The Survivor
The Story of Chinook ZA718 'Bravo November'
Written by Richard Hall
'We have apparently reliable evidence that an Argentine task force could be assembling off Stanley at dawn tomorrow. You will wish to make your dispositions accordingly'.
These seemingly unperturbed words were sent from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the Governor of the Falkland Islands, Rex Hunt (later Sir), on 1 April 1982, warning him of a possible invasion. History shows that the intelligence was correct.
The next day, with a political aim to deflect public attention away from financial mismanagement and human rights abuses in Argentina, the head of the country's military junta, General Leopolda Galtieri, launched an invasion of the British sovereign territory of the Falkland Islands and a day later, South Georgia. He figured that if he were successful, it would unite the nation behind him. There has been an ongoing sovereignty dispute between the two countries for many years. Each claimed the cold, windswept, treeless isles as their own, while few in the UK had even heard of or knew their whereabouts. The Falkland Islanders were fiercely independent, loyal British subjects and this hostile act was an affront to their freedom and way of life.
These seemingly unperturbed words were sent from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the Governor of the Falkland Islands, Rex Hunt (later Sir), on 1 April 1982, warning him of a possible invasion. History shows that the intelligence was correct.
The next day, with a political aim to deflect public attention away from financial mismanagement and human rights abuses in Argentina, the head of the country's military junta, General Leopolda Galtieri, launched an invasion of the British sovereign territory of the Falkland Islands and a day later, South Georgia. He figured that if he were successful, it would unite the nation behind him. There has been an ongoing sovereignty dispute between the two countries for many years. Each claimed the cold, windswept, treeless isles as their own, while few in the UK had even heard of or knew their whereabouts. The Falkland Islanders were fiercely independent, loyal British subjects and this hostile act was an affront to their freedom and way of life.
Although Galtieri had gambled on the UK Government led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher not having the will or the wherewithal to challenge the invasion, he was wrong. Accordingly, a naval Task Force was hastily assembled and ordered to the South Atlantic to effect a liberation. After a considerable logistical effort, on 5 April, the flotilla set sail under the name of Operation Corporate, headed up by the carriers HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible, with escort and support vessels in what would be the start of a short, brutal campaign to liberate the invaded lands.
On 25 April, MV Atlantic Conveyor, a requisitioned 14,950-ton Ro-Ro ferry, sailed from Devonport to join the Task Force, with five of No. 18 Squadron's Boeing Vertol Chinook HC.1s, ZA706/BT, ZA707/BP ZA716/BQ ZA718/BN and ZA719/BM. The tandem-rotor helicopters had embarked from HMS Drake, Plymouth, for the 8,000-mile voyage to the Falklands. ZA707 was flown off at Ascension Island to assist with lifting activities there. Also on board were six Westland Wessex HU.5s from No. 848 Naval Air Squadron (NAS), which were later joined by eight BAe Sea Harriers and six Harrier GR.3s of Nos 809 NAS and 1 Squadron, respectively.
On 25 April, MV Atlantic Conveyor, a requisitioned 14,950-ton Ro-Ro ferry, sailed from Devonport to join the Task Force, with five of No. 18 Squadron's Boeing Vertol Chinook HC.1s, ZA706/BT, ZA707/BP ZA716/BQ ZA718/BN and ZA719/BM. The tandem-rotor helicopters had embarked from HMS Drake, Plymouth, for the 8,000-mile voyage to the Falklands. ZA707 was flown off at Ascension Island to assist with lifting activities there. Also on board were six Westland Wessex HU.5s from No. 848 Naval Air Squadron (NAS), which were later joined by eight BAe Sea Harriers and six Harrier GR.3s of Nos 809 NAS and 1 Squadron, respectively.
Arriving in the Total Exclusion Zone on 18 May, the Harriers were flown off to the carriers over the next two days. Work started on making the Chinooks ready for flight, a long and arduous task, not helped by the stormy South Atlantic weather and a lack of lifting gear. By 25 May, two had been prepared, ZA706 and ZA718. The latter was successfully air-tested and flown off the ship, with 706 awaiting its turn on deck.
