the locals, and our great amusement in the debrief.
25 years of being terrified by assorted fighter pilots must qualify you for something Mick, but I'm not sure what!!
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Awesome, just awesome
Dear Anna,
I never knew your Father, in fact I was simply a lad when all the events mentioned on this thread were unfolding,
however, I simply wanted to comment on how moving the stories are that many are sharing with you!
Its rare to find out about ones parents in this way as I guess they are things they would not share with their children, even if still here!
You must be extremely proud to read these comments and as I have followed the thread from the outset,
I must admit to having a lump in my throat and a smile after reading QWIN's message!
From what started as a request for photographs (my own forte) you have, I feel gained much more and your children are going to
be in for some AWESOME insights into their Grand Father's world and life as a FJ Pilot!
I sincerely trust many more share their memories of this clearly able and respected man and aviator and also
im sure if he is looking down reading all this, he must be a happy and equally proud man!
Best of luck in yr search
AB
I never knew your Father, in fact I was simply a lad when all the events mentioned on this thread were unfolding,
however, I simply wanted to comment on how moving the stories are that many are sharing with you!
Its rare to find out about ones parents in this way as I guess they are things they would not share with their children, even if still here!
You must be extremely proud to read these comments and as I have followed the thread from the outset,
I must admit to having a lump in my throat and a smile after reading QWIN's message!
From what started as a request for photographs (my own forte) you have, I feel gained much more and your children are going to
be in for some AWESOME insights into their Grand Father's world and life as a FJ Pilot!
I sincerely trust many more share their memories of this clearly able and respected man and aviator and also
im sure if he is looking down reading all this, he must be a happy and equally proud man!
Best of luck in yr search
AB
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A very moving and positive thread showing that the internet has many good uses. On looking through the links mentioned previously the following poem was posted here.
The South Atlantic Medal Association 82
A tribute to E-J
This poem, entitled Remembrance, was composed in tribute to 'E-J' by Lt Cdr David Morgan DSC, a fellow Sea Harrier pilot. 'Mog' was a good friend who later on became brilliantly successful in his own right during the Conflict
Somewhere a skylark sings
With joy, above the field and coombe
Where once he walked, soft-footed,
'Cross the deep spring-scented leys,
Where chuckling brook, cold crystal
Clear, tumbles and trills 'twixt
Banks of peppermint and thyme.
Where once his voice laughed out
In praise of field and sky,
And body swam the heady main
Of Nature's sweetest scents
Upon the passing of the rain,
And languid willows trail
Their fronded fingers though the stream.
Forever stilled now lies this voice,
Hard by some forbidding shore,
In grave unmarked, 'neath seas
That roam from Horn to Africa.
Yet lives his spirit still in Spring,
And song of birds, and scent of
Cleansing rain, in this green land ...
The South Atlantic Medal Association 82
A tribute to E-J
This poem, entitled Remembrance, was composed in tribute to 'E-J' by Lt Cdr David Morgan DSC, a fellow Sea Harrier pilot. 'Mog' was a good friend who later on became brilliantly successful in his own right during the Conflict
Somewhere a skylark sings
With joy, above the field and coombe
Where once he walked, soft-footed,
'Cross the deep spring-scented leys,
Where chuckling brook, cold crystal
Clear, tumbles and trills 'twixt
Banks of peppermint and thyme.
Where once his voice laughed out
In praise of field and sky,
And body swam the heady main
Of Nature's sweetest scents
Upon the passing of the rain,
And languid willows trail
Their fronded fingers though the stream.
Forever stilled now lies this voice,
Hard by some forbidding shore,
In grave unmarked, 'neath seas
That roam from Horn to Africa.
Yet lives his spirit still in Spring,
And song of birds, and scent of
Cleansing rain, in this green land ...
A fitting tribute to a brave man, a hero and by all accounts an exceptional Pilot.
I hope the many replies to your post have made you proud. My Father served as groundcrew with 1 Sqn on the Hermes during the Falklands war, They were brough back from Canada at short notice IIRC, I will ask him if he has any memories or photographs of your Father.
Red On, Green On
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I've had a look through the Sea Vixen site. The roll of honour mentions Lt R Eyton-Jones who was killed in 1962 - is he your uncle, or a cousin of your father, Anna?
Also mentioned on the roll of honour is the father of an old girlfriend - he was killed when she was six. I took her to lunch in the College one Sunday at Dartmouth, and in the Chapel she saw (I think for the first time) the memorial to her father. She married into the Navy, but I think her mum made sure it wasn't a flyer.
Also mentioned on the roll of honour is the father of an old girlfriend - he was killed when she was six. I took her to lunch in the College one Sunday at Dartmouth, and in the Chapel she saw (I think for the first time) the memorial to her father. She married into the Navy, but I think her mum made sure it wasn't a flyer.
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Just Brilliant
Dear all,
Reading all of your messages has just been so amazing. I knew my dad was liked in general, but hearing such lovely things said about him has really made me feel especially proud. Not just for being a "Falkland Hero", but proud of him as a Man.
It saddens me that I didn't know him as an adult. He died when I was 10 and I only ever knew him as a Daddy. I would love to be able to sit down and quiz him now about what he had done through his life and the adventures he had, places he'd been.
