V (Army Cooperation) Squadron
100th Anniversary
V (Army Cooperation)
Squadron 1913 - 2013
1
100th ANNIVERSARY 1913 – 2013
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron -
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron -
Contents
Battle Honours 1913 - 2013
V (AC) Squadron - Battle Honours 1913 - 2013
3
Foreword - Group Captain A K Gillespie ADC MA BSc (Hons) RAF
RAF Waddington Station Commander
4
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron - Wing Commander A P Marshall MA RAF
Officer Commanding
5
V (AC) Squadron - History 6
V (AC) Squadron - Commanding Officers 1913 - 2013
12
V (AC) Squadron - Aeroplanes Flown 1913 - 2013
13
Lieutenant E C Rabagliati, 25th Aug 1914
16
V (AC) Squadron - Maple Leaf
17
V (AC) Squadron - The Lightning Era - ‘The Bear Hunt’
18
V (AC) Squadron - The Tornado F3 Era
20
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron in 2013
22
V (AC) Squadron - Personnel in 2013
25
V (AC) Squadron - Locations 1913 – 2013
26
Western Front Acknowledgements
27
Mons / Neuve Chappelle
1914 - 1918
Images from top to bottom:
Ypres / Loos / Arras
1915
English Electric Lightning F6s of
5 Squadron at RAF Binbrook in
May 1966;
Somme / Amiens / Hindenburg Line
1918
5 Squadron Tornado F3;
Waziristan Sentinel R1 of 5(Army
Co-operation) Squadron;
Mohmand 5 Squadron Westland Wapiti IIA
at Chaklala in India
North West Frontier 1930 - 1931
North West Frontier 1935 - 1939
Arakan 1942 - 1944
Manipur 1944
Burma 1944 - 1945
2
1920 - 1925
1927
3
100th ANNIVERSARY 1913 – 2013
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron
Foreword
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron
Group Captain A K Gillespie ADC MA BSc (Hons) RAF
Station Commander RAF Waddington
Wing Commander A P Marshall MA RAF
Officer Commanding
1913. One hundred years ago the Ford Motor Company introduced the first
moving assembly line, Emily Davidson was killed by the King's horse in the
struggle for Women's suffrage, and the first packet of cigarettes went on sale.
In the fledgling field of aviation,
Igor Sikorsky piloted the World's first
4-engine aircraft and Adolphe Pégoud
made the first safe parachute jump.
And on 26th July 1913, No 5 Squadron
Royal Flying Corps was formed
at Farnborough.
As with most squadrons at that time,
No 5 Squadron soon found itself in
France with the British Expeditionary
Force. In the lead up to the Great War,
operating the Royal Aircraft Factory
BE2C, No 5 Squadron began flying in
the reconnaissance role and also in the
early development of aerial wireless
communications.
As artillery spotters, the pilots and
observers of 5 Squadron gathered
vital intelligence for the Army Generals
below, who were beginning to realise
the limitations of cavalry for their
reconnaissance needs.
100 years later V (Army Cooperation)
Squadron is once again fulfilling the
role it began in those early days of
manned flight. Today the squadron
flies the Sentinel R1, based on a high
performance business jet, collecting
intelligence from a wide area and
almost instantly transmitting it to army
units on the ground.
The pilots of 1913 with their wood
and canvas aircraft are replaced by
pilots of 2013 with satellite navigation
and flight automation computers;
the observers of 1913 have become
the mission crew of 2013 with onboard imagery analysis software
and sophisticated communications
equipment; the plotting rooms of
1913 are replaced by the ground crew
of 5 Squadron's own army personnel,
analysing and disseminating the
intelligence and data as it is relayed
down from the aircraft.
4
And yet, for all the changes, the
squadron still performs the same
fundamental task; to exploit the
advantages of height and reach of an
aeroplane and use those advantages
to learn something about an enemy, a
location or an environment. Everything
learned is then relayed to a commander
who can choose a course of action.
In 1914 a report from a BE2C saved
100,000 British Expeditionary Force
lives when an advance by the German
General von Kluck was spotted and
reported, even though it contradicted
all the other available intelligence. In
2013 information about the movements
of violent Jihadists in Mali, or patterns of
insurgent behaviour in Afghanistan, are
being analysed and reported every day.
Also fundamentally unchanged are
the personnel: the aircrew who fly, the
engineers who service the aircraft, the
analysts and the support staff. A 100th
Anniversary celebration is the perfect
time to reflect on the personalities
and people who have come and gone
through the squadron over the years.
Every single one of them will have
experienced good times and bad, will
have stories to tell, will have worked
hard, but above all will have contributed
in some way to the professionalism, the
life and the ethos that lives on with V
(Army Cooperation) Squadron.
The current squadron personnel
know they are merely caretakers
of a proud 100 year history. I wish
the squadron a very Happy 100th
Anniversary; may it enjoy many more in
the years to come. n
Although we are celebrating 100 years since the formation of our squadron,
we are aware it has not been an unbroken history; like many other squadrons,
uncertainty, disbandings and reformations have been a recurring theme for V
(AC) Squadron for many years.
This theme is just as evident
today as in the past. After initial
operational success in Afghanistan
several commentators could not see
a role for the Sentinel aircraft in the
years to follow. Being a relatively new
aircraft it was a surprise to see the
Strategic Defence and Security Review
announcement in October 2010 that
our future beyond 2015 could not be
assured.
Since then, however, the
Squadron has deployed on two
further high profile operations whilst
still maintaining our contribution
to Afghanistan. First, in 2011 the
Squadron deployed at short notice
to the Mediterranean to participate
in Operation ELLAMY, supporting the
Libyan people in their struggle against
Colonel Gaddafi.
Here the capability excelled,
providing game-changing intelligence
to coalition commanders and gaining
an excellent reputation for the
timeliness and accuracy of our product.
