Valiant Boys: True Stories from the Operators of the UK's First Four-Jet Bomber

by Tony Blackman, Anthony Wright

Overview

Following on from the success of Victor Boys and Vulcan Boys, Tony Blackman, in collaboration with Anthony Wright, brings you Valiant Boys to complete the V Force set. This is a fascinating collection of personal accounts of operating Britain’s first V bomber by aircrew and ground crew. The book tells the story from the aircraft’s birth taking off from Vickers’ tiny airfield at Brooklands to its premature death from fatigue. There are tales of testing atom bombs in the Australian desert, dropping hydrogen bombs in the middle of the Pacific and, as a complete contrast, attacking airfields with conventional bombs in Egypt during the very brief and abortive Suez campaign. We are reminded of how the Valiant provided the UK’s first nuclear deterrent by always having some armed aircraft on standby twenty-four hours a day, supported by their air and ground crews, ready to be flown at a moment’s notice on a one-way trip to launch an atomic war.

Some Valiants were given a photographic role providing accurate images from high altitude and were used not only to gather military intelligence but also to survey the UK and countries overseas. Others were developed into flight refueling tankers breaking point to point records before enabling Britain’s fighter aircraft to be refueled and fly anywhere in the world.

This book completes Tony Blackman’s trilogy of the three V bombers. As Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham makes it clear in his foreword: ‘It is good to have a book written by aircrew and ground crew telling their stories and how they operated the aircraft so that all these things are recorded and not forgotten.’ Not as well known as the Vulcan and Victor, the Valiant is often overlooked; this book will go a long way to redress the balance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781911621249
Publisher:	Grub Street
Publication date:	04/19/2019
Series:	The Jet Age Series , #7
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Tony Blackman has spent his life in the aircraft industry as a test pilot, as an avionics specialist and then on the Board of UK Civil Aviation Authority as the Technical Member.

Squadron Leader Anthony Wright BA joined the RAF in 1960. After navigator training he entered the V Force as a navigator radar flying Valiants and then Vulcans. After a tour in Singapore and completion of the Staff Navigation Course he was posted to Cranwell as station navigation officer and instructor. He returned to the Vulcan force as an instructor, followed by wing weapons and then radar leader on 50 Squadron. After an appointment at the MoD he became OC of a nuclear training squadron at RAF Armament Support Unit. On retirement he served at HQ Air Cadets until 2003. He now lives with his wife Rosemary in Rutland.

Table of Contents

Foreword 7

Acknowledgements 8

Preface 9

Prologue - The First Prototype 10

Chapter 1 Flight Development - The Valiant at Vickers and Woodford 17

Chapter 2 Operation Too Right 27

Chapter 3 Operation Buffalo - Atomic Testing in Australia 33

Chapter 4 Operation Musketeer - Suez 1956 42

Chapter 5 RAF Regiment Suez - Guarding the Valiants 51

Chapter 6 Early Squadron Days 60

Chapter 7 214 Squadron before Tanking 69

Chapter 8 Operation Grapple 75

Chapter 9 RATOG Testing 94

Chapter 10 Valiant Memories 101

Chapter 11 148 Squadron Memories 106

Chapter 12 543 Squadron Memories 110

Chapter 13 214 Squadron Tanking 114

Chapter 14 An AEO's Story 120

Chapter 15 148 Squadron 125

Chapter 16 Low Level Deterrent 139

Chapter 17 Valiant Tales 149

Chapter 18 Valiant Accidents - A Brief Survey 160

Chapter 19 The Sudden Finish - A Surprise to Some? 167

Epilogue - Final Words 177

Appendix 1 Nuclear Radiation - An Unfinished Tale? 178

Appendix 2 Wisley Log Book - Some Personal Memories 186

Appendix 3 Buffalo Log Book - An Important Record 187

Acronyms 188

Index 189

Editorial Reviews

"...highly recommended."

Air Power History