0:00:01 > 0:00:02ROTOR BLADES WHIR
0:00:02 > 0:00:06I've come here to celebrate and to say farewell
0:00:06 > 0:00:09to a very British kind of hero.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13You just might not know this hero yet.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20- But he does. - I'm a 57-year-old man, brought to tears by a helicopter!
0:00:20 > 0:00:22'And they do.'
0:00:22 > 0:00:24RADIO: "Forward, right two yards."
0:00:24 > 0:00:27And she certainly does.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Thinking that, potentially, we could lose the children
0:00:31 > 0:00:34was the most awful feeling.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38- ROTOR BLADES CHOP - If you hear it, the chances are you're in trouble,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42but if you are, then this is the most wonderful sound
0:00:42 > 0:00:45you're ever likely to hear.
0:00:46 > 0:00:5040 years of remarkable service.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54- Ten wars. - 'Three times I watched him go down,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57'three times he brought men up.'
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Thousands rescued.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07The Sea King.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Hail to the chief!
0:01:26 > 0:01:30The Cornish coast is an odd place to start a story about an aircraft.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32But as we're going to find out,
0:01:32 > 0:01:36this unsung hero from Britain's flying past
0:01:36 > 0:01:38is full of surprises.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46'It's a military aircraft,
0:01:46 > 0:01:50'known as a double-decker bus with wings.'
0:01:50 > 0:01:54'Its role in the Armed Forces is coming to an end.'
0:01:56 > 0:02:01But if ever there was an aircraft that deserved a right royal sendoff,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03it's this one.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10The Sea King.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20'These are the very last days
0:02:20 > 0:02:22'of a line of helicopters
0:02:22 > 0:02:28'that have saved more British lives than any other aircraft in history.'
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Like much that is the best of British,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33its origins lay abroad.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36The original 1950s model
0:02:36 > 0:02:39was created by the American Sikorsky company.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42'It was then totally transformed
0:02:42 > 0:02:47'by engineers from Westlands in Yeovil in the early '60s.'
0:02:48 > 0:02:52The first thing they did was to rip out the American engines
0:02:52 > 0:02:57and replace them with ones from Rolls-Royce.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00And you can't get more British than that.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08'This will be an incredible adventure.'
0:03:08 > 0:03:12'I will be flying in an aircraft fit for a prince.'
0:03:12 > 0:03:15That's my helicopter flying over at the moment.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17It's almost time I should go!
0:03:17 > 0:03:20'Maybe even a future king.'
0:03:20 > 0:03:22'And I can't wait.'
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Great when you get to save someone's life or make a difference to someone
0:03:26 > 0:03:28when you know they're in trouble.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35'We're going straight to the heart of the aircraft's wartime world
0:03:35 > 0:03:39'to meet up with the Sea King's military family.'
0:03:41 > 0:03:46'And we'll go back through 40 years of civilian service
0:03:46 > 0:03:49'to revisit some of the most perilous Sea King rescues
0:03:49 > 0:03:51'here at home.'
0:03:51 > 0:03:54There's nothing frivolous about the Sea King
0:03:55 > 0:03:58and that's because it was designed for a specific task -
0:03:58 > 0:04:00to be the strongman of the sky,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03to have power, dependability
0:04:03 > 0:04:06and, above all, endurance.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Like all great aircraft, it's so impressive
0:04:09 > 0:04:13because it's thoroughly fit for purpose.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18'The Ministry of Defence needed a way
0:04:18 > 0:04:21'to counter the Soviet nuclear-submarine threat.'
0:04:21 > 0:04:25'The answer - a Cold War hunter-killer helicopter
0:04:25 > 0:04:27'that could operate on its own,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31'hundreds of miles from its base or ship.'
0:04:32 > 0:04:36'But they also saw the Sea King as a troop carrier,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40'a weapons transporter, a sonar and radar platform
0:04:40 > 0:04:44'and, crucially, a search-and-rescue aircraft.'
0:04:44 > 0:04:49'Over the next 40 years, it would fulfil all of these expectations
0:04:49 > 0:04:51'and more.'
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Now, at the end of its life,
0:04:55 > 0:04:59it's time to look back and celebrate its greatest moments.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07RADIO: "Any information..."
0:05:08 > 0:05:12'This is the Royal Navy Air Station at Culdrose in Cornwall,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16'home to the 771 search-and-rescue squadron.'
0:05:17 > 0:05:22'Today we're flying with Lieutenant Commander Andy Watts and his crew.'
0:05:22 > 0:05:25- How many have you got here? - We've got eight here.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28We always have one on search and rescue.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32'Like all of the Ace of Clubs squadron, Andy has also performed
0:05:32 > 0:05:36'in some of the world's most dangerous war zones.'
0:05:36 > 0:05:38'Now he has a new challenge.'
0:05:38 > 0:05:40- I'm too fat.- No!
0:05:40 > 0:05:43- Do we look silly? That's the trouble.- No!
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Right, John, we're all ready to go.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51'It's all fairly relaxed inside,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53'but as soon as you step outside,
0:05:53 > 0:05:58'you feel the intensity and power of the aircraft -
0:05:58 > 0:06:00'and the crew.'
0:06:04 > 0:06:08'And the sound! Well, it's almost overwhelming!'
0:06:12 > 0:06:15It's not exactly business class, is it?
0:06:15 > 0:06:18MUSIC: "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by The Rolling Stones
0:06:23 > 0:06:25We're lifting off!
0:06:25 > 0:06:29They call this a takeoff, but it's like going up in a rocket.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33There's the tremendous power of the engine and we're so high already!
0:06:33 > 0:06:37And, dressed like this, I feel like an astronaut!
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Next stop - the Moon!
0:06:39 > 0:06:44It's so unlike going off in an aircraft, an ordinary aircraft -
0:06:44 > 0:06:48you sit in, off you go, before you know it, you're at 10,000 feet,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51but we're not, we're still close to the ground
0:06:51 > 0:06:54and you feel part of the aircraft.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58All this strapping and equipment makes you feel...
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Well, I'm in a helicopter, I AM a helicopter.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05I'm just going up like a bird! It's an extraordinary feeling!
