43 Squadron operations - 1965

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After the relative quiet of the previous few months, the adrenalin began to rise in the first month of the new year when a total of 47 operational sorties were flown against various point and area targets in the Dhala, Mudia and Radfan areas. Not all sorties were live, however, as twelve flagwaves were flown and five pairs provided top cover for Beverley aircraft landing at Mukeiras over five days, as they were under threat of anti-aircraft fire. No direct or close air support sorties were flown.

Forward Air Control cooperation was also carried out with the latest course of British officers being trained by 225 GL section attached to Strike Wing. Eight sorties were flown in the Abyan area and the standard of control had noticeably improved by the end of the course. Most of the ‘students’ were flown in a T.7 (XL613) for air experience.

On the 4th, four aircraft, XF456 (Sqn Ldr Champniss), XG261 (Fg Off Burrows), XJ632 (Flt Lt Batty) and XE550 (Flt Lt Lydiate), were flown up to Masirah for a week’s detachment during which 56 strikes, area recces and practice diversions to Sharjah were carried out. While they were away, back at Khormaksar, four aircraft XE649 (Wg Cdr Jennings), XF376 (Fg Off Forse), XG296 (Flt Lt Chapman) and XF445 (Flt Lt Wilkins), carried out a strike on the 8th but the target is not noted in the ORB.

The most effective sortie of recent months was flown by eight Hunters of 43 Squadron, XE611 (Sqn Ldr Champniss), XG296 (Fg Off Skinner), XG154 (Flt Lt Lydiate), XF440 (Flt Lt Batty), XG256 (Flt Lt Chapman), XE620, (Fg Off White), XF388 (Flt Lt Forse) and XG205 (Fg Off Thomson), on 16 January when they attacked a dissident camp and supply dump in the Wadi Yahar area with 8 x 16 rockets and 8 x 540 HE cannon. No sooner had they completed their task when Shackletons from 37 Squadron dropped HE bombs over the general area. Initial reports spoke of large numbers of transiting dissidents, animals and supplies being destroyed.

Two aircraft, XE614 (an FR.10 of 1417 Flight) and XF421, were ferried back to the UK for refurbishment by Flt Lts Wilkins and Liddle respectively but the denial by Sudan of overflying rights made the trip something of an epic; having to stage through Masirah, Muharraq, Teheran, Akrotiri, El Adem, Luqa and Nice, and requiring 38 flying hours and five days to reach to St Athan. The pilots returned to Aden by charter flight.

A period on the range was followed by a visit of staff from the DFCS, its pilots flying a number of sorties of various types with the Squadron; always in the Nos. two or four positions. Their comments were stimulating and threw a different light on some old and new problems, prompting live discussions on the professional aspects of the Squadron’s role.

Further strikes carried out against unnamed targets were flown on the 25th by Sqn Ldr Champniss (XG261), Fg Off Thomson (XE611), Flt Lt Lydiate (XF456) and Flt Lt Forse (XF440), and by Flt Lt Forse (XE611), Fg Off Burrows (XG261), Flt Lt Chapman (XE550), Fg Off Fernee (XG205) and Sqn Ldr Champniss (XG261) on the 26th. The final strike of the month was flown on the 29th by Flt Lt Chapman (XG261) and Fg Odd Burrows (XF454) against an unnamed target.

As the month drew to a close, Sqn Ldr Champniss entered an explicit comment highlighting his concern about the experience level of his pilots, a concern justified in view of remarks made by the team from DFCS. With three new pilots arriving in the short term, the Squadron’s complement of ten first tour pilots would be too many. “I must be given more flying hours to train them up to an acceptable standard if the overall standard is not to drop below an acceptable minimum.” he stated.

February was a quiet month for air operations, all sorties comprising air patrols along the border near Beihan and flagwaves to the north of Wadi Ruqub, the north west of Musaymir and east and north east of Dhala. Naval cooperation exercises were also featured, eight strike sorties being flown against splash targets towed by HMS Zulu, which in turn, exercised radar and fire control systems during live and dummy attacks by the aircraft. At one stage, Zulu steamed in convoy with a tanker operated by a Soviet Satellite State and “we trust they were duly impressed by the Squadron’s accurate firing at the splash targets”.