Thats why hearing these tales, which have nothing to do with regular family stuff, are so moving. They offer some insight in to him and his personality, and how other people saw him, which is actually way better in the end than some faded photographs.
Your kindness, offers and poignant memories have completely overwhelmed me.
So a huge thank you everyone.
Anna x
Reading all of your messages has just been so amazing. I knew my dad was liked in general, but hearing such lovely things said about him has really made me feel especially proud. Not just for being a "Falkland Hero", but proud of him as a Man.
It saddens me that I didn't know him as an adult. He died when I was 10 and I only ever knew him as a Daddy. I would love to be able to sit down and quiz him now about what he had done through his life and the adventures he had, places he'd been.
Thats why hearing these tales, which have nothing to do with regular family stuff, are so moving. They offer some insight in to him and his personality, and how other people saw him, which is actually way better in the end than some faded photographs.
Your kindness, offers and poignant memories have completely overwhelmed me.
So a huge thank you everyone.
Anna x
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QWIN
Your story if true ( and I have no reason whatever to think it isn't ) ought to be in a book of somekind - too many of these things go unrecorded.
BTW I think the LSO / Flyco should have been b----ked on the spot for not reporting & forwarding your state.
Thank ---- the ' Vixen was the only thing De Havilland's over-built !
BTW I think the LSO / Flyco should have been b----ked on the spot for not reporting & forwarding your state.
Thank ---- the ' Vixen was the only thing De Havilland's over-built !
Anna,
I know its not directly associated with your Op CORPORATE/SHAR enquiry, however the 4th Ark's Final Commission Book can be found online at:
HMS Ark Royal index page
Your dad is listed on the Ark 892 NAS photo which you have probably got already, but the commission diary should be interesting. My last encounter with him on board Ark (I flew on another Squadron) was possibly during a night low level mass disorganised formation carpet bombing sortie.....commonly known as mess rugby !!! the real reason we wear squadron cummerbunds; to ID your team mates.
also some 892 snaps here: Phantom F4K, Fleet Air Arm. Royal Navy. - 892 Squadron Photographs > 892 Squadron Photographs
Doesn't this thread prove how the bond of military aviation creates an extended family; it's not just nostalgia.
E-J was 'family'. Anna that makes you and your kids family too.
pp
I know its not directly associated with your Op CORPORATE/SHAR enquiry, however the 4th Ark's Final Commission Book can be found online at:
HMS Ark Royal index page
Your dad is listed on the Ark 892 NAS photo which you have probably got already, but the commission diary should be interesting. My last encounter with him on board Ark (I flew on another Squadron) was possibly during a night low level mass disorganised formation carpet bombing sortie.....commonly known as mess rugby !!! the real reason we wear squadron cummerbunds; to ID your team mates.
also some 892 snaps here: Phantom F4K, Fleet Air Arm. Royal Navy. - 892 Squadron Photographs > 892 Squadron Photographs
Doesn't this thread prove how the bond of military aviation creates an extended family; it's not just nostalgia.
E-J was 'family'. Anna that makes you and your kids family too.
pp
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Anna - I too knew and worked with your dad in the dim and distant past. I had nothing really to add to what has been said here except that it fully echoes my memories of a great pilot and good 'mate', but feel moved to add that your last post gives me great pleasure in the way this forum has worked for you and in the way you feel now and see him.
I echo peterperfect's last line too.
This thread will stay on the site, hopefully for a long time, and if you haven't already, I suggest you get the posts saved for your family for the future. I'm sure one of the moderators here will be delighted to help if you need it.
Your kids one day will take pride in telling their grandchildren about 'E-J'.
Vive la Chasse!
I echo peterperfect's last line too.
This thread will stay on the site, hopefully for a long time, and if you haven't already, I suggest you get the posts saved for your family for the future. I'm sure one of the moderators here will be delighted to help if you need it.
Your kids one day will take pride in telling their grandchildren about 'E-J'.
Vive la Chasse!
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Yes it will be archived.
All that needs to be done, now when it slides off the page and in the future, is to use the search facility and just enter E-J and it will return.
PPP
All that needs to be done, now when it slides off the page and in the future, is to use the search facility and just enter E-J and it will return.
PPP
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For whatever reason the Falklands Conflict still mean an awful lot to me.
I didn't know E-J, our paths didn't cross. I knew of his death and was saddened. It was amazing (in hindsight) how the loss was felt amongst the guy's going 'into harm's way'.
What stunned me was OKOC's post, he included an Internet link for a Memorial Site.
index
I didn't know of the existence of this Memorial Garden, but when opening the link, I was stunned to discover that would be visitors have to give ONE MONTH'S notice of their intention to visit it.
I fully appreciate security et al. But ONE MONTH. To honour our losses????
I didn't know E-J, our paths didn't cross. I knew of his death and was saddened. It was amazing (in hindsight) how the loss was felt amongst the guy's going 'into harm's way'.
What stunned me was OKOC's post, he included an Internet link for a Memorial Site.
index
I didn't know of the existence of this Memorial Garden, but when opening the link, I was stunned to discover that would be visitors have to give ONE MONTH'S notice of their intention to visit it.
I fully appreciate security et al. But ONE MONTH. To honour our losses????
Guest
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Your story if true ( and I have no reason whatever to think it isn't ) ought to be in a book of somekind - too many of these things go unrecorded.