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The Atlantic Conveyor was ordered to head to San Carlos Water after dark on the same day to begin unloading the rest of its precious cargo, which was vital to the break out of the UK's Marines and Paras for their assault on the occupying forces. At the same time to the north, flying 100 feet above sea level, two Comando Aviacion Naval Argentina Dassault Super Étendards of 2 Escuadrilla, each armed with one AM39 Exocet missile, popped up to acquire their target. When a sufficiently large return was seen on radar, the missiles were launched from a distance of around 30 miles. Undoubtedly, the Argentine pilots hoped the target would be a carrier as this was their National Day; it would be quite a prize. Unfortunately, Atlantic Conveyor was hit on the port side by one of the two missiles, some 90 miles northeast of Port Stanley. The resulting detonation and loss of the ship claimed twelve crew, among them the vessel's Master, Captain Ian North, and all the remaining helicopters on board, including the six Wessex, a stored Westland Lynx HAS.2 and the rest of No. 18 Squadron's Chinooks. Thankfully, the unit suffered no casualties.
Exocets were in very short supply for the Argentines, and they would have hoped to have hit a carrier; fortunately for the Task Force, they'd not. However, the Atlantic Conveyor was no low-value asset. The loss left a severe shortfall in the UK's lifting capabilities to transport troops and supplies, leaving the Royal Marines and Paras with no other option than, on the whole, to 'yomp' across the Falklands to continue their liberation of the Islands.
The remaining Chinook, ZA718 coded Bravo November (BN), was airborne on a test flight during the attack and was forced to land on Hermes. In short order, it was put to good use and became something of a legend due to exceptional load-carrying feats while operating in the Falklands. For example, on 2 June, 81 fully armed troops were transported, considerably more than its usual load-carrying capacity. A further 75 were moved from Goose Green later in the day. Throughout the campaign, BN conveyed 1,500 soldiers (some sources state 2,150), 95 casualties, 600 POWs, and 550 tons of cargo.
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Using night-vision goggles on 30 May, the crew of BN flew a sortie in support of the SAS on Mount Kent to deliver three 105mm guns. Upon completion of the task and while returning to San Carlos, the Chinook encountered a severe snowstorm, forcing the pilot, Sqn Ldr Dick Langworthy, to descend in poor visibility. Unfortunately, the helicopter hit the water at 100 knots near Teal Inlet, causing flooding to the engine intakes, inducing a partial flameout, fuselage damage and loss of a radio antenna. Thinking all was lost, co-pilot Flt Lt Andy Lawless jettisoned the co-pilot's door to aid escape. In the rear, Flt Lt Tom Jones was thrown so violently that he lost his flying helmet, and he, too, was planning on abandoning. However, with a valiant effort, Langworthy managed to regain control, gain altitude and head back to San Carlos. Subsequently, he was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for this remarkable act.
BN was a significant asset to the land and air effort, but recognition must also be given to those who served on the ground, overseen by Chief Technician Tom Kinsella and his team. They kept the machine in the air when all spares and maintenance equipment had been lost aboard the Atlantic Conveyor. Tom even managed to find a replacement co-pilot's door from a captured Argentine Chinook, as since its encounter with the water, it had been flying without one. During its time in the Falklands, BN gained the nickname 'The Survivor', which was inscribed to starboard just aft of the cockpit. In time, this moniker would prove to be all the more apt.
The war in the Falklands ended with the surrender of the Argentinians on 14 June 1982, after considerable losses had been sustained on both sides. However, for BN, its service career continued. Over the coming years, the world became a more dangerous place, with conflicts erupting in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In due course, the UK's military was again sent into harm's way, with BN playing its part in war zones, including the second Gulf War and Afghanistan, where it took part in many dangerous operations and came under frequent enemy fire. Three more pilots won DFCs for displaying valour, gallantry, and devotion to duty while at its controls, Sqn Ldr Steve Carr (Iraq 2003), Flt Lt Craig Wilson and Flt Lt Ian Fortune (both Afghanistan 2006 and 2010).
