iscover
Westland Sea Kings transfer stores from the SS Canberra (the Great White Whale as she was dubbed) to one of the RN warships. The entire Falklands operation would not have been possible without a VISTOL lighter such as the Harrier and the widespread use of helicopters in the resupply and support role.
Air War Over The South Atlantic
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On the day the carriers sailed I was ‘goofing’ illegally, on No. 2 deck in HMS 1-fermes and watching the departure. It was amazing, I have never seen anything like it. The shores were quite black with thousands of people, it was an unbelievable send-off.
Lieutenant David Smith (27), single, joined the Royal Navy from school, entering Dartmouth in 1973. He spent five years as a ship’s navigator, then went on to flying training in October 1978. He started on the Bulldog and progressed through the Jet Provost before being posted to RAF Valley for advanced flying training and RAF Brawdy for tactical weapons and air-to-air combat training. He joined 800 Squadron in February 1982
Initially, I was among the lucky ones. I had my own cabin and remained in comparative luxury until the Admiral came aboard at Ascension, when I was relegated to the Wardroom floor along with dozens of others. I do not think I have ever seen a ship so crowded, there were sailors, officers, Royal Marines, etc. , everywhere, in every imaginable nook and cranny. Some sleeping, some clean rifles and equipment and others do their ‘keep fit ‘ exercises. One of the best things about being a pilot was that one was able to get away from it all from time to time, albeit for a comparatively short period.
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