Nick Lithgow - LZ Hot!: Flying South Africa’s Border War

After an early childhood in Pretoria, Nick Lithgow reported for National Service duty with the SADF. This saw him deploying to the Border as an infantry soldier with a brief interlude to Pretoria for pilot assessment. Much to his surprise, Nick was called forward for pilot training and this saw him learning his craft on the Harvard and Impala. He soon graduated to rotary aircraft with the Alouette and shortly thereafter, in 1979, Nick became a Puma pilot. At the height of the South African Border War, Nick flew Puma helicopters across the Operational Area conducting troop moves, casevacs, fighting patrols with special forces and more. In the Drakensburg mountain range Nick conducted daring cliff rescues, whilst at sea he was instrumental in a number of difficult rescues. Nick now lives in Durban, South Africa, with business interests in Johannesburg. He continues to love anything to do with aviation.

For my children Angie and Andrew, and my good buddy Martin van Straten.

FALLEN BRETHREN
To all our fallen brethren lost
Immortal words with honour trust
We bear your guiding lamp with pride
With tears and smiles, remembered thus
And when the lamp flames flicker, we know
Your spirits are always close to us NL

Proceeds from this book will be donated to the South African Air Force Association NPO 083-072

Co-published in 2012 by:

Helion & Company Limited
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Solihull
West Midlands B91 1UE
England
Tel. 0121 705 3393
Fax 0121 711 4075
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Website: www.helion.co.uk

and

GG Books UK
Rugby
Warwickshire
Tel: 07921 709307
Website: www.30degreessouth.co.uk

Designed and typeset by Farr out Publications, Wokingham, Berkshire
Cover designed by Euan Carter, Leicester (www.euancarter.com)
Printed by Henry Ling Ltd, Dorchester, Dorset

Text Nick Lithgow 2012
Photographs as individually credited
Cover photograph Al J. Venter

ISBN 978-1-908916-59-4
EPUB ISBN: 9781908916761

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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Contents

List of Illustrations

Foreword

W hat a great book! Instead of boring us with only the facts, the facts and more of the facts (or so called!), Nick has applied the human element that has been missing so long in the helicopter stories; at last! From his basics in the army to being a full blooded chopper pilot in the largest bush war in Southern Africa, he has painted a picture here that allows the reader to relax in the comfort of home, hotel, or wherever, and read the humorous (sometimes hilarious!) accounts of how the brave chopper boys there did their bit in keeping the home front safe from the vagaries of war!

As is the custom with helicopter pilots, modesty is somehow inbred, (not quietness, mind you!) so when reading the episodes one should really try to imagine it in reality this was no game. It was real war, serious in the way wars need to be. More chopper boys were lost in the war than any other types. Hence, as Nick mentions, more medals were handed out to the chopper boys than to any other mustering. In fact, the very first SADF Honoris Crux for bravery was earned by a helicopter pilot. But, as it is with such things, humour keeps one sane or from going bossies (bush-mad) along the way, particularly when the going gets tough and it does. There was and is a true camaraderie in the chopper fraternity and Nick brings this to the fore in his many examples of teamwork, hard at times, fun at others.

In certain ways I liken this work to Eagle Day by Richard Collier. Colliers book covers just six weeks during the Battle of Britain and is recorded in vivid detail, telling it how it was, not buffing it up with unseemly shine. Nicks work is over years, but the same pattern prevails the way the chopper boys are, humorous, hard, naughty (but nice!), and yet so caring for their fellow men (mostly also chopper boys, of course!). The demeanour of the Battle of Britain crews was seemingly very carefree, probably because they flew in danger so often that seriousness of being earnest would have been a stumbling block. Things have changed in todays world, but that same indomitable spirit was what the chopper boys took over from World War II fighter pilots, for our bush war. They went in first, did the most, lost the most, and those that survived, came out last, with heads held high and with a myriad accolades.

Examples of this spirit are legion, but suffice to recall one incident that parallels the same thing in Colliers book, when the mess kitchen was locked on return of the chopper boys from an operation and no one could open up, they took that duty upon themselves, rather robustly, so that the boys could be fed. Broken locks aside, the Officers Commanding in those halcyon days of the bush war earned much credit for (mostly) standing by the chopper boys when they got up to antics which would normally have had stern disciplinary consequences!

Well done Nick! The picture is so real that it transported me back easily to those wonderful days of dust and the smell of aviation turbine fuel! You have brought it to life without having to go over-the-top, without having to manufacture anecdotes. This is a real story and I know that readers will enjoy it thoroughly. It is a story that one can go back to get more of, enjoy again! I salute Nick for making the effort and getting it done, and done so well, so realistically! This will become a great piece of Africana, and may your talent be just like the helicopters we so love forever rising, vertically! It is great being a chopper boy and yes Nick, I would also ask God for more of the same if I had the opportunity!

Brigadier General Peter Monster Wilkins, SAAF (Rtd), AFC, SCM, MMM,
Chief Pilot and Head of Flight Operations
Starlite Aviation South Africa and Ireland

Acknowledgements

I must thank the SAAF for giving me the best damn job I ever had and opening the door to what must be the craziest fraternity of professional people on the planet, the chopper pilots. Many thanks to Louis Nel, Janine Noel-Barham and Brigadier John Boardman (retd.) who made this publication possible and to the Ballito Writers Guild for their support and encouragement.

Glossary and List of Abbreviations