0:07:05 > 0:07:10# I was born in a crossfire hurricane
0:07:12 > 0:07:17# And I howled at my ma in the driving rain...
0:07:17 > 0:07:20'What a glorious sight -
0:07:20 > 0:07:23'the southwest coast of Cornwall,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25'whizzing past at nearly 130mph.'
0:07:28 > 0:07:31It looks marvellous from the air,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34it gives it something very special, a helicopter journey.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Indeed. Some people say "What a wonderful office window I have"
0:07:38 > 0:07:42and it's great to look out and see it changing,
0:07:42 > 0:07:46but it's more important that we have to be aware of the coastal path
0:07:46 > 0:07:49because this is quite often where we're called upon
0:07:49 > 0:07:53to pick up people who enjoy the countryside here, enjoy the views,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55but can get into difficulties.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01'This is where the peacetime role of the Sea King
0:08:01 > 0:08:03'is often anything but peaceful.'
0:08:03 > 0:08:06'When conditions here turn nasty,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10'lashed by rain, with raging winds and high seas,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13'the aircraft won its spurs
0:08:13 > 0:08:16'and the right to be celebrated.'
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Right below us are the Western Approaches
0:08:20 > 0:08:24and some of the most dangerous sailing conditions in Britain.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27In August 1979,
0:08:27 > 0:08:31303 sailing yachts passed this point
0:08:31 > 0:08:33on their way to the Fastnet Rock
0:08:33 > 0:08:36on the southwest coast of Ireland -
0:08:36 > 0:08:39the furthest point of one of the most dramatic
0:08:39 > 0:08:42and demanding races in the world.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47'But it turned into a disaster -
0:08:47 > 0:08:52'monstrous swells were whipped up by near-hurricane-force winds.'
0:08:52 > 0:08:55'One competitor described the waves
0:08:55 > 0:08:58'as being "as high as the cliffs of Dover".'
0:08:58 > 0:09:02RADIO FORECAST: "Fastnet, south-westerly, severe gale force 9,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05"increasing storm force 10..."
0:09:05 > 0:09:09We would be thrust, like from a cannon,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12into the cockpit, at the end of our tethers.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Your mouth, your nose is full of water, your ears are,
0:09:15 > 0:09:19even though you're hooded. You're soaking wet.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22We were overwhelmed. Totally overwhelmed.
0:09:25 > 0:09:2819 yachts were abandoned, five were sunk,
0:09:28 > 0:09:3215 sailors lost their lives,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36but many more were saved by these helicopters.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39It was one of the greatest search-and-rescue operations
0:09:39 > 0:09:43ever carried out in these islands.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52'24-year-old Nick Ward from Hampshire
0:09:52 > 0:09:56'was one of a six-man crew aboard the yacht Grimalkin.'
0:09:56 > 0:09:59'At 30 foot, she was one of the smaller yachts in the race.'
0:09:59 > 0:10:04'So when the storm hit, the impact was brutal.'
0:10:05 > 0:10:09I didn't think there was any chance of getting out of this situation,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12any chance.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15There was a massive wave behind us
0:10:15 > 0:10:20and that's the last thing I saw before the boat turned upright.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27'It is impossible to know how long Nick remained unconscious,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31'but during that time, chaos gripped the Grimalkin.'
0:10:31 > 0:10:34'The captain of the boat was swept away.'
0:10:34 > 0:10:39'His 17-year-old son, also part of the crew, watched helplessly
0:10:39 > 0:10:43'as his father was consumed by another massive wave.'
0:10:43 > 0:10:45'Under these conditions,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49'the young man and two other crew mates abandoned ship
0:10:49 > 0:10:51'and launched Grimalkin's lifeboat,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55'leaving Nick and his crew mate Gerry Winks
0:10:55 > 0:10:59'buried under splintered mast poles, presumed dead.'
0:10:59 > 0:11:02'It was a desperate moment.'
0:11:02 > 0:11:05I was floating alongside the boat,
0:11:05 > 0:11:10with my head banging against the side, with no-one around me.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15I saw a mop of red hair and oilskins.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17And so that was Gerry.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19I managed to grab his safety harness
0:11:19 > 0:11:22and manhandle him aboard.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24I thought he was dead,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27but I needed someone to help me
0:11:27 > 0:11:30and so I started thumping his chest.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35He managed to say some words to me before he passed away in my arms.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37And I remember those words -
0:11:37 > 0:11:41"Nick, if ever you see Margaret again, tell her I love her."
0:11:44 > 0:11:49'For the first time since setting out from Cowes 48 hours earlier,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51'Nick Ward was alone.'
0:11:51 > 0:11:56'But, even in death, his friend Gerry proved to be an inspiration.'
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Gerry had died,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03so therefore I felt the only way I could survive
0:12:03 > 0:12:07was to use him as a sort of sounding board,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09calling him names,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12almost going madly, bizarrely mad.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16All sorts of things going on in my head,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18just trying to survive.
0:12:18 > 0:12:23'Dangerously dehydrated and suffering from hypothermia,
0:12:23 > 0:12:27'Nick clung on to life for 14 hours.'
0:12:27 > 0:12:30'But as the sun set on the second day of the storm,
0:12:30 > 0:12:34'he knew he wouldn't survive another night on Grimalkin.'
0:12:36 > 0:12:38'But Nick hadn't banked
0:12:38 > 0:12:43'on a brand-new, long-range Royal Navy helicopter.'
0:12:44 > 0:12:49I was slumped in the corner of the boat, imagining myself dead.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Not a nice place to be.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55I was hearing helicopters beating, a-beating, a-beating
0:12:55 > 0:12:59and that beating got louder and louder and louder
0:12:59 > 0:13:01as I leant on the rail.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05And there it was, hovering above me.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09'The mighty Sea King Mk 2 had arrived.'
0:13:11 > 0:13:14'The helicopter crew had been trying to position their aircraft
0:13:14 > 0:13:17'over Grimalkin for some time,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21'but with its mast ripped off and the swell still heaving,
0:13:21 > 0:13:26'landing their winchman safely wasn't going to be easy.'
0:13:26 > 0:13:30It was clear, looking down, that there were two people on the yacht,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34one of whom appeared to be either seriously ill or had perhaps died.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41'Finally, Midshipman Harrie Harrison descended into the storm.'
