Affectionately known as ‘Fat
Albert’, the RAF C-130 Hercules are operational 24 hours
a day, 365 days a year. With skilled preparation and operation,
the Hercules of RAF Lyneham travel the globe - often at short
notice. The daily tasks range from: dropping paratroopers, or
delivering troops and equipment to the front-line [ & beyond!
]; bringing famine relief to areas of conflict, to assisting
Air-Sea-Rescue services. Nobody knows what each day may bring,
but the job is rewarding.
To most people, the RAF is seen
as being in the Air, while the Army sticks to the ground . Years
of experience with the Hercules fleet lays that myth to rest.
For many of the Hercules operations, Army and Air Force come
together to do what the Forces do best - work as a team to get
the job done. Proof of that - if proof of that is need - is
the fact that the efforts of RAF Lyneham and its resident Army
unit, 47 Air Despatch RLC, have won the prestigious ‘Wilkinson
Sword of Peace’ 3 times [ ‘73, ’85 & ‘92
] for their contribution to humanitarian operations worldwide.
But, whether it is ‘peacetime’
or 'conflict', both the preparation,and the tasks can be demanding
and hazardous. So, these pages are dedicated to the skills and
courage of all who have contributed to the successful operations
of the fleet - regardless of rank, trade or Service. They were
men and women I was proud to have worked beside. In their honour,
these pages are just a small glimpse in ...
Pristinae
virtutis memores
