I've already written about my first day of the Iraqi invasion in 1990. And having been at the British Embassy on the 25th February, 2011 with friends and dignitaries (including Former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and John Major) for a very memorable 20 year reunion where we reminisced about those surreal days, I was encouraged by friends to post some of my pics and more stories of my time during the Gulf War.
I had left Kuwait during the invasion and occupation in September, 1990 with the organised evacuation of British women and children. A 17 hour journey by bus to Baghdad followed by a flight to Amman and from there a BA flight to London.
Once back in the UK my old employer Kuwait Airways called and asked me to join them in Cairo where they were starting up operations. After a month we were asked if anyone wanted to volunteer to go on a British military operation flying troops out of the UK - all the British girls, some Kuwaitis and a few other varied nationalities didn't hesitate.
We arrived at a hotel in Oxford and the following day were taken to Brize Norton RAF Base for a briefing. What a briefing that was! We were issued with nuclear, biological, chemical warfare suits and combo pens. Combo pens were a huge syringe full of anti-nerve gas antidote (belladonna) that were only to be administered if you had suffered nerve gas poisoning because the belladonna could kill you alone if you hadn't already been poisoned. Ok, so what are the symptoms of nerve gas poisoning? Well they're same as if you were scared silly by the thought of a possible nerve gas attack; sweating profusely, shaking, nausea, dizzy so how one tells the difference I'll never know. We girls had made a pact that we would stand in a circle and jab each other in the behind. Fortunately, we never had to use them.
We were two crews alternating on the B-747 that flew British troops daily into Jubail, Saudi Arabia (the closest airbase to Kuwait) until it got far too dangerous and then we started flying into Dharan.
In Dharan we experienced a full blown skud attack whilst on a jumbo jet full of fuel. Sandy, one of the Tornado squadron leaders was having a cup of tea with us when I heard a siren. We had been briefed about the warning siren and the flag would would turn to red if there was imminent danger. I asked Sandy if that was the warning siren going off. It sounded very much like the C-130's taxying out (which make a hell of a noise and already Dharan was a huge, busy military air base with loads of noise) but simultaneously Sandy and I noticed the red flag and we knew it was the business. Sandy told me to close the door until he could check on his radio, in the jeep at the bottom of the stairs, what the situation was. If there were chemicals in the air then we would be better off staying on the closed aircraft but if there were incoming scuds we'd better get the hell off the big fat target full of fuel. He came back in seconds yelling at us to get off and get to the bunker. We knew where that was as we'd made sure of its location first moment we opened the door.
On the aircraft we had an emergency alert button called PP with PA overide. It was my one and only time to ever use it. I pressed the button and yelled at the crew over the PA "Attention we have incoming scuds, get your NBC suits and get to the bunker". We grabbed the huge bags containing the suits and struggled as fast as we could to the arriving buses that Sandy had organised to take us across the tarmac to the bunker. Half way to the bunker we heard the most almighty bangs which had the girls screaming and crying but the driver said it was the Patriots being launched; they break the sound barrier.
When we got to the bunker there were already lots of people inside who helped us put on our suits as we were shaking with fear.
The pic below was after the scud attack at Dharan. Some of the crew had already changed and some even stayed on the aircraft not bothering to go to the bunker. The pics don't really show our charcoal covered faces from using the gas masks
Jan 16, 1991 was a change in destination, instead we flew into Riyadh who fueled us in record time. Usually the military planes had priority but that day we got priority. There was a hurried feel to everything and we could sense something was wrong. We took off and were barely out of Saudi airspace when the captain called me in to listen to the the BBC - The liberation of Kuwait had begun. The airwar started. All the crew and 4-5 servicemen squeezed into the cockpit to listen to the news. We laughed, jumped with joy and then cried with fear and apprehension.
Unforgettable memories.
I had left Kuwait during the invasion and occupation in September, 1990 with the organised evacuation of British women and children. A 17 hour journey by bus to Baghdad followed by a flight to Amman and from there a BA flight to London.
Once back in the UK my old employer Kuwait Airways called and asked me to join them in Cairo where they were starting up operations. After a month we were asked if anyone wanted to volunteer to go on a British military operation flying troops out of the UK - all the British girls, some Kuwaitis and a few other varied nationalities didn't hesitate.