Second, earlier this year we deployed
to West Africa, this time to assist French
and African forces in stabilising the
country of Mali.
This provided further evidence not
only of the Squadron’s resolve but
also Sentinel’s value, responsiveness,
reach and adaptability. How these
developments will affect thinking on
the Squadron’s near-term future is yet
to be seen, but hopes remains high of a
reprieve in 2015.
V (AC) Squadron is a distinctive
squadron, and a unique one to work
on. Our 270 personnel are drawn from
across all three services, embodying the
very concept of ‘cooperation’ found in
the squadron’s title.
Whether it be the cooperation
between the flight crew and the
mission crew onboard the aircraft; the
cooperation between the aircraft and
the ground stations; the cooperation
between the front line operators and
the squadron support personnel; or
the cooperation between the whole
squadron and the wider defence
community, cooperation is at the heart
of everything we do.
An important occasion such as our
100th Anniversary is a time to celebrate
and unwind after a very intense
operational tempo for our personnel.
It is important to temporarily set aside
uncertainties of our future roles or
operations, and instead consider our
achievements and successes.
We cannot predict what we may
be called on to do in the future, but
whatever it is we shall approach
it with the same professionalism
and cooperation with which V (AC)
Squadron has displayed over our 100
year history. I have no doubt the No V
(AC) Squadron of the year 2113 will look
back with the same admiration of their
predecessors as we do.
Frangas non Flectas!
n
5
100th ANNIVERSARY 1913 – 2013
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron -
History 1913 - 2013
No 5 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed at Farnborough on 26th July
1913. Following the outbreak of the First World War it deployed to France
on 15th August 1914 equipped with a variety of aircraft types to carry out
reconnaissance for the British Expeditionary Force.
It began flying reconnaissance
missions on 21st August and on the
next day, an Avro 504 of No 5 Squadron
was the first British aircraft to be shot
down, killing navigator Lieutenant
Gordon Bayly and leading to the
capture of pilot Second Lieutenant
Vincent Waterfall.
A few days later on 25th August,
however, Lieutenant Euan Rabagliati
of No 5 Squadron engaged a German
monoplane in an aerial dogfight and
became the first British aviator to shoot
down another aircraft. No 5 Squadron
standardised on the BE2, specialising as
observers for artillery, and re-equipping
with the RE8 in May 1917.
It worked closely with the Canadian
Corps throughout the remainder of
the Great War, and afterwards it moved
with them into Germany as part of the
Army of Occupation. It remained in
Germany until September 1919, and
then returned to the United Kingdom
to be disbanded soon after. It was its
association with the Canadian Corps
6
during the Great War which lead to
the granting of a maple leaf on the
squadron crest in later years.
In the post-war years the newly
formed RAF established a role of
policing the Empire, which helped to
maintain its status as an independent
fighting force.
The front-line strength of the RAF
had been reduced to five squadrons
based in the UK, five squadrons in
Egypt, four in both India and Iraq,
and one in the Far East. In 1920, No 5
Squadron was reformed at Quetta, India
(now part of Pakistan) by re-numbering
No 48 Squadron.
There it worked in Army Air
Cooperation on operations on the
North West Frontier, initially as a bomber
unit with Bristol Fighters, Westland
Wapitis and Hawker Harts. In February
1941 the squadron commenced
operations with Hawker Audaxs, a two
seat army cooperation biplane, however
high demand for aircraft in 1941 saw
the Audaxs used as fighters.
Between December 1941 and May
1942 No 5 Squadron was engaged in
the defence of Calcutta; during this time
it began to receive its first monoplane
fighter, the Curtiss Mohawk IV.
It was with this aircraft the squadron
was able to begin offensive operations,
and Mohawks in Assam acted as fighter
escorts to Blenheim bombers over
north west Burma as well as conducting
ground attack sorties. Hawker
Hurricanes replaced the Mohawks in
June 1943.
In March 1944 a Japanese advance
through Burma isolated the British
garrison at Imphal, and during a threemonth siege 150 000 men had to rely
entirely on air supply for their survival.
More than 400 tons of stores were
flown in daily to the heavily guarded
valley, with only three squadrons of
Spitfires available for air defence and six
squadrons of Hurricanes (of which No 5
Squadron was one) for attack.
The squadron began flying P-47
Thunderbolts in September 1944, which
it retained until after the war when
Tempest F2s arrived in 1946. In 1947
the partition of India into brought with
it the disbandment of RAF units in the
region, including No 5 Squadron.
In February 1949 V Squadron
reformed at RAF Pembrey in Wales for
target-towing duties, but in 1951 the
squadron moved to Germany to fly the
RAF’s early jet aircraft the de Havilland
Vampire and de Havilland Venom.
The squadron fell victim to the 1957
Images clockwise from bottom left:
A Royal Flying Corps RE8 fighter;
Spitfire Mk XVI similar to those flown by
5 Squadron at Pembrey 1949 - 1951;
Bristol F2B fighter of 5 Squadron
over Quetta in India, late 1920s;
5 Squadron Bristol fighters over
Takatu, India circa 1925;
5 Squadron Hawker Tempest F2;
5 Squadron Venoms;
India based Hawker Hurricane IIc, 1943
7
100th ANNIVERSARY 1913 – 2013
Images clockwise from bottom:
Crew of a 5 Squadron Gloster Javelin
FAW9, XH911 at Geilenkirchen,
Germany in April 1963;
Formation of English Electric Lightnings
from the final three Squadrons based at
RAF Binbrook on 22 August 1977 - a T6
of the Lightning Training Flight and F3
fighters of 5 and 11 Squadrons;
Gloster Javelin FAW9s in the markings
of Nos 5 and 33 Squadrons over the
Durham coast on 14 November 1962;
English Electric Lightning F6s of
5 Squadron during a flight from
Binbrook in May 1966
8
8
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron
Defence White Paper, but was restored
in 1959 when No 68 Squadron was renumbered. As a night fighter squadron
at RAF Laarbruch, Germany, V Squadron
first flew the Gloster Meteor NF11
briefly, before re-equipping with the
delta winged Gloster Javelin in January
1960. Armed with Firestreak missiles
the squadron’s role was to deter and
repel an attack by Soviet forces on the
German mainland, and later during this
period was also based in Geilenkirchen.