0:13:41 > 0:13:46'It was his first ever search-and-rescue mission.'
0:13:46 > 0:13:48'He was just 20 years old.'
0:13:48 > 0:13:51As I was lowered onto the yacht,
0:13:51 > 0:13:55immediately I was dragged right to the fo'c's'le of the yacht
0:13:55 > 0:13:59and it was only the bowsprit that stopped me going over the side.
0:14:00 > 0:14:05'Harrie realised that his winch wire was in danger of snagging.'
0:14:05 > 0:14:07'He had a terrible choice -
0:14:07 > 0:14:12'if he disconnected, he no longer had a lifeline to his Sea King.'
0:14:12 > 0:14:16'But if he didn't, the operation would have to be abandoned.'
0:14:16 > 0:14:18'For a few terrifying moments,
0:14:18 > 0:14:22'he would work without the lifeline.'
0:14:22 > 0:14:25The mast had gone, all the rigging had gone over the side
0:14:25 > 0:14:29and, looking into the cockpit, it was clear that it was full of water.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31The yacht was only just afloat
0:14:31 > 0:14:36and so it was quite important that we got off the yacht quickly.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Those thoughts I had in the boat that I'd never have a family -
0:14:45 > 0:14:47the Sea King rescued me.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Excuse me.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01That's how much it means to me.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06I'm a 57-year-old man, brought to tears by a helicopter!
0:15:07 > 0:15:10How bizarre is that?!
0:15:14 > 0:15:17'Harrie Harrison's twin-engined Sea King
0:15:17 > 0:15:21'could fly twice as far and stay in the air twice as long
0:15:21 > 0:15:24'as previous search-and-rescue helicopters.'
0:15:24 > 0:15:29'For Nick Ward, that made the difference between life and death.'
0:15:34 > 0:15:39At the time, it looked as if the Sea Kings would increasingly concentrate
0:15:39 > 0:15:41on their civilian search-and-rescue role,
0:15:41 > 0:15:45but as it happens, the Sea Kings were about to embark
0:15:45 > 0:15:49on their toughest military mission in the whole of their career.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53BAND PLAYS MILITARY MARCH
0:15:56 > 0:15:59'On 5th April 1982,
0:15:59 > 0:16:04'Margaret Thatcher's government sent 27,000 British servicemen and women
0:16:04 > 0:16:07'to reclaim the Falkland Islands,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10'following the Argentine invasion.'
0:16:10 > 0:16:13'One month later, Atlantic Conveyor,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17'a merchant ship loaded with precious British aircraft,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20'arrived in the Falklands.'
0:16:20 > 0:16:24'She had just managed to offload her cargo of Harrier jets
0:16:24 > 0:16:29'when two Exocet missiles blasted through the ship.'
0:16:29 > 0:16:31'12 men died.'
0:16:31 > 0:16:35'Three Chinook, six Wessex and a Lynx helicopter were lost.'
0:16:35 > 0:16:40'The untested Mk 4 Sea Kings, known as Junglies,
0:16:40 > 0:16:44'were now the most important helicopters in the fleet.'
0:16:45 > 0:16:48'Warrant Officer Aircrewman John Sheldon
0:16:48 > 0:16:50'and Commodore Simon Thornewill
0:16:50 > 0:16:53'flew together during the conflict.'
0:16:53 > 0:16:56The Wessex 5 was an incredibly capable aircraft,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00but the Sea King could do about three times as much.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06'The Sea King was a resounding success.'
0:17:06 > 0:17:09'But John and Simon narrowly avoided disaster
0:17:09 > 0:17:12'when their aircraft - ZA298 -
0:17:12 > 0:17:17'had its main rotor blade shot to pieces by an enemy Skyhawk.'
0:17:18 > 0:17:22I looked out the window at the back of the Sea King,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25saw the four aircraft coming towards us.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28When the chap was about to open fire, you'd brake,
0:17:28 > 0:17:32turn very sharply and you'd descend or climb.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Erm, well, that's exactly what we did.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39If we hadn't broken left, we'd be dead. They'd have shot us down.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43The last aircraft fired his entire 20 seconds' worth
0:17:43 > 0:17:46of 20-mil ammunition at us.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51We landed on and then we found that we had a 20-mil cannon shell
0:17:51 > 0:17:54through the main spar of one of the blades.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Got a blade flown out to us
0:17:56 > 0:17:59and we were back in the hunt two hours later.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03'It was the first of many battle scars
0:18:03 > 0:18:06'that that particular aircraft would earn
0:18:06 > 0:18:09'on its way to entering Navy folklore
0:18:09 > 0:18:11'as the king of the Junglies.'
0:18:11 > 0:18:15I get very possessive when people talk about ZA298,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17cos I consider it to be my aircraft.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19It certainly saved my life
0:18:19 > 0:18:24and I relied on it so heavily during a very difficult time.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Royal salute!
0:18:30 > 0:18:34'One man who understands the value of the Sea King during the Falklands
0:18:34 > 0:18:38'is Welsh Guardsman Simon Weston.'
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Nice to meet you. Thanks for coming.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44'He was just 21 when he suffered terrible burns
0:18:44 > 0:18:46'to 40% of his face and body
0:18:47 > 0:18:51'after his ship, Sir Galahad, was bombed.'
0:18:52 > 0:18:56TV REPORT: 'The helicopters, which had been moving equipment forward,
0:18:56 > 0:18:58'now flocked to rescue survivors.'
0:19:00 > 0:19:03'Simon knows the Sea King that flew him to safety
0:19:03 > 0:19:08'was based here at Culdrose in Cornwall.'
0:19:08 > 0:19:12'But he's come here today to meet the man who risked his life
0:19:12 > 0:19:16'when he flew his Sea King into the flames of Sir Galahad
0:19:16 > 0:19:19'to rescue Simon and his fellow Welsh Guards.'
0:19:19 > 0:19:23'They've not met since that horrific day.'
0:19:23 > 0:19:25- Hi, John.- Nice to meet you.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27- Simon.- How are you?
