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Melton Aviation Society Newsletter Edition No 8 April 2014

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Melton Aviation Society Newsletter Edition No 8 April 2014 Melton Aviation Society Newsletter Edition No 8 April 2014 “ ADDO AVITION UNA “ Bringing Aviation Together The Wingless Deterrent The RAF’s post war strength reach its peak in 1956 and three new aircraft entered service, the Vulcan, the Victor and the Valiant, commonly known as the V Force. These aircraft were to be used as the country’s Nuclear Deterrent. October 1956 saw the outbreak of the Suez War, and the RAFs aircraft were heavily involved in the crisis. The debacle of the Suez, diplomatic not military, saw a dramatic rethink in defence policy. The first manifestation of the new defence thinking was the infamous 1957 White Paper, in which Duncan Sandys, the Minister of Defence, forecast the end of manned aircraft and their replacement by guided missiles. In 1957 a proposal from the USA was put to Britain to deploy Thor Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBM) in the UK. The proposal was regarded favourably by Britain’s new Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan. Final agreement on the deployment of Thor in Britain was reached at the Bermuda Conference in March 1957, when Macmillan and Eisenhower met to discuss key issues. On 1 April, Macmillan reported to Parliament that: “The rockets will be the property of Her Majesty’s Government, manned by British troops who will receive their prior training from American experts. The rockets cannot be fired by any except the British personnel, but the warhead will be in the control of the United States – which is the law of the United States- and to that extent the Americans have negative control; but it is absolutely untrue to say that the President and not the British Government will decide when these missiles will be launched and at whom. So long as we rely upon the American warheads, and only so long, that will remain a matter for the two Governments”. The emphasis was still on the Nuclear Deterrent, and with the White Papers forecast of missiles replacing the aircraft, 1958 saw Melton Aviation Society c/o Melton Mowbray RAFA & Tornado Club, 24 Asfordby Road, Melton Mowbray LE13 0HR 1 the delivery of the American Thor ICBM to the RAF. The missiles were flown into RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk in USAF Globemaster transport aircraft and then transported by road to the launch sites. Project Emily was then born and twenty sites were chosen to house the new missiles. In 1958 No.144(SM) Sqn North Luffenham reformed with No 254(SM) Sqn reformed at Melton on 1st December 1959. The other satellites being No 130(SM) Sqn Polebrook Northants, No 223(SM) Sqn Folkingham Lincs and No 218(SM) Sqn Harrington Northants. (NB SM stands for Strategic Missile). Each of the five stations were equipped with a Thor missile site and came under the control of Bomber Command. The HQ was at a permanent station, in this case North Luffenham, as well as being the HQ it was also resposible for the care and maintenance of the satellite sites and their missiles. The dispersed sites were erected in the middle of disused wartime airfields and the contract for the construction work was given to Monks Construction Company The crest for No 254 Sqn shows a Raven, with its wings endorsed and inverted. The motto “Fljuga vakta ok ljosto” when translated means “To fly, to watch and to strike” refers back to when the squadron was initially formed in August 1918 at a Coastal Reconnaissance station and was employed on anti-submarine patrols. No 151(S.A.M.) Wing, Fighter Command was formed equipped with Bloodhound missiles to provide anti-aircraft defence for the Thor sites. No 62 Sqn was reformed on 1st Feb 1960 at RAF Woolfox Lodge in Rutland, No 257 Sqn was reformed on 1st July 1960 at RAF Warboys, Hunts and the Wing HQ was based at RAF North Luffenham. These missiles which were the first to become operational in the Western world using continuous wave radar guidance systems, were intended to operate in conjunction with the Hunter and Javelin aircraft already operated by Fighter Command in the Air Defence role. Computer Image of a Thor Launch Pad Melton Aviation Society c/o Melton Mowbray RAFA & Tornado Club, 24 Asfordby Road, Melton Mowbray LE13 0HR 2 The Thor missile was an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile with a range of 1,750 miles, armed with a two megaton nuclear warhead, it stood 65ft tall with a base diameter of 8 ft and could travel at a speed 12 times faster than sound. The Thor squadrons were maintained at constant readiness equipped with fifteen missiles (3 at each Station) and manned by about 600 Officers and men of the RAF. Jurisdiction over the nuclear warhead