Initial indications that replacement of the Venom by the Hunter in Aden was imminent came with the dispatch of seven pilots during the late Summer of 1959 for conversion training on the ‘new’ jet in the UK. Then, at 17:30 on 22 September, the first two Hunters allocated to 8 Squadron, T.Mk.7s, XL613 and XL615, flew into RAF Khormaksar. To smooth the entry into service of the Hunter in the ground attack role, Rolls Royce and Hawker representatives, respectively Mr Dale and Mr Mackay, were appointed to the Squadron, their first task being to instruct the groundcrew in the process of carrying out acceptance checks on the aircraft.
By the middle of October, the first Hunter was ready for air test and it took to the skies in the 14th, followed by the second aircraft three days later. By the end of the month, all seven converted pilots had gained their Instrument Ratings on type and 37 hours flying time had been accrued. While routine operations with the Venom continued to be the main priority, the opportunity was taken for the trained pilots to convert the remaining Squadron aircrew and this was achieved before the month was out.
In order to establish the requisite range settings for rocket projectiles (R/P), both aircraft were fitted with four rocket rails under each wing and a series of tests carried out on the nearby Khormaksar range.
Fitted with long-range, 230-gallon drop tanks on the inner pylons and 100-gallon tanks on the outer pylons, the first of the squadron’s Hunter FGA.Mk.9s flew out in the middle of January 1960, the full complement of twelve aircraft being on strength by the beginning of February. All aircraft were fitted with the de-rated 203-series Avon engines delivering 9,700 lbs. thrust except one which was equipped with the 10,150 lbs. thrust Avon 207. In addition to the increase in power, this engine had the benefit that it did not suffer surging during gun firing and would be retrofitted to the other eleven aircraft.
The FGA.9 was a conversion of the standard F.6 and most airframes had flown between 300 and 600 hours by the time they were converted. The essential differences were that the FGA.9 could carry long range 230-gallon drop tanks, had improved air conditioning, increased oxygen capacity, and was equipped with a brake parachute and selective gun firing. During acceptance checks, all four drop tanks were removed and 100-gallon tanks fitted to the inboard pylons. The outboard pylon was removed and four rocket rails fitted under each wing as this was seen as the standard configuration for Hunter operations in the Arabian Peninsular. As events dictated that the Squadron should anticipate undertaking regular detachments away from Khormaksar, the outer drop tank pylons were refitted.
(author’ note: Although this may have been the intended configuration, photographs taken during the first few months of Hunter operations show that while 100-gallon tanks were fitted to the inboard pylons, the outboard pylon remained in situ and two rocket rails only were fitted between the drop tank pylons).
In the late afternoon of 18 January, the final Venom sorties were flown comprising flag waves at Wadi Farah near Said. The pilots and aircraft used on this occasion were Flt Lts Brown (WR419) and Merret (WR532), and Fg Offs Dowling (WR473) and Webb (WR546). The ten Venoms and single Vampire T.Mk.11 on strength were then flown to RAF Eastleigh in Kenya, to provide a reserve for 208 Squadron.
On 21 January, as the AOC carried out his inspection of the station, 8 Squadron and the Aden Protectorate Recce Flight (APRF) performed a flypast consisting of one Hunter, five Venoms and four Meteors and is recorded as being memorable in that it succeeded in impressing even the Squadron groundcrew.
On the 23rd of the month, 8 Squadron was declared non-operational until such time as the Hunter conversion programme was complete, the unit’s operational commitments being undertaken by the Meteor FR.Mk.9s of the Arabian Peninsular Reconnaissance Flight (APRF) and Shackleton MR.Mk.2s of 37 Squadron. Conversion of the remaining Venom pilots progressed throughout the month and consisted of a ground training school and eighteen sorties per pilot during which they undertook sorties covering the handling of the aircraft, up-country recces, gun firing on the range and long range route staging reinforcement to Bahrain..
With 208 Squadron in the early stages of planning for conversion from Venom to the Hunter, one of 8 Squadron’s T.7s was flown to RAF Eastleigh by Wg Cdr Hegerty and Flt Lt Merret of HQ BFAP, who was OC of the trials. The flight itself was memorable in that it was the first time a Hunter had been seen at either Mogadishu (where the short runway provided a certain amount of excitement on take-off) and Eastleigh. The object of the trials was to determine the suitability of Eastleigh’s 5,300 ft runway for the safe and normal operation by Hunters during the dry season, June to October, and the conditions under which flying could occur.
A team from the Handling Squadron at Boscombe Down visited the Squadron on 28 and 29 January to discuss the pilots notes for the Hunter T.7 and F.6, In the course of the discussion, many inaccuracies were brought to the notice of the team and those identified as appropriate were subsequently incorporated in the pilots notes for the FGA.9.
By early February, 8 Squadron’s complement of FGA.9s had increased to fourteen and comprised; XE581, XE600, XE620, XE649, XE651, XE654, XF424, XF455, XG128, XG135, XG136, XG169, XK150 and XK151. The latter two aircraft were interesting in that, not only were they the last new-build, single-seat Hunters fighters delivered to the RAF, but they had also participated in the Venom Replacement Trials (VRET) held in Aden in 1958. At that time, three aircraft types were tested; two Hunter F.Mk.6s, a Folland Gnat F.Mk.1 (destined for the Indian Air Force) and a Jet Provost T.Mk.3, but the latter two aircraft proved no match against the Hunter. Two other aircraft of interest were XG135 and XE600. XG135 became the prototype FGA.9, when it first flew as such in July 1959. When still an F.Mk.6, XE600 was used by Hawker Siddeley for nose-wheel braking trials before being converted to F.Mk.56 standard for the Indian Air Force. The Indians, however, refused to accept it and the aircraft was returned to the UK and re-issued to the RAF as a Mark 9.
With conversion training completed by the end of February, the opportunity was taken to evaluate the Hunter’s long range capabilities by flying non-stop to RAF Sharjah in the Persian Gulf, a distance of 1140 nautical miles (n.m.). Three Mark 9s were fitted with 2 x 230-gallon, 2 x 100-gallon drop tanks and four rocket rails for the flight and they departed in the early morning of the 29th. The trip was uneventful and they returned to Khormaksar in the afternoon of the same day.
The first operational sorties by Hunters of the Middle East Air Force were carried out on 4 March when two FGA.9s, flown by Flt Lt Leach (XE620) and Flt Lt Lydiate (XE600), performed R/P strikes on a target at Khureiba. Following an inspection by the AOC, Air Vice-Marshal D.J.P. Lee CE., CBE., 8 Squadron was declared operational on the Hunter on 7 March.
To prepare the Squadron for anticipated tasking away from Khormaksar, the unit undertook a detachment to Sharjah, the first two Mark 9s departing on 9 March followed by four more on the 14th. Ground support was provided by two SNCOs and 36 Corporals and airmen, who flew up in a Beverley. While based at Sharjah, the aircraft provided support for military operations and exercises in the Oman and provide logistical and technical information on which future mobility operations and exercises would be based. The highlight of the detachment was a fire-power demonstration by four aircraft using 30 mm HE cannon at Bait-Al-Falaj, for the Sultan of Muscat and Oman, members of his family, local sheikhs and members of the SAF and SOAF, an estimated attendance of 3,000 people. The target was completely destroyed.
A shortage of serviceable aircraft back at Khormaksar, enforced the use of T.Mk.7, XL613 to escort XE654 being flown by the Squadron Commander, Sqn Ldr Knight, on an R/P strike at Museinah on 16 March, and the same two aircraft were used to repeat the strike on two further occasions on the 16th and once more on the 23rd (XL615 replacing ‘613 on the final sortie).
The first Hunter flag waves were also carried out on 16 March over Suadi Point, Bat Hat Y Al Sa’d, Khaburah Mukhailif and Al Sohar, the aircraft being flown by Flt Lt Russell (XE600), Plt Off Volkers (XG135), Flt Lt Leach (XF455), Flt Lt Lydiate (XF424) and Fg Off Baxter (XG169). These were followed by further flag waves on 23rd and 28th over these same locations.
Continuing problems in the Museinah area were quelled with R/P attacks on targets around Museinah by Flt Lt Brown (XG136) and Fg Off Bobbington (XE654).
The Hunter’s first real test occurred during an operation code-named Damon, in which the Squadron’s Hunters were tasked to carry out a steady stream of strikes on targets in the Mafhid area on 12, 13 and 14 April. These began at 07:00 on the morning of the 12th when three Hunters XE581 (Sqn Ldr Knight), XG136 (Gp Capt Merifield) and XF455 (Flt Lt Maitland) attacked their target. At 08:40, a second wave of three aircraft, XK150 (Flt Lt Leach), XE654 (Fg Off Baxter) and XE600 (Wg Cdr Bower), took off from Khormaksar to attack another target, followed by a further trio of aircraft, XK151 (Fg Off Raffle), XG136 (Flt Lt Hazell) and XE581 (Fg Off Davies) two hours later. The pressure was maintained throughout the afternoon and the following day and the morning of the 14th, when a total of 26 more sorties being flown.
