Harriers in the Woods

One aircraft in British aviation history is synonymous with versatility, the Harrier. It’s story is enviably a complex one which started in 1957 with Hawker Siddeley’s P.1127. The platform pioneered the concept of V/STOL technology and would be a key player in the European political front during the Cold War. As far as I can work out the linage of the Harrier goes as follows (I’ll admit, more precise dates are quite hard to find on some).

Today’s participants are, as last time; P.1127 (XV279), GR.3 (XV779), T.4 (XZ146) and GR7/9 (ZD318). RAF Wittering is known as the Home of the Harrier and from 1^st April 2000 it was home to Joint Force Harrier. It was designed to combined the Harrier forces of the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy brought forth by a strategic defence review. However RAF Wittering had been host to the Harrier since 1968 and was at the forefront of training Harrier pilots in the subsequent years. As such it played host to a type of training that was a new frontier for combat aviation.

Due to the requirements of operations in Europe during the 1960s until the late 1980s the Royal Air Force had the need to operate from civilian roads and quickly constructed take-off and landing areas known as Hard Surface Landing Areas (HSLA). It was an image that would typify the Harrier and its image in the annuls of aviation history. Between 1963 to 1988 Soviet forces were operating in forward Eastern-Central Europe zones with a force of around 1600 fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

It goes without saying the Harrier’s trick card was its Rolls-Royce Pegasus engine, an engine that could achieve, with nozzle vectoring, -90° to +15° forward to achieve its signature reward motion flight. With its V/STOL capabilities the Harrier would pave the way for numerous technological advancements in Military aviation and service the strategical requirements of the time.  

In the 1970s the Harrier force were on task in Germany from a series of bases such as Wildenrath and Gütersloh. They would also operate from so called ‘War sites’, their locations were a closely guarded secret in what we would now refer to as Forward Operating Bases. In the event of war against the Warsaw Pact, they could have delivered 68mm SNEB rockets, BL755 cluster bombs and 30mm Aden cannon rounds onto targets. The exception to this was IV (AC) squadron who were also tasked with Tactical Reconnaissance.

During this time the GR.3 and GR3.A could operate from Military Engineering Experimental Establishment pads or MEXE pads for short, making them incredibly mobile and versatile. They developed and refined the way operations would take place from this kind of environment and became known as the Harrier Field Force. At the start in the early 1970s Wildenrath became home to 3 Squadron, 4 Squadron and 20 Squadron.

According to Air Vice Marshal George black, CB, OBE, AFC* who was the first ever Field Force Commander for the Harrier in Germany, the force could deliver air support to ground troops in as little as 10 minutes. The pilots were well oiled, 3 times a year exercises would be held for 2 weeks at a time, where ground grew and aircrew alike would live under canvas and conduct training sorties. In subsequent years the Harrier would be deployed on active operations in the Falklands (Operation Corporate), Iraq (Operation Warden, Operation Bolton & Operation Telic), Bosnia (Operation Deny Flight & Operation Deliberate Force), Kosovo (Operation Allied Force), Sierra Leone (Operation Palliser) and Afghanistan (Operation Herrick).

This afternoon’s shoot began with the P.1127 (XV279) tucked away in its leafy hideaway in Vigo woods. This was followed by the GR.3 (XV779) which was parked in front of the T.4 (XZ146) that was displayed with the appropriate camouflage netting that would have been used by the GR.3s in Germany during the Cold War. As the sun was setting it was wholly necessary to hike it round to the other side of the woods where the GR.9 was places on the hard standing with an Oshkosh fuel bowser. It was at this point we had a beautiful array of light, with a dark thunderous sky for our backdrop, coupled with the autumn leaves it made for a stunning setting.

The evening continued, the sun making its final appearance before disappearing behind the tree line and some outrageous light fell on the Gr.3 with it’s accompanying Defender.

Once we had lost the light we ran through several scenarios with the re-enactors around the T.4 and the GR.3 until we had a brief 10 minute window were we could go back and shoot the GR.9 under lighting. Event concluded and I felt happy with the number of successful images I had produced. I always say that, no matter what the shoot is, no matter the weather conditions, if I come out of it with at least one great photo, it was worth it. This shoot yielded several so that I believe is a win!     

I want to put out a huge thank-you to a few people, firstly 'Capture a Second Photography' for helping me with a few of the timeline photos, absolute champion as I was struggling there! Secondly Mark Bryan for helping me understand more about what it was like operating the Harrier from the field as also contributing the photos of the GR.3 in Germany. Thirdly a big shout out the the RAF Wittering Heritage Centre who's dedication to a critical part of the British aviation story made this shoot possible. And finally thank-you to the Centre of Aviation Photography for organising the shoot.

And with that this final piece is a sort of love letter to the Harrier, a true marvel of engineering excellence brought to you by Great Britain!