Personnel Index - Detail

Name
BATES
First Names
Robert N
Rank
Flight Lieutenant (later Squadron Leader)
Service
RAF
Crew Position
Pilot

 

The Valiant years (a member of the Megaton Club)

Captain Valiant WZ367.

Known as "Bob".

The standby aircraft for Operation Buffalo, Australia October 1956.

Bob Bates was involved in Operation Buffalo which was the first British atomic bomb which had been dropped from an airplane.

For more details, click this link (opens in a new window).

The main and backup crews for Operation Buffalo.
Front Row:
John Finnis ( B/A Standby),  Ken Edmonds ( Nav/Plotter Standby),  Ted Flavell (Main pilot), George Ford (Main AEO), Eric Stacey (Main B/A)     

Rear Row:
John Mitchell (Co-pilot Standby), Gordon Spencer (Main Nav/Plotter), Frank Coulton (Standby AEO), Bob Bates (Standby Pilot), John Ledger (Main Co-pilot)

Image and information courtesy of Pete Sharp - 'The Vickers Valiant- The Forgotten One' Association.

Bob Bates's crew dropped the 5th Nuclear Trial 28th April 1958 in Op Grapple "Y".