0:19:27 > 0:19:29- Very well. Yourself?- Very good.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32- First time in Culdrose?- It is, yeah.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34You know, it's special for me.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37This is where you all came from.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41And you two have come across each other before, haven't you?
0:19:41 > 0:19:43We have indeed.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45'Lieutenant Boughton's Sea King
0:19:45 > 0:19:48'was one of several helicopters on the sea.'
0:19:48 > 0:19:51'The horror of what was happening underneath them
0:19:51 > 0:19:54'could've caused the crew to panic.'
0:19:54 > 0:19:58'Instead, their quick thinking saved hundreds of lives.'
0:19:58 > 0:20:03And some colleagues used the downdraught of the aircraft
0:20:03 > 0:20:06to try and blow those life rafts away from the fire on the ship.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10'The giant Sea Kings, using their rotor blades
0:20:10 > 0:20:15'to blow the packed life rafts away from Simon's burning ship
0:20:15 > 0:20:19'became one of the striking images of the war.'
0:20:19 > 0:20:24'But, crucially for Simon, John Boughton decided his helicopter
0:20:24 > 0:20:27'should head directly to the hull of the ship.'
0:20:28 > 0:20:32I felt - several of my colleagues were there,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35but I was first on the scene -
0:20:35 > 0:20:39that the people on the front of the ship - and you were there -
0:20:39 > 0:20:42had more need of us to get you off immediately
0:20:42 > 0:20:45because, if someone had climbed into a life raft,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48they were at least able to get clear of the fire.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Do you want to see it? I'd be interested in what you can remember.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57I remember being winched through the door on the other side.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01TV REPORT: 'They ignored the flames and the explosions
0:21:01 > 0:21:04'and the ammunition erupting around them
0:21:04 > 0:21:06'and they flew into the smoke
0:21:06 > 0:21:10'to lift the queues of men waiting calmly below.'
0:21:10 > 0:21:14So we're sitting there, we're facing forwards of the ship where you were
0:21:14 > 0:21:17and you would've been back here.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21You're looking down the ship, into the hold, which is on fire,
0:21:21 > 0:21:25and there were occasional blasts,
0:21:25 > 0:21:30which would blow us sideways, away from where we were picking them up,
0:21:30 > 0:21:35and the crewmen gave instructions to come back to the position
0:21:35 > 0:21:37so you could pick them off the deck.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40'Three times I watched him go down,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42'three times he brought men up
0:21:42 > 0:21:45'to the blackness that covered his helicopter above him.'
0:21:45 > 0:21:48There was no radio communication at the time,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50nobody on the ships talking to us,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54the aeroplanes were talking to each other,
0:21:54 > 0:21:56so in the early parts of the rescue,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59it was make it up as you went along.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02I'm looking at this now and I can remember coming up
0:22:02 > 0:22:07and... the winchman turning me to bring me in.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10I had so many open wounds that everything was leeching out of me.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13The skin had been burned away and because everything was moist,
0:22:13 > 0:22:17the cold and the discomfort was something unreal,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20it was something nobody could prepare you for.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Getting on this thing - it was an epic thing for me,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26I'll never forget that day.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31Looking up at the underneath of one of these, thinking "Thank God."
0:22:38 > 0:22:43Afterwards, when we heard the good-news stories of your recovery,
0:22:43 > 0:22:45we were obviously delighted
0:22:45 > 0:22:49and I think the whole squadron had a shared sort of pleasure
0:22:49 > 0:22:53in the fact that at least we'd contributed to that recovery.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55It's nice to be able to say thanks.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Not many people get a chance to say thank you
0:22:58 > 0:23:00to the people who did so much
0:23:00 > 0:23:05or were a part of saving you and your colleagues.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Yeah, your comrades. It's just nice to be able to say thanks.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12So... Yeah. Thank you.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20'The destruction of Sir Galahad and other ships
0:23:20 > 0:23:23'sent shockwaves through the task force.'
0:23:23 > 0:23:26'The Duke of York, on HMS Invincible,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29'was one of the Sea King pilots who used their helicopters
0:23:29 > 0:23:33'as decoys for incoming missiles.'
0:23:33 > 0:23:38Militarily speaking, I've been shocked and yet proud.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41I've been shocked at what has happened,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43the way the ships were taken out.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48To think that a missile, perhaps 18 feet long, can do so much damage...
0:23:51 > 0:23:54'The Sea King was now firmly established
0:23:54 > 0:23:56'in the British public's imagination.'
0:23:56 > 0:24:00'Throughout the 1980s, the giant aircraft,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04'piloted by the same crews who had served in the Falklands,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06'used their skills here at home -
0:24:06 > 0:24:09'no job too small,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12'no name too big to be rescued.'
0:24:15 > 0:24:21'130 miles northeast of the Royal Naval Air Station at Culdrose
0:24:21 > 0:24:24'is RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27'home to the fighting Sea Kings.'
0:24:30 > 0:24:34'If the Navy's grey and red search-and-rescue helicopter
0:24:34 > 0:24:36'is a dove,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39'then the green Jungly is very much the hawk.'
0:24:42 > 0:24:45The Sea King is a great symbol of Britishness
0:24:45 > 0:24:48and is made only over there at Western Helicopters.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51So this is very much her home.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Wherever we go on operations -
0:24:53 > 0:24:57for example, in Afghanistan, flying out to remote bases with soldiers,
0:24:57 > 0:25:01supplying them with equipment, ammunition, food etc -
0:25:01 > 0:25:03we've got this symbol of Britishness
0:25:03 > 0:25:06with an invisible label on it saying "Made in Britain".
0:25:06 > 0:25:10There's an emotional attachment for all who've served in this community.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13- A real fondness for this plane. - Absolutely.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18'There are two front-line Sea King squadrons based here -
0:25:18 > 0:25:21'845 and 846.'
0:25:21 > 0:25:23'Each has ten aircraft.'
0:25:25 > 0:25:29'This is the formidable Mk 4 Jungly.'
0:25:29 > 0:25:33'Its rotor blades are folded back to make it easier to transport.'
0:25:33 > 0:25:38'Sand filters improve performance in the deserts of the Middle East.'
0:25:38 > 0:25:41'But remarkably, some of these airframes
0:25:41 > 0:25:45'were actually used during the Falklands War.'
