Sixteen operational sorties were flown in January, eight on a strike against a suspected arms cache in Wadi Yahar, two were flagwaves and an armed recce. in the Duhlman area in conjunction with an FRA exercise. The final six were flagwaves in the Al Khabr and Hada areas to deter tribal warfare. The fighting stopped and both sides returned their hostages to the political officer.
A strike by Shell workers restricted deliveries of aviation fuel to a daily ration for Khormaksar which caused the training programme to be reduced by a third.
In February, there was one operational strike consisting of six sorties during the month against a suspected arms dump in Wadi Yahar.
Two operational flagwaves were flown during March in support of Operation Ghia, a show of force by the FRA to prepare the Upper Aulaqi Sultanate for the return of its ruler.
Six operational flagwaves were flown in April to deter inter tribal strife north of Mahfidh.
Operational flying consisted of five strike sorties, five fire-power demonstrations and eight flagwaves. Two strike sorties were in support of an SAS patrol in Wadi Tiban. The SAS were in the area as part of Operation Starviewer to observe which dissident groups were using the Wadi. The strikes followed direct contact by the SAS. Subsequent reports estimated that five of the sixteen dissidents were killed and three injured.
The other three strikes were carried out in conjunction with 43 Squadron Hunters on two houses and two caves containing ammunition. The targets, two miles west of Wilan, were destroyed as a reprisal against owners storing arms for dissidents.
The eight flagwave sorties were flown in four pairs, the first pair by Sqn Ldr D. Melaniphy (XF431) and Fg Off C. Bain (XF435) in an area north of Nisab in the Wadi Markham on the 4th of the month. This area was not included in the original Federation Treaty and the inhabitants were allowing arms to pass through. An FRA patrol entered the area but were opposed and the flagwave was successful in restoring peaceful relations. A flagwave, flown by Fg Off A. Dix and Flt Lt P. Langrill in XJ632 and XE645 respectively on the 10th, was to prevent tribal strife over grazing rights in an area south of Yebeth, some ninety miles from Khormaksar. On the following day, a target at Al Ma’azabah was struck by three FGA.Mk.9s (XJ692, XF456 and XJ688) flown by Sqn Ldr D. Melaniphy, Flt Lt P. Langrill and Fg Off Mackenzie-Crook.
A fire-power demonstration, flown on 14 May in conjunction with Operation Urnip in the area of Jebel Maqbill, twenty miles south west of Meifa, comprised five FGA.Mk.9s; XJ692 (Sqn Ldr D. Melaniphy), XJ646 (Flt Lt R. Morris), XF435 (Flt Lt M. Webb), XG261 (Fg Off P. Johnson) and XE550 (Sqn Ldr Trowern). Urnip was undertaken as a show of strength by the FRA to coincide with the return of the local Sultan.
Wadi Ruqub was the location on the 18th for a flagwave flown by Flt Lts P. Taylor (XF456) and P. Langrill (XF550), with the final flagwave for the month occurring on the 26th and being flown by Flt Lt R. Etheridge in XE552 and Fg Off A. Dix in XF435 at Khora.
Training was concentrated on simulated strikes consisting mainly of four aircraft formations with opposition available, otherwise 2 v 2 combat was carried out. Low level cine weave was conducted in conjunction with the simulated strikes. Five days included FAC training, three of which included live firing on the Danaba Basin, Ballbutton and Am Riga ranges.
Into June and another quiet month, with operational flying consisting of four flagwaves and two air defence sorties. The flagwaves were flown as two pairs to deter dissidents in the Awabil and Jebel Harir areas, on the 7th by Lt N. Kerr in XG261 and Fg Off Mackenzie-Crook flying XG135, and two days later with Flts Lt R. Etheridge and R. Morris at the controls of XF456 and XG135 respectively. The air defence mission saw Flt Lt P. Taylor flying XF456 and Flt Lt P. Langrill in XF435 scramble following an alert initiated by Uniform radar which had located an unidentified aircraft crossing the Yemeni border. It transpired to be an Aden Airways DC3.
