A new and historic year, one that would witness the withdrawal of all British forces from the Aden Peninsular after 128 years of continuous occupation, began much as previous years ended with Beihan patrols, flagwaves and strikes on dissident targets.
The first strike took place on 12 January when two waves, each of four FGA.9s, one pulled out with undercarriage trouble after taking-off, attacked a suspected arms dump in Wadi Bana. Leading the first wave at 09:50, Sqn Ldr Melaniphy in XJ680 had Fg Offs Loftus (XE530) and Bain (XF435), and Flt Lt Rastall (XF388) in support: the second, led by Wg Cdr Chandler in XE550 and supported by Flt Lt Webb (XF456) and Flt Lt Langrill (XJ689), left Khormaksar some thirty minutes later.
Of the total of 43 operational sorties flown in the month, the only other noteworthy episode occurred on the 28th when an FRA convey travelling from Dhala to Awabil declared a ‘Lulu’ as they expected to be fired on. In the event, no shots were fired but two FGA.9s, flown by Flt Lt Etheridge (XJ680) and Fg Off Mathie (XF296), stood by in the area just in case.
The pace of life on the squadron continued much the same into February when a total of 40 operational sorties were called for. Thirty-four Beihan and Mukeiras patrols were flown in the normal way under the control of Uniform and Whiskey radars, with practice approaches being flown into Beihan airfield. A reported tribal uprising at Tor Al Bahah saw the dispatch of two FGA.9s, Fg Off Bain (XJ680), Flt Lt Langrill (XJ684), on a flagwave and two FGA.9s, Fg Offs Pym (XE546) and Smith (XF388) were scrambled on the 26th to cover members of an SAS patrol which had come into contact with dissidents in Wadi Tiban.
Sunday 12 March, 1967, was a significant day in the annals of 8 Squadron’s history as its old standard was laid-up at St Clement Danes church in London, the honour of performing the role of standard bearer being given to Fg Off Bain. He was accompanied by a colour party comprising Sqn Ldr Melaniphy, Flt Lt Webb and Fg Off Heather-Hayes and many distinguished ex-members of the squadron attended. One of the lessons was read by Air Chief Marshal, the Rt Hon, Sir Ralph Cochrane G.B.E, K.B.E., A.F.C.
The 43 operational sorties this month comprised mainly Beihan and Mukeiras patrols with no serious incidents worthy of mention.
Following the British Government announcement that British forces would be out of Aden by the end of the year, skirmishes with dissident tribesmen increased significantly during April, the number of operational sorties increasing proportionally to 68. To create a consistent presence on Yemeni radars, the sortie profile of the Beihan and Mukeiras patrols was changed, patrols being allocated to different sectors of the border line from Perim to Beihan.
To deter tribal unrest, a pair of Hunters with Flt Lt Taylor (XE654) and Fg Of Pattinson (XF435) at the controls, flew a flagwave over Am Shatt on the 4th followed by a fire-power demonstration at Am Mizza by Sqn Ldr Melaniphy (XE655) and Flt Lt Taylor (XE654) on the 5th. On the 9th, Flt Lt Taylor (XJ646) and Fg Off Smith (XF388) carried out a flagwave and leaflet drop over Wadi Ruqub. A second fire-power demonstration on the 24th, this time for the Sheriff of Beihan, was carried out by four FGA.9s flown by Flt Lt Webb (XE654) and Fg Offs Bain (XF435), Loftus (XF431) and Pattinson (XE550). While border patrols continued as outlined above, increasing dissident activity in the hills to the south west of Habilayn resulted in top cover requirement for conveys en-route from Little Aden to Habilayn along the Dhala Road. Convoys were contacted at Nobat Dakiam and escorted all the way to Habilayn. As a further deterrent, dummy attacks were made on the route under the control of an accompanying FAC Wessex helicopter of 78 Squadron. And finally, a number of top cover sorties were flown in support of cordon and search operations by the SAS and in conjunction with 78 Squadron Wessex helicopters.
A similar flying pattern through May with the majority of the 94 operational sorties being flown as top cover on the Dhala Road. No direct action was taken by the Hunters until the 9th when, following an attack on a helicopter in Wadi Matlah, the two standby FGA.9s were scrambled on a Topcat call. No dissident casualties were reported but the follow-up revealed signs of their having left in great haste. Later on during the month, a large group of dissidents ambushed a Royal Engineers road repair party with small arms fire and blindicides, inflicting severe casualties. The standby pair was scrambled and fired under the control of a helicopter-borne FAC, scoring a direct RP hit on a cave occupied by some of the attackers. A further seven Topcat sorties were flown in support of the Engineers and the surviving dissidents were fired on as they made their escape along a ridge.
Towards the end of what became a busy month, several firepower demonstrations were called for in Beihan and to the north of Dhala, and no less than 14 strikes on suspected dissident arms dumps in Wadi Bana. A threatened mutiny by a company of the Hadrumaut Bedouin Legion (HBL) at Markaz as Hajar in the Eastern Protectorate, was allayed by a flagwave by two FGA.9s. Before the month was out, two more two-ship flagwave sorties were flown in the Mukeiras and Huen Suffa areas to deter dissident unrest.