In October 1965 V Squadron
reformed at RAF Binbrook and became
the first squadron to operate the
Lightning F6. With 22 years of service
at Binbrook V Squadron would operate
variants of the Lightning longer than
any other RAF squadron.
During this time the squadron was
the first to use over-wing fuel tanks, and
in conjunction with air-to-air refuelling
from Victor tankers the squadron
initiated long haul routes to Bahrain,
and in 1969 to Singapore, for exercises.
Between 1968 and 1978 the squadron
was awarded many top trophies and
awards for weapons proficiency, air
gunnery and interception.
During 1987 the Lightnings of V
Squadron were slowly retired and the
pilots posted to other squadrons or
remained with No 11 Squadron flying
Lightnings at Binbrook.
In January 1988 the squadron moved
to RAF Coningsby to take over the air
defence role using the Tornado F3.
This interceptor variant of the Tornado
GR1 bomber had been developed
to counter a threat from the Soviet
long range bomber fleet, however
its RAF combat debut would come
in a different theatre of war. At the
outset of Gulf War 1 in August 1990,
twelve Tornado F3s of Nos 5 and 29
Squadrons which were on summer
detachment to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus
were amongst the first RAF aircraft to
arrive in Saudi Arabia. The Tornado F3
shared the responsibility of air defence
with Royal Saudi Air Force Tornado F3s
and F-15 Eagles, and the United States
Air Force. The aircraft arrived within 48
hours of the invasion of Kuwait, and
before the operation to liberate Kuwait
commenced they would fly nearly 2000
sorties. Combat air patrols lasting up to
4 hours were mounted over northern
Saudi Arabia and maintained for 24
hours a day during Operation GRANBY.
With the anticipated introduction of
the Eurofighter Typhoon, RAF Tornado
F3s were reduced in number and
squadrons; V Squadron was disbanded
in January 2003 and its standard laid up
in Lincoln Cathedral.
In 1992 the Ministry of Defence
began developing a plan for a
new reconnaissance platform
under the Airborne Standoff Radar (ASTOR) System,
and in 1999 the contract
to produce the aircraft
was awarded to Raytheon
Systems Limited.
To operate the new
aircraft, which would be
known as the Sentinel R1
in RAF service, V (Army
Cooperation) Squadron was
reformed at RAF Waddington
on 1st April 2004. The first
production Sentinel, based
on the Global Express
business jet, made its
maiden flight in May 2004
and the ASTOR system
officially entered service
on 1st December 2008.
Images from top to bottom:
??????;
Lightning F6 pilot of 5 Squadron
based at RAF Binbrook in 1966
9
100th ANNIVERSARY 1913 – 2013
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron
Once the reformed squadron was
established in its new intelligence
gathering role, an Urgent Operational
Requirement for additional
reconnaissance capabilities emerged.
Thus, for a couple of years the squadron
was one of only a few in modern history
to have operated two different types
of aircraft; from March 2009 to October
2011 in addition to the Sentinel R1, the
squadron also operated four Shadow R1
aircraft, based on the Beechcraft King
Air 350.
As the capabilities provided by
the Shadow R1 aircraft proved so
popular with ground units and
Army commanders, the decision
was made to transfer the aircraft to a
new permanent unit, and in October
2011 No 14 Squadron was reformed
at RAF Waddington to operate the
Shadow aircraft.
In V (AC) Squadron service the
Sentinel R1 and associated ground
equipment have deployed on
operations in Afghanistan, Libya and
Mali. The Strategic Defence Review
2010 highlighted the Sentinel R1 as a
possible candidate for retirement in
2015, however with no firm decision
the squadron continues to provide and
prepare for operations wherever in the
world it may be required. n
Images from top to bottom:
Squadron reformation in 2004;
5(AC) Squadron ASTOR R1 Sentinel
over Lincoln;
5 (AC) Squadron Sentinel R1 and
ground element (Pinzguer vehicle) at
RAF Waddington in May 2009
10
11
100th ANNIVERSARY 1913 – 2013
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron -
Commanding Officers 1913 - 2013
Jul 1913 Maj J F A Higgins
Nov 1914 Maj A C H Maclean
Apr 1915 Maj A G Board
Dec 1915 Maj J G Hearson
May 1916 Maj R M Vaughn
Jul 1916 Maj F J L Cogan
