1955 - 2002

22 Squadron was reformed as a SAR Helicopter Squadron at Thorney Island within 19 Group on 15 February 1955. It was tasked with sea rescue and land search and rescue over a range of 60nm.

It had an initial establishment of eight Whirlwind Mk 2s and was planned to operate from four detached Flights to provide SAR cover over the South and South East Coasts and Wales. One Flight was located with the Squadron Headquarters along with operational training facilities and second line servicing. The crew comprised a pilot, navigator and crewman. A specific crewman trade did not exist at this time. In July 1955 three administrative orderlies were allotted for crewman duties, receiving an additional one shilling and six pence per day for the privilege.

By May the Squadron had two Sycamores and an Avro Anson. Four Whirlwinds arrived during June and the first two Flights were formed at Thorney Island and Martlesham Heath. The third Flight was formed at Valley in September to provide cover for the West Coast and became operational the following month.

By April 1956, 22 Squadron was operational with all four Flights, the last being formed at St Mawgan to where the Squadron HQ also moved in June. The Flight at Martlesham Heath moved to Felixstowe in April. In October 1956 a Flight was formed at St Mawgan destined for SAR cover and communications flying in Christmas Island for the British nuclear tests (Op Grapple). The “Grapple Flight” departed on 30 January 1957 and arrived in Christmas Island on 4 March to commence SAR standby on 6 March. The helicopter facility became indispensable and consequently grew, mainly with communications flying.

In November 1958 A Flight 22 Squadron moved from St Mawgan to replace the Flight of 275 Squadron at Chivenor as part of a geographical rationalisation of responsibility. A Headquarters Flight was formed at St Mawgan mainly for the training of crews but also having a SAR standby facility. The Training Flight acquired the status of an Operational Training Unit in July 1959 and continued to maintain a limited operational capability. It also provided operational training for new pilots arriving from the CFS Helicopter (CFS(H)) Training School and for Navigators/Signallers arriving directly.

In December 1959 the Flight at Thorney Island had to be withdrawn, much against the wishes of the local public, SAR cover on the South Coast was covered on an “ad-hoc” basis by the Royal Navy. This situation was rectified by the move of the Felixstowe Flight to Tangmere in May 1961 and the replacement of the Thorney Island Flight by the re-formation of the fourth Flight at Manston in July 1961.

The Operational Training Unit was now in a position also to provide standardisation for 228 Squadron, the whole SAR force by then being equipped with Whirlwind Mk 2s. Conversion to the Whirlwind Mk 10 started in May 1962 and was completed by September of that year. One of the early Whirlwind Mk 10 rescues resulted in the second award of a George Medal to a 22 Squadron Winchman.

On 3 November 1962 Sergeant Eric Smith volunteered to be lowered to the grounded and stricken French fishing vessel, "Jeanne Gougy", to rescue a trawlermen from inside the wheel house. The wheel house was continually being submerged by breaking waves. Having been ordered to remain attached to the winch wire, he entered the vessel's wheel house, continually having to take a deep breath of air and hold his breath while the wheel house was submerged before the waves receded again. Once inside the wheel house he found two survivors, which he rescued separately. A report of a possible third survivor required Eric Smith to enter the wheel house yet again and crawl along a passageway towards the radio room to look for the survivor. None was found, but before being able to return to the helicopter he had to disentangle the winch wire from the hub of the ship's wheel; the wheel house and passageway continually being engulfed by the sea.

THE WHIRLWIND ERA 1955 to 1981

By the late 1950s the public placed great value on “their” rescue helicopters and any move by the Royal Air Force to close or move the SAR helicopter flights was resisted with great vigour. The drama that ensued following the closure of the Thorney Island Flight in December 1959 had shown that the public outcry and lobbying by local officials could force modifications to the RAF’s deployment plans however well justified by the RAF. Thus in May 1961 when the Flight at Felixstowe was due to be deployed to Manston it was diverted instead to Tangmere, close to Thorney Island. A further flight then had to be established at Manston to close the gap in SAR cover. In 1964, due to the closure of Tangmere, the Flight returned to Thorney Island, thus returning the South Coast helicopter flight to its former home from where its withdrawal caused so much trouble in 1959/60.

In March 1969 history was to repeat itself when the Manston Flight was selected for closure. The aircraft and crews being required to deploy to reform, briefly, 1564 Flight at El Adem following the crash of an Argosy in Libya. A reduction in fighter aircraft activity in the South, and therefore SAR requirement, coupled with a shortage of crews, lead to the judgement that the Manston area could be covered by Coltishall in the North and East and Thorney Island to the South and West. The literary and vocal outcry was sufficiently strong to cause the Department of Trade to contract Bristow Helicopters Ltd to provide an air-sea rescue service, directly under the control of the Coastguard, operating Whirlwind Series 3 helicopters (the civilian equivalent of the RAF's Mk 10s). During its three-year tenure from 1 June 1971 to 30 September 1974 668 rescues sorties were flown and 108 lives preserved. In 1972 a crew from Manston was awarded the “Wreck Shield” by the department of Trade and Industry for the “Most Meritorious Rescue in 1972”.