It is recorded that BN last flew in 2017 and was included in a programme to upgrade the helicopter to the HC.6A variant. Unfortunately, a crack was found in the airframe. A Defence Review took place in March 2021, and the Command Paper that followed announced the purchase of fourteen new build Chinooks offset by the retirement of nine of the older airframes within the inventory. Given ZA718's condition, and as 2022 was the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War, a decision was taken to retire and preserve the machine, recognising its remarkable service record. Accordingly, in March of the same year, BN, with help from personnel at RAF Odiham, the Joint Aircraft Recovery and Transportation Squadron and Royal Air Force Museum staff, was conveyed to the Royal Air Force Museum (RAFM) Cosford for display.
BN was a significant asset to the land and air effort, but recognition must also be given to those who served on the ground, overseen by Chief Technician Tom Kinsella and his team. They kept the machine in the air when all spares and maintenance equipment had been lost aboard the Atlantic Conveyor. Tom even managed to find a replacement co-pilot's door from a captured Argentine Chinook, as since its encounter with the water, it had been flying without one. During its time in the Falklands, BN gained the nickname 'The Survivor', which was inscribed to starboard just aft of the cockpit. In time, this moniker would prove to be all the more apt.
The war in the Falklands ended with the surrender of the Argentinians on 14 June 1982, after considerable losses had been sustained on both sides. However, for BN, its service career continued. Over the coming years, the world became a more dangerous place, with conflicts erupting in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In due course, the UK's military was again sent into harm's way, with BN playing its part in war zones, including the second Gulf War and Afghanistan, where it took part in many dangerous operations and came under frequent enemy fire. Three more pilots won DFCs for displaying valour, gallantry, and devotion to duty while at its controls, Sqn Ldr Steve Carr (Iraq 2003), Flt Lt Craig Wilson and Flt Lt Ian Fortune (both Afghanistan 2006 and 2010).
It is recorded that BN last flew in 2017 and was included in a programme to upgrade the helicopter to the HC.6A variant. Unfortunately, a crack was found in the airframe. A Defence Review took place in March 2021, and the Command Paper that followed announced the purchase of fourteen new build Chinooks offset by the retirement of nine of the older airframes within the inventory. Given ZA718's condition, and as 2022 was the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War, a decision was taken to retire and preserve the machine, recognising its remarkable service record. Accordingly, in March of the same year, BN, with help from personnel at RAF Odiham, the Joint Aircraft Recovery and Transportation Squadron and Royal Air Force Museum staff, was conveyed to the Royal Air Force Museum (RAFM) Cosford for display.
On 22 March 2022, a media event was held to mark ZA718's entry into preservation with presentations from Maggie Pulford MBE (CEO RAFM), Dr Peter Johnston (Head of Collections and Research RAFM) and former BN pilot ACM Sir Andrew Pulford (Falklands Veteran, OC No. 18 Squadron, RAF Odiham Station Commander 2001-2003 and former Chief of Air Staff). Also in attendance were crew members who either flew or worked on the helicopter, including Sqn Ldr Steve Carr DFC, Flt Lt Tom Jones, Sqn Ldr Gary James and Chief Technician Tom Kinsella.
The Chinook went on public display on 2 April 2022, 40 years to the day since the invasion. Bravo November has rightfully sealed its place in RAF history, and its preservation will allow an incredible story to be told to many future generations in the years ahead. The author thanks Chris Cannon of www.simplyplances.co.uk, Paul Kennard, Michelle Worthington (RAFM), Andrew Turner and Tony Dowland for their help and contributions to this article. |
For the history of Bravo November's home airfield, click the following link: RAF Odiham - From Biplanes To Helicopters