Book Review: Vulcan 607 by Rowland White

Anyway, to commemorate the last flying season on Vulcan 558, I’d like to recommend that anyone with an interest in such things tracks down the story of her cousin, Vulcan 607, and her part in the Falklands conflict in 1982. Back then, being so close to prime RAF country, our little village had its own returning war veteran; now, post-Iraq and Afghanistan, that’s nothing unusual, but the Falklands conflict was my first vicarious experience of war as a thing not purely confined to comic books.

Which is kind of weird because the story of Black Buck One, the British military’s first counter-strike following the Argentine invasion of the Falklands, would have fit perfectly on the pages of Battle or Victor. This is a cracking story, a proper boy’s own adventure, only absolutely true.

You only have to look at how far the Falklands are from, say, RAF Fairford, to get an idea of the scale of the undertaking and why it makes for such a good story. The author manages to convey the epic scale of the mission – from hurriedly upgrading the 22 year old aircraft, to the mind-boggling logisitics required to make the 8,000 mile round trip – and mixes the action with little snippets of history about the Vulcan, the air force, the politics and the islands to make a nicely rounded account which, honestly, you couldn’t have made up.

Arguably, the actual effect of this and subsequent Black Buck raids was limited in the larger scheme of things, but as a first response and a way of getting the attention of the aggressors, it seemed to do the job. Vulcan 607, by its nature, tells a somewhat one-sided story, but the contribution made by the Royal Air Force to the conflict is otherwise largely understated, so it is a welcome story for that reason too.

Part Cold War techno-thriller, part history book, Vulcan 607 is a great read, and an easy read for anyone interested in the Royal Air Force, recent military history or aviation in general, and definitely one to pick up if you’re interested in the Falklands conflict following the recent anniversary.