Falklands 40
On 18 May 1982............
................I took off from ATLANTIC CONVEYOR in a GR3 and transferred to HERMES.
With my fellow GR3 drivers, we were effectively the Cavalry which allowed the SHAR community to abandon the dangerous low-level stuff, and leave that to us, while they bravely CAP'd in the safety of flight above 20,000' above any ARG ground defence threats, looking down for unsuspecting targets to go after with their AIM-9L's.
And three days later, the real stuff started when the boots got onto the ground..................
More to come, if anyone is interested!!!!!!
With my fellow GR3 drivers, we were effectively the Cavalry which allowed the SHAR community to abandon the dangerous low-level stuff, and leave that to us, while they bravely CAP'd in the safety of flight above 20,000' above any ARG ground defence threats, looking down for unsuspecting targets to go after with their AIM-9L's.
And three days later, the real stuff started when the boots got onto the ground..................
More to come, if anyone is interested!!!!!!
Thread Starter
And very welcome you were! You got the sh*ty end of the stick, no doubt. The captain of Hermes wanted to launch you into the fight as soon as the aircraft were refuelled - amazing! Luckily wiser heads prevailed.
By this time, we had lost 3 SHARs and their pilots. One to AAA and two to bad weather. The arrival of Atlantic Conveyor on the 18th was a huge fillip; 8 x SHARs and 6 x GR3s plus pilots and ground crew. I seem to remember (just) a pretty good party in the wardroom that evening. Great to see lots of mates from Germany arriving.
As XFJ says, more if you are interested.
Mog
By this time, we had lost 3 SHARs and their pilots. One to AAA and two to bad weather. The arrival of Atlantic Conveyor on the 18th was a huge fillip; 8 x SHARs and 6 x GR3s plus pilots and ground crew. I seem to remember (just) a pretty good party in the wardroom that evening. Great to see lots of mates from Germany arriving.
As XFJ says, more if you are interested.
Mog
Mog and XFJ I think inputs similar to 'Gaining a Pilots wings in WW2" is an excellent idea. The Falklands is now further away than WW2 was When i joined in 1980. Having participated on the peripheral fringes, it is wonderful to hear the thoughts of those who were at the sharp end. Lets get this recorded before it is too late.
If you don't count the VC10s and Hercs, I guess it would by the Victor MRR of South Georgia on 19/20 April 1982. Unless any of the naval helicopters embarked had RAF crews.
Indeed !
We back configured a Victor Tanker with a vertical 6 inch F95 camera in the nose for this very long range recce mission to look around South Georgia for Maritime activity.
This was about the time that most were still wondering "Where the F*ck are the Falklands?" (and delayed my PVR by some months)
We back configured a Victor Tanker with a vertical 6 inch F95 camera in the nose for this very long range recce mission to look around South Georgia for Maritime activity.
This was about the time that most were still wondering "Where the F*ck are the Falklands?" (and delayed my PVR by some months)
Gentleman Aviator
Did the RAF ever fly any of the Pucaras that we salvaged from the Falklands
Haraka
Thanks for bringing this whole thread back to reality.
It was not just Harriers which were involved - there were so many others who did so many things way outside their normal area of expertise, and who did not receive any - or very little - recognition of what was done.
In the end, it was "boots on the ground" that won the various battles - we were all enablers to let them get on with it.
But so much was done by the Tanker fraternity supporting the Vulcans and others, the C-130 mates, and the Merchant Navy who delivered all the kit - and then the helo folks who got it all into the right place at the right time. And, no doubt, many others who have missed the spotlight. Not just the pilots/aircrew who flew, but the ground folk who made these flights possible. (Apart from the met folk, who seemed to have had no idea what the weather was up to!).
So, before 40 years of collective memory disappears 6' under, let's hear of the varied efforts that allowed the final outcome to be what it was.
It was not just Harriers which were involved - there were so many others who did so many things way outside their normal area of expertise, and who did not receive any - or very little - recognition of what was done.
In the end, it was "boots on the ground" that won the various battles - we were all enablers to let them get on with it.
But so much was done by the Tanker fraternity supporting the Vulcans and others, the C-130 mates, and the Merchant Navy who delivered all the kit - and then the helo folks who got it all into the right place at the right time. And, no doubt, many others who have missed the spotlight. Not just the pilots/aircrew who flew, but the ground folk who made these flights possible. (Apart from the met folk, who seemed to have had no idea what the weather was up to!).
So, before 40 years of collective memory disappears 6' under, let's hear of the varied efforts that allowed the final outcome to be what it was.
(Apart from the met folk, who seemed to have had no idea what the weather was up to!).
Crab etc
I accept your hit............
There was a wonderful MetMan on HERMES who one morning presented us with a Black and White OHP (remember those?) slide of the weather systems around us.
There was a very deep low to the west of us, heading in our direction.
His opening words were........
"In meteorological terms, this is known as a "Zebra's Arsehole".."
Very clear, very explicit, and absolutely correct!
There was a wonderful MetMan on HERMES who one morning presented us with a Black and White OHP (remember those?) slide of the weather systems around us.
There was a very deep low to the west of us, heading in our direction.
His opening words were........
"In meteorological terms, this is known as a "Zebra's Arsehole".."
