From: R.J.Collingham@newcastle.ac.uk (R.J.Collingham)
Subject: Tornado Down (TV programme)
Organization: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK NE1 7RU
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 16:29:37 GMT


From R.J.Collingham@newcastle.ac.uk (R.J.Collingham)

Yesterday evening, Wednesday 9th September, UK television's Channel 4 
documentary series "Cutting Edge" showed a programme entitled "Tornado
Down". This recounted the story of the first two British Tornado pilots,
Flight Lt Peters and Flight Lt Nichol, who were shot down by an Iraqi missile
in the first few hours of the Gulf War, in January 1991.

It was an excellent and very moving TV programme. The story began when the 
pilots left their Bahrain base. Their mission was to bomb an Iraqi airbase
and should have taken place in the cover of darkness, but due to "operational
difficulties" they did not take off until dawn. During their flight they 
refueled at 10000ft but for most of their mission they flew very fast at
200 ft. Everything had gone perfectly. They approached their target, readied
the bombs, started to climb, counted down to release time....bombs away...
they continued to climb when they realised that the bombs had not been fired
and they were distraught at having failed their mission. 

(Some months after the event they came to the conclusion that the
navigator (Nichol) had only half pressed the release button during the
confusion of releasing lots of chaff and flares to confuse enemy triple-A and
SAMs.)

...so, strange as it may seem they discussed the possibility of having another
run at the airbase to try and finish the job. In the end they decided to get
back to base. Just as they were turning and trying to get back to 200 feet
they were rocked by a massive explosion at the rear of their Tornado. The
pilot lost control of the stick, looking back they could see that most of the
rear of the plane was either missing or on fire, a wing was also on fire. I
think they released their bombs into the desert and managed to climb to a
suitable height for ejection.

They ejected safely, only suffering minor bruises during landing. They quickly 
readied their pistols and radioed back to base. They knew that if they were
to be rescued they would have to survive in the desert for about 10 hours.
They headed off to find some cover, but quickly realised that it was a very
flat desert all around them. Eventually they saw about a dozen figures
walking towards them, they took cover behind some cactus plants (!) as the
men opened fire with AK47 machine guns all around them. They discussed their
options, either to go out in glory a la Butch Cassidy and the Sundance
Kid or to surrender. They surrendered and were immediately beaten severly
by the Iraqi soldiers until an officer arrived. All of their belongings
were looted by the soldiers. The soldiers held the RAF men's pistols
aloft triumphantly and tried to fire them - but they had jammed with the
sand! They were blindfolded and taken back to the airbase they had tried to
bomb. They were beaten some more and then driven off to Bahgdad to the
security police.

In the programme the men then described the horrifying (very crude) beating
that they received, the psychological torture. Even so long after the event
they were almost in tears speaking about it all. At one point they had tissue
paper stuffed down their flying suits around their necks that was set alight.
It was so horrible to hear, they suffered so much.

For days they held out just saying name, rank and number. Eventually they
said that they were pilot/navigator of a Tornado that flew from Bahrain, and
that they were from 15-Squadron. The information that they had passed on
was not in the least bit sensitive, and had in fact already been published
in Western newspapers and on Western TV!

At this point they were displayed on Iraqi TV reading prepared answers
to questions. They looked terrible. The RAF men hope this would shock
the world. I think it did. After that they went into solitary confinement
for about 40 days, in a very small room, the toilet was a small hole in
the floor in one corner, they received one "meal" a day. 

Then one night two large explosions occurred, they guessed it was allied 
bombing. The whole jail shook and they were physically lifted off their
"beds". It appeared that there were several allied POWs in the same block
because one had his cell door blown off. He dashed down the corridor and
opened all the food hatches so the prisoners could talk to each other.
Nichol had put his food bowl on his head to prevent injury from falling 
masonry.

This was the best bit of the programme...

Peters just shouted to find his colleague -"is John Nichol there, John
are you there...?"
Nichol replied: "yes, I'm here..."

The men needed to say no more between them they were just both relieved that
each was alive.

Peters said: "i bet you're not a fat bastard any more?"
Nichol said: "no, I'm not.....I'm sitting here with a plastic bowl on
              my head with shit all around me on the floor...!!!"

A few days later and 47 days after their capture Peters was released and 
taken by the red cross to Jordan.
A day later Nichol was also released and they were both flown to the RAF
base in Cyprus before flying home and felling huge relief.
Both men are now back performing normal duties with their Tornado
squadron.

------------------------

I hope that was interesting, it was a very good programme, very sad and
moving.

Russell


--------------------------------------------------------------------
Russell J. Collingham		
Artificial Intelligence Systems Research Group
Computer Science (SECS)	
University of Durham		email: R.J.Collingham@durham.ac.uk
Stockton Road			phone: 091-374 2549 (2630 secretary)
Durham, England DH1 3LE		  fax: 091-374 3741




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