Interview with John Stewart Kelly

British cadet at Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, GB, 1956-1958; officer served aboard HMS Loch Fyne in Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf, 1958 and HMS Stubbington in Mediterranean, 1959-1960; officer trained as pilot with No 89 Flying Training Course, No 1 Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in GB, 4/1960-3/1961; trained as helicopter pilot at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose and HMS Osprey, Royal Naval Air Station Portland in GB, 4/1961-4/1962; served as pilot with 848 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Bulwark in Far East and Indian Ocean and GB, 4/1962-1/1963; trained on Air Warfare Instructor (Helicopter) Course in GB and France, 2/1963-5/1963; served as pilot with 706 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB, 6/1963-6/1964; served as pilot 848 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB, 6/1964-1/1965; served as pilot with 848 Naval Air Sqdn aboard HMS Albion in Far East and during Indonesian Confrontation in Borneo, Malaysia, 2/1965-8/1966; served as pilot aboard HMS Hecla and HMS Vidal in GB coastal waters and Persian Gulf, 1967-1968; served as senior pilot and commanded 847 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Malaysia, 1969-1971; commanded 847 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose and HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in GB, 2/1972-7/1973; commanded HMS Llandaff in GB coastal waters, North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, 1973-1975; served as staff officer with Ministry of Defence, London, GB, 1975-1981; served as executive officer aboard HMS Fearless in GB coastal waters, Caribbean and Norway, 1981-1982 and in South Atlantic during Falklands War, 4/1982-6/1982; served as with Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium, 1982-1985; served as Deputy Director of the Operations and Trade Division, Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1985-1988; served as Director of Naval Security and with Tri-Service Security Directorate in Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1991-1998

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1938-1955: family; incident of German Air Force incendiary bomb falling on his cot during air raid on Sheffield, 1941; education at Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe; membership of school's Naval Section, Combined Cadet Force. Aspects of period as cadet at Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, GB, 1956-1958: background to joining naval college, 1/1956; selection interview; reception on arrival; training cruise to Baltic Sea; pattern of training; accommodation; early morning routine; further details of training cruise to Baltic Sea; summer leave in Uganda, 1956; second training cruise as midshipman aboard HMS Devonshire to Gibraltar; passing out parade; background to decision to specialise as naval aviator. Aspects of period as officer aboard HMS Loch Fyne in Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf, 1958 opinion of Captain Bertie Pengelly; flight to join frigate in Ceylon for exercise. REEL 2 Continues: leading boarding parties in Persian Gulf; transporting John Profumo to Aden, Aden Protectorate; amusing story of navigator planning route through Mediterranean. Aspects of period as officer aboard HMS Stubbington in Mediterranean, 1959-1960: joining minesweeper in Malta, 1/1959; patrolling against gun runners off Cyprus; character of HMS Stubbington; duties as divisional officer; ashore in Cyprus; method of minesweeping. Aspects of flying training as officer with Fleet Air Arm on No 89 Flying Training Course, No 1 Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, GB, 4/1960-3/1961: familiarisation flight, 8/4/1960; circuits; need for depth perception; decision to fly helicopters after problems converting to De Havilland DH.115 Vampire T.11. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of training as helicopter pilot with HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose and HMS Osprey, Royal Naval Air Station Portland, GB, 4/1961-4/1962: description of flying helicopter; need to use gentle movements when flying helicopter; character of Hillier UH-12 C Helicopter; pattern of training; night landings; expansion of use of helicopters in Royal Navy; opinion of Westland Whirlwind; story of engine problem with Westland Whirlwind HAS.5 during later service in Borneo; operational training with Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 from HMS Osprey, Royal Naval Air Station Portland; emergency landing training; need for air awareness. REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of period as helicopter pilot with 848 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Bulwark in Far East and Indian Ocean and GB, 4/1962-1/1963: joining squadron in Hong Kong; problems with engine on Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 in British Borneo; participation in elephant count in Kenya; effect of tropical conditions on helicopter; loss of underslung loads; degree of pilot visibility in Westland Whirlwind; opinion of Westland Whirlwind HAS.7; character of Westland Wessex HU.5; landing on aircraft carrier; disembarkation at Singapore, Malaysia; size of squadron; return to GB, late 1962; relief work in winter, 1962-1963. Aspects of period on Air Warfare Instructor (Helicopter) Course in GB and France, 2/1963-5/1963: aptitude tests; firing air-to-ground Nord Aviation SS.11 Missiles in France. Aspects of period as helicopter pilot with 706 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB, 6/1963-6/1964: joining squadron as Air Warfare Instructor (AWI); description of how Nord Aviation SS.11 Missile was attached to Westland Wessex HU.5; story of having to provide emergency flight for Duke of