January | Special | UK to Karachi, Pakistan | FS Brian Clarke plus 2. Deployment of Royal Navy Engineering Team plus spares to Pakistan to carry out an engine change on the frigate HMS Nottingham |
January | Exercise Rocky Lance | UK to Muscat, Oman | Cpl Brian Harper plus 2. Deployment of 1Bn Scots Guards to Oman |
January | Exercise Orang Utang | Brunei | Sgt Derek Barron plus 2. Deployment of Ghurkas within the Far East |
February | Exercises Red Flag and Green Flag | Offutt AFB, NE, USA to UK | Fg Off Rich Green plus 2. Recovery of personnel and equipment of 57 Squadron (Victors) from Nebraska to UK |
February | Exercise Trumpet Dance | UK to Seattle, WA, USA | Fg Off Simon Baxter plus 2. Deployment of 1Bn Royal Anglians to USA |
March | Exercise Rum Punch | UK to Homestead AFB, FL and thence to Patrick AFB, Cape Canaveral and Andros | Fg Off Andy Kime plus 5. Deployment of 42 Squadron (Nimrods) to Florida in support of torpedo trials. (n.b. Homestad AFB was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in the 90s). After the Ex Rum Punch deployment the team went on to Patrick AFB to complete the AUTEC detachment, operating an Andover (The Princess) between Patrick AFB, Cape Canaveral and Andros |
March | Special | Lyneham to Gardermoen and Tromso, Norway |
Fg Off Richard Green, Flt Sgt's Tony Last and John Cooper, Cpl Martin Turner, Cpl S Woodcock, SAC Gonzo Burke |
March | Special | Lyneham to Bardufoss, Norway and Wittering, UK |
Flt Sgt Tony Last, Cpl Al Connell |
March | Exercise Green Flag | Nellis AFB, NV, USA to Honington, UK | Wg Cdr Bob Dixon plus 5. Recovery of 9 Squadron (Buccaneers) from USA to Honington |
March | Exercise High Trig | Kathmandu, Nepal to UK | Fg Off Graham Howard plus 1. recovery of 36 Engineer Regiment from Nepal to UK |
March | Wintex | Coltishall, UK | Fg Off Steve Heaton plus 11. Recovery of 41 Sqn (Jaguars) from Bardufoss , Norway to UK |
April | Exercise Trumpet Dance | McChord AFB, WA, USA to UK |
Fg Off Chris Goss plus 2. Recovery of 1Bn Staffords from USA to UK |
April | Exercise Sandy Wanderer | Seeb, Oman to UK | Fg Off Dick Page plus 2. Recovery of elements of UKLF from Oman to UK |
April | Exercises Prairie Vortex and Maple Flag | UK to Cold Lake, AB, Canada | Fg Off Andy Kime plus 4. Deployment of 15 & 16 Squadron (Bucaneers) to Canada for air exercise |
May | Exercise Thumpers Glory | Duke Field, FL, USA to UK | Flt Lt Mark Blackburn plus 5. Recovery of UK Special Forces from Florida to UK. (n.b. Duke Field is known as Eglin AFB Auxiliary #3) |
May | Special | Brize Norton to Kirtland AFB, NM, USA |
FS Tony Last, Sgt Hugh Curran, Cpl Jim Bissel |
May | Special | Lyneham to Tancos, Portugal |
FS Tony Last, SAC Pig Clarke, SAC Bailey |
May | Special | Lyneham to Wattisham | FO Chris Goss, FS Tony Last, Sgt Derek Baron, Cpl Rog Whitaker, SAC Pig Clarke |
May | Special | Lyneham to (shuttle between) Coltishall and Tirstrup, Denmark |
FS Tony Last, SAC Bailey |
May | Special | UK to Kathmandu, Nepal and return | Flt Lt Jim Stewart, Sgt John Billingsley, Cpl Bob Dickman, SACs Ted Edwards & Gus Turney. Rotation of Gurkha equipment between Nepal and UK |
June | Special | UK to Tangiers, Morocco | Fg Off Gibson plus 5. Deployment of spares to Morocco in support of a u/s Hunter aircraft |
June | Operation Bushel | Lyneham to (Shuttle between) Addis Abbaba. Mekele and Assab | FO Steve Harpum, FS Tony Last, Sgt's Hugh Curran, Ben Walters, Cpl's Bob Dickman, Dave Felts, Steve Cross, Al Walkinshaw, SAC's S Sanderson, Treeve Harris, Gordon Bock, Martin Brown, Vince Culmer |
June | Exercise Jumping Mercury | Goose Bay, NL, Canada to Honington, UK | Fg Off Green plus 2. Recovery of 9 Squadron (Tornadoes) to Honington |
June | Medical Relief Supplies | Kathmandu, Nepal and Colombo, Sri Lanka |