A heavy training programme included five days’ air-to-ground firing on the Khormaksar range combined with practice diversions to Ataq and Djibouti. Further training undertaken by the Squadron while on detachment to Masirah from 20 June to 1 July, concentrated on high level battle formation at 40,000ft and at M 0.9. During the second week four sections of four aircraft flew simulated strikes on the north coast of Muscat, landing at Sharjah. Opposition was provided by Hunters of 208 Squadron, with limited success by both squadrons.
There were 25 operational sorties during July, more than at any time since September of the previous year. Fourteen were Beihan border patrols during the last three days of the month, of which two were combined with a flagwave. Of the further six flagwave sorties, three were to help settle grazing rights, two sorties were flown as top cover and three were for a fire-power demonstration near Al Hukayshah, flown by Lt Kerr RN (XF440) and Flt Lts Taylor (XF421) and Norris (XG135).
Unconfirmed reports indicate that the Sharif of Nuqub, some ten miles further north of Beihan, had been administering British aid and training to the Royalist army in Yemen. Recently, Britain decided to stop this support. This left the Sharif in an embarrassing position because he could no longer fulfil his obligations to the Royalists. The Sharif, previously very pro-British, was under strong pressure to change his allegiance and the Egyptian forces in Yemen hoped to increase this pressure with an attack on his house. Following the attack, Hunter aircraft patrolled the border three times a day with a double mission; a) to prevent further attacks and b) to re-emphasise British support for the area. Note that these facts had not been officially confirmed and it is unlikely the full story will be published for some time.
Of the 96 operational sorties in August, all but four were border patrols in the Beihan and Mukeiras areas, their purpose, as before, to prevent sporadic air attacks in the Nuqub border area by Yemeni-based Egyptian aircraft. At Beihan airfield, some 200 miles north-east of Khormaksar, the runway had been extended to 1,800 yards, the intention being to station a pair of Hunters there during daylight hours to supplement the border patrols. Wg Cdr Martin Chandler was the first pilot to land a Hunter (FGA.9, XF431) on the extended, compacted-sand, surface on the 5th of the month. The operation was known as ‘Kimar Zayn’, which translated from Arabic means ‘to take a chance’, began for real on the 15th when Martin Chandler and Flt Lt Peter Taylor in XF388 and XF440 respectively landed at 08:45. Each pair usually stayed on the ground at Beihan for three or four hours at five-minutes readiness until replaced by another pair, although some remained on standby there all day.
A much improved radar system known as Whiskey was installed at Mukeiras and calibrated using twenty-four border patrolling Hunters as targets. It went live in early August and thereafter took over responsibility for scrambling the Beihan Hunters. It did not have to wait too long before detecting its first customer which transpired to be an Aden Airways Viscount en-route from the Yemen to Khormaksar.
Into September and of the 77 operational sorties flown during the month, 36 were Beihan patrols, 14 Mukeiras patrols, 8 strike sorties, 8 flagwaves, 4 sorties to escort Beverley aircraft and 1 Air Defence scramble. The Beihan and Mukeiras patrols were all flown in pairs and Whisky radar was used where possible. One Mukeiras patrol was curtailed when the lead aircraft experienced total hydraulic failure after 25 minutes on target.
Following reports that dissident gangs in the Wadi Bana were reforming with the aim of either terrorising the area or forming arms caches, two waves of four Hunters were tasked to strike locations known to have been occupied previously by dissidents to deter them from carrying out any terrorist activities. The first attack was carried out at midday on the 13th by Sqn Ldrs Melaniphy (XJ680) and Trowern (XJ689) and Flt Lt Webb (XJ684) and Fg Off James (XF431) with the second wave consisting of Flt Lts Taylor (XE552), Kemball (XF431) and Etheridge (XJ684) and Fg Off Johnson (XF435) following up in the late evening. Four flagwave sorties were flown in the Am Kirsh area to cover a cordon and search operation being carried out by the FRA and to deter dissidents who were threatening them. Two flagwave sorties were flown in the Wadi Hadramaut area following a shooting incident and two more in the Yibath area following inter-tribal disturbances. An Air Mobility exercise was mounted to cover a grenade incident in Mukallah, the squadron flying four sorties to Riyan as escort to Beverley aircraft taking part. North-west of Habilayn, five Hunters were tasked to strike a location where it was reported that a meeting of dissident leaders was taking place but the strike was cancelled soon after the aircraft had taken off. Two aircraft participated in the Air Defence scramble on the 24th, Flt Lt Taylor (XF421) and Fg Off Johnson (XE649).