was in the hands of the USAF. In the control centre, the Launch Control Officer who was an RAF Officer from the GD (Flying) Branch had to turn the ‘British’ Key to initiate the countdown and at a certain stage, the US Authentication Officer had to turn his key to arm the warhead. The rest of the launch crew consisted of three aircrew NCOs as Launch Control Console Operators and three technicians as Missile Maintenance Technicians, all of whom were RAF personnel. The RAFs crews had to undertake training course to maintain this new weapon system. Personnel who joined the Thor force early in its life had to undertake approximately 20 separate courses which were held in different parts of America and lasted anywhere between two and twelve weeks. Technicians who joined the Thors later in its life undertook their training in the UK. The operational capability of the system was proven by carrying out a number of “Combat Training Launches”. The procedure for this was to remove an ageing missile from its launch pad, remove the nuclear warhead and fly the missile to America. A new missile would be positioned on the launch pad so that a full complement was always kept. The ageing missile would be set up on a launch pad at Vandenberg Air Base in California and Melton Aviation Society c/o Melton Mowbray RAFA & Tornado Club, 24 Asfordby Road, Melton Mowbray LE13 0HR 3 fired down the Pacific Missile Range. Three of these launches were carried out by crews from the Luffenham complex. The first was just before Christmas 1960, the second was August 1961 and was rather unique. Back home in the UK, a campaign was underway by ‘Rutlanders’ to try and prevent their tiny county being overtaken by its larger neighbour Leicestershire. The launch crews were aware of this and slapped a “Hands off Rutland” sticker on the nose of the missile and as they watched the launch on TV, they saw the Rutland campaign go into orbit. The third launch was on 19 June 1962. All three launches were a success and proved the operational aspects of both the missile and the RAF crews. The Thor sites were subject to a number of “Ban the Bomb” demonstrations. Local farmer Bill Johnston recalls one incident at Melton. He was in his tractor delivering a trailer full of manure to the airfield and when he arrived at the Crown Hill gate at the Gt Dalby end of the airfield the CND protester Pat Arrowsmith was lying down in the road to prevent access to the site. The RAF Police had to be called to remove her and allow him access to the site. Bill used to help cut the grass on the airfield and remembers one day when he was a passenger on a tractor when they stopped off for a T break at the NAAFI Wagon. As they were sat enjoying their brew, Bill recalls how he was given a bar of chocolate from a black American serviceman. Dave Page joined the RAF in June 1959 as a National Service Policeman. After doing his basic training at RAF Bridgenorth, Salop and trade training at RAF Netheravon, Wilts he passed out as a Cpl Policeman and was posted to RAF North Luffenham. Dave was pleased with his posting as he was born and bred in Melton. While stationed at North Luffenham, Dave was responsible for the security of the Thor sites, including the satellite stations. When on duty at Melton, Dave lived at home. Dave remembers the Thor sites were surrounded by two chain link fences with barbed wire tops. These fences ran parallel around the site with a 10m sterile area between the two high coils of barbed wire were set up against the outer fence to prevent anyone climbing the fence. While on duty he was armed with a .38 calibre Smith and Wesson revolver with six rounds. As well as guard room duties, he was duties involved mobile patrols of the perimeter fence, both on foot and in a Land Rover. After completing his two years National Service, Dave left the RAF in 1961and joined the local Police force. The Cuba crisis in 1962 saw both the V-Force and the Thor Force at operational readiness, but by 1963 the Thors vulnerability to air attack was evident. The Thor’s reign as the countries nuclear deterrent was a short one, and the missiles ceased to be operational in August 1963 which led to the closure of Melton. The Luffenham complex was the last to close on 15 August and all the missiles were flown back to the USA. Additionally No 62 Sqn at Woolfox Lodge disbanded on 31st Jan 1963 and No 257 Sqn at Warboys disbanded on 31st Dec 1963. Melton Aviation Society c/o Melton Mowbray RAFA & Tornado Club, 24 Asfordby Road, Melton Mowbray LE13 0HR 4 An order of the day to Thor squadrons and stations from Air Marshall Sir Kenneth Cross, AOC-in-C, Bomber Command said: “You have maintained a higher rate of readiness in peacetime than has ever been achieved before in the history of the armed forces of the Crown.” Mr.
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