Jan 1917 Maj G L P Henderson
Feb 1917 Maj R E Lewis
May 1917 Maj E J Tyson
Mar 1918 Maj C H Gardner
Nov 1918 Maj G Knight
Mar 1919 Maj D F Stevenson
Nov 1962 Wg Cdr C R Gordon MVO
Oct 1965 Sqn Ldr L J Hargreaves
Jan 1967 Wg Cdr J H A Winship
Mar 1969 Wg Cdr K J Bailey
Nov 1969 Wg Cdr G P Black
Feb 1920 Sqn Ldr P C Maltby
Jan 1924 Sqn Ldr A J Capel
Nov 1928 Sqn Ldr O C Bryson
Mar 1980 Wg Cdr T L Adcock
Jul 1982 Wg Cdr M J Streten
Apr 1985 Wg Cdr D A Williams AFC
Dec 1987 Wg Cdr E J Black
Oct 1931 Sqn Ldr W K Mercer
Dec 1932 Sqn Ldr A B Ellwood
Nov 1933 Sqn Ldr C N Ellen
Jul 1935 Sqn Ldr P F Fullard
Feb 1936 Sqn Ldr H R M Reid
Apr 1937 Sqn Ldr L W Cannon
Dec 1937 Sqn Ldr H J G E Proud
Nov 1938 Sqn Ldr W T H Nichols
Jan 1940 Sqn Ldr N F Simpson
Aug 1940 Sqn Ldr E T T Nelson
Nov 1940 Sqn Ldr A J Young
Feb 1941 Sqn Ldr J R Maling
Mar 1942 Sqn Ldr J H Giles
May 1942 Sqn Ldr W Pitt-Brown
Oct 1942 Sqn Ldr P Bond
Mar 1943 Sqn Ldr G J C Hogan
Jun 1944 Sqn Ldr J M Cranstone DFC
Oct 1945 Sqn Ldr L H Dawes DFC
Jun 1946 Sqn Ldr F Rothwell DFC
Feb 1949 Sqn Ldr D H Farmer DFC AFC
Jul 1970 Wg Cdr G A White
Aug 1972 Wg Cdr J D Hutchinson
Sep 1974 Wg Cdr B J St Aubyn
Dec 1976 Wg Cdr D R Kuun
Nov 1977 Wg Cdr P G Naz
Mar 1978 Wg Cdr R D Lightfoot AFC
Oct 1990 Wg Cdr A J Lockwood
Apr 1993 Wg Cdr P A Blackford
Dec 1995 Wg Cdr P D Spencer
Jul 1998 Wg Cdr A S Barmby
Jan 2001 Wg Cdr G T Bremer
Apr 2004 Wg Cdr W R Hughes
Jun 2007 Wg Cdr M H M Kemsley MBE
Jul 2009 Wg Cdr R P Barrow
Jun 2011 Wg Cdr A P Marshall
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron -
Aeroplanes Flown 1913 - 2013
AvroType EJul 1913 - Jul 1914
Maurice Farman MF7 Longhorn Jul 1913 - Aug 1914
Henry Farman F20 Jul 1913 - Mar 1915
Royal Aircraft Factory SE2a Jan 1914 - Mar 1914
Sopwith Three seater Feb 1914 - Aug 1914
Royal Aircraft Factory BE1 Feb 1914 - Aug 1914
Sopwith TabloidJun 1914 - Aug 1914
Avro 504Jul 1914 - Oct 1915
Royal Aircraft Factory BE8 Aug 1914 - Sep 1914
Henry Farman F27 Sep 1914 - Sep 1914
Bristol ScoutSep 1914 - Oct 1914
Martinsyde S1Jan 1915 - Aug 1915
Voison LAFeb 1915 - Mar 1915
Bleriot ParasolFeb 1915 - Mar 1915
Vickers FB5Mar 1915 - Jan 1915
Bristol ScoutMar 1915 - Mar 1915
Caudron G IIIApr 1915 - May 1915
Airco DH 2Jul 1915 - Aug 1915
Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c Aug 1915 - Apr 1917
Royal Aircraft Factory FE8 Dec 1915 - May 1916
Airco DH 2Jan 1916 - May 1916
Royal Aircraft Factory BE2d Jun 1916 - Jun 1917
Royal Aircraft Factory BE2e Jan 1917 - Jun 1917
Royal Aircraft Factory BE2f Jan 1917 - Jun 1917
Royal Aircraft Factory BE2g Jan 1917 - Jun 1917
Royal Aircraft Factory RE8 Jun 1917 - Sep 1919
Bristol F2b Fighter Mar 1919 - Oct 1919
Hawker HartJun 1940 - Feb 1941
Hawker AudaxFeb 1941 - May 1942
Curtiss-Wright Mohawk IV Dec 1941 - Jun 1943
Hurricane HDJul 1943 - Dec 1943
Hurricane HCAug 1943 - Oct 1944
Thunderbolt IOct 1944 - Feb 1946
Thunderbolt IIOct 1944 - Jan 1945
Tempest F2Mar 1946 - Aug 1947
Martinet TT1Feb 1949 - Jan 1950
Harvard T2BFeb 1949 - Mar 1951
Spitfire LF 16EFeb 1949 - Aug 1951
Oxford T2Feb 1949 - Aug 1951
Beaufighter TT 10Jan 1950 - Aug 1951
Vampire F3Dec 1950 - Aug 1951
Vampire FB5Mar 1952 - Jun 1953
Venom FB1Nov 1952 - Aug 1955
Meteor NF 11Jan 1959 - Jun 1960
Venom FB4Jul 1955 - Oct 1957
Javelin FAW 5Jan 1960 - Nov 1962
Javelin FAW 9 Nov 1962 - Oct 1965
Lightning F6Dec 1965 - Dec 1987
Lightning F1AJun 1970 - Sep 1972
Lightning F3Oct 1972 - Sep 1987
Tornado F3Jan 1988 - Jan 2003
Bristol F2b Fighter
Apr 1920 - May 1931
Westland WapitiMay 1931 - Jun 1940
Shadow R1Mar 2009 - Oct 2011
Sentinel R1Dec 2008 - Present Day
Oct 1950 Sqn Ldr Wilson DFC
Jan 1951 Flt Lt M W Huggins DFC
Apr 1952 Sqn Ldr E V Daw
Apr 1953 Sqn Ldr C S West
Jan 1954 Sqn Ldr P V Ayerst DFC
Feb 1956 Sqn Ldr Fargher DFC
Feb 1959 Wg Cdr M Scannel DFC AFC
May 1960 Wg Cdr F W Sledmere AFC
Jul 1962 Wg Cdr M J E Swiney
12
13
100th ANNIVERSARY 1913 – 2013
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron -
The Lady Sentinel
What a day it would be with no snags to work;
If only, as the crew stride in and playfully shirk,
“I rebooted 6 times, pulling CBs for good measure”
Seems as if we’ve got another night of pleasure,
To work the DMR in the dead of night,
The cool temperatures easing the technician’s plight,
In recovering the jet before the next day’s flight.
