1973

Administrator

The squadron operated as a medium bomber squadron throughout 1973

Stationed at:

  • RAF Akrotiri (Cyprus), using Delta [or Echo] Dispersal

RAF AKROTIRI
– read more –

Role

  • Medium bomber squadron, tasked with providing aircraft and crews capable of low level strategic bombing (a) in support of the UK’s commitment to CENTO and NATO and (b) to reinforce the Persian Gulf

Command

  • Bomber Wing, NEAF (Near East Air Force)

Squadron Command

  • Commanding Officer:
    • Wing Commander KI Watson

KI Watson

Strength

No. 35 Squadron December 1973 [Courtesy of Ken Watson]

Activities

Air Crew

  • Ground Training (on station and off station)
    • Lectures / Courses in subjects such as Intelligence, Weapons and Aircraft Systems
    • Emergency, Escape, Dinghy and Survival Drills
    • “Trade” related Refresher Courses
  • Flying Training
    • As per Basic Training Requirement (BTR) Programme
  • Ongoing Assessments, Checks and Classifications
  • Exercises, Rangers and Detachments (Crew / Squadron / Station / Group / Command)
    • Low Level Exercise Umber (Teheran) (Regular)
    • Special Flight to New Zealand (March)
    • NATO Exercise Dawn Patrol (June)
    • Air Defence Exercise (Malta) (August)
    • NATO Exercise Deep Furrow (September)
    • Exercise Selwyn (October)
    • Readinesss Exercise Taceval (October)
    • CENTO Joint Naval Exercise Midlink (November)
    • Air Defence Exercise (Cyprus) (December)
    • UK Trainer
    • Gulf Trainer
    • Luqa [Malta] Ranger
    • Ankara Ranger
    • Various Island Rangers
    • Nairobi [Kenya] Ranger
    • Tengah Ranger
    • Detachment: Masirah [Oman] Exercise Pedigree (Regular)
  • Displays / Flypasts
    • Venice (September)
    • Nicosia (September)
    • Firepower Demonstration (Episkopi Bay) (September)
  • Bombing and Navigation Competitions
    • RAF Strike Command (STC) Annual Bombing and Navigation Competition [Double Top] (May)

Ground Trades

  • Administrative Support
Log Cropped.jpg

Extract from Log Book (Courtesy of W. MacGillivray)

MIDLINK EXERCISE

Mount Etna from 9000ft taken from Air Bomber position 31st January 1973
[Courtesy of Roy Brocklebank]

BOMBING COMPETITION

In May 1973, Flight Lieutenant Julian Flood and his crew flew their two sorties in the STC Bombing and Navigation Competition to such good effect that they carried off the Blue Steel Trophy (awarded to the Air Force with the best overall crews), the Electronics Trophy, for the best individual crew in navigation, and the Sir Phillip Sassoon Trophy for the best squadron in navigation

BOMBING COMPETITION TROPHIES

Trophies won by the IX/35 Squadron (NEAF) during the Strike Command Bombing and Navigation Competition (May 1973) including Blue Steel, Electronics and Sassoon Trophies, on display at RAF Akrotiri

[Courtesy of Ron Morris]

Aircraft

The squadron was equipped with the following aircraft types (from a station pool):

AVRO VULCAN B2

Profile © Malcolm Barrass

The following page identifies the serial numbers of the aircraft that were available to the squadron from the Akrotiri Pool, along with details of known losses and incidents: