Graham Pitchfork - Buccaneer Boys 2: More True Tales by Those Who Flew the Last All-British Bomber

BUCCANEER BOYS 2

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

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The Daily Telegraph Book of Airmens Obituaries Book Three

More True Tales by Those Who Flew

The Last All-British Bomber

AIR COMMODORE

GRAHAM PITCHFORK MBE, FRAeS

FOREWORD BY

AIR MARSHAL SIR PETER NORRISS KBE, CB, AFC, FRAeS

Grub Street London

Published by

Grub Street

4 Rainham Close

London SW11 6SS

Copyright Grub Street 2021

Copyright text Air Commodore Graham Pitchfork 2021

A CIP record for this title is available from the British Library

ISBN-13: 978-1-911667-18-6

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

(19492020)

Throughout the preparation of Buccaneer Boys 2 , David Herriot was my chief of staff. When we discussed the idea for another volume, he immediately encouraged me to start the project. From that day, until a few days before he passed away, he proof-read all but two chapters, in addition to sourcing material and photographs for me, just as he had done in the first volume of Buccaneer Boys . Until his final days, his trademark enthusiasm never wavered.

David Herriot was the epitome of a Buccaneer Boy who knew how to balance his professionalism with the world of fun. A superb navigator and tactical instructor, his zest for life was infectious and his contribution to the unique brotherhood of the Buccaneer world was immense.

I dedicate this book to his memory a brilliant airman, a fine officer and a great friend.

AIR MARSHAL SIR PETER NORRISS KBE, CB, AFC, FRAeS

When Graham Pitchfork asked me to write the foreword for Buccaneer Boys 2 , I initially wondered if the chapters could match the wonderful tales of the 2013 edition of Buccaneer Boys . I should not have worried, as the authors have more than risen to the occasion, and Graham has created a fine book to read.

My first direct involvement with the Buccaneer was in November 1971 when I was posted to No. 15 Course on 237 Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Honington. However, I had previously had indirect connections through my father, who was a production manager at Blackburn Aircraft working on the Beverley, and at various air shows in the summer of 1971, where I was displaying the Jet Provost. My father had been aware of some of the teething problems experienced during the aircrafts development and so was intrigued to see some of the engineering solutions on the aircraft when I showed him round one in the hangar at RAF Laarbruch. The Air Day at Lossiemouth not only enabled me to get physically closer to the aircraft, but it also introduced me to the splendid joie de vivre for which Buccaneer aircrew are renowned.

Hailed as the last all-British bomber, the Buccaneer proved itself to be a highly adaptable and versatile machine. It was designed initially to operate off an aircraft carrier and to toss a nuclear store at a Sverdlov-class cruiser, but initiatives by Royal Navy personnel enabled its weapon-aiming system to be used for the delivery of conventional weapons from a variety of attack profiles. The South African Air Force subsequently made serious use of the Buccaneers attack capabilities during the Bush Wars. Following the Wilson governments decision to cancel both the TSR-2 and the F-111, the Buccaneer entered service with the Royal Air Force in the maritime and overland strike/attack roles, and its operational development continued, with new weapons and capabilities being introduced during its life.

Little did I know in 1971 that over the following 12 years I would achieve some 1,500 hours on the Buccaneer and 600 on the Hunter during three tours: one as a squadron pilot with XV Squadron, one as chief flying instructor on the OCU, and one as the squadron commander of 16 Squadron. The flying was exhilarating and challenging. Carrying out Fam1 sorties with pilots new to the aircraft, when you did not have a dual-controlled aircraft, often caused the adrenaline to flow, as did my few deck-landing practices on Ark Royal . As the Buccaneer display pilot in 1975 I had some interesting moments, not least at the Toronto Air Show when a light aircraft with a wing walker appeared in front of us at crowd-centre as we ran in at 550 kts.Rebuilding the squadron following two structural failures, including the Red Flag accident in February 1980 that led to the fleet being grounded for nearly five months, brought different challenges, and it is a testament to the resilience of the crews that less than 15 months after the restoration of flying, with limited aircraft availability, the whole squadron took part in that years Red Flag exercise and performed splendidly. During that tour I was also privileged to form and lead the five-ship formation display team, the Black Saints, which carried out a number of displays at air shows in Germany.

The chapters in this new book cover the whole gamut of what Buccaneer life was like, for aviators and interested readers to enjoy. The authors bring out loud and clear the commitment to what they were doing, the fun they had doing it, and the strong bonds among those who flew and serviced the aircraft, irrespective of the service to which they belonged. Those bonds exist to this day and manifest themselves in a number of ways, not least the annual Buccaneer Blitz, a December lunchtime gathering in London of those who have flown the Buccaneer whether on squadrons or in supporting roles such as test pilots.

While the Buccaneer Aircrew Association was officially formed after the final hurrah at Lossiemouth in 1994, there were early stirrings some 10 years previously when a small cohort of aircrew met up for a reunion in a Greek restaurant one lunchtime, and this event grew into a very popular curry and beer bash at the Nags Head in Knightsbridge, an event that was soon known as the Blitz. Attendance grew to a point where more space was needed, and so HMS President has now become the annual port of call for some 130 of us. In parallel Buccaneer ground crew now hold an event in Norwich to which local aircrew also go along.

So sit back and soak up the tales of the Buccaneer Boys who flew a remarkable aircraft over its 35-year life and who believed in what they were doing. They lived life to the full and, despite the ageing process, many of them still do. While calling them Boys may be something of a misnomer, it is said that flying keeps you young at heart, and when you see them at play, youd have to agree it appropriate. Enjoy the read!

Following the success of Buccaneer Boys , and the encouragement of the committee of the Buccaneer Aircrew Association and the publisher, I accepted the challenge of trying to match the earlier volume. This attempt to achieve that aim could not have happened without the great support I have been given by my colleagues, The Buccaneer Boys. They have trawled their memories, logbooks and sought the recollections of other chums in order to provide the chapters that follow. Their names appear with their own chapter and I trust they will accept this as due recognition for their superb narratives.