…... was as enemies in the North African campaigns of the 1940s. The Squadron’s participation had been proposed because of its long association with the Middle East, and the Squadron Commander at the time, Bill Cope, had immediately accepted.
As OC ‘A’ Flight at the time, and having had plenty of experience in Exercise Plans at HQ 18 Group, the Chairman had been tasked to attend the Planning Exercise in Cairo. As the main Exercise was to include some Tornado F3s and some Royal Naval surface assets, HQ 18 Group’s Wg Cdr Exercises Jeff Jefford), a Flight Commander (Mike Barnes) from No 11 Squadron Tornado F3s, and some Royal Navy colleagues were also invited.
The plan was to fly from RAF Brize Norton to Cairo using
a FRADU Falcon. The first stop was in Brindisi overnight where, most significantly, the Chairman lost a red jumper that he left on his seat in a restaurant. On the next day, they flew on to Cairo International Airport, where it was suggested that they change into uniform to meet their Egyptian military hosts and the Air Attaché. The Naval element of the contingent was due to travel straight to Alexandria to begin the first part of the Exercise planning, before returning to Cairo that evening. They therefore advised their RAF colleagues to ‘leave their bags on board the aircraft’ so that they could all be brought to the hotel in Cairo in a single load at the end of the day.
So, the first 2 ‘lessons identified’ from the Exercise were: ‘don’t trust the Navy’; and ‘always keep your bags with you’ (Ed: The 3 RAF members of the contingent were all navigators which, of course, explains a lot!). The Chairman and his 2 RAF colleagues were ushered through the airport and taken to the Shepherds Hotel, which had a wonderful view of the Nile but, of course, their Navy colleagues did not pitch up with the luggage. They, and the bags, stayed in Alexandria for the next 2 nights. The Air Attaché played a blinder and provided everyone with T-
The next morning, the Air Attaché escorted them to the Egyptian Air Force Headquarters and told them: “Don’t worry because, if you come to the gate, you will see an Air Force-
They were taken into the Air Force Headquarters and up the stairs, at the top of which was a stairwell with lots of old settees that looked as if they had been thrown out. They sat in those settees until they were called forward to meet an Egyptian Air Force Colonel in his office.
2017 Reunion -