Anon, F-Flight (Sentinel Engineering)
14
15
100th ANNIVERSARY 1913 – 2013
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron
Lieutenant
C E Rabagliati MC AFC
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron -
Maple Leaf
25th August 1914
Soon after deploying to France
with the British Expeditionary Force
in August 1914, No 5 Squadron
RFC found itself conducting
reconnaissance missions in Avro 504s.
On 22nd August 1914 pilot
Lieutenant Vincent Waterfall and
observer Lieutenant Gordon Bayly
of No 5 Squadron suffered the
regrettable honour of being the first
RFC aircraft to be brought down by
enemy fire. No 5 Sqn would correct
this unfortunate occurrence, however,
with the distinction of being the first
RFC to engage an enemy aircraft in
an aerial dogfight and subsequently
shoot it down. On 25th August 1914
pilot Lieutenant C Wilson, and observer,
Lieutenant C E Rabagliati, were flying
and had already encountered several
enemy aircraft, when they spotted a
German Taube monoplane conducting
reconnaissance. Wilson manoeuvred the
aeroplane into a suitable position from
which his observer could engage their
foe. Rabagliati, armed with his Service
Issue rifle, noted:
“ ... We immediately joined
in and manoeuvred around.
Sometimes we’d be extremely
close, it seemed to be almost
touching. Other times we’d be
out of range. We couldn’t shoot
through the propeller in front so
we had to shoot sideways.
Not only was the other
aeroplane going fast, but our
own aeroplane from which I was
shooting was also going fast ... it
was a purely hit-and-miss effort.
Suddenly, to my intense joy, I
saw the pilot fall forward on his joy
stick and the machine tipped up
and went down. I knew that either
I had hit him or something had
happened.
We were of course completely
thrilled. We’d had our duel and
we’d won! We watched him going
down. We circled round and he
finally crashed.”
No 5 Squadron RFC formed a very close association with
the Canadian Corps during June 1917, remaining with them
after the Armistice as part of the Army of Occupation in
Germany.
Given this association, in June 1937 HM King George VI
approved a squadron crest featuring a green maple leaf set on
a white background. The original crest design can be seen in
the RAF Club, Piccadilly, London. n
“Frangas non Flectas”
Thou mayst break, but shall not bend me.
Lieutenant C E Rabagliati, 5 Squadron RFC
Imperial War Museum Sound Archive
Needs a pic to go here !
16
17
100th ANNIVERSARY 1913 – 2013
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron -
The Lightning Era - ‘The Bear Hunt’
Brian Carroll, Lightning Association
“Four Avons thunder into life, all systems are go. Almost as one, both aircraft roll
from the alert hangar, air traffic automatically clearing us for an immediate take
off. Both aircraft smoothly apply full cold power and surge down the runway.
A glance across at my No 2, all is
OK, a nod of the head and we both
engage full re-heat. Airborne, clean up
and turn onto the climb out vector, my
No 2 moving automatically into battle
formation as soon as we are clear of any
cloud. From now on there will be little
RT communication between the aircraft
or the ground; silent procedure is the
name of the game, standard battle
18
formation is established as we fly north.
The intruder is over 400 miles away,
so for the next 45 minutes or so there
is little to do but fly the required track
and monitor our on-board systems.
The occasional visual signal is passed
between us, confirming that all is OK.
Range from base is now approaching
430 miles and the silence is suddenly
broken by a cryptic message from
ground radar. Our target is 50 miles
dead ahead and coming our way - if he
holds that heading we should be with
him in just over 3 minutes, but no, he
has already started turning away.
This is going to be a long chase if we
maintain our present cruise speed, so
with tanks still nearly full we crack
the burners and accelerate. We both
check our weapons, missiles and
cannon; one never knows if they will be
needed. Cameras, including the hand
carried 35mm, are re-checked and ready
for use.
I activate my airborne radar and there
is a nice fat blip, not too far away and
closing nicely. Radar back to stand-by
again just in case they realise that they
are being scanned. Conditions are ideal
to surprise our Russian friends. The Bear
is flying just above a thin cloud layer
only some 1,000 ft thick, so we close in
from below, preventing his rear lookout
from seeing us. Another quick look into
the radar scope confirms that we are
approaching 2,000 yards.
I signal my No 2 to maintain his
position at 2,000 while I close to 500
yards before popping up through the
cloud layer. The effect is dramatic. ‘Ivan’
in the rear blister obviously reports my
presence and the captain immediately
throttles back, slowing the Bear very
quickly. A brief flip of speed brakes and
a tight high ‘g’-roll bleeds off enough
speed to remain astern. I’m now very
much aware of the twin cannon in
the tail that are starting to track me
as I close in. The adrenalin tends to
flow a little faster at this stage! As I
close alongside the rear fuselage I
can see him clearly in the side blisters,
manhandling a somewhat cumbersome
camera mounted on a tripod.
He’s hoping for some pictures of our
Lightnings and with luck he won’t get
any. My 35mm camera is somewhat
easier to manage as I switch easily
from side to side, rolling over and
under the Bear taking pictures all the
time. Meanwhile, I manage to keep my
would-be happy snapper nicely out
of phase; no sooner has he positioned
his camera on the port side than I am
on the starboard. This continues for
a while as I collect a comprehensive
number of photographs to add to our
ever increasing library. Meanwhile, Ivan
is looking somewhat knackered; still, I
saved him a fortune in film!
Time now to bid farewell to my
budding Russian cameraman. I give
him a wave and receive one back (a
friendly wave too, not what you might
think!). Calling my No 2 to rejoin, we
break away, taking up a heading for
a rendezvous with our tanker. No
need now to keep RT silence; we are,
in fact, 540 miles from home and the
Lightnings are feeling thirsty and in
need of another drink.
