The Falklands War – Thirty Years On

Jaguars to Goose Green

On the subject of what might of happened I heard that it was under consideration to site Jags at Goose green, fitted in an anti shipping role (TV martel) my question would be, how quickly could we have moved Jags to Goose Green, could a Herc have got in there?

I have a dim and distant recall of some Hunters finding their way to S America as a discreet ‘thank you’ for help given.
Can anyone help out my faltering memory?
Moggy

I was at Brawdy when the ‘batch’ were flown out for delivery to Chile… 8 flew to Abingdon where they were crated up at flown out by 747. I recall the dispatch which happened in April 1982 (at the onset of the conflict, not after) but had to look it up to confirm my own memory too:

Eight Hunters were at once transferred from No I TWU at Brawdy to RAF Abingdon, where they were crated and taken by road to Brizc Norton. They were then ferried to Chile in a Boeing 747 freighter in two batches of four. the first on 24 April and the second on 22 May. The RAF serials of these aircraft were XE546, XE582, XF376, XF442, XJ6Xo. XJ688. XK137 and XK138.

In November four more Hunters (XF445, XG291. XJ687 and XKI4I) were also supplied from RAF stocks

Mention is also made of the Canberra’s – see the full article HERE 🙂

On another note and to show the character of the man, John Cleese was filming at the Gurka barracks and my friends kids went over hoping to get his autograph to send to their dad, he asked them to come back later, they did and he had taken the time to write a letter to my friend thanking him for what he was doing..

Rigga we probably know a few people, then, I sadly lost touch with everyone when I got posted to RAFG.

I think I read that article? Was it based around the images of some of the PR.9s being photographed back in 1982 with faint traces of Chilean Air Force markings? Wouldn’t this be down to the initial decision to supply Chile with the PR9s and then waiting until after the conflict to supply them?

http://www.spyflight.co.uk/chile.htm

The rumours will obviously continue. Recently there was the following post on PPRuNe.

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/479504-falklands-most-daring-raid-19.html#post7095008

I wish I could remember more about it myself. I don’t think it came to any firm conclusions, but I believe it inferred that the deal to transfer the Hunters and Canberra’s was was payback for services rendered during the war including the Canberra spy flights, rather than as you suggest a deal concluded before the war, but I could be wrong on that score. It also definitely investigated reports of sightings of Canberra’s in strange markings during the period in question in South America.

Air Pictorial did a full length feature of Canberra PR.9’s operating out of Chile during the Falklands War. Date would of been about 85/86.

I think I read that article? Was it based around the images of some of the PR.9s being photographed back in 1982 with faint traces of Chilean Air Force markings? Wouldn’t this be down to the initial decision to supply Chile with the PR9s and then waiting until after the conflict to supply them?

http://www.spyflight.co.uk/chile.htm

The rumours will obviously continue. Recently there was the following post on PPRuNe.

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/479504-falklands-most-daring-raid-19.html#post7095008

Air Pictorial did a full length feature of Canberra PR.9’s operating out of Chile during the Falklands War. Date would of been about 85/86.

Out of interest what took the high level pictures of the bombing results on Stanley airfield?

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham wrote “After the first Vulcan raid, for example, we needed to know precisely what had been achieved. We kept asking for photographs but they never materialised.” He went on to state that he appreciated the constraints on the use of Harriers for purely photographic reconnaisance missions.

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/documents/Journal%2030%20-%20Seminar%20-%20The%20Falklands%20Campaign.pdf

Sometime after Black Buck 2 a reconnaisance image was taken. It is accredited to one of the Sea Harrier Squadrons.

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/479504-falklands-most-daring-raid-6.html#post7082002

Would a Canberra Squadron receive battle orders for an operation which officially never happened. The person I spoke to was reliable and recounted a detachment in civilian clothing as ground crew. Out of interest what took the high level pictures of the bombing results on Stanley airfield?

And the Odiham airfield radar that had been within a gnats knockers of going to the Scrappie mysteriously pitched up at RAF Stanley.
And where, one might ask, is the definitive history of RAF Stanley? Presumably only the first two pages can be published. The rest of the history nobody would believe!! Not even by those of us who were there (on and off) for the next 4 years!
HTH
Resmoroh

That RN officer interviewed saying that they didn’t know they were hit by missiles until they exploded on the Conveyor should of chatted to the Electrician on the aft deck, he watched them come in, strike the ship and explode…. he knew what they were..

Odious moved up a gear, items that were planned to be fitted to the Chinooks years ahead appeared from nowhere and were fitted, RWR etc, such was the quick fit, most of the boxes were simply strapped under the fwd left seats and plumbed in, to be hard wired later. New Chinooks fresh off the boat from Philly were robbed of parts for spares..

Various things were happening, a Harrier made an appearance to be trialled to see if a Chinook could be used as a ground power source for the Harrier when operating on the islands, this was supposed to be on the hush hush and was carried out on a far corner of the main apron, but such was the rarity of a fixed wing aircraft at Odious every man and his dog turned out to watch what was going on..
Ideas at the time if i remember correctly, were possibly to ship Pumas down south, so bags were to be made to protect them, that then changed and it was decided 72 Sqn would be recalled from NI to be replaced by Puma therefore giving a greater commonality of spares with the Navy Wessex, however this was also abandoned, such was the fluidity of the situation. I seem to remember with the heavy utilisation of the Herc fleet on taskings for the war, Chinooks did the Army’s NI change over instead. it must of been a good contract to rapidly produce the bags for the helicopters because the peeps that arrived to do the measuring etc came in a Hughes 500! but it’s a while ago and some was rumour control, so you have to allow for memory lapses, though i could tell you a lot more..

#16

Nice post TEEJ

Baz

Yes spoke to someone years ago who went to Chile with the Canberra’s. After the war Hunters and Canberras transfered to the Chilean Air Force.

Wasn’t one of the Hunter’s Mike McEvoy’s ( Mr Tailpiece from SAM ) during his RAF days ?

Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Squire. So far as I am aware, the PR 9s of No 39 Sqn were not involved in the Falklands. (In reply to question from Sqn Ldr Symes)

From

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/documents/Journal%2030%20-%20Seminar%20-%20The%20Falklands%20Campaign.pdf

……also i might be wrong here but did the Canberra PR9 operate out of Chile to carry out photograhic missions …..and then the RAF left 3 behind as a thankyou to Chile, or is this this just another storey?

all the best Matt

The Chilean Air Force Commander-in-Chief, General Fernando Matthei and other Chilean Air Force personnel have provided details on the subject of RAF aircraft operating in Chile during the conflict. They revealed that Nimrod and C-130s operated inside Chile, but no mention of Canberras. It looks likely that the Canberras only ended up in Chile after the conflict as a thank you. Also no Canberra squadron received Battle Honours.

http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1983/oct/25/falklands-campaign-battle-honours

See following videos. Unfortunately they are in Spanish with no English subtitles.

http://www.taringa.net/posts/videos/14010236/Chile-y-su-participacion-en-Malvinas-_documental_.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smaRHDZWaAo

A Spanish speaker kindly posted an outline of the TV programme.

From Ordie on Military Photos during 2008

Very interesting comments: (Paraphrasing)
Gen Maffei: “My goal is to make sure the Argentines were defeated, if not they will seek war with Chile.”
Gen Maffei:”Between 1978 and 1980’s the Chilean military, even though superior in training, it was inferior in numbers compared with Argentina.”
Gen Maffei:”It was our intention to talk to the English first, but coincidently they approached us with the same concerns about Argentina.”
Gen Maffei:”Our intelligence was not one of spies or agents, but of signal intelligence, electronics and determining to movement of forces.”
Gen Maffei: ” We have a state of the art underground command center in Punta Areas, Chile where much of the gathered intelligence was sent to Santiago and passed to the British Embassy and on to London.”
Gen Maffei: “RAF C-130 with electronic intelligence equipment flew from the Pacific via Easter Island disgused as Chilean Air Force aircraft. This was done on the premise they had to fly between internal destinations within Chile collecting intelligence. The aircraft were noted by the misspelling of the Fuerza Area de Chile.”
Gen Maffei: “Soon after the sinking of the HMS Sheffied, our intellegence sharing was perfected to the point that we knew the daily sorties of the Argentine aircraft, number of aircraft that took off and the number that returned.”
Annoucer: “Chile had massed its forces in the south, in return the Argentine with-held its best units within the mainland.”
Gen. Maffei: ” When the Sea King helicopter crashed near Punta Arenas, the whole deal was almost off. I was emphatic that Chilean Territory was not to be used for offensive military actions into Argentina.”
Chielan Liason Officer: “RAF Nimrod electronic warfare aircraft operated from the remote San Felix island in the Pacific.”
Annoucer: “On the day of the Bluff Cove attack on the Sir Galahad and Sir Tristam, both the Chilean Radar and RAF Nimrod were out of service.”
Note: the images of the Hunter and Canberras were in reference to a deal to re-equip the Chiean Air Force with extra equipment.

From

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?107232-Falklands-30&p=3792847&viewfull=1#post3792847

Chilean Air Force Commander-in-Chief interview link. You should be able to Google translate the page?

http://www.taringa.net/comunidades/ffaa-arg/3826715/Entrevista-al-General-Fernando-Matthei-sobre-Malvinas.html

Also see following in reference to Canberra rumours.

http://www.spyflight.co.uk/chile.htm

…and the Hong Kong (28 Sqn) Wessex went to Chile too, I believe? ….or was it the ex-Shawbury ones….?

Not Chile but Uruguay.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westland_Wessex

Discovery channel have a program running on Bravo Novemeber the Chinook but it seems nothing much to do with the Falklands war.

The first part last week covered it’s time in the Falklands in some detail.

Discovery channel have a program running on Bravo Novemeber the Chinook but it seems nothing much to do with the Falklands war.

Been plenty of programs about the conflict the last few months.

…and the Hong Kong (28 Sqn) Wessex went to Chile too, I believe? ….or was it the ex-Shawbury ones….?

I was posted in to ODI shortly after the FI conflict and made a few mates of those on the Atlantic Conveyor – and a couple are still are mates.

I can remember the day the news that the Conveyor had been hit as my mates were on it, and I had been keeping an eye on / helping out my friends wife’s while he was away and rushed round to make sure she was ok and to give her support as they were awaiting news… Thank God it was good, though he earned his 100 yard Crawl certificate that day.

I was lucky enough to see a small formation of them airborne shortly before delivery. A great sight.

Moggy