1 team delivery of medical supplies to Kathmandu and Colombo |
June | Exercise Pond Jump West | UK to Saskatoon, SK, Canada | Fg Off Chris Goss plus 3. Deployment of 1 Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders to Canada for Infantry Battle Group Training |
July | Exercise Jumping Mercury | Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands to UK | Fg Off Phillips plus 3. Recovery of 30 Sigs Squadron and TCW from Turks & Caicos Islands to UK |
July | Squadron Exchange | Monte Real, Portugal to UK |
FS John Cooper plus 2. Recovery of 617 Squadron (Tornado) to Portugal on an exchange exercise |
July | Special | Brize Norton to Gutersloh, Germany, Keflavik, Iceland, Calgary, AB Canada and return |
FS Tony Last, Cpl Jim Bissel, SAC Roger Gough |
August | Exercise Prairie Vortex | UK to Ellesworth AFB, SD, USA | Fg Off Mark Stephenson, FS Pete Mahon, Cpls Jim Bissell, Steve Perry & Paul Rackley, SAC Dave Spencer. Deployment of 27 Squadron (Tornados) to South Dakota |
August | Exercise Long look | Auckland, New Zealand to Darwin, NT, Australia and return |
WO Derek Coles plus 1. Exchange of personnel with RAAF and RNZAF |
August | Special | Lyneham to Trenton, ON, Canada | FS Tony Last, Sgt Jim Swainsbury, Cpl Steve Perry |
August | Special | Lyneham to Ellsworth AFB, SD, USA | FO Chris Goss, FS Tony Last, Cpl Al Connel, SAC Ginge Barrett, SAC Dinger Bell, SAC Mick Cocker |
August | Exercise Tahrp Sahti | Hong Kong to Wewak PNG and return | Sahti. Fg Off Simon Baxter plus 2. Exchange of Papua New Guinea forces and Ghurkas between PNG and Hong Kong. |
September | NATO Squadron Exchange | Cameri, Italy to Wattisham, UK |
FSgt Alan Soane plus 2. Recovery of 74 Squadron (Phantoms) to Wattisham |
September | Special | Lyneham to Benbecula and Lossiemouth Scotland, then Billund Denmark |
FO Chris Goss, FS Tony Last, Cpl Andy Tesch |
September | Exercise Damsel Fair | UK to Izmir, Turkey | Sgt Geoff Cox, SAC’s Mick Cocker and John Farrelly. Deployment of Fleet Clearance Diving Team (FCDT) to Turkey |
September | Exercises Raleigh Merlin, Moonbase and Fourpence |
Nairobi, Kenya to UK | Flt Lt Jim Stewart plus 5. recovery of 22 SAS to UK from Kenya |
On 24th September 1985 Sgt Ash Ladva, MAMS Eng, was presented with the BEM by the AOC-in-C Strike Command, Air Chief Marshal, Sir David Craig. |
|||
October | Operation Red Kite | Andros Island, Bahamas to UK | Fg Off Mark Stephenson, FSgt Clive Hall, Sgt Dick Colman, Cpl Brian Harper, SAC’s Ginge Barrett and Dave Spencer. Recovery of Spearfish, Stingray and Mk 46 Torpedoes from the AUTEC Ranges |
October | Exercise Hardy Force | Wittering, UK to Billund, Denmark | Sgt Gerry Muffett plus 4. Deployment of 1 Squadron (Harriers) to Billund in Denmark |
November | November saw the arrival of Flt Lt Marie Djumic as the new BLCO (Base Load Control Officer – now known as BOPSO Base Operations Officer). She was the very first female to take up this post |
||
November | Exercises Rum Punch and Prairie Vortex | UK to Patrick AFB, FL and Alaska to Marham, UK | Flt Lt Ian Beverley plus 5. Deploy Nimrod personnel and equipment to Florida and recover 217 and 57 Squadrons (Victors) from Alaska to Marham |
November | Exercise Game Spirit | UK to Nairobi, Kenya | Fg Off Steve Harpum, FSgt Gordon Black, Sgt Hugh Curran plus 3. Deployment of 1Bn Kings Regt to Kenya |
November | Exercise Prairie Vortex | Ellsworth AFB, SD, USA to Marham, UK | Flt Lt Beverley plus 5. Recovery of 27 & 57 Squadrons (Victors) from South Dakota to Marham |
December | Exercise Kangaroo Mercury | Accra, Ghana to UK | Fg Off Andy Kime plus 5. Recovery of 30 Sigs Regt and TCW from Ghana to UK |
December | Exercise Sandy Wanderer | UK to Salalah, Oman | Wg Cdr Mighall (OC UKMAMS) plus 3. Deployment of elements of SAS to Salalah and rations for 2 Para in Oman |