In addition to carrying out, R/P and cannon strikes by daylight, the Squadron also marked targets for Sea Venoms (R/P and 20 mm cannon) and Gannets (R/P) from HMS Centaur. During the hours of darkness, the onslaught was continued by Shackleton MR.Mk.2s of 37 Squadron. The objective was to soften up the area prior to a follow-up operation planned for later in the month. Somehow, time was found to get the seven new pilots up to speed and familiarise them with the operational environment.
Immediately following Operation Damon, No. 4 Battalion of the Aden Protectorate Levies (APL), with an 8 Squadron pilot acting as Forward Air Controller (FAC), moved into the area for a reconnaissance in strength.
Operation Outmost commenced at first light on 25 April when troops of No.3 Battalion APL were flown into Mahfid in Beverley aircraft of 84 Squadron. On disembarkation, these troops moved north into the proscribed area south of Museinah and, at the same time, troops of No.4 Battalion APL (then based at Ataq), moved into the area from the north. The aim of the operation was to make contact with the dissidents of the Al Bubakr Bin Farid group and either kill them or drive them westwards through the country of the Rabizi tribe into the Yemen. During the operation, the Squadron remained on dawn to dusk standby with two of its pilots out with the ground forces to act as Forward Air Controllers (FAC), one with each Battalion. By the end of April, no contact had been made with the dissident tribesmen and the standby aircraft remained firmly on the ground.
On into May and Operation Outmost accounted for almost the whole of Squadron flying hours during the first half of the month. Aircraft and crews continued their dawn till dusk standby and a steady stream of R/P and A/G sorties were flown throughout the daylight hours. The Operation started in the Aulaqi Khor area south of Museinah and as May progressed, the dissidents were driven westwards through Marzaqi and Rabizi country. Warnings not to give support were issued to local tribesmen via leaflets drops by a pair of Hunters, XK150 (Flt Lt Morris) and XK151 (Fg Off Webb) and by ‘sky-shouting’ from a modified Station Flight Pembroke escorted by XE654 (Flt Lt Elgey) and XF455 (Flt Lt Devine).
The dissidents themselves were not the only targets attacked during Operation Outmost, but their only means of transport, their camels, and source of food, their goats, were also hit. In a dawn strike on 7 May, for example, 15-20 camels and a number of goats were noted as killed in an attack south west of Museinah using XK150 (Flt Lt Leach) and XE654 (Fg Off Baxter), 11 more camels were killed when XK151 (Flt Lt Hazell) and XG135 (Gp Capt Merifield) attacked another target in the same area, and 40 goats and 4 camels were claimed by Flt Lt Leach (XE581) and Plt Off Volkers (XE651) later that same morning. As strikes on targets in the Museinah area continued, the list of livestock casualties grew ever longer until the Bubakr dissidents had fled over the border into Yemen and operations ceased on 23 May.
The heavy flying commitment (325 hours flown) over such a relatively short period began to take its toll. To fill the void, T.7, XL613 was utilised in operations on 16 and 18 May. On average, 3-4 Hunters were classified as Aircraft On Ground (AOG) each day due to spares shortages and the issue was to vexate the Squadron for many months. Much groundcrew time was wasted robbing and xmas-treeing unserviceable aircraft to keep the others flying. Minor inspections were taking two to three times that forecast because of the spares situation. Starting difficulties attributed to battery drainage and sticking starter valves only added to the problems.
On Wednesday, 11 May, Flt Lt Dennis Hazell lead the first pair of the day on an Operation Outmost sortie (in XE654), taking off at 06:00, but instead of heading north he first flew low and fast over RAF Steamer Point and the nearby Governor’s Palace, to show that the Squadron was on the ball on this fine morning. At 09:00 he took off again on his second sortie in the course of which he struck a bird, but his third sortie was not the one he planned – a quick trip home to change into best No.6 uniform followed by trips to the AOC, C-in-C and Governor respectively, to apologise for disturbing their slumbers. On returning to the Squadron, he was informed by the CO that he had been approved that morning as ‘B’ Flight Commander designate!