The opportunity was also taken, as time allowed, to indulge in co-operation exercises with the Sea Vixen and Buccaneer squadrons from HMS Hermes and Victorious. As a show of strength, several close formations were flown with them and 208 Squadron Hunters, over Aden and the Protectorate. Co-operation with a visiting CFS ‘Trapper’ team at this time, however, was severely handicapped due to the unserviceability of the T.7.
As May moved into June, so tension eased as the number of operational sorties reduced to 44, the majority being border patrols. After temporary fuel restrictions came into force on 6 June, topcover patrols were limited to the Wadi Matlah area of the Dhala Road as this was the most likely place for an ambush and border patrols were limited to singletons, covering as much of the border area as they could.
In anticipation of trouble in the Eastern Protectorate, an extra pair of Hunters (XJ680 and XK151) were fitted with outboard drop tanks and placed on 15-minutes readiness from the 10th of the month. Five days later, they were scrambled to Museinah, a small village 80 miles east of Riyan, after reports that dissidents had stolen a Land Rover from the South Arabian Army. A flagwave was flown over the local HBL fort and all villages and escarpments in the area. On the 17th, four Hunters, XF431 (Sqn Ldr Trowern), XG288 (Flt Lt Webb), XE655 (Flt Lt Taylor) and XF456 (Fg Off Pym), gave a fire-power demonstration at Saywun to reassure the Sultan and ensure the loyalty of HBL forces in the area. Despite severe thunder storms and blowing sand, all aircraft hit the target. During the return to base, more thunder storms were encountered and the leader and number 3 of the formation lost the majority of their instruments, but this did not prevent them making a safe landing.
Two days later, the standby pair, XE645 (Flt Lt Webb) and XK150 (Fg Off Mathie), were scrambled on a Topcat call when an Army Scout helicopter was fired on by dissident tribesmen in the Wadi Misra area. Fifteen dissidents were spotted by the Scout crew but by the time the Hunters arrived, they had take refuge in a mosque. The Hunters performed a flagwave low over the mosque and its surroundings as a warning. The next serious incident arose on the 21st when four Hunters, XJ646 (Sqn Ldr Trowern), XJ689 (Fg Off Hill), XG298 (Flt Lt Webb) and XK151 (Fg Off Mathie), struck two targets in the Wadi Bana, both being houses suspected of being use as arms dumps. The timing of the strike coincided with serious trouble in Crater and the four Hunters were instructed to perform a flagwave over the town’s armed police barracks before landing. One aircraft received six hits from a Russian 7.62mm light machine gun.
During peak periods of unrest within the South Arabian Army and the riots in Crater district, the number of aircraft on standby varied between two and eight with readiness states from five to fifteen minutes to cater for disturbances both locally and in SRA camps up country. As a follow up to this, four flagwave sorties were flown over Museimir, Dhala and Habilayn to deter any rash action from troops stationed there.
Despite all the live firing activity, it was decided to detach seven 8 Squadron, four 43 Squadron pilots and the Wing Weapons Officer to Sharjah for an Armed Practise Camp (APC). Accordingly, seven FGA.9s and a T.7 departed Khormaksar on 20 June and no fewer than 56 air-to-ground and 43 R/P sorties were flown.
Of July’s operational commitment of 64 sorties, the majority were concentrated on border patrols. From 11th to 17th, they had to manage without the assistance of Whiskey radar which was out of commission during its move from Mukeiras to the top of Fort Morbut, above Steamer Point.
On the 15th, tribal fighting broke out in the Wadi Rihab and three topcover sorties were flown by, XJ692 (Fg Off Pym), XF431 (Fg Off Smith) and XF456 (Flt Lt James), in support of a casevac Wessex which had been dispatched to Huen Suffa to collect a local national suffering from gunshot wounds. Fighting broke out again in the area on the 19th and 20th, each requiring the presence of a Hunter flagwave to quell the unrest. At the same time, inhabitants of a small village near Al Khabr were causing local police considerable trouble and as the arrival of a company of SRA troops had little effect, this too was quelled by a two-ship flagwave. On the 25th, the standby pair were scrambled to Aqqan after reports that dissidents had stolen a Land Rover from the SRA camp at Museimir. On arrival, the pilots found no trace of the vehicle nor was there any sighting of SRA troops in the area, so they made do with a flagwave in the Aqqan area before returning to Khormaksar.
With the rundown of forces in Aden beginning in earnest, the transfer of 8 Squadron north to RAF Masirah, an island station off the Arabian coast could begin. Operational flying by 8 Squadron from Khormaksar in August was, therefore, confined to just nine border patrols, the honour of flying the last of these being undertaken by OC, Sqn Ldr Fred Trowern in FGA.9, XJ692, on the 7th. Eight of the squadron’s Mark 9s departed for Masirah on the 8th on the first stage of its move to the Gulf, the remaining four being handed over to 43 Squadron to ensure that it had adequate reserves.