0:25:46 > 0:25:50'I've come here to fulfil a lifelong ambition.'
0:25:50 > 0:25:54'I'm going to visit one of the Sea King's ocean-based homes -
0:25:54 > 0:25:56'HMS Illustrious.'
0:25:56 > 0:25:59'It was meant to be a bit of fun,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02'but they don't seem to think so.'
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Pilot's ditching actions are to warn the crew,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06harnesses lock and tight,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10initiate the distress procedure, which will be a mayday call,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13and adjust windows as required.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16'HMS Illustrious - or "Lusty" to her friends -
0:26:16 > 0:26:20'has just received orders to set sail for the Mediterranean.'
0:26:20 > 0:26:24'Suddenly, this all feels a little bit too authentic.'
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Any questions on the formation brief? OK, brief complete.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37This will give you approximately two minutes of oxygen
0:26:37 > 0:26:41- if the aircraft ditches and ends up under water.- Right.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Last thing - name badge on the helmet.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50We're ready for action.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54MUSIC: "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Now, I admit I've not done this before
0:27:12 > 0:27:14and I'm a bit apprehensive.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16We've got to take off now
0:27:16 > 0:27:20and we've got to fly to a secret rendezvous
0:27:20 > 0:27:23with one of the most powerful ships in the Royal Navy -
0:27:23 > 0:27:26HMS Illustrious.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29MUSIC: "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones
0:27:33 > 0:27:37'I share a bit of my past with these helicopters.'
0:27:37 > 0:27:40'Back when the Sea King was little more than a new boy,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43'I went to school right underneath us,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46'just down the road from Yeovilton.'
0:27:46 > 0:27:49'Now it's a tough old bird.'
0:27:49 > 0:27:51'The helicopter, I mean!'
0:27:52 > 0:27:55'We fly miles out to sea
0:27:55 > 0:27:58'and there she is - Lusty.'
0:27:59 > 0:28:05'This remarkable 20,000-ton helicopter and commando carrier
0:28:05 > 0:28:08'has a top speed of 30 knots.'
0:28:08 > 0:28:11# Ooh, a storm is threatening...
0:28:11 > 0:28:15'This steel-hulled ship entered service in 1982
0:28:15 > 0:28:19'and has seen action in all ten of our recent wars.'
0:28:21 > 0:28:25'And there's been a Sea King on board this carrier since day one.'
0:28:25 > 0:28:28# War, children
0:28:28 > 0:28:30# It's just a shot away...
0:28:30 > 0:28:35'I wonder how the 1,000 men and women who live on Lusty will feel
0:28:35 > 0:28:40'when the very last Sea King is cleared for takeoff in 2016.'
0:28:40 > 0:28:42'Whatever they're feeling inside,
0:28:42 > 0:28:45'it'll be the job of the Commander Air
0:28:45 > 0:28:48'to make sure it leaves in the correct fashion.'
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Will you be sad to see this go?
0:28:51 > 0:28:55Yeah, I think so. They've had a pretty good innings though.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58There's not many photos of Illustrious
0:28:58 > 0:29:02without a Sea King on deck over the last 30 years.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05But this ship used to be able to land aircraft -
0:29:05 > 0:29:07you'd have Harrier Jump Jets.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11But now you're almost entirely reliant on helicopters.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Yep, purely helicopters.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17If the weather conditions are terrible, what do you do?
0:29:17 > 0:29:20They're all-weather, the same as the air handlers operate the deck -
0:29:20 > 0:29:22they're all-weather air handlers,
0:29:22 > 0:29:26so 24 hours, 365 days a year, whatever the weather may be.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30- They're sitting out here. - They're sitting out here.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34And when you've got a lot of helicopters coming in and going out,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37that must be difficult because you've got to coordinate it.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40Yes, that's one of the challenges.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44You've got to keep calm and not get cross with people.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47There's nothing wrong with being cross with people!
0:29:47 > 0:29:50Sometimes it helps! That's my job, to get cross with people.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54- So you're allowed to be cross. - I'm allowed.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Right, we'd better get ready and prepared. OK.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03'The deck is buzzing with helicopters.'
0:30:03 > 0:30:06'These might be her last days,
0:30:06 > 0:30:09'but nobody said she would go quietly.'
0:30:10 > 0:30:14'A few days from now, these aircraft will be in the Mediterranean.'
0:30:17 > 0:30:20'Lusty will provide a wonderful platform
0:30:20 > 0:30:23'for the final flights of the Sea King.'
0:30:23 > 0:30:28'But I don't expect there'll be too much time wasted on farewells.'
0:30:29 > 0:30:32CHORAL MUSIC
0:30:45 > 0:30:47'But in Yeovil in Somerset,
0:30:47 > 0:30:51'there's a man who might just shed a tear when his beloved helicopter
0:30:51 > 0:30:53'signs off for good.'
0:30:55 > 0:30:58'The model planes in this dusty old archive
0:30:58 > 0:31:01'represent every single aircraft
0:31:01 > 0:31:04'made here at AugustaWestland
0:31:04 > 0:31:06'for the last 100 years.'
0:31:06 > 0:31:07Reeooww...
0:31:07 > 0:31:10'Suddenly, I'm eight years old.'
0:31:10 > 0:31:14I remember this when I was a kid. The Dragonfly. That was something.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18'It feels like Britain's flying past in someone's attic.'
0:31:20 > 0:31:25Who has flown more Sea Kings than any other person in the world?
0:31:25 > 0:31:27Flown in them? Probably me.
0:31:27 > 0:31:32That's... Yeah, from the variety. From the variety. Yes, certainly.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36I loved the Sea King from the first time I saw it.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38It was a gentleman's aeroplane.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40You walked up the steps into it.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43It was a wife-and-child aeroplane.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45You knew that if you went out in it,
0:31:45 > 0:31:50you'd come back to your wife and children - it was that reliable.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53How affected were you by the knowledge
0:31:53 > 0:31:56that this was a hunter-killer helicopter?
