Vickers Valiant BK.I Crew, No. 148 Sqn, No. 3 Group RAF, March AFB, Fall 1958

Line up of Valiant Crew participating in annual SAC Bombing and Navigation Competition at March AFB, CA in October 1958. The competition involved making three simulated atomic bomb attacks on a single night on San Jose, CA and Boise and Batte, MT followed by an 800-miles cross-country route using astro navigation.

Following RAF Bomber Command's own competition held in June 1957, the command was invited to take part in SAC competition held in Pinecastle, FL in October 1957. Although in general RAF team's performance was average, team led by S/L R.N.Payne of 214 Sqn. finished at exceedingly good 11th place out of 90 teams - 66 B-47s, 10 B-52s, 10 B-36s, 2 Vulcans and 2 Valiants - considering that the British crews were battling in 'enemy' territory where the opposition teams had practised the same exercise over and knew the territory well.

For the 1958 competition Bomber Command sent a detachment of 6 Valiant BK.I - XD819, XD859, XD861, XD873, XD874 and XD875, all of which departed for America on 10th September. This time, out of 41 competing wings, RAF 'B' team gained 7th place in the B-52 class, in the combined bombing and navigation. Crew led by S/L R.W.Richardson of 148 Sqn. Achieved 9th place out of 164 competing crews, W/Cdr S.Baker of 138 Sqn. came 12th and W/Cdr F.C.D.Wright of 148 Sqn. 30th, a remarkable achievement with odds stacked against them.

What was particularly satisfying was that UK team's serviceability record for the competition was much better than American teams, with no airframe or engine faults whatsoever. USAF inspection of RAF Valiants during the competition brought to America's attention the knowledge that the UK could still produce very potent warplanes.

You see our hero Charles Griffith, now a 38 years old Flight Lieutenant, is at it again. After the war, in which he completed two full bomber tour with a DSM and a DFM, he returned to his family business back in Caernarvonshire. However, finding his skill set now completely irrelevant - turns out innkeeping does not involve searching the night sky for nightfighter or maintaining Browning machine guns - and feeling unfulfilled, he embarks for his third helping on RAF Bomber Command, this time applying for commission, taking course in Air Electronics and trying not to end as another air gunner. which, to his surprise, landed him in the cockpit of Britain's first V-bomber, Vickers Valiant. Along with his former crewmate and air-bomber-turned-navigator-radar, F/L Charles Griffith embarks on an adventurous ride of strategic nuclear deterrence and bombing Egyptian airfields while the whole world - except France but including Canada - frown upon them.