…... for the last 100 miles and kept the speed well up above 400 knots, we could usually avoid the Sea Hawk CAPs, which were directed by Skyraiders and an outer screen of frigates.
We had many splendid scraps with the Sea Hawks — usually after we had shot up their carriers. If the sea was reasonably rough we used to land with our windscreens well salted-up.
The outbreak of the Suez war caught the squadron napping. Both Flight Commanders had flown a T7 back to UK for a long weekend to attend the Annual Reunion, held in those days in a Soho pub. On 29th October we set off to return to Malta via Istres, an Armé de 1 ‘Air experimental base near Marseille. A “dodgy” radio “forced” us to night-stop there. We managed to borrow a Landrover and driver from the local RAF detachment and set off to explore the town — or rather the seamier part of it. I seem to recall a number of “boitesde-nuit” where we compared the merits of Pastis, Ouzo and Raki before returning to our Chambre d ‘Hôte much the worse for wear.
No sooner had we ‘flaked out” when the RAF Detachment Commander almost battered down our door, waving an Immediate signal from AHQ Malta demanding our instant return. I did not think it politic to answer saying we would comply as soon as we had sobered up! It was still dark when we lurched into the air with Jack in the back clutching a case of champagne on his lap. I also thought it tactless to route via Tunis, which was normal practice in the T7 which carried less fuel than the FR9. So to give us some sort of a margin in case the weather was duff at Malta, I had to take her up to 40,000 ft — and the T7 was not pressurised. All went well except for a few minor explosions from the back, which served to keep me awake!” They were only corks blowing from Jack’s champagne. An hour 40 mins leg, unpressurised, above 30,000ft, should have given us both an attack of the “bends”, but neither of us suffered. “Had we accidentally discovered that alcohol prevents the nitrogen bubbling in one’s blood?”
The war itself was a non-event for 208. All we did was to mount a battle flight of four aircraft on ORP. We only got scrambled once and that was because the bomber stream of Valiants and Canberras based at Luqa were recalled early and nobody remembered to tell Malta Sector or Madelena Radar! And that was the end of my tour, and a memorable one it was.
