aviation - the past, present and future of flight

I moved across the airfield for my final

two years before retirement. I was to be

Squadron Leader Operations.

GULF WAR

A ‘wind down’ tour it certainly was not. RAF

Marham had two Tornado strike/attack

squadrons and two Victor tanker squadrons.

It was the prime strike/attack base in the UK

and manned 24 hours a day. I had a large

team under my command to co-ordinate the

station operational activities.

I also planned all station exercises, so

critical to maintaining the highest state of

NATO preparedness. As an aside, I did

manage to keep flying a few sorties each

month with 27 Sqn, so there were some plus

points to the job.

With one month to go until my retirement,

Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. All hell

was let loose. My boss was detached for

other important duties and I was made acting

OC Operations Wing with my retirement

deferred until further notice.

In the following three months I worked

closely with all the other station executives

planning and executing the RAF Tornado

GR1 deployment to the Gulf War. Marham

became the centre for aircrew war work-up

training. I watched the crews I had help train

depart for the forthcoming war. They went on

to fight with great bravery, but tragically one

27 Sqn crew was killed on the first raid and

another crew was taken captive.

In November 1990, I left the RAF, having

served for 25 years and three months. I

went straight into the aerospace industry and

was immediately sent out to the Gulf as an

‘adviser’ to RSAF Tornado operations.

It has always struck me as ironic that after

25 years’ RAF peacetime flying I should end

up in a war zone with a civilian company and

be awarded the Gulf Medal. Such is life.

Oh yes, I will finish by saying I achieved

my long-held dream and flew in a Spitfire in

September 2017. Wonderful!

http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 47

Above: Arriving at Thumrait in 1984 escorted by an Omani Jaguar. The purpose of the visit was

to promote the Tornado. Douglas Steer.

Below: The welcoming party at Thumrait included a local tribesman and his camel. Steve Gyles

Refuelling from a Victor tanker while taking part in the

Strategic Air Command bombing competition. Steve Gyles

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