The Hunter was the first aircraft capable of breaking the sound barrier to be stationed in Aden and it soon became necessary to introduce regulations to protect the Colony from sonic bangs. ‘Boom Flights’ were introduced during which Hunters were allowed to go supersonic only above 30,000 ft and while heading out to sea, having first notified ATC. It became quickly apparent that this new phenomenon had practical uses as tribesmen could not distinguish between a sonic bang and the sound of a 1,000 lb bomb exploding in a nearby Wadi. A few well directed sonic bangs during an attack on a target gave the impression of a much heavier attack than had actually been carried out. This illusion was used from time to time and proved quite effective.
The second loss of an 8 Squadron Hunter occurred on 1 June when T.7, XL615, crashed near Little Aden during a night flying exercise, killing both crew members, Flt Lt A. Devine and Fg Off M. Walley. The Accidents page contains a fuller account of the accident.
By contrast to May, operations for the month of June consisted entirely of flagwaves, flown over the Rubat area as the Marsatta tribesmen were attempting to stir up trouble against the Bauri, Dhubi, Maflahi and the Hadram. The show of might was apparently sufficient to quell the tension, as it did in the Al Kara area, after one of the local tribes levied an illicit tax on camel trains arriving from the Upper Yaffa. The tax was swiftly lifted!
Towards the end of a month in which 280 hours were flown, the groundcrews began preparing nine FGA.9s, XE581, XE620, XE651, XF455, XG128, XG136, XG169, XK150 and XK151, for a good-will detachment to Rhodesia.
The Squadron aircraft departed in small formations for its three-week detachment to Rhodesia on 5 July, making one stopover at Nairobi on the 2,000 mile journey to Thornhill air base. Three aircraft arrived in time for lunch, a further two in time for tea, while four went unserviceable at Embakasi. Once repaired, these flew on to Thornhill on the afternoon of the 6th. It was calculated that with the rocket rails removed a fuel saving of 3-4% had been achieved, an important consideration on long ferry flights with unreliable wind forecasts. While in Rhodesia training flights were carried out with the RRAF Vampire fighter-bombers and interceptions on No. 5 RRAF Squadron Canberra B.Mk 2s. A great deal of publicity was given to the visit with calls for formation flypasts over Salisbury, Bulawayo, Kariba, Blantyre, Livingstone, N’dola and several smaller towns. Night stops were also made in Livingstone and Ndola and a great deal of publicity was given to the squadron. At the conclusion of the detachment on 26 July, three unserviceable aircraft, plus pilots and eight airmen, had to be left behind; one aircraft being due a Major Inspection at Embakasi and the other two, XE620 and XE651, being AOG at Thornhill.
Apart from a couple of flag waves, August was notable for the absorption of the APRF Meteors into B Flight of the Squadron, the Flight having previously been operated as C Flight, and the impact of the lack of spares coming in from the UK on aircraft availability – only 96 hours being flown. Three Hunters left at Thornhill and Nairobi after the Rhodesia detachment, returned to Khormaksar in the early part of the month.
September was another quiet month with only two flag waves being flown to quell disturbances by dissidents in the Wadi Batha in Southern Oman, the Hunters being operated out of Sharjah. Dissidents in villages along the Wadi had been causing disturbances for a long time and attempts to use the Piston Provosts of the Sultan of Oman’s Air Force to curb the trouble had failed – the greater imposition posed by the Hunters, however, provided a more potent deterrent.
The relative peace in the hinterland was indeed a blessing for the Squadron as the impact of the spares shortage had reached crisis point, eleven of its sixteen aircraft being placed on AOG with a twelfth unserviceable. A T.7 was borrowed from 208 Squadron to keep the pilots in flying trim, but it too went U/S on arrival. Groundcrews worked 1,744 hours overtime during the month in order to produce six airworthy machines for a forthcoming detachment to Cyprus.
Six A Flight Mark 9s departed for the two-week detachment to Cyprus on 4 October, accompanied by 8 pilots and 40 groundcrew, flying via Sharjah and Teheran before arriving at Nicosia on the following day. The objective was for a fortnights air-to-air firing before moving on to Akrotiri to participate in an exercise to test the island’s defence against high and low level attacking aircraft - Canberras and Valiants in this instance. The detachment was notable for the much higher serviceability of the Hunters than that for a similar period in Aden. When one of the T.7s was brought to serviceable status, it departed Khormaksar on the 9th en-route for the detachment in Cyprus but it went U/S with engine problems at Teheran. It remained there for several days while arrangements were made to change the engine and retrieve the aircraft.