The tanker is 100 miles south of
us, so I give him a call to head our
way for a while to save a little time to
the refuel point. Allowing for turning
manoeuvres, we should be ready to
make contact with the hoses in about
15 minutes. Closing in, we are cleared to
make contact. We don’t need full tanks
this time, so with base and diversion
weather good and with no on board
problems we only partially refuel.
A few words of thanks to our tanker
friends and we wing our way back to
base for a routine approach landing.
We had been airborne for around 3
hours, the sortie was text book and all
concerned feel that another job has
been well done.” n
Images clockwise from bottom left:
English Electric Lightning F6s of
5 Squadron over Spurn Point during a
flight from RAF Binbrook in May 1966
English Electric Lightning F6s of
5 Squadron from RAF Binbrook in
May 1966
Avro Vulcan B2 XH561 of the
Waddington Wing leads four English
Electric Lightning F6s of 5 Squadron in
a formation to mark the formation of
RAF Strike Command on 1 April 1968
19
100th ANNIVERSARY 1913 – 2013
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron -
The Tornado F3 Era
Group Captain J S Reuter MA RAF
“I was fortunate to serve on V(AC) as the Qualified Weapons Instructor
Navigator for three years between 1998 and 2000; it was a good time to be on
the Squadron, and a great time to be part of the F3 force.
Images clockwise from bottom left:
??????;
??????;
An unusual formation of a
5 Squadron Tornado F3 and
a Spitfire IIa - 27 June1989
20
The Coningsby Wing had been the
first to operate with the Joint Tactical
Information Distribution System (JTIDS)
– Link 16 data-link; in the late 1990s it
also received a revised defensive aids
suite with a plentiful annual training
establishment of chaff and flares.
Additionally, in 1999, we received the
Stage 2 upgrade to the AI-24 Foxhunter
radar. In the time that followed, the
aircraft would also receive further
upgrades to the weapons system that
included integration of the AMRAAM
and ASRAAM missiles – the same
weapons fit used on the
current Typhoon force. As a squadron
we achieved training and operational
success underpinned by the fantastic
air and ground crews that I joined.
When I arrived on V(AC), all but two
squadron aircrew had 1000 hours in
role, with nearly all having 1000 hours
on type.
A year into my tour, we
simultaneously held all of the Group
weapons trophies and had begun the
operational work-up to deploy to Saudi
Arabia to be part of the coalition forces
enforcing the Iraqi No-fly Zone as part
of Op BOLTON / Op SOUTHERN WATCH,
the second F3 squadron to perform
that task. In an eighteen month period
we would deploy the squadron three
times to Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB),
taking an increased share of the
deployed operation as the Leuchars F3
wing re-equipped with the AMRAAM
missile during the F3 Capability
Sustainment Programme.
The upgraded radar performed
well, JTIDS gave us connectivity and
credibility with our US allies and the
defensive aids system was the best
fitted to any fighter platform in the
region; however, carrying eight missiles,
the Towed Radar Decoy and external
tanks in a very hot climate did not
make for sparkling aircraft performance!
The aircraft was sluggish and
required an awful lot of ‘heavy
handedness’ with the throttle; too often
reheat, or ‘afterburner’, was required to
maintain energy when manoeuvring.
This, in turn, led to a reduction
in endurance and ‘fighting fuel’ as
well as considerable stress on the
engines. We had high numbers of Vib
Captions (engine vibration warnings)
but reports to our HQ resulted in an
assessment that these failures were a
‘statistical anomaly’; as a result, aircrew
recovering with such a malfunction
would, when asked to state the nature
of their emergency, reply by saying, “...
statistical anomaly caption, recovering
precautionary single engine ...”
On my second deployment to
PSAB, my pilot and I first suffered this
problem at the northern most point
of our CAP, about 80 miles south of
Bagdad, diverting to Kuwait having
stabilised the aircraft at a lower than
comfortable altitude based on the SAM
and AAA threat.
A few days later, having recovered
the aircraft post engine change, we had
a Vib Caption on take-off for the next
sortie; being past masters, we carried
out the immediate action drills and
dumped fuel whilst turning downwind
to land – airborne time was about
3 minutes although I think that we
claimed 5!
On landing, we shut down the
engine (encouraged by the rapid
gesticulations from the assembled
ground crew) and it grouched to a
sudden halt with a noise that really
should not have been associated with
an aircraft engine. Probably just a
statistical anomaly!
The Operational tempo at the
time was difficult for families but it
really bonded the squadron, and the
relationship between aircrew and
engineers was the best that I saw in
over 20 years on the force.
We had excellent availability and
serviceability and, despite the relatively
poor engine and airframe performance,
were operating an aircraft with a
sensor and weapons fit that enabled
some impressive results in training. It
is a shame that the Iraqi Air Force did
not oblige us with some endeavour,
leading to the elusive air-to-air kill
that would have properly rewarded
V(AC)’s substantial part in 25 years of
operational service by the Tornado F3.” n
21
100th ANNIVERSARY 1913 – 2013
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron
V (Army Cooperation)
Squadron in 2013
On its 100th Anniversary in 2013, V (AC) Squadron was deployed around the
world in support of Op HERRICK in Afghanistan and Op NEWCOMBE in Mali. Its
home base is at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.
Images clockwise from bottom left:
??????;
??????;
5(AC) Squadron mission crew on board
a Sentinel R1 aircraft flying a sortie
over Mali working from a Deployed
Operating Base in Dakar, Senegal;
??????;
22
V (AC) Squadron in 2013
In 2013 V (Army Cooperation) Squadron
operates from RAF Waddington, flying
the Sentinel R1 in the battlefield
surveillance and reconnaissance role.
The squadron mission is “to generate,
sustain and continuously develop
Synthetic Aperture Radar images
and Moving Target Indicator data for
national and expeditionary operations.”
The squadron is designated an Army
Cooperation Squadron and is jointly
manned by approximately 250 Royal Air
Force, Army and Royal Naval personnel.