0:31:56 > 0:31:58Well, not at all actually,
0:31:58 > 0:32:02because, as far as I'm concerned, I've always believed
0:32:02 > 0:32:06that to maintain the peace, prepare for war,
0:32:06 > 0:32:10but also the fact that this wonderful weapons system
0:32:10 > 0:32:13was so readily turned into a system
0:32:13 > 0:32:17for helping and for saving lives and for rescuing people.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20I think that was a wonderful thing.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24- That mattered to you as an engineer. - Very much so. Makes you glow.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27You think "Yeah, I helped with that. I helped you."
0:32:30 > 0:32:35'That's what's so special about this helicopter -
0:32:35 > 0:32:41'built to hunt and destroy, made for search and rescue.'
0:32:42 > 0:32:45It's 28th October 1989.
0:32:45 > 0:32:50We're 15 miles southeast of Start Point.
0:32:50 > 0:32:5475 feet below us, in appalling weather,
0:32:54 > 0:33:00the 12,000-ton motor vessel MV Murree is fighting for her life.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04Soon after the start of her long voyage home
0:33:04 > 0:33:08from Tilbury to Karachi in Pakistan,
0:33:08 > 0:33:10she hit a terrible storm
0:33:10 > 0:33:13and hurricane-force winds.
0:33:17 > 0:33:22'A Sea King was scrambled from the Naval Station at Culdrose.'
0:33:22 > 0:33:26'They'd been informed that there were 14 people on board,
0:33:26 > 0:33:28'but as they approached, it was revealed
0:33:28 > 0:33:32'that there were actually 40 people on the ship,
0:33:32 > 0:33:34'including young children.'
0:33:34 > 0:33:37'That's when Navy divers Steve "Shiner" Wright
0:33:37 > 0:33:41'and Dave "Wally" Wallace entered the frame.'
0:33:42 > 0:33:45'It's a truly extraordinary story.'
0:33:46 > 0:33:49After my aircraft had filled
0:33:49 > 0:33:52with as many casualties as they could fit into it,
0:33:52 > 0:33:56my aircraft departed and I opted to remain on the vessel.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01Shiner had been down there for about an hour beforehand
0:34:01 > 0:34:03and he'd been taking charge.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07He was starting to get tired, which was one reason that I went down.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10Dave came down to the deck,
0:34:10 > 0:34:14I left him down the back end, grabbed one of the ship's officers
0:34:14 > 0:34:17and asked him to take me to the radio room.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20As we ran onto the bridge, you could see the front end -
0:34:20 > 0:34:25white water boiling over the top of all the containers.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28Containers were snapping off, left, right and centre,
0:34:28 > 0:34:31huge waves coming in.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34We all looked out to the front of the vessel -
0:34:34 > 0:34:37I didn't think we were going to make it.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40I'd got back to the aft area
0:34:40 > 0:34:43and Dave had evacuated six people by then.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46That left four casualties plus Dave and I.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52I looked Dave in the eye and I couldn't tell him
0:34:52 > 0:34:55"We're not going to survive this."
0:34:55 > 0:34:58I remember just before sending the last two up,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00I said to Shiner "There's two left -
0:35:00 > 0:35:03"you take one, I'll take the last one."
0:35:03 > 0:35:06I knew that if Dave had been left on the vessel with a casualty,
0:35:06 > 0:35:12his priorities would be looking after the casualty.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15I knew that if it was just Dave and I left,
0:35:15 > 0:35:18we'd taken the Queen's shilling, it was our job,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21he wouldn't worry about me, I wouldn't worry about him.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23Just do your own thing.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25You think of all sorts of things
0:35:25 > 0:35:28and maybe that's why I said "You go up with the second last one",
0:35:28 > 0:35:30cos I was thinking of him
0:35:30 > 0:35:35and then he thought about me and that it'd just be him and I.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41The last two went into the strops
0:35:41 > 0:35:44and were winched up to the aircraft.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48I think we'd already signalled to Nige in the aircraft
0:35:48 > 0:35:50to get a shift on
0:35:50 > 0:35:55and it wasn't till he pointed to us and signalled for us to jump
0:35:55 > 0:35:58that we thought "Bloody hell, this is it."
0:35:58 > 0:36:00"Are we going to get away with this?"
0:36:00 > 0:36:04The vessel upended. And from that
0:36:04 > 0:36:06to completely underwater
0:36:06 > 0:36:08in about 35 to 40 seconds.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11The only option left was to jump.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21I turned and said goodbye to Dave...
0:36:21 > 0:36:24I said to Shiner "I'll see you on the other side, mate."
0:36:24 > 0:36:27And we launched ourselves from the side of the vessel.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34I knew it was a reasonably high jump, about 90 feet.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37The longest jump ever. It was a long way down.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40The worry was hitting one of the containers on our way down.
0:36:40 > 0:36:47When I hit the water, the sea went from green to dark, to black really.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51I was underwater, clawing to get back to the surface,
0:36:51 > 0:36:53trying to hold my breath,
0:36:53 > 0:36:57erm, and there was the involuntary... HE GULPS
0:36:57 > 0:37:01The thing I'll always remember is looking over my shoulder
0:37:01 > 0:37:04and I could see the actual ship going down beside me.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07Eventually, I couldn't hold my breath any more.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10I took an... an intake
0:37:10 > 0:37:14and as I breathed in, my mouth hit the surface of the water
0:37:14 > 0:37:17and it was fresh air that went in, not salt water.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20Just started swimming for my life.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24Then suddenly the winch hook appeared in front of me
0:37:24 > 0:37:26and I can remember looking up
0:37:26 > 0:37:30and Nige was signalling that he was going to take me in
0:37:30 > 0:37:33and I signalled to him, basically "Where's Shiner?"
0:37:33 > 0:37:35I could hear the aircraft in the background,
0:37:35 > 0:37:40just sitting there, and watched the tail rotor appear over my head.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45And four dinner-plate eyes looking down from the aircraft,
0:37:45 > 0:37:48wondering was I alive or was I dead?
0:37:51 > 0:37:53At which point I smiled
0:37:53 > 0:37:57and there was a look of "You... so-and-so."
0:37:57 > 0:38:02Yeah, big grin on his face, eyes wide open!
