Author Robert Curtis revisited the helicopters he flew during the Cold war this month in the UK.
Go away for a mere 30 years and you find that not only has your former squadron changed aircraft, they’ve moved the main gate of the airfield, leaving you unsure how to even get on the base! I had the honor to fly with 846 Squadron, Royal Navy (RN), the “Junglies”, as an exchange officer from the United States Marine Corps from 1983 until 1985. In my 24 years of service, first with the US Army flying Chinooks in Vietnam, then with the National Guard flying Hueys and Jet Rangers, and finally with the US Marine Corps flying SeaKnights, the two years as a Junglie flying SeaKing MK4s was, without a doubt, my best tour. Vietnam was challenging, to say the least, as were all the intricate exercises in the Marine Corps operating off ships in all kinds of weather, but for sheer variety of action, nothing beats the Junglies. One day you are flying in the deserts of Egypt and a few weeks later 200 plus miles north of the Arctic Circle and then back in the verdant green of Somerset, followed by a deployment to the Netherlands.
I last was aboard Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton as an exchange office in June 1985, but it wasn’t the last time I visited 846. In 1986, my Marine squadron was doing a six month deployment to the Mediterranean onboard the USS Guam. Between exercises, I talked my CO into letting me return to the UK for an air show. As soon as I arrived, I drove directly to Yeovilton and checked into the officer’s mess. The next morning I went over to the squadron, made myself a cup of coffee and was sitting there, reading a magazine as the pilots began arriving for work. “Good Heavens! Curtis. I thought you had gone home!” one said in surprise. “No, just been on extended leave”, I replied. It was an excellent visit with old friends.
Since one major section of my book, Surprised at Being Alive: An Accidental Helicopter Pilot in Vietnam and Beyond, concerns my time with the RN, I decided to do a UK launch party at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, at Yeovilton. While all of my friends from the 1980s have long since left the service, they all still love to get together and tell lies, er, war stories and what better place than the museum? Upon learning about my plan my colleague Rob Stephens connected me with Kerry Randall from the Public Affairs Office, who kindly arranged for my wife and me to tour 846 and get a look at the new Merlin and Wildcat helicopters just coming into service.
Time marches on, as the saying goes, and I find that all the ships I served in have become scrap or targets. The same for aircraft, since of the eight types I flew, soon only the Chinook will remain in service. The SeaKings I flew with 846 are rapidly being retired after 40+ years and are being replaced by the Merlin, a much more modern and capable aircraft. LtCol Stafford, Royal Marines, CO of 846, graciously invited my wife and me to tour his new squadron spaces and aircraft. What a change in both regards. The squadron spaces have completely up-to-date mission planning computers, allowing far more detailed preparation than was possible in my time. The only thing I saw that was familiar was the tea pot for heating water to make the instant coffee. Didn’t try it, but would hazard a guess that while the aircraft have improved, the coffee hasn’t.
The highlight of the tour was the Merlin. Lt Trowman sat me in the cockpit and explained what it was I was seeing. Good thing, because flat panel glass has replaced all the steam gauges I was familiar with, so I was lost. The thought did go through my mind that if I could get it started I was positive I could fly it. Bottom line on the Merlin, it is a thoroughly modern, very combat ready aircraft, one that I would love to fly. It is a worthy successor to the “Mighty SeaKing”.
Leaving 846, Kerry took us next door to 848 to meet LT James Nottingham for a tour of the new Wildcat scout helicopter. A more modern version of the Lynx, the Wildcat too is all glass and sensors, and as such, way beyond this old helicopter pilot. I told Lt Nottingham of a mission in Vietnam where I wanted to bring artillery fire on some enemy gun batteries. He smiled politely at the list of items on the checklist I had to follow and told me how it’s done now. He would mark the proposed target on his sensors and electronically transfer the contact to the artillery folks, who would then take over, evaluate the target and decide whether or not to engage. Time marches on!
The next day we held our launch party at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. Lots of old friends and war stories. A good time was had by all. The day after that we moved to the Helicopter Museum at Weston-Super-Mare for a book signing event. Much thanks to Rod Holloway, head aircraft restorer, Lee Mills, Museum director, and Captain Elfan ap Rees, Museum Trustee, for arranging our visit. Wonderful museum, with the largest collection of helicopters in the world. Somewhat to my distress I found that their collection includes five types that I have flown. Better to see them in a museum than scrapped though.
We ended our visit to the UK by having lunch with Wing Commander Reg Barker, RAF (Retired) and his family. Reg was a WWII Lancaster pilot and survivor of having his bomber blown apart in flight over Germany in 1944. At 94 he is sharp and funny and an all-around delightful man. It was a perfect ending to a most excellent visit to the UK.
– Robert Curtis
Robert Curtis is the author of Surprised at Being Alive and of the upcoming release, The Typhoon Truce.
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