Bravo November
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Nope were still Odious at the time and for a period after the war.
Though it wouldn't be the first or last signal ever to go adrift
Though it wouldn't be the first or last signal ever to go adrift
From the RAF web page on 18 Sqn:
During the Falklands War in 1982, four Chinooks were dispatched on the cargo ship Atlantic Conveyor, but three were lost when the vessel was sunk. The sole surviving aircraft gave sterling service on the islands in the months that followed. After the conflict, the Squadron returned to Germany, taking a small number of Pumas on strength before moving to Odiham in 1997.
Someone is wrong on this one.
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The Chinook pictured flying over Wideawake at Ascension Island is BP, which had been off-loaded.
BN was indeed the only one of the four remaining Chinooks on Atlantic Conveyor to survive the Excocet atttack. Incidentally, the aircraft that nearly got away from the aft deck (most were stored and flown off the central deck area) was BT. Although it is often written that only 3 whole Chinooks were lost on Conveyor, this severely underestimates the very large stock of spares, components and engines that also went down with Her. Indeed if you were at Odiham or Fleetlands at the time, you would find quite a few stripped airframes as a testament to this. The loss of the Conveyor therefore had a much more fundamental effect on the RAF Chinook force which lasted for many years after the end of that far away conflict.
Having reformed as the RAF's first Chinook sqn in Sept 1981 at Odiham, 18 Sqn did indeed remain based at Odiham until mid 1983 when it moved (at last) to its long intended home base of RAF Gutersloh, before relocatimg post Cold War to Laarbruch in 1993 once Gutersloh was handed over to the Army.
BN was indeed the only one of the four remaining Chinooks on Atlantic Conveyor to survive the Excocet atttack. Incidentally, the aircraft that nearly got away from the aft deck (most were stored and flown off the central deck area) was BT. Although it is often written that only 3 whole Chinooks were lost on Conveyor, this severely underestimates the very large stock of spares, components and engines that also went down with Her. Indeed if you were at Odiham or Fleetlands at the time, you would find quite a few stripped airframes as a testament to this. The loss of the Conveyor therefore had a much more fundamental effect on the RAF Chinook force which lasted for many years after the end of that far away conflict.
Having reformed as the RAF's first Chinook sqn in Sept 1981 at Odiham, 18 Sqn did indeed remain based at Odiham until mid 1983 when it moved (at last) to its long intended home base of RAF Gutersloh, before relocatimg post Cold War to Laarbruch in 1993 once Gutersloh was handed over to the Army.
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Actually the RAF webpage is strictly true, they did return to Germany............. Eventually.
Yup tell me about it Tallsar, was a busy time,
Suprised the Conveyor never sank in Plymouth Sound with the stuff she was carrying that went off inventories when she sank
Along with the safe containing all the Cheques people had cashed on the way south
Yup tell me about it Tallsar, was a busy time,
Suprised the Conveyor never sank in Plymouth Sound with the stuff she was carrying that went off inventories when she sank
Along with the safe containing all the Cheques people had cashed on the way south
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Suprised the Conveyor never sank in Plymouth Sound with the stuff she was carrying that went off inventories when she sank
Did the term "FOFAD" a few year later ever make it to the RAF?
I have a print of Robert Taylor's painting "Corporate Action", which shows Sqn Ldr Dick Langworthy standing in front of "BN" somewhere in the Falklands, with Harriers in the overhead. Can't believe it's nearly 30 years ago!