A large part of the month’s flying effort was devoted to practice for a flypast on the 11th for the presentation of the standard to 78 Squadron. The formation was flown in the form ‘78’ using fifteen aircraft. Serviceability was such that fifteen aircraft were available for each of the five practices and for the actual flypast. Two days later, the Squadron flew twelve aircraft in an attempt to get an airborne photograph in line abreast.

Two aircraft (XE530 and XJ692) were ferried from the UK after refurbishment by Flt Lts Batty and Thomson via the Lyneham, Luqa, Al Edam, Jeddah route and one Squadron pilot and one from 8 Squadron, flew two aircraft back to the UK via Jeddah, Akrotiri, El Adem, Luqa and Nice, the extra two stages being due to seasonal headwinds.

Much of the remainder of the month was utilised on training the operational training of new pilots Flt Lts Biddiscombe and Taylor an Fg Off McKeon. Flt Lt Biddiscombe, who had previously served on Hunters with 208 Squadron in the early sixties, was also preparing to take over ‘A’ when Flt Lt Chapman became tourex.

“The busiest month for some considerable time” was how the month of March is described in the ORB, with the focus of operations split between Beihan and Dhala. Ninety-four operational sorties were flown giving a total of 161 hours which, when combined with normal training, caused the monthly target to be exceeded by 48 hours.

Incursions over the Protectorate border in the Beihan area by UAR Mig aircraft accounted for eighty sorties, seven of which were combined with flagwaves in neighbouring areas. The cause of these penetrations was the fall of Harib to the Royalists on 10 March. Although Migs were spotted by Hunter pilots on one occasion no guns were fired as RAF sorties were intended mainly as a deterrent. In the Dhala area, fourteen sorties were flown in support of FRA operations; two leaflet drops, two scrambles which proved abortive due to radio problems and ten armed recces. Nonetheless, 9,326 rounds of HE ammunition was expended in operations during the month. With 8 Squadron away for ten days of the month when Beihan was most active, much praise was heaped on the groundcrew for making sufficient aircraft available.

The training of new pilots continued through the month and on the 17th, another four new pilots, Flt Lts A Pollock and N Hayward and Fg Offs N Ashley and R Dean, were posted in from the UK.

Into April and Harib having fallen left the Republicans a choice of two routes if they wished to retake the town; one via the Al Haqla Pass to the north, which had been blocked and heavily defended by Royalist troops, and the other to the south via Wadi Ablah, which Royalist troops also guarded. The net result was that we (who exactly?) moved forward to the border, especially in the Shab Hurur overlooking the southern route, and clearance was given by the High Commissioner to fire at six gun positions. Hence the Squadron was involved on two counts. Firstly, in the role of air defence in the north to deter Mig fighters crossing the border in an attempt to take the Al Haqla Pass and, secondly, to the south in the ground attack role in an operation known as Brick. Total operations for the month reached 46 during which 4,649 rounds of HE ammunition and 30 SAP rockets were fired.

On the training front, precedence was given to giving the non-operational pilots the chance to see the area in which Squadron operated and included practice diversions to Djibouti. The exercises that predominated in this phase of their training were low-level battle formation and practice combat.

Wg Cdr Jennings ended his tour as OC Strike Wing on the 12th of the month, a tour in which much was achieved by the Wing and him in particular as he was awarded the DFC.

Apart from minor disturbance between the East and West Protectorates in the Whahidi and Quiate areas, where flagwaves were flown to deter inter-tribal feuding, May was a much quieter month. The fight over Harib dwindled to a standstill and the Squadron’s Air Defence aircraft were called on only once because the Harib - Sana (Yemen) road had been cut between Marib and Sana by the Royalists, forcing Republican reinforcements to withdraw to Sana, thus relieving pressure on the Al Haqla Pass. The only way open for them to retake Harib was through disputed Federal Territory which they had thus far, avoided doing.

