New Cromer Air Force History
Naval Aviation
The AVRO Shackleton MR Mk.3 entered service with No 204 squadron in 1957/8 taking up Maritime patrol duties and Search and Rescue work, 8 Aircraft were delivered in 1964 5 additional MR. Mk3 were added ex RAF modified to the then Phase III design with the added Viper turbo Jets. The Shackleton was replaced in the role by the US built P.3 Orion in 1979, the last of the Shackleton's removed from service by 1981.
Lockheed P.3C Orion, 12 aircraft were leased off of Lockheed from 1979 to 2008 when they were handed back after the arrival of 6 A319 MPA. They initially served with the navy as part of No’ 204 Squadron but in 1992 with the restructuring of the Navy and Air Force 8 aircraft became part of the Air Force controlled Joint Force Command as No’107 Squadron. The navy still retained control of 4 aircraft for various tasks till 2005 when its 3 remaining aircraft transferred to 107 Squadron. 107 Squadron took over most maritime patrol duties, tasked with all manor of maritime patrol work from search and rescue to anti submarine warfare, anti piracy and anti smuggling missions. One Aircraft No’1001 of 204 Squadron was lost in a mid air collision with an Air Force Phantom in 1998 with all crew lost on both aircraft.
DeHaviland Sea Vixen FAW.2. Entered service in 1966 54 were delivered to the Navy. The design was also offered to the Air Force but instead the Air Force took the Hunter then the Phantom They served with 3 Squadrons until 1991. Periodically upgraded to eventually FAW.9 they served as Fleet defence fighters ultimately armed with the Bae Skyflash missile and Side Winder 9L. They were also used as ground attack planes using dumb and guided munitions, had a secondary Nuclear strike role using the WE177B free fall Nuclear Bomb. They were also tasked with Air to Air Refuelling using buddy tanker pods and able to carry 5 1,500l drop tanks. Loss of the CATOBAR carriers in 1991 meant there was no direct replacement for the Vixen till the arrival of the new CVN’s and the F/A18E and F in 2006/7.
Blackburn Buccaneer S2. Entered service in 1968 initially with the Navy quickly followed by the Airforce. 108 were eventually delivered and served with 3 Navy Squadrons and 3 Air Force Squadrons till 1988 with the Air Force bar a number of exceptions and 1992 with the Navy. Tasked with attack mission using dumb and guided weapons and also having a Nuclear attack role with the WE177B free fall Nuclear bomb. In the Airforce they were replaced by the Phantom F4E and RF4E, PANAVIA Tornado GR1 and GR1A and Harrier GR5 from 1985 and in the Navy they were replaced by the Harrier GR5 from 1991 as the Centaur class carrier Victoria was decommissioned and Cromer was converted to STOVL to increase the size of its air wing due to the loss of Victoria.
Fairy Gannet, three variants were delivered to the Navy from 1968 to 1972, the AS Mk.1, AEW Mk.3 and the COD Mk.4. 10 of each were delivered and served on New Cromer's carriers till they were started to be phased out in the late 1980’s eventually replaced by rotary assets In the form of the Sea King and Lynx in the AS and COD roles by 1988 and by the Sea King in the AEW role in 1991.
Westland Wasp, began to arrive with the fleet in 1964, around 80 have seen service with the Navy, Army and Airforce over the years, they began to be replaced by the Lynx in both the ASW and spotting roles in the mid to late 70’s but a few soldiered on till the late 1980’s with the Navy. Around 10 survived till the late 1990’s with the New Cromer Rotary Wing School (NCRWS) as basic trainers when they were finally replaced with more modern Griffen and Eurocopter helicopters for training use.
Westland Wessex, Westland started to deliver the Wessex to the Navy of New Cromer in 1964 and some 75 helicopters were delivered to the Navy, Air Force and Army. They served in numerous roles till being slowly replaced by the later Westland Sea Kings from the early 1980’s with a number of the Navy’s Wessex transferred to the Army and Marines, the final Wessex left in service were finally replaced in 2008 by the Westland/Augusta Merlin in the Air Sea Rescue role and by the V-22 Osprey for the Marines.
Westland Sea King, began to arrive in the early 1980’s and slowly replaced the Wessex in various roles. The Wessex were transferred to the Army for a number of years before bowing out. The Sea Kings saw use in the ASW, Commando, Transport, Air Sea Rescue and AEW roles till the arrival of the Westland/Augusta Merlin in 2004 onwards. The last Sea Kings were used by the Air Sea Rescue squadron till 2008 when they were replaced with the last Wessex by a final batch of Merlins….
More Back stories to follow. also tail markings to be appleid to Vixens, Bucanneers and Gannets