John Nichol - Tornado Down

Jordan, 233–8

King, Tom, 162

Kuwait, 15–16, 198

Laarbruch, RAF, 1, 10, 259, 263–4, 278

Lennox, Squadron Leader Gary, 52

LMF (Lack of Moral Fibre) crews 80

loft attack profile, 87–8

Lunch of the Decade (XV Squadron) 27–8

Lunt, Flight Lieutenant Chris, 16, 81, 236–7, 238, 252, 279

Mail on Sunday , 165–6

Mason, Squadron Leader Pablo, 16, 69, 82

mass air attacks, first, 72

Moody, Major Peter, 15

MOS (Minimum Operating Strip), 61

Mubarak, Mohammed, 172–3, 174, 198, 206

Muharraq, 36–7, 64

navigator, duties of, 70–71, 88–90

NBC warfare bags, 49

Nellis Air Force Base, 20

New Zealand Air Force, 35

Nichol, Flight Lieutenant John

appears on Iraqi TV, 156–7

attack on Ar Rumaylah, 82–96

beatings and torture, 122–3, 140–42, 143, 144–6, 147–8, 212–13, 214–15

capture, 106–8

career, 9, 281

contacts family after release, 254–5

deployed to the Gulf, 33–4

effects of imprisonment, 272

emotional and psychological reaction to release, 252, 254–5

hears other prisoners being beaten, 186

hears that war is over, 231

homecoming, 263–6

imprisonment, 167–9, 172–5, 176–9, 185–7, 188–92, 205–13, 215–19

interrogations, 118–19, 127–8, 136–40, 144–7, 207

mock execution, 213

shot down, xvii-xx, 95–7

solitary confinement, 176–9, 185–6, 217–19

stranded in the desert, 98–106

OCA (Offensive Counter Air) missions, 61–2

offsets, 89–91

Oman, 47

operational low-flying (OLF) training exercises, 14, 20

operational practices, adaptation of, 43

Operations Wing (Bahrain), 36–7

Paisey, Mark, 16, 80–81, 82

Palin, Air Marshal Sir Roger, 259

personal locator beacons, 74, 99, 108

Peters, Flight Lieutenant John

appears on Iraqi TV, 158–60, 183–4

attack on Ar Rumaylah, 82–96

beatings and torture, 123–5, 129–32, 150–51

capture, 106–8

career, 9, 10, 281

contacts family after release, 239–40

debriefing, 242

deployed to the Gulf, 33–4

effects of imprisonment, 273

emotional and psychological reaction to release, 236–7, 243

hears other prisoners being beaten, 149–50

hears that war is over, 221, 222

homecoming, 258–61

imprisonment, 169–72, 175, 179–85, 192–3, 203–4, 214–15, 220–21, 230

interrogations, 118–19, 127–8, 133–4, 150, 203

keeps calendar of imprisonment, 171–2

letters home, 66

physical condition after release, 240, 241–2

sexual examination, 165, 184–5

shot down, xvii-xx, 95–7

solitary confinement, 179–82, 220–21, 230

stranded in the desert, 98–106

Peters, Helen

birth of daughter, 22

coping with JP’s capture, 111, 125–6, 132–3

and daily briefings, 149

hears Tornado has been shot down, 109

and JP’s appearance on Iraqi TV, 161–3

and JP’s release and homecoming, 245, 261–2

and media attention, 165–6, 244–5

POL (Petrol, Oil and Lubricant) facilities, 61

Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, 243, 257–8

prayer, need for, 232

preliminary war briefing, 64–5

press

harassment, 264, 265, 276

irresponsible reportage, 140, 165–6

media bombardment after release, 223–4, 234–5, 268, 274

press conference, 226–7

propaganda

Iraqi television, 118–19, 156–60, 183–4

Radio Baghdad, 172–3

raids, pre-planning and execution, 70–73

Randles, Squadron Leader Steve, 40

Red Cross, 224–6, 228, 234, 245–6

Red Flag exercise, 20–21

release

bombarded by the media, 223–4, 234

Intelligence debriefing, 242

post-release Baghdad press conference, 226–7

Republican Guard, 65

RHWR (Radar Homing Warning Receiver), 82

Richter, Ian, 211

Riyadh, 251

rumours of war, 1–3, 13

Salik, 187, 198, 208–10, 214

Saudi Air Force, 34