On the 4th of the month, Sqn Ldr Champniss (XF456) and Fg Off Burrows (XG154) carried out an armed recce sortie in area Delta searching for a dissident group reported to be 30-strong. Visual reconnaissance failed to find them. One day later and Sqn Ldr Champniss (XG261) was off again, this time in the company of Fg Off McKeon (XF435) on a Beihan border patrol and flagwave, providing top cover for an RAF Andover operating in the vicinity. In order to provide continuous cover, they were later relieved by Flt Lts Wilkins (XE620) and Taylor (XJ692). For a quiet month, Squadron activities continued apace and on the 8th, Sqn Ldr Champniss (XG154) and Flt Lt Taylor (XE649) were scrambled to strike a target in the Al Khuraibah area housing some twenty dissidents. Contact was made with the FAC (code name Tiger 36) who indicated the target with smoke. The strike was carried out using cannon only and proved to be effective, despite R/T difficulties, instructions having to be relayed via Habilayn. Flt Lt Liddle (XG256) and Fg Off McKeon (XF456) formed the backup pair and armed with rockets and HE cannon, they struck a fort and successfully destroyed an arms dump.

Another scramble called for on the 11th to intercept in intruder flying over the border near Perim Island, was flown by Flt Lts Wilkins (XG205) and Biddiscombe (XE620), but the only aircraft they spotted was a friendly Beaver. The next action occurred on the 29th of the month, when Flt Lt Wilkins (XE649) and Fg Off McKeon (XG154) were scrambled for a Lulu (what is this?) in the Op Mish-Mish (?) area to support the Sand Belt patrol (?). The patrol was contacted when they indicated their position with red smoke. They had been attacked by around twenty dissidents who had subsequently withdrawn and, although the pair searched the area and fired at selected targets, nothing was seen. Later that morning, Flt Lt Wilkins (XJ689) and Fg Off White (XG237) were scrambled to the same area again with the same outcome. The patrol’s FAC (Code name Fortune 85), being in a disadvantaged position, called for the use of a helicopter to lift him onto a high ridge to give him better visual control. Once this was done, a third pair, flown by the Squadron Commander (XE649) and Fg Off Middleton (XG154), was scrambled and arrived overhead. By now, however, the patrol had lost contact with the dissidents and, although the pair expended half their ammunition under FAC control and searched areas of possible escape routes, no trace of them was found.

Operationally, the month of June was relatively quiet. It began with a pre-planned strike in area Delta (?) on the 1st when Flt Lts Liddle and Taylor flew an armed mission against three mortar positions discovered by land forces on the Northern Ridge of the area. The strike was planned to take place at dusk in the hope of catching the dissidents in action but this is not how it worked out and, as nothing at all was seen, ammunition was expended in the general area and the pair returned to base. On the next day, the Squadron Commander and Fg Off McKeon flew a flagwave mission in support of Federal troops ten miles south-west of Said, following reports of dissidents being seen in the area. Groups of tents, both empty and occupied, were located and reported.

Almost the entire month’s training was concentrated on a detachment to Masirah from 10 to 25 June. The whole Squadron was deployed together with two pilots from 1417 Flight and the GLO, Major Adamson, taking six FGA.9s, a T.7 and one FR.10. The programme began with high-level reconnaissance sorties over the Sharjah/Muscat area, refreshing old memories and introducing the new pilots to a different terrain and area of operation. A later phases was designed to produce a war situation in which the Squadron, the front-line attack unit, should play such a part as to make or break the imaginary advance. With bold imagination, Major Adamson produced an admirable situation which he kept fluid and interesting, providing up to the minute reports. Thus, together with staunch support from the 1417 Flight contingent, in regularly producing target photographs and information, the succeeding strike phase became a very realistic one. In addition to the main theme, one pair flew to Muharraq each day, leaving in the afternoon and returning the following morning, to gain valuable experience in route flying and operating in the Persian Gulf. Technical support at Muharraq was provided by 208 Squadron.