0:38:02 > 0:38:05Looked across and there was Dave, on the wire, swinging towards me.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09Helped him hook onto the winch hook and away we went.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13Up to the aircraft we went, hugging each other.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16We came close, but, hey, we're here
0:38:16 > 0:38:18to fight another day.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22'On their way back in the Sea King,
0:38:22 > 0:38:26'one of the rescued sailors presented Dave with a life jacket.'
0:38:26 > 0:38:30'On it, the sailor had quoted the following lines -
0:38:30 > 0:38:34'"To the angels who come in the guise of men,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36'"the Lord hath chosen thee
0:38:36 > 0:38:40'"to perform the most profound of miracles - save life."'
0:38:40 > 0:38:44'"You are what the world was made for."'
0:38:45 > 0:38:49'Both men were awarded the George Medal for bravery.'
0:38:52 > 0:38:54'In the early 1990s,
0:38:54 > 0:38:57'the Royal Navy's Sea Kings had a new challenge,
0:38:57 > 0:39:00'when they were deployed to the Balkans.'
0:39:00 > 0:39:02'Once again, ZA298,
0:39:02 > 0:39:06'now painted in the white and black of the United Nations,
0:39:06 > 0:39:10'found itself at the sharp end of a conflict.'
0:39:10 > 0:39:14'This time, it was shot in the tail after airlifting hundreds of people
0:39:14 > 0:39:17'from the besieged town of Srebrenica.'
0:39:35 > 0:39:38When you're flying like this, dressed like this,
0:39:38 > 0:39:42it's very much part of the Sea King's role
0:39:42 > 0:39:44as a military aircraft.
0:39:44 > 0:39:49Everything about it feels like... wartime activity.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53But the great thing about the Sea King is its civilian role,
0:39:53 > 0:39:55completely different,
0:39:55 > 0:40:00but, for the public, that's the role that people know so much better.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05'This is St Mary's in the Scilly Isles.'
0:40:05 > 0:40:09'For the locals, the Sea King has been a vital emergency link
0:40:09 > 0:40:13'to the mainland hospitals for over 40 years.'
0:40:16 > 0:40:19'They know that 771 Squadron
0:40:19 > 0:40:21'are ready for every eventuality.'
0:40:21 > 0:40:25'But even they can get a shock from time to time.'
0:40:27 > 0:40:31'Nicky Hicks was in labour with her second child
0:40:31 > 0:40:34'when things took a turn for the worse.'
0:40:34 > 0:40:37Baby's heartbeat dipped and found he was in distress
0:40:37 > 0:40:42so the decision was made to fly us to the mainland by helicopter,
0:40:42 > 0:40:46so I remember being at the hospital and hearing the helicopter
0:40:46 > 0:40:51over at the airport, which is only five minutes away from the hospital.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54- You must've felt "I'm about to give birth."- Oh, I did.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57I remember saying "Please don't send me",
0:40:57 > 0:41:01but they've got to do what they think is right for the baby,
0:41:01 > 0:41:05so off we went and we were put on board the helicopter -
0:41:05 > 0:41:09I think there were a few crew and a paramedic,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12the midwife from here, the GP and my husband,
0:41:12 > 0:41:15all aboard the helicopter
0:41:15 > 0:41:17and off we went.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27What I remember about it is feeling very anxious about my baby.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35It was about ten minutes into the flight when I gave birth to Jacob.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38A great moment.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45It was quite frightening because the helicopter was dark, noisy,
0:41:45 > 0:41:48couldn't hear what anyone was saying to me,
0:41:48 > 0:41:52so I relied on their thumbs-up to know that my baby was OK.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59- It was a healthy, nine-pound baby boy.- Yes!
0:41:59 > 0:42:03- But a glorious outcome... - Yeah, fantastic.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06- ..after a terrible time. - Yeah, definitely.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10At the time, it was quite traumatic, but now it's a brilliant story.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Obviously, healthy baby boy.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18Happy, healthy, born in a helicopter. Wonderful.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23Getting him registered wasn't straightforward.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27Had to be registered by the base where the aircraft was registered,
0:42:27 > 0:42:31which was in Germany, so it's the Culdrose Naval helicopter
0:42:31 > 0:42:33en route from Scilly to Truro.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36- That's amazing.- Yeah, pretty cool.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40It is, and actually saying "en route". Isn't that lovely?
0:42:40 > 0:42:44That's beautiful. You know exactly where you were born.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46Yeah...
0:42:54 > 0:42:58'In 2001, the world was shaken by the terrorist attacks
0:42:58 > 0:43:01'on the Twin Towers in New York.'
0:43:01 > 0:43:05'Once again, the Junglies were sent to Iraq.'
0:43:05 > 0:43:09'Inevitably, ZA298 was amongst the first to arrive.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12'Later, it would operate in Afghanistan.'
0:43:12 > 0:43:18'The final years of the Sea Kings would prove to be the busiest.'
0:43:20 > 0:43:24'During this time, the Royal Navy helicopters based in Afghanistan
0:43:24 > 0:43:28'were led by the Control Commander of the Joint Air Group,
0:43:28 > 0:43:30'Jock Gordon.'
0:43:30 > 0:43:35It's like an old friend that's grown quite fat, quite heavy and wheezy.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38We've had to put armoured floors and seats on it,
0:43:38 > 0:43:42we've put ballistic protection to stop bullets coming through it,
0:43:42 > 0:43:45but it still does what it says on the tin -
0:43:45 > 0:43:49it's still flying around in 50 degrees temperature in Afghanistan.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52You feel safe in it and you just know
0:43:52 > 0:43:57that, when you take off, you'll get the job done and it'll get you back.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00You got the impression that, if anything went wrong,
0:44:00 > 0:44:03it would be my fault, not the aircraft's.
0:44:08 > 0:44:12But back home, the Ace of Clubs was still on top.
0:44:12 > 0:44:16771 Squadron was rescuing more and more people.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24The connection between the British public and the Sea King
0:44:24 > 0:44:27was about to grow even stronger
0:44:27 > 0:44:31because of an event which took place right underneath us here
0:44:31 > 0:44:33in Boscastle.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38On August 16th 2004,
0:44:38 > 0:44:40this Cornish village was the site
0:44:40 > 0:44:45of the biggest ever air-sea rescue operation on British soil.