Schwarzkopf, General Norman, 65, 251

Scud missiles, 72

SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defences), 61, 62–3

Sharouk-al-Sharif, 41

Sheraton International, Bahrain, 38, 39, 44, 50, 68

Simon, Bob, 193–4, 197

Skyshadow Electronic Counter-Measures (ECM) pod, 78, 147

Slade, Lieutenant Larry, 210–13, 215, 216, 221

Soul, David, 269

Squadrons

II (AC) Sqn, 277

14 Sqn, 7, 31

XV Sqn, 10, 13, 25–6, 31–2, 68–9, 267, 277

16 Sqn, 52, 277

17(F)Sqn, 6, 7, 31, 169

20 Sqn, 277

31 Sqn, 32

UK Air Defence squadrons, 19

St Mawgan airshow, 4, 6–8

St Mungo’s Cathedral, Glasgow, 277–80

Stapleton, Squadron Leader Gary, 3, 16, 69–70, 82

Stark , USS.44

stations, RAF

Akrotiri, 33, 34, 238

Br252;ggen, 1

Finningley, 9

Laarbruch, 1, 10, 259, 263–4, 277

Wattisham, 23

Stewart, Robbie, 198, 205, 214

stress therapy, 243–4, 257–8

supplies, scale of, 47–8

sweeps, 61

Tabuk, 34, 51–2

tanking see air-to-air refuelling

Teakle, Flight Lieutenant Paddy, 76

television propaganda, Iraqi, 118–19, 156–60, 183–4

Terrain-Following Operations (TF Ops), 23–4

Tice, Major Jeff, 164–5, 169

Toft, Mike, 16, 80–81, 82

Tomahawk cruise missile, 72

Tornado

defence systems, 78–9

desert camouflage, 14

experience of flying, 4–6

four-aircraft formations, 16

fuel consumption, 83

in-flight checks, 85–6

‘parallel track’ technique, 17

peacetime training missions, 10–11, 75

primary conventional role, 61

TOT (Time On Target), 71

training for war, 14–15, 19–20, 22, 23–5, 39–40, 43–4, 44–7, 51–2

transport aircraft, 36

Trigg, Patrick, 178

Triple-A (Anti-Aircraft Artillery), 90–91, 114–15

Turnbull, Wing Commander Gordon, 243, 253, 257–8

United Nations Security Council

Resolution 660, 16

Resolution 661, 16

Resolution 678, 52

US forces, 16, 35, 43, 44–7, 64, 73

Waddington, Dave, 163, 214, 237

‘war cupboards’, 3

War Doctrine (XV Squadron), 25

War Operations Centre (WOC) (Bahrain), 36–7

Warsaw Pact threat, 10, 11, 14, 20

Wattisham, RAF, 23

weapons

AIM–9L Sidewinder, 77–8

ALARM (Air-Launched Anti-Radiation Missile), 13, 63

Exocet, 44–5

HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile), 63, 86–7

JP–233, 62, 63

Scud, 72

Tomahawk, 72

Weeks, Liz, 126

Weeks, Squadron Leader Kevin, 52

White, Wing Commander Andy, 277

wives, RAF, 110, 132–3

Wogan, Terry, 268–71

Woods, Flight Lieutenant Rob, 238, 240, 241, 258, 259, 279

Wratten, Air Vice-Marshal Bill, 251

Zaun, Jeff, 142, 163–4, 193, 194, 204, 214

During fifteen years’ service in the RAF, Fit Lt John Nichol served as a navigator on Tornados in both the Air Defence and Ground Attack roles. In January 1991 he was shot down during the first low level, daylight raid of the Gulf War. After his release he returned to active duty policing the exclusion zone as part of the UN force maintaining the fragile peace in Bosnia. John left the RAF in 1996 to pursue a career as a writer and broadcaster. He has written five novels and as a journalist has written for The Times , the Mail on Sunday , the Guardian , the Telegraph and the Observer . He has been a consultant and presenter for ITN, CNN and BBC News and is a widely quoted commentator on military affairs. John is also the co-author of the bestselling history books The Last Escape, Tail-End Charlies and Home Run , all published by Viking and telling the remarkable stories of unsung WWII heroes. John is highly regarded on the corporate speaking circuit and is in demand to give motivational and after-dinner speeches about his experiences. Find out more at www.johnnichol.com.