Falklands Most Daring Raid

51 members attended the forum’s meeting held on the 21st of February to enjoy a presentation by Vice Chairman Duncan Verity.

Duncan has a large collection of video features, many of them dealing with subjects connected to aircraft.  This time his chosen feature was called Falklands Most Daring Raid and dealt with an attack on the airstrip at Port Stanley by an RAF Vulcan bomber during the Argentine occupation which Duncan described as the most daring bombing raid since the Dam Busters.

The aim of the raid was to deny the Argentine air force the use of the air strip for an attack on the British invasion fleet.  The raid was complicated by the fact that the nearest base from which the raid could be launched was Ascension Island, over 8,000 miles away, way beyond the range of the Vulcan without refuelling.

Also the Vulcan bombers were on the verge of being scrapped due to obsolescence and were missing various vital parts.  The solution to the refuelling problem and the progress of the raid were well described in the video and the successful and safe outcome was not certain till the very end.

Mike Earle thanked Duncan for an excellent presentation.