By contrast October was a relatively quiet month on the operational front, the Beihan and Mukeiras patrols being carried out in the normal manner, several pilots taking the opportunity to land at Beihan. Top cover sorties were flown on the 7th in Operation Cast Iron by Sqn Ldr Melaniphy (XE611) and Fg Off Bain (XJ684) in support of the SAS which had set up observation posts to watch the main dissident infiltration routes from the Yemen. The same pilots flew XF440 and XF421 respectively on another Cast Iron sortie on the 17th. Cover was provided whilst the SAS were being flown in and out of their operating areas. On the 28th, three FGA.9s, one from 8 Squadron flown by Flt Lt Etheridge (XJ692) and two from 43 Squadron, flew top cover for Operation Fate, an amphibious operation in the Eastern Aden Protectorate in which Irish Guards from HMS Fearless surrounded and searched a village under cover of darkness, capturing a number of leading dissidents.
The Beihan and Mukeiras patrols continued through November, a total of 72 being flown, several carrying out practice interceptions with Whisky radar. Exercise Kimar Zayn was mounted again on the 21st when two aircraft, flown by Flt Lt Taylor (XJ646) and Fg Off Smith (XF431), provided top cover for the two Hunters (Sqn Ldr Trowern in XE530 and Flt Lt Etheridge in XE611) landing at Beihan. Two flagwave sorties were flown in the Hawra area and a further two near Dhala, both to deter tribal strife. With the SAS troops being flown into Wadi Taym area for exercise Cast Iron, two Hunters (XJ646 and XJ632), flown by Fg Off Morris and Flt Lt Kemball respectively, were provided on airborne standby.
Despite continuous operational requirements, the squadron was able to maintain an extensive training programme. Considerably more four-ship formations were flown on simulated strikes and much value gained from 2 v 4 combat. No fewer than 243 training sorties were flown this month, comprising; 49 rocketing sorties, 48 air-to-ground sorties, 58 strike sorties, 50 combat interception sorties, 9 naval co-op sorties, 17 FAC sorties and 18 T.7 sorties. Ten four-aircraft strikes were flown of which four had simulated air opposition. Two Kenya Air Force pilots and two students on the FAC course were given air experience in the T.7 and to round things off, the squadron flew a nine-ship flypast for the departing station commander. Total operational and training flying hours for the month was a creditable 337.
By December, demand for operational sorties reduced somewhat although one or two interesting incidents were recorded. When a Beverley was shot at while coming into land at Dhala airstrip, a pair of Hunters, XE530 and XJ646, flown by Flt Lt Webb and Fg Off Hill respectively, was scrambled but the attackers had fled the scene by the time they got there. It later transpired the shots were actually fired from Qataba! In the second incident, on the 28th of the month, two Close Air Support sorties were flown by Flt Lt Webb (XJ692) and Fg Off Loftus (XJ646) in defence of the FRA fort at Awabil, which was under attack by dissidents using mortars and LMGs. In spite of the fast gathering darkness, these attacks were competently controlled by the airborne FAC controller from the Irish Guards, whose Sioux helicopter, flown by Lt Michael Barnes of the Welsh Guards, was under heavy fire. Mike recalls that, "The Hunters also came under heavy fire from three different positions and I have a vivid memory of seeing them coming under AA fire - the tracer straddling them. They were still able to nullify the dissident attack and destroy an anti-aircraft gun position in the process". Two further Close Air Support sorties were called for to relieve the Cameronians who were under attack in the Wadi Bana area and these were flown by Flt Lt Kemball in XF440 and Fg Off Morris in XJ688.
The reduced operational load for the month enabled a higher commitment to training with no fewer than 303 sorties being flown and over 288 hours recorded, 36 in the T.7 and 10 at night.