13/05/1982

As leader of a four-ship formation, reforming after a ‘dummy’ attack by a bounce-aircraft (Hawk), my Hunter started to judder. Flying at 420 knots, at altitude of 250′ above the ground, I noticed a lack of response from the Hunter’s control column. Now in a nose-down attitude, I had but one choice; eject!

In nano-seconds I was hurled upwards out of the aircraft, then found myself dangling under my parachute. At such a low altitude, the ‘ride’ to the ground was swift, so swift I was now entering the orange fireball of what had been, my aircraft.

In total fear, I closed my eyes. My next memory is that of my feet brushing along the ground; I’d survived.

Resisting the temptation to stand up-right, and put pressure on my back, I rolled clear of the flames onto an unburned patch of moorland. Releasing my parachute harness and Personal Equipment Connector, I focused on activating the Locator Beacon. Gazing skyward, I could see someone from my formation circling above. Rather strangely, around this time, I heard a voice close-by inquiring as to my well-being. On giving him a positive reply, the man casually walked-off across the mountainside, never to be seen again.

After what seemed like an age, 45 minutes is recorded in the official report, I heard the reassuring sound of a Sea King rescue helicopter. Next followed my second near-death experience of the day; while being winched into the helicopter, the stretcher on which I was now lying, suddenly shifted, nearly hurling me earth-ward for the second time! I remember little of the flight to Withybush hospital, only the relief of being back in the land of the living.