Meanwhile, back in Aden, the Shamsi section of the Rabizi tribe, under the leadership of Salem Ali Manar, continued with its destabilisation of Government influence in the Upper Aulaqi Sultanate. He was given until 30 September to meet with political officers to discuss Government proposals and as he failed to comply, Operation Niggard was mounted. The 1st, 2nd, and 4th Training Battalions of the APL, plus elements of the National Guard, entered the Shamsi area with the object of finding and destroying dissident elements of the Shamsi Rabizi, said to number at least 75 armed tribesmen. Close air support was provided by B Flight 8 Squadron, a Flight of 208 Squadron Hunters from Eastleigh covering for the A Flight detachment to Cyprus, and Vampires from No. 1 Squadron RRAF on detachment from Rhodesia. Initially, sorties consisted of armed recces over the area but on the 7th, air strikes using R/P and cannon were mounted by Flt Lts Morris x 2 (XK151 and XF455) and Leach (XE655) on pre-briefed targets ahead of APL units advancing towards the Shamsi area. Two further strikes on the same targets were performed on the 8th by Flt Lt Leach using XF455 and XE655.
Air operations also commenced in the Lower Yaffa on the 30th against the palace and ammunition store of Mohammed Aidrus (unofficial Sultan of Lower Yaffa) and his followers, who had been creating disturbances in the area east of Al Kara, with a morning strike on the palace by XF455 (Flt Lt Leach), XE655 (Flt Lt Retief) and XE581 (Flt Lt Morris), followed by an afternoon attack on the ammunition store by XE655 (Flt Lt Morris), XF455 (Flt Lt Leach) and XE581 (Flt Lt Elgey). In the evening, Flt Lts Trowern (XE581) and Retief (XF455) took off and headed for the Al Kara area to attack the first of two five-storey houses belonging to Mohammed Aidrus in the village of Suruq. The pattern was repeated three times on 31 October with strikes on the houses by XE655 (Flt Lt Leach) and XE581 (Gp Capt Merifield) in the morning, XE655 (Flt Lt Leach) and XF455 (Flt Lt Morris) at midday and XE655 (Flt Lt Retief) and XF455 (Flt Lt Trowern) in the early afternoon. Both houses were reported as being completely destroyed.
Operation Niggard continued into November but in a very quiet form as far as air support was concerned, only one operational strike being called for on the 4th by Flt Lts Leach (XE654) and Hazell against Shamsi dissident tribesmen in the Wadi Asher.
On 18 November, an open day was held at Khormaksar in which the Squadron performed a series of formation flypasts and Flt Lt Ken Hayr gave one of his superb solo aerobatic displays.
December proved another quiet month with only two Hunter flag waves on 28th and 29th. The truce between the Shamsi and the Illahi tribes was due to expire and the WAP office feared that Salem Ali Mawar’s intention was to bring pressure on the Illahi to renew the truce. Two pairs of Hunters were flown over the Wadis south of Khaurah and Wadis Bahab and Dura to persuade the Illahi not to renew the truce.
An exercise code-named Warden took place at the beginning of the month to test the mobility and potential for intensive flying of 8 and 208 Squadrons in the Persian Gulf. It was initiated by an alert signal followed by a scramble order for the squadrons to move north and perform lives strikes on Jebel Dana and Ras Hassain range for three days before returning to Khormaksar. This was the first time the two squadrons had operated as a Wing, they aim being to see how well they could operate from local stockpiles and resources. The exercise was deemed of great value as it identified the weaknesses of such a move to the Gulf. Little did they realise exactly how valuable the exercise and its findings would be six months later.
While performing a flag wave in a Meteor FR.9, WH546, over Am Dhard on 8 December, at low level and at 400 knots, Flt Lt Kelly’s aircraft was struck by seven rounds of 7.62mm ammunition fired from a light machine gun. No serious damage was suspected, but subsequent inspection revealed the main spar had taken a hit and the aircraft was declared a write-off.
The replacement for the T.7 lost in June, XL565, arrived from the UK on the 18th and its acceptance checks were completed on 30th.
In the annual station Xmas Bar Building competition by airmen based at Khormaksar, 8 Squadron took second place, many ales being downed in the “One over the EIGHT pub” by both pilots and groundcrew. Fifteen officers from the Squadron managed to get themselves on AFBA on Boxing Day to sing ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ for charity. The programme required a some of money to be put up and the record or choir sang until a specific some had been exceeded. The 8 Squadron ‘choir’ sang for eight minutes and raised 600 shillings.