Top cover sorties covering Army re-supply convoys to Habilayn were also flown as were flagwaves intended to dispel inter-tribal feuding between the Fahdli and Audhali tribes and finally on the 29th, following attacks by Mig fighters on a well at Nejd Marqad in which a woman was killed and two others wounded, Flt Lts Wilkins and the Squadron Commander were scrambled to the area. FAC (code name Cheetah 26) was contacted and although the pair remained in the area for as long as possible, no more aircraft were seen. Later that day, however, Migs attacked Bulaiq, killing a Federal guard, triggering a series of patrols in the area on the 30th of the month but once again, no aircraft were spotted.

Pre-arranged patrols and the occasional flagwave provided the Squadron’s operational commitment through July as part of an investigation into arms smuggling and to dissuade inter-tribal feuding. As a result of the earlier incursions by Egyptian jets in the Beihan area, the Sharif both ground and air defences, resulting in the installation of FRA-manned anti-aircraft gun emplacements in three nearby areas and border patrols were flown on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th of the month. On 11 July, Egyptian troops withdrew from the airstrip and town of Marib after a lengthy battle with pro-royalist tribesmen.

One interesting phase that took place towards the end of the month occurred when six FAC students received instruction within Strike Wing. They were given adequate training and 41 live sorties were flown to this end, the most interesting of which were in area ‘D’ (where was this please ?), using HE rockets and cannon.

On being promoted to Squadron Leader at the beginning of the month, Flt Lt Biddiscombe was posted out to 24 Brigade based at Little Aden. On arriving back at Khormaksar from the UK on a ferry trip in XE609 that took three weeks to complete due to unserviceability, Fg Off Burrows was able return to operational flying.

There were few events of note to be of immediate interest to the Squadron in August. Beihan patrols were flown by Flt Lts Lydiate (XF435) and Pollock (XG205) on the 1st of the month and on the following day, Flt Lt Wilkins (XF445) and Fg Off Burrows (XG135) performed flagwaves over Marfad and Al Kharba at the request of the Emir of Hilyan. A local ally, he was concerned at the sympathy being shown by his people to the dissidents using his territory as a supply route. The area to the north of Blairs Field in the Radfan had long been an active dissident territory and was placed under the surveillance of the 1st Royal Anglican Regiment. Their findings prompted the establishment of an FAC at Blairs Field to direct a dusk strike onto known dissident positions; it was estimated that thirty enemy were in the area. The strike was carried out by Flt Lt Pollock (XF388) and Fg Off White (XF456), killing two and wounding two dissidents.

The FRA and FNG continued with their policy of harassing the numerous but dormant dissident elements existing in most of the Sultanates. Apart from one FAC controlled sortie in the middle of the month, the only operational activities were three armed pre-planned flagwaves in support of FNG sweeps, in anticipation of a successful engagement, but they were uneventful.

The month’s operations concluded on the 29th when Fg Offs White (XF456), Dean (XE655), Burrows (XF388) and Flt Lt Pollock (XG237) flying top cover for an FNG sweep in the Yashbum area - no targets being engaged.

September began with a flourish for the Squadron, thirteen operational sorties being flown on the first day of the month; eight in conjunction with the FRA, two battalions of which were ambushed in two separate places on the Jebel Khuder by bands of dissidents. Fg Offs Burrows and Dean were initially scrambled to the Jebel to close give air support to the FRA who were being pinned down by accurate dissident fire. Air support continued throughout the morning, Flt Lt Batty and Fg Offs Fernee, Burrows , Dean and McKeon keeping the dissidents at bay. It was later confirmed that five dissidents were killed by air action. Further support was given by 8 Squadron through the afternoon and after dusk, the FRA successfully disengaged without taking casualties.

Knowing that the dissident tribe Bubakir bin Farid were in the Wadi Hatib, a fire-power demonstration was held in the area on the same day. Led by Flt Lt Taylor, six aircraft were tasked and their armament expended on the Jebel Hanak in the hope of dissuading the dissidents from continuing their subversive activities. The operation was considered a success and the tribe was not heard of again for the next ten days. Having been reported in the Ruseis area on the 11th, Flt Lt Liddle and Fg Off Ashley were sent to investigate but saw nothing. This pair were relieved by Fg Offs McKeon and Fernee who saw three groups of armed tribesmen but by the time they had orbited to investigate further, they had disappeared.