We arrived at a hotel in Oxford and the following day were taken to Brize Norton RAF Base for a briefing. What a briefing that was! We were issued with nuclear, biological, chemical warfare suits and combo pens. Combo pens were a huge syringe full of anti-nerve gas antidote (belladonna) that were only to be administered if you had suffered nerve gas poisoning because the belladonna could kill you alone if you hadn't already been poisoned. Ok, so what are the symptoms of nerve gas poisoning? Well they're same as if you were scared silly by the thought of a possible nerve gas attack; sweating profusely, shaking, nausea, dizzy so how one tells the difference I'll never know. We girls had made a pact that we would stand in a circle and jab each other in the behind. Fortunately, we never had to use them.
We were two crews alternating on the B-747 that flew British troops daily into Jubail, Saudi Arabia (the closest airbase to Kuwait) until it got far too dangerous and then we started flying into Dharan.
 |
| That's me in Jubail, Saudia Arabia. Can't believe they let me play with those light baton thingies for guiding aircraft in. However, it was only for a photo opportunity. |
In Dharan we experienced a full blown skud attack whilst on a jumbo jet full of fuel. Sandy, one of the Tornado squadron leaders was having a cup of tea with us when I heard a siren. We had been briefed about the warning siren and the flag would would turn to red if there was imminent danger. I asked Sandy if that was the warning siren going off. It sounded very much like the C-130's taxying out (which make a hell of a noise and already Dharan was a huge, busy military air base with loads of noise) but simultaneously Sandy and I noticed the red flag and we knew it was the business. Sandy told me to close the door until he could check on his radio, in the jeep at the bottom of the stairs, what the situation was. If there were chemicals in the air then we would be better off staying on the closed aircraft but if there were incoming scuds we'd better get the hell off the big fat target full of fuel. He came back in seconds yelling at us to get off and get to the bunker. We knew where that was as we'd made sure of its location first moment we opened the door.
On the aircraft we had an emergency alert button called PP with PA overide. It was my one and only time to ever use it. I pressed the button and yelled at the crew over the PA "Attention we have incoming scuds, get your NBC suits and get to the bunker". We grabbed the huge bags containing the suits and struggled as fast as we could to the arriving buses that Sandy had organised to take us across the tarmac to the bunker. Half way to the bunker we heard the most almighty bangs which had the girls screaming and crying but the driver said it was the Patriots being launched; they break the sound barrier.
When we got to the bunker there were already lots of people inside who helped us put on our suits as we were shaking with fear.
The pic below was after the scud attack at Dharan. Some of the crew had already changed and some even stayed on the aircraft not bothering to go to the bunker. The pics don't really show our charcoal covered faces from using the gas masks
Jan 16, 1991 was a change in destination, instead we flew into Riyadh who fueled us in record time. Usually the military planes had priority but that day we got priority. There was a hurried feel to everything and we could sense something was wrong. We took off and were barely out of Saudi airspace when the captain called me in to listen to the the BBC - The liberation of Kuwait had begun. The airwar started. All the crew and 4-5 servicemen squeezed into the cockpit to listen to the news. We laughed, jumped with joy and then cried with fear and apprehension.
Unforgettable memories.
Thank you for sharing your experiences during the Gulf War. I love the pics! Too cute!
ReplyDeleteThank you Expat and the City for reading and commenting. It's always nice to get feedback.
ReplyDeleteCute or funny? LOL...Can't believe my friends let me walk around with hair like that :OD No it's not natural! I actually paid to get a perm and look like that.
u r an amazing women umkookie :* we luv u !
ReplyDeleteAhhh! Thanks :O* Now I know you 'must' know me from the nickname :OD So love you too xxx Will I find out on Thursday who it is?
ReplyDeleteI guess it is never too late (20 years) to say thank you for your own personal effort to help kuwait during the Iraqi invasion . GOD bless you and your family .
ReplyDeleteDaggero, You made me cry. I would do it all over again if I had to. After I left Kuwait in September 1990 we watched the news 24/7 and still had no idea what was really going on. At least we had a purpose which helped us keep cope. I appreciate your kind thought.
ReplyDeleteOops sorry to have made you cry ,
ReplyDeleteI Also wish you had a chance to laugh your way to the bank with the last Amiri grant on the occasion of Independence / Liberation day :)
:OD
ReplyDeleteYou are all heroes.
ReplyDeleteNot at all. Just needed to be involved and doing something useful. It was hard seeing those young British soldiers going out to war. They were the real heroes and the Kuwaitis, like my husband, who refused to leave Kuwait.
Delete