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POST WAR YEARS CONTINUED

In January, 1956 the Squadron moved from Abu Sueir to RNAS Hal Far, Malta. Before leaving diplomatic clearance was obtained to fly a farewell Balbo over the Sphinx and the Gizeh Pyramids.

At Hal Far liaison with the Navy was excellent and comments were soon flying around that it would only be a short time before ‘Naval 8’ was reinstated as an operational squadron. However this liaison was not to last for in March the Squadron moved once more, this time to Akrotiri, Cyprus, where patrol operations against the terrorists were carried out.

In June a detachment of four aircraft was sent to Aden to assist in the trouble there. This was to become a permanent detachment with Squadron pilots being changed at regular intervals.

With a deteriorating international situation, conditions in the Eastern Mediterranean were becoming warlike. By August the Squadron was on the move yet again, this time to Ta Kali, Malta.

This move was hard to understand initially, with the Suez situation boiling up, for 208 were one of the most experienced Squadrons in the Zone.

However when the Squadron arrived in Malta it found itself to be the only operational RAF Squadron there. A new task was given to the Squadron, that of intercepting incoming aircraft. Four aircraft, the Battle flight, were on standby on the Operational Readiness Platform (ORP) and were scrambled by Air Traffic control who were in touch by landline with Malta Sector. The aircraft were then vectored onto any target which had been “seen” by the GCI Due to the age of this equipment however several of the interceptions were unsatisfactory. In one extreme case a section was vectored onto a destroyer at 5,000 feet apparently executing a wide left hand orbit!

Interception exercises were practiced with Navy Sea Hawks, carrier based, during October. By the end of the month the Squadron was brought to standby from dawn to dusk for, with the bombing of the Suez Canal bases, it was thought that attempts might be made to bomb Malta.

All aircraft approaching the Island were intercepted though no unfriendly ones were identified. By 10th November normal Squadron training was resumed and was practised until January when once more a detachment of four aircraft was required to provide tactical reconnaissance against the Yemeni tribesmen who were raiding across the border into Aden territory.

The detachment in Aden assisted, through reconnaissance and photography, in establishing the border and its access routes. It also carried out coastal patrols ol the Western Aden Protectorate, shipping reconnaissance, pre-and post strike photographs liaising with 8 Squadron and suppressing insurgent small- arms fire during these strikes.

During February three Squadron aircraft were compelled to force land in Iraq while en route from Habbaniya to Diyarbakir . It is most regrettable that it was impossible to recover these almost intact aircraft since the ground was impassable to Queen Mary transporters.

A small piece of Squadron History was made in April, 1957 when Flight Lieutenant Briggs and Flying Officer McKee, returning from Aden, landed at Diyarbakir, Turkey. The last occasion when 208 Squadron had visited Turkey was in 1923.

Between July and August a detachment of three aircraft was based at Bahrain in the Persian Gulf to support the Sultan of Muscat and Oman against rebels fighting in the Imam of Oman.

September brought the news that the Squadron was to be re-equipped as a Day Fighter Ground Attack Squadron with Hunter Mk 6 aircraft within the following six months. By the end of the year the Squadron had commenced its running down period at Ta Kali as new pilots were being trained on the Hunters in UK in the DFGA role.

Eventually the Aden detachment of five pilots and four aircraft became the fighter reconnaissance flight of 8 Squadron.

In January, 1958, whilst 208 proper was running down at Ta Kali the new 208 was crystallising at Tangmere under the command of Squadron Leader J.H. Granville-White. They came into being immediately after 34 Squadron disbanded and inherited the latter’s buildings, Hunter Mk 5 aircraft and nine of their pilots. The Sapphire Hunter was only used as a temporary measure until the Squadron received its new Hunter Mk 6’s, however, though less powerful it was adequate for the initial training in the DFGA role.

The first of the new Hunter Mk 6’s was received in February and on 21st March the Hunters found themselves in Nicosia, established as the official 208 Squadron, where they immediately settled down to work and “Battle Flight”. {For the anecdotal version of this period please follow this LINK }

The beginning of April heralded the fortieth birthday of the Royal Air Force and the third birthday of EOKA, neither side however volunteered any presents. A week later though, the night’s peace was shattered by an explosion advertising the activity of “the other side”. The following morning it was discovered that a pipe bomb had been placed outside a hangar and had damaged the Squadron Commander’s aircraft and holed a number of drop tanks. The subsequent zealous search for further bombs by the RAF Regiment resulted in the sand-bagging and attempted removal of a tin of paint, a jack-handle and a practice bomb!

Shortly after this incident the Squadron moved to Akrotiri as repairs were due to the Nicosia runway. At Akrotiri life went on apace and the superior living accommodation and swimming facilities were enjoyed by all.

During May an Anglo-American exercise of all units in the Eastern Mediterranean was held, 208’s contribution being the defence of Cyprus. The main threat came from “Demons” and “Crusaders” of the U.S. 6th Fleet. This proved to be excellent experience in air combat for the pilots and great spectator value for the rest of the Station. The Squadron also received considerable public acclaim in the local newspapers for its successful efforts in combat with the Americans.