Edinburgh. Aspects of period as helicopter pilot aboard HMS Hecla and HMS Vidal in GB coastal waters and Persian Gulf, 1967-1968: conversion to Westland Wasp HAS.1, 1967; joining survey ship HMS Hecla for Polaris Missile trials, 1967-1968. REEL 5 Continues: operating from HMS Hecla; transfer to survey ship HMS Vidal; work in Persian Gulf; story of landing in sheik's palace in Dubai. Aspects of period as helicpter pilot with 848 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB, 6/1964-1/1965: joining squadron, 6/1964; firepower display at Farnborough Air Show; embarkation aboard HMS Albion, 1/1965. Recollections of operations as helicopter pilot with 848 Naval Air Sqdn aboard HMS Albion in Far East and during Indonesian Confrontation in Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia, 2/1965-8/1966: operating in Radfan, Federation of South Arabia on route to Far East; disembarkation in Borneo, 5/1965; areas operated in Borneo; daily flying routine at Nanga Ghat; state of maps and improvements made; method of navigating around Borneo; story of reporting problem with Westland Wessex HU.5. REEL 6 Continues: subsequent discovery of problem being caused by defective fuel filters; need to replace engine after failure; size of detachment and facilities at Nanga Ghat; work of Gurkha engineer detachment; accommodation and state of health; move to Labuan Island; incident of squadron member who delivered 105mm Field Gun on only one engine; insertion of border patrols; nature of Special Air Service cross-border operations; flying with underslung loads; story of flying underslung load of ammunition on Westland Sea King during Falklands War, 1982; weather conditions; incident of squadron member's attempt to fly with damaged rotor and fatal consequences; question of tasking flights. REEL 7 Continues: helicopter maintenance; attitude towards operating in Borneo; return visit to Borneo, 1970; importance of 'hearts and minds' policy; later operations, return to GB, 8/1966; pattern of career, 1966-1969. Aspects of period as senior pilot with and commanding 847 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Malaysia, 1969-1971: appointment as senior pilot; detachment to East Pakistan for typhoon relief work; role as senior pilot. Aspects of period commanding 847 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose and HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in GB, 2/1972-7/1973: move of squadron to HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, 5/1972; role of squadron; cold weather training in Norway. Aspects of period commanding HMS Llandaff in GB coastal waters, North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, 1973-1975: taking command of frigate; pattern of deployment; attitude towards commanding ship; contrast between commanding naval air squadron and captaining ship. REEL 8 Continues: working up of ship; visit to central London; duties on Beira Patrol in Indian Ocean; reciprocal visit to Soviet Navy warship in Mombasa, Kenya; visit to Seychelles; medical emergency in Indian Ocean; leaving frigate; taking fellowship in International Studies at University of Cambridge on leaving ship, 1975. Aspects of period as staff officer with Directorate of Naval Operational Requirements in Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1975-1978: duties; introduction of ski jump for British Aerospace Sea Harrier. Aspects of period as staff officer with Naval Secretary to Appointments in Ministry of Defence, London, GB, 1978-1981: duties; attitude towards role. Aspects of period as executive officer aboard HMS Fearless in GB coastal waters, Caribbean and Norway, 1981-1982: joining amphibious assault ship as executive officer, 1981; need to persuade Minister of Defence John Nott of importance of amphibious assault ship; description of HMS Fearless; deployments to Caribbean and Norway, 1/1982-3/1982. Recollections of operations as executive officer aboard HMS Fearless in South Atlantic during Falklands War, 4/1982-6/1982: question of whether HMS Fearless could have averted Falklands War; story of Admiral Sir Henry Leach describing his role in lead up to Falklands War; rapid sailing for South Atlantic, 4/1982. REEL 9 Continues: arrival at Ascension Island; sailing from Ascension Island for Falkland Islands, 8/5/1982; meeting with Captain Sam Salt of sunken HMS Sheffield; move to San Carlos Water; problems with anchor in San Carlos Water; opinion of amphibious landings in San Carlos Water, 5/1982; character of Argentinean air attacks on landing force; ship's anti-aircraft defences; source of air raid warnings; effect on morale of capture of Goose Green; acting as second pilot with 846 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm; transporting ammunition to artillery batteries; flying Westland Sea King; Exocet Missile attack on HMS Glamorgan, 14/6/1982; story of Brigadier Mario Menéndez's use of his sea cabin; return to GB, 7/1982. REEL 10 Continues: promotion to captain, 6/1982. Aspects of period as staff officer with Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Mons, Belgium, 1982-1985: story of encounter with commanding general; role and duties. Aspects of period Deputy Director of the Operations and Trade Division, Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1985-1988: role of division; briefings on situation in Persian Gulf in City of London. Aspects of period as staff officer with Ministry of Defence, London, GB, 1989-1991: duties with Polaris Missile programme including attending missile firing on ranges in United States of America; visits to HMNB Faslane. Aspects of period as Director of Naval Security and with Tri-Service Security Directorate in Ministry of Defence, London, GB, 1991-1998: pattern of career; threats faced; retirement. Reaction to watching HMS Fearless being towed away for disposal at Portsmouth, GB, 2007.