Very clear, very explicit, and absolutely correct!
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Weather ... changeable.
FI Winter, 1983, taken a couple of hours apart ... bizarre!
Gentleman Aviator
Went swimming off Stanley one Christmas Day (supposedly height of the Austral Summer). I do think it's the coldest water I've ever been in - that didn't have lumps (of ice!) in it........
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Ops
Without pointing fingers, it has been my experience on Ops that many problems have been due internally due to inane tasking and irrelevant requests coming down through the system.
Of course these are conveniently forgotten at cakes and medals time!
Of course these are conveniently forgotten at cakes and medals time!
The above Pucara (ZD485) was displayed on static at the IAT, RAF Greenham Common in July 83 just before being retired to Cosford.
It was flown/tested/displayed at the time by a former Lightning pilot - there is footage on YouTube of it landing at Greenham and said pilot being interviewed.
It was flown/tested/displayed at the time by a former Lightning pilot - there is footage on YouTube of it landing at Greenham and said pilot being interviewed.
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Join Date: Apr 2005
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Thanks for bringing this whole thread back to reality.
It was not just Harriers which were involved - there were so many others who did so many things way outside their normal area of expertise, and who did not receive any - or very little - recognition of what was done.
In the end, it was "boots on the ground" that won the various battles - we were all enablers to let them get on with it.
But so much was done by the Tanker fraternity supporting the Vulcans and others, the C-130 mates, and the Merchant Navy who delivered all the kit - and then the helo folks who got it all into the right place at the right time. And, no doubt, many others who have missed the spotlight. Not just the pilots/aircrew who flew, but the ground folk who made these flights possible. (Apart from the met folk, who seemed to have had no idea what the weather was up to!).
So, before 40 years of collective memory disappears 6' under, let's hear of the varied efforts that allowed the final outcome to be what it was.
It was not just Harriers which were involved - there were so many others who did so many things way outside their normal area of expertise, and who did not receive any - or very little - recognition of what was done.
In the end, it was "boots on the ground" that won the various battles - we were all enablers to let them get on with it.
But so much was done by the Tanker fraternity supporting the Vulcans and others, the C-130 mates, and the Merchant Navy who delivered all the kit - and then the helo folks who got it all into the right place at the right time. And, no doubt, many others who have missed the spotlight. Not just the pilots/aircrew who flew, but the ground folk who made these flights possible. (Apart from the met folk, who seemed to have had no idea what the weather was up to!).
So, before 40 years of collective memory disappears 6' under, let's hear of the varied efforts that allowed the final outcome to be what it was.
A few of them travelled with some of the kit on Atlantic Conveyor (one of them I believe getting an MiD for their actions after the Exocet hit).
Post Atlantic Conveyor I understand it became a scramble to get hold of fuels handling kit but scramble they did and through beg, borrowing and stealing (a noted TSW trait....) they eventually set up a site on dry(ish) land to support both helicopters and leaping heaps of various shades.
There are a few photos of TSW operations during Op Corporate in the book "Cold War, Hot Peace - 50 Years of Tactical Supply 1970-2020", I'll try to post them on here.
In early June 1982,a week or so after the Atlantic Conveyor had sunk, I was on the Pan at ASI talking to the Fg Off Supplier at ASI. Possibly after
I had landed after BlackBuck 6 or 7. Whilst chatting we were approached by the RAF Commander Gp Capt Jerry Price and the CAS ACM Sir Michael Beetham
who was visiting the island. During the conversation the Fg Off told CAS that he was concerned that he had no way of recording what was passing through ASI
either going South or North. CAS said "Do not worry! We will know what left UK and what gets back. Everything else will have been on the Atlantic Conveyor."
This is NOT an apocryphal story as it is an old tradition. I was first aware of it when a Planeguard Whirlwind fell into the sea after an engine failure astern of
HMS Eagle(?) in 1963 in the Far East. The Board of Inquiry provisionaly established that the 24 Mess Kits, 12 Aircrew Watches,12 Swords, sundry Generators and other
inventory items loaded to the aircraft had contributed to the accident as the aircraft was several thousand pounds above MTOW. ( Not in the Final Report!)
There was also an amazing amount of " lost inventory items " unfortunately burnt in the major fire at Kineton!!
I had landed after BlackBuck 6 or 7. Whilst chatting we were approached by the RAF Commander Gp Capt Jerry Price and the CAS ACM Sir Michael Beetham
who was visiting the island. During the conversation the Fg Off told CAS that he was concerned that he had no way of recording what was passing through ASI
either going South or North. CAS said "Do not worry! We will know what left UK and what gets back. Everything else will have been on the Atlantic Conveyor."
This is NOT an apocryphal story as it is an old tradition. I was first aware of it when a Planeguard Whirlwind fell into the sea after an engine failure astern of
HMS Eagle(?) in 1963 in the Far East. The Board of Inquiry provisionaly established that the 24 Mess Kits, 12 Aircrew Watches,12 Swords, sundry Generators and other
inventory items loaded to the aircraft had contributed to the accident as the aircraft was several thousand pounds above MTOW. ( Not in the Final Report!)
There was also an amazing amount of " lost inventory items " unfortunately burnt in the major fire at Kineton!!