The original withdrawal plans outlined the intention to hand over the Hunter FR.10s of 1417 Flight to a newly formed, Khormaksar-based, South Arabian Air Force (SAAF), shortly before the final pull out of British forces, but this was subsequently changed. Instead, 1417 Flight was disbanded on 8 September and its four FR.10s re-allocated to 8 Squadron as its ‘B’ Flight. The 1417 Flight flashes were removed from each aircraft and 8 squadron markings and aircraft codes W-Z applied. Two FR.10s, XE599 (early September) and XE614 (mid-August), were flown up to join the squadron at Masirah while XF429 and XF460 remained at Khormaksar as the 8 Squadron (FR) detachment to provide photo-recce cover until final withdrawal, together with pilots Flt Lts Whitman and Bagshaw.
The T.7, which had been left behind at Khormaksar, was used to fly supervisory checks on five new SAAF pilots before departing for Masirah on 27 August. Once the decision to retain the FR.10s in the RAF had been taken, a suitable alternative aircraft needed to be found and the responsibility fell on four ex-RAF Jet Provost T.Mk.4s upgraded to Mark 52 standards. Up at Masirah, the Squadron resorted to training over and familiarisation of the area before moving up to Muharraq on 8 September.
On 9 September, the day after 1417 Flight’s disbandment, OC Strike Wing, Wg Cdr ‘Pancho’ Ramirez, 8 Squadron’s Fg Off Chris Bain and Flt Lt Wally Willman from 43 Squadron, ferried three ‘redundant’ FGA.9s, XG255, XG298 and XJ645 (or XG237), to Amman via Jeddah (with Dawsons Field as a diversionary should it have been needed), as replacements for Hunters lost during during the six-day war with Israel. Each aircraft was repainted in Jordanian colours before departure, including new serial numbers.
Operational flying for October was again concentrated on the FR.10 detachment at Khormaksar, comprising 61 sorties by the FR.10s and 19 by FGA.9s with ‘Operation Faldetta’ absorbing the lions share of pilot effort. Surveillance of an SRA re-supply convoy en-route to Beihan and a South Arabian Police convoy between Lawdar and Mayfa’ah was maintained by the detachment from 5 October and almost continuously until the end of the month. During the period 14th to 16th, five sorties were mounted in search of a phantom Air Djibouti Dakota in and around Riyan, two by Flt Lt Bagshaw on the 14th, one by Sqn Ldr Barraclough (Wing Co) on the 16th and the remaining two by 43 Squadron pilots. The Dak had been chartered to fly the HBL payroll to Riyan but became overdue for its return to Aden. Rumour had it that it was running guns for the NLF but this was neither confirmed or denied when the aircraft finally reached Khormaksar. On the 14th and 15th, Sqn Ldr Trowern, on a visit to Khormaksar, flew two ‘Operation Faldetta’ sorties.
Of the other activities of note, the most important from a Hunter perspective was the disbandment parade held for 43 Squadron on 14th October and co-ordinated farewell flypast. This comprised three FGA.9s, a T.7 and one of the FR.10s, flown by Flt Lt Whitman. He subsequently took air-to-air photographs of the 43 Squadron aircraft in box formation from the FR.10s cameras. On the occasion of the departure to Bahrain of the AOC, AFME, AVM A.H. Humphrey on 25 October, a co-ordinated flypast of twelve Hunters of 43 Squadron, six Wessex of 78 Squadron and three Beverleys and a Dakota of 84 Squadron, was staged to occur as the AOC boarded his Andover. Flt Lts Whitman and Bagshaw were airborne as spares in the FR.10s and after the flypast, Flt Lt Whitman photographed the three formations. The total number of operational sorties for the detachment this month came to 61 by the two FR.10s and 19 using FGA.9s.
On to November and the month of the British withdrawal. All 8 (FR) Squadron operational activities for the month were undertaken by the FR.10s, a total of 48 sorties being flown, mostly on Operation Faldetta. The principle tasks were to trace the movement of British vehicles and weapons, in particular 25-pounder guns, Saladins and Ferret cars in the Beihan, Ataq and Mukeiras areas, plus Saladins in the Dhala and Kursah areas. Five Faldetta sorties were flown in conjunction with Buccaneers from HMS Eagle and at the end of one sortie, the two FR.10s escorted the High Commissioner’s RAF Britannia as it left Aden. On 28 November, with Flt Lts Whitman and Bagshaw at the controls, the two Hunters took off from Khormaksar for the last time and headed north to rejoin the Squadron on an APC detachment at Sharjah.
And so, after more than forty years continuous operational service in the Protectorate, surely a record for overseas service and unsurpassed by any other RAF unit, number 8 Squadron’s tenure in Aden was finally over.