On 25 September, Sir Richard Turnbull, The High Commissioner for Aden, suspended the constitution, thereby relieving Mr Mackawee, the First Minister and his Government. As a consequence, disturbances were expected in the Colony and up country but these turned out to be minor and the Squadron was not called upon to fly any operational sorties through to 26 October, when six aircraft, accompanied by a 1417 Flt FR.10 and a T.7, departed for a detachment to Masirah. The month was, therefore, divided into three phases of training, the first concentrating on weaponry and Army and Naval co-operation exercises. With HMS Eagle operating in the Gulf of Aden, the opportunity was also taken to fire at splash targets towed by the carrier. From the 15th to 26th, emphasis for the second phase shifted to simulated strikes and practice interceptions using Champion Radar. These were mainly led by junior pilots and were of great training value.

On 1 October, Sqn Ldr H. Davidson officially assumed command of 43 Squadron, Sqn Ldr Champniss departing two days later to take up his new post as Flight Safety Officer for Maintenance Command.

November transpired to be another quiet month, the Squadron being involved in no operational sorties after its return from Masirah on the 9th of the month. Dissident activity in the Federation had died down as the FRA and FNG continued harassing the various dissident elements in the Sultanates. This month too was devoted to training and comprised mainly simulated strikes, combat, range work and practice interceptions. Many of the combat and simulated strikes were combined due to the modified 230-gallon tanks coming into service. The practice interception sorties were flown using Champion Radar which had a categorisation team present. Their assessment showed that the equipment was not very efficient.

The final month of the year saw a significant increase in front-line activity with 21 sorties carried out in joint operations with the FRA and 45 Commando. Although the majority were top cover in case of ambush, on the first day of December a pair of aircraft, flown by the Squadron Commander (XG205) and Flt Lt Taylor (XF376), were scrambled to Al Gibia, east of Habilayn, in response to an urgent call from 45 Commando. As no assistance was required on arrival the pair reverted to FAC training.

There was then a lull until, on the 20th, when Flt Lt Pollock (XG237) and Fg Off Screen (XF435) gave top cover to a convoy heading from Mukeiras to Ataq. On the following day, the FRA sent patrols from Mukeiras to Am Surrah via Lodar and thence on foot up to Aqabat Talh. From there they were airlifted by Wessex to the vicinity of Jebel Fahman, the purpose being to round up dissident elements in the area. Even though none were caught, the operation was seen as good for the morale of the locals. The patrol had lasted two days beginning the 21st during which time Flt Lts Pollock (XF435), Hayward (XF435) and Malin (XF376) and Fg Offs Harrison (XG237), Fernee (XF388 and XG237), White (XE530), Dean (XF376) and McKeon (XE550) maintained a standing patrol over the area. On the 23rd, Fg Offs Fernee (XJ692) and Lawton (XF376) provided top cover for the Wessex during the FRA air lift.

On the last day of the year, Flt Lt Taylor (XJ692) and Fg Off White (XF388) were scrambled to the Wadi Taym area with the Sqn Ldr Davidson (XF440)and Fg Off Ashley (XG135) following on as back-up, to assist 45 Commando who had called for help while being under fire from dissidents. Although no movement was seen from the air, the aircraft fired along the suspected ridge and this was sufficient to dissuade the enemy from making any more attacks. It was later reported that one dissident was killed and three others injured.

With all this activity going on, the three newly arrived pilots, Flt Lts Jennings and Waters and Plt Off Hughes-Lewis, must have been wondering what they had been let in for. Their training was soon underway, however, and by the end of the month, they had seen much of the local area from a T.7 (XL566) and carried out battle formation and air combat sorties. Night flying was carried out on 10 December with some pilots doing dusk strikes on the range while others carried out cross-country flights over the pitch black of the Aden hinterland. On Christmas Day, Flt Lt Malin and Fg Off Lawton dropped 43 Squadron greetings cards on Beihan, Mukeiras, Dhala and Habilayn. At the end of the year the Squadron had 19 pilots on strength.

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