Equipped with five Sentinel R1
aircraft and eight ground stations, its
role is to produce and exploit Synthetic
Aperture Radar (SAR) images and
Moving Target Indicator (MTI) data
primarily for the benefit of ground
commanders. The Sentinel R1 is a
modified Global Express business jet,
selected for its long range and high
altitude capabilities.
The ground stations come in 2
varieties: an Operational Level Ground
Station and a Tactical Ground Station.
The Operational Ground Station
is based on four ISO containers
connected together to provide
extra workstations for MTI and SAR
exploitation.
The Tactical Ground Stations are
based on four Pinzgauer 6x6 vehicles
that provide mobile communications,
engineering support and workstations
for data analysis.
To operate the Sentinel system, V
(AC) Squadron has established many
specialised roles for its personnel. Pilots
fly the aircraft and get the Sentinel to
the right place at the right time for
mission collection, and then safely back
to base afterwards. Airborne Mission
Commanders (AMC) work onboard the
Sentinel and plan and optimise the
collection of SAR and MTI. Airborne
Imagery Analysts (AIA) analyse the data
as soon as it is gathered and can pass
information to ground commanders, or
datalink the data to their counterparts
in the ground stations for further
analysis. The Ground Mission
Commanders (GMC) and Ground
Image Analysts (GIA) perform indepth analysis and interpretation; the
products they produce are also passed
to the ground commanders.
All these operations are supported
by a flight of air and ground engineers
who conduct routine maintenance,
pre-flight preparation, damage repair,
upgrades and all the other technical
work required to keep the aircraft
airborne and the ground stations
processing information.
productive and useful intelligence; the
pilots and AMC coordinating the best
place to position the aircraft, the AMC
and the AIAs interpreting the data and
getting it to the ground.
Also, in the quiet times, the banter
and the jokes which sustain a crew
through a long night (and lots of cups
of tea!) is what keeps the spirits up and
minds focused on the task in hand.”
The Mission Crew
“When deployed in support of Op
HERRICK, the day begins with the crew
meeting in the mess two hours before
take off, to make sure everyone is
accounted for and fit to fly.
We then walk into work, and the
pilots get on with fuel and weather
calculations, while the rear crew gather
mission specific intelligence that will
aid carrying out the day’s mission.
After a thorough briefing from the
Operations Support and Intelligence
sections, we walk to the aircraft, start
up the engines and mission equipment,
before taking off and transiting to our
mission area. During this transit period
the mission crew will be setting up the
‘collection period’ and reading further
intelligence documents. As soon as
we have crossed into the airspace the
AMC schedules test imagery of SAR and
GMTI to test the radar serviceability,
whilst the AIAs will contact the V (AC)
Squadron ground element located
at Camp Bastion and establish voice
and data link communications. Once
communications are established
The Pilot
“Flying the Sentinel R1 is a very
rewarding experience. The aircraft is
a very modern, high performance jet
which is smooth to handle, and has a
host of automation and flight guidance
computers to assist the pilots.
Flying up to 10 hours a day can be
tiring, especially if on deployment
and flying several days in a row (or
several missions in the middle of the
night!). There is, however, a small
sense of satisfaction working on 5
Squadron knowing we are doing a job
which echoes those very early days of
intelligence gathering.
As pilots our ultimate responsibility
is the safety of the aircraft and its crew,
and it is our job to get the aircraft to the
optimum position at the correct time
to collect the required imagery. I think
the best part of the job is the crew
interaction, especially if it is producing
23
100th ANNIVERSARY 1913 – 2013
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron
with our nominated ground unit the
intelligence collection begins.
Any activity believed to be of interest
by the aircraft or ground segment
will immediately be reported to the
unit directly. We continue to monitor
and report vehicles of interest for
the mission period and ensure all
the data is relayed to ground forces.
Upon mission completion, the Air and
Ground elements ensure all data has
been synchronised and the pilots turn
the aircraft for home.”
Images top to bottom:
A Sentinel R1 of 5(Army Co-operation)
Squadron returns to the Deployed
Operating Base in Dakar after flying a
sortie to support the French mission
in Mali;
??????;
5(Army Co-operation) Squadron
Dakar Detachment
24
The Ground Mission Commander
“I pulled the headset away from my
ears for a moment giving my ears a
well earned rest. The data links with the
aircraft had been temperamental but I
had fought and won the battle to keep
the data flowing and we had all six
hours of data collected by the aircraft
safely down at the ground station. The
GIAs were busy analysing it, studying
the MTI that left trails amongst the
compounds, roads and dirt tracks of
southern Helmand Province.
They were looking for the tell tale
signs and patterns in the vehicle
activity that could indicate enemy
activity. In the aircraft the AIAs had
finished their job doing the real-time
analysis and reporting of the data
collected. Usually they would make
contact directly with the unit we were
supporting on the ground but today
communications had been unreliable.
The GMC was the hub of
communications at the ground station
in Bastion; via the Liaison Officer they
made the link between aircraft and
support unit. The GMC maintained
radio and data links with the aircraft
meaning analysts on the ground could
quickly get the collected data only
minutes after those in the air.
Later, when the GIAs had finished
their slower, more in depth analysis, I
would be the first line of several quality
checks before their final intelligence
report was released. For now, as the
aircraft made its way home, I passed
the latest weather reports to the
aircrew for their return journey and
bid them a good night. Tomorrow we
would do it all again.”
The Sentinel Engineer
“The return of V (AC) Squadron to its
Royal Air Force/Army roots has now
been tested in three theatres of war.
The squadron has proudly
demonstrated its ability to rapidly
project reconnaissance capability with
a small force of personnel, equipment
and aeroplanes; giving ground
commanders the situational awareness
fittingly echoes the Squadron’s original
role when it was formed.
But naturally, it would be rude to
credit just the image analysts and
aircrew in producing the output.