The arrival of the Whirlwind Mk 10 in the latter part of 1962 saw a significant increase in the capability of SAR Helicopters. They continued to be operated as before; but with up to a 30% increase in fuel/pay load, the aircraft had a greatly enhanced range and was able to respond more successfully to a wider range of tasks. As a result the public were becoming progressively more aware of and reliant upon the rescue service the helicopters provided. There was no promised night flying rescue task because the Whirlwind lacked appropriate equipment such as auto-stabilisation, target illumination, radar etc for the role in complete darkness. The policy was therefore to maintain a 15-minute readiness throughout the hours of daylight and a one-hour readiness at night. In practice most of the night operations requested were in fact carried out.

The Wessex HC 2 era 1976-1997

The Wessex HC2 was introduced into squadron service with No 18 Squadron and No 72 Squadron at Odiham in 1964. The Wessex was employed in the Support Helicopter role but it was used to hold SAR cover during the grounding of the Whirlwinds in December 1967.

In 1974 two Wessex HC2s of No 72 squadron were modified to the SAR role at Fleetlands. D Flight 72 Squadron was to replace the Bristow Helicopters Ltd Whirlwind Series 3 aircraft contracted to the Coastguard at Manston. The Flight remained at Manston for a further twenty years before being moved to Wattisham, along with the closure of Coltishall. Nearly two years were to pass before more Wessex helicopters were introduced into SAR duties. 22 Squadron was partly re-equipped with Wessex HC2s in the SAR role in 1976. C Flight 202 Squadron at Leuchars became B Flight 22 Squadron in April 1976. D Flight 72 Squadron at Manston became E Flight 22 Squadron in June 1976 and C Flight 22 Squadron’s Whirlwind 10s were replaced by Wessex HC2s at Valley in June 1976. A and D Flights 22 Squadron remained at Chivenor and Brawdy with their Whirlwind 10s. The Whirlwind was finally withdrawn from service at Chivenor in November 1981.

The Wessex had many advantages over its predecessor. In many ways it was a like a large Whirlwind in that it had a large main cabin suitable for casualty handling with a separated cockpit. It was a much more robust aircraft with a heavy-duty, tail wheel, tricycle undercarriage. It had two powerful Gnome engines with a very good single engine capability. It was significantly faster, it had a much greater lift capacity and an enhanced radius of action. Its ability to operate in poor visibility and at night was improved by fitting a radar altimeter; however, without a full Auto Pilot system. However, it was still not designed to be operated over the sea at night. In 1977 a 300ft cable was fitted to the Wessex extending the original length of cable by 200 ft. The Wessex remained in SAR service until its final replacement by the Sea King Mk 3 at Valley in June 1997.

The SEA KING HAR 3/3A era 1997- Present Day

By the mid-1970s it was apparent that a new helicopter was needed if the RAF’s Search and Rescue Wing was to proceed with confidence towards the end of the century. There was a requirement for an all-weather long-range helicopter. Sixteen Sea King HAR 3 helicopters were ordered from Westland Helicopters Ltd. The first came into service in 1978. 202 Squadron was re-equipped with Sea Kings while 22 Squadron maintained a mixed fleet of Wessex and Whirlwind; in October 1979 D Flight 22 Squadron was reformed at Leconfield to replace 202 Squadron's Whirlwinds with Wessex. 22 Squadron continued with its Whirlwinds and Wessex until the Whirlwinds were withdrawn from service at Chivenor and replaced by Wessex in November 1981, these were replaced by the Sea King Mk 3 in June1994.

The Falkland Islands conflict affected both 22 and 202 Squadrons. Initially in August 1982 C Flight 202 Squadron was moved as a Unit from Coltishall to Port Stanley and was later renamed 1564 Flight. A further move of the Sea King SAR detachment to Mount Pleasant Airfield saw the reformation of 78 Squadron along with a Flight of Chinooks. A detachment of crews from both squadrons continues to man the Search and Rescue commitment in the Falkland Islands, as the commonly reformed 1564 Flt.

Further redistributions of the RAF's Search and Rescue Helicopter assets continued to meet Station closures and SAR cover requirements. The gap left by the withdrawal of the Sea Kings from Coltishall was met by a 22 Squadron detachment of Wessex until F Flight was formed in August 1983. F Flight 22 Squadron was replaced by the reformation of C Flight 202 Squadron (Sea King) in September 1985. Over 31 August/1 September 1988 E Flt 22 Squadron (Wessex) moved from Manston to Coltishall and was replaced by C Flt 202 Squadron's move from Coltishall to Manston. Leconfield was reclaimed by 202 Squadron in November 1988 by the formation of E Flight with Sea Kings. In April 1993 B Flt 22 Sqn (Wessex) at Leuchars was disbanded despite significant opposition from the local community. In July 1994 B Flt 202 Sqn Brawdy (Sea King), E Flt 22 Sqn Coltishall (Wessex) and C Flt 202 Sqn Manston (Sea King) were disbanded. B Flt 22 Sqn was reformed at Wattisham with Sea Kings. This time the Search and Rescue Helicopter Flight's departure from Manston was celebrated with a congratulatory demonstration of support and thanks from the local population. In May 1997 and July 1997 the Flights at Chivenor and Wattisham were re-equipped with Sea King Mk 3As.

History courtesy of:

Geoff Danieli

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