Vickers Valiant recce missions revealed

No 543 Squadron’s motto was highly appropriate when it came to operate the Vickers Valiant in the strategic reconnaissance role. Whether mapping large swathes of the soon-to-be-former British Empire, locating Soviet Navy ships or — possibly — gathering intelligence for the CIA about Cuba, this unit kept a close Cold War watch No 543 Squadron Valiant B(PR)1 WZ394 makes a smart departure from RAF Luqa, Malta, during May 1958’s Exercise ‘Medflex Fort’ — a major NATO naval exercise intended, in