After all, “there’s no Air Power without
Ground Power”. Sentinel Engineering
is the catalyst keeping the fragile
balance of serviceability and availability
optimised across the 5 aircraft in
the fleet.
Sometimes frustrating and regularly
unpredictable, each Sentinel has
her own personality and has a habit
of performing well when you least
expect her to. The name ‘Sentinel’
encompasses its operational capability
beautifully – ‘one that keeps guard’,
with superb endurance over target
providing a protective blanket over our
colleagues on the ground.
But, given the vast array of computer
based technology at the aircraft’s
heart, the other definition of Sentinel
from the computer-science world (‘a
rogue quantity, a special value that
guarantees program termination’
-) is accurate from a maintainer’s
perspective as well. The patience
required when fault finding Sentinel
is boundless, from transient problems
that make fleeting appearances to hard
faults in any of a number of possible
components – she needs to be
handled with care, seemingly reacting
to the slightest hint of overconfidence
or pessimism from air or ground crew.
But the technology she boasts is
striking, and the mostly harmonious
marriage of maintainers and
maintained continues ... ” n
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron -
Squadron Personnel in 2013
25
100th ANNIVERSARY 1913 – 2013
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron
V (Army Cooperation) Squadron -
Squadron Locations 1913 - 2013
Images top to bottom:
Westland Wapiti I general purpose
aircraft at Jhellum, India in 1928, whilst
undergoing trials with 5 Squadron;
The intelligence officer at an airfield in
Burma, quizzes the pilot of a
5 Squadron Republic Thunderbolt
fighter shortly after landing in
October 1944
26
Jul 1913 South Farnborough
May 1914 Netheravon
Jul 1914 Gosport (Fort Grange)
Aug 1914 Swingate Down
Aug 1914 Amiens
Aug 1914 Maubeuge
Aug 1914 Le Cateau
Aug 1914 St-Quentin
Aug 1914 La Fere
Aug 1914 Compiegne
Aug 1914 Senlis
Aug 1914 Juilly
Sep 1914 Serris
Sep 1914 Pezarche
Sep 1914 Melon
Sep 1914 La Boiserotte
Sep 1914 Coulommiers
Sep 1914 Amiens
Oct 1914 Abbeville
Oct 1914 Moyenneville
Oct 1914 St-Omer
Oct 1914 Baillieul Apr 1915 Abeele
Mar 1916 Droglandt
Oct 1916 Marieux
Mar 1917 La Gorgue
Apr 1917 Savy
Jun 1917 Les Moeres
May 1918 Le Hameau
Aug 1918 Bovelles
Oct 1918 Pronville
Oct 1918 Emerchicourt
Nov 1918 Aulnoy
Dec 1918 Elsenborn
Dec 1918 Hangelar
Sep 1919 Bicester
Apr 1920 Apr 1920 Oct 1922 Mar 1924 Jan 1925 Oct 1925 Dec 1928 Quetta
Loralai
Ambala
Dardoni
Kohat
Risalpu
Quetta
May 1930 May 1931 Jun 1935 Aug 1935 Kohat
Secunderabad
Drigh Road
Risalpur
Oct 1935 Mar 1937 Apr 1937 Nov 1937 Oct 1939 Chaklala Kohat
Mirshanah
Risalpur
Chaklala
Ford Sandeman
Jun 1940 Dec 1941 May 1942 Oct 1942 Jun 1943 Nov 1943 Dec 1943 Mar 1944 Mar 1944 Jun 1944 Jun 1944 Sep 1944
Oct 1944 Oct 1944 Dec 1944 Apr 1945 Apr 1945 Jun 1945 Jun 1945 Jun 1945 Aug 1945 Sep 1945 Sep 1945 Feb 1946 Jun 1946 Nov 1946 Nov 1946 Jan 1947 Jul 1947 Feb 1949 Oct 1949 Lahore
Dum Dum
Dinjan
Agartala
Kharagpur
Armada Road
Sapam
Wangjing
Lanka
Dergaon
Vizagapatam
Yelahanka
Cholavaram
Trichinopoly
Nazir
Cox’s Bazaar
Kyaukpyu
Cox’s Bazaar
Vizagapatam
Bobbili
Vizagapatam
Baigachi
Zayatkwin
Bhopal
Poona
Yelahanka
Poona
Peshawar
Mauripur
Pembrey
Chivenor
Mar 1951
Mar 1952 Oct 1955 Oct 1956 Jan 1959 Llandow
Wunstorf
Fassberg
Wunstorf
Laarbruch
Ackowledgements
Edited by Flight Lieutenant Mark Scott RAF, V (AC) Squadron.
Designed by Air Media Centre, HQ Air Command,
RAF High Wycombe.
With great thanks to Lee Barton, Air Historical Branch;
Andy Renwick, RAF Museum London and the RAF
Waddington Photographic Section for the photographs which
appear in this publication. All pictures are Crown Copyright ©.
The following is a list of sources consulted in the preparation
of this brochure:
Air Historical Branch, RAF Northolt
V (AC) Squadron records
Bishop, Patrick, Wings: One Hundred Years of British Aerial
Warfare (Atlantic Books, 2012)
Yoxall, John, History of the “Fighting Fifth” (Flight, 1957)
www.raf.mod.uk
www.rafweb.org
www.lightning.org.uk
www.historyofwar.org
Personnel, past and present, of V (AC) Squadron.
Image:
Nov 1962 Oct 1965 Geilenkirchen
Binbrook
Jan 1988 Apr 2004 Coningsby
Waddington
5 Squadron Tornado F3
Back cover:
English Electric Lightning F6s of 5
Squadron in formation during a flight
from RAF Binbrook in May 1966
27
100th ANNIVERSARY 1913 – 2013
Designed and produced by Air Media Centre, HQ Air Command.
0606_13SJD © UK MOD Crown Copyright, 2013
28