0:44:46 > 0:44:51'On the ground, local people knew that this was no ordinary event.'
0:44:53 > 0:44:58'Auxiliary coastguard Graham King was first to raise the alarm.'
0:44:58 > 0:45:01RADIO: "We've got an incident at Boscastle."
0:45:01 > 0:45:05"The river has burst its banks, a lot of people around."
0:45:05 > 0:45:08"I think we should put a group page out, get the vehicle ready
0:45:08 > 0:45:12"and let's try and get people out of the harbour area."
0:45:14 > 0:45:17One of our friends, Scotty, from the Wellington Hotel,
0:45:17 > 0:45:21was putting his wetsuit on and was pulling people out of cars
0:45:21 > 0:45:23as they floated by.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26This was a very serious situation.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30I felt that helicopters were going to be needed
0:45:30 > 0:45:32and made a second phone call.
0:45:35 > 0:45:39'Lieutenant Commander Florry Ford was in Boscastle that day.'
0:45:39 > 0:45:43We came round the harbour and that's when we saw the devastation.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46It was like a disaster movie.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52RADIO: "Jesus, these cars are flying past."
0:45:52 > 0:45:54"Water's rising quickly as well."
0:45:54 > 0:45:59Literally saw this foaming water come round the corner towards us
0:45:59 > 0:46:01and amongst it was all these cars.
0:46:01 > 0:46:05Dozens of cars, all sat up with their wipers going
0:46:05 > 0:46:07and their indicators going
0:46:07 > 0:46:10and we're thinking "What are we going to do?"
0:46:10 > 0:46:14We started to hover taxi over each of the cars
0:46:14 > 0:46:18to find out if anyone was in there, we were looking for movement.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23And then we saw some movement in one of the cars,
0:46:23 > 0:46:28so we hovered over the top and we noticed it was some dogs.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31Although we wanted to go down and try and save them,
0:46:31 > 0:46:34the next car might've had kids in or something,
0:46:34 > 0:46:38so we had to make the decision to let the car go by.
0:46:38 > 0:46:42'One month's rain fell in just two hours.'
0:46:42 > 0:46:45'Two billion litres of water
0:46:45 > 0:46:47'burst through the village.'
0:46:47 > 0:46:50'In Boscastle's visitors' centre,
0:46:50 > 0:46:53'the water was rising fast.'
0:46:53 > 0:46:55'Trapped inside with other tourists,
0:46:55 > 0:46:58'Kim and Andy Evans and their three children
0:46:58 > 0:47:01'fled to the attic for safety.'
0:47:01 > 0:47:03It was really small for 12 people.
0:47:03 > 0:47:09It was claustrophobic - if we hadn't got to the attic, we'd've drowned.
0:47:09 > 0:47:13- Yes, the doors quickly did go. - Yes, smashed.
0:47:14 > 0:47:19There were trees, phone boxes getting washed down this valley here
0:47:19 > 0:47:22round the harbour and out to sea.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25'Then - disaster.'
0:47:25 > 0:47:28'A tree caught in the raging river
0:47:28 > 0:47:31'smashed through the wall of the visitors' centre.'
0:47:31 > 0:47:33The noise was like a bomb going off.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36Until then, the building was intact.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39When the tree hit, the front of the building went into the harbour,
0:47:39 > 0:47:43out to sea. There was a quarter of the building left.
0:47:43 > 0:47:47I remember thinking "What if some of us get out and the others don't?"
0:47:47 > 0:47:51I think we all felt that "Maybe we won't get out of this."
0:47:55 > 0:47:59There we so many mini incidents, they told us to save who you can
0:47:59 > 0:48:02and that sends the shivers up your spine.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07You went out the Velux window first.
0:48:07 > 0:48:11I climbed up a slippery roof onto the top
0:48:11 > 0:48:15- and you passed the children to me. - We did. They all went out.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18And those tiles were so slippery, as we tried to get out...
0:48:18 > 0:48:22- Could've slipped off...- Easily, and you'd've been in that water
0:48:22 > 0:48:25and that was so scary.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27Such an awful feeling,
0:48:27 > 0:48:32knowing that, potentially, we could lose any one of you at any moment.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36Everything was out of our control, there was nothing we could do
0:48:36 > 0:48:38to save ourselves basically.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41'Andy, Kim and their three children
0:48:41 > 0:48:44'had made their final fateful move.'
0:48:44 > 0:48:47'They were trapped on the rooftop.'
0:48:47 > 0:48:49'They only had one hope left.'
0:48:51 > 0:48:54The area was buzzing with helicopters
0:48:54 > 0:48:57and every one of them was plucking people out.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00"Winching in, they're well clear."
0:49:00 > 0:49:05But would the helicopter rescue us before the building collapsed?
0:49:05 > 0:49:08If you look at the car park, the right end of it,
0:49:08 > 0:49:12that's where the visitor centre was. Not there any more.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14There were children on the roof.
0:49:16 > 0:49:20I remember feeling I was going to be thrown off the building...
0:49:20 > 0:49:22Yes, the force of the wind.
0:49:22 > 0:49:26The wind from the helicopter. I was just thinking "Hurry up!"
0:49:26 > 0:49:28Using just hand signals,
0:49:28 > 0:49:31we had to fight our way through the power cables,
0:49:31 > 0:49:36so we had to manoeuvre the aircraft and then Bob went down.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38He took Carl and Luke first,
0:49:38 > 0:49:40he took them up one by one,
0:49:40 > 0:49:42he went up with them.
0:49:42 > 0:49:46I remember shouting up to you "That's one saved!"
0:49:46 > 0:49:49One child safe and out of the danger.
0:49:49 > 0:49:54The winchman came down and he put the strop around you
0:49:54 > 0:49:56and remember what I said to you?
0:49:56 > 0:50:00Give my brothers a hug and a kiss and tell them I love them.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03I wanted you to do what I couldn't do myself at that point.
0:50:03 > 0:50:07Then I remember feeling like I was falling out of the strap
0:50:07 > 0:50:09and I was going to drown,
0:50:09 > 0:50:12but when I got up there, I had a huge rush of relief.
0:50:12 > 0:50:18We got the children in the aircraft and they were great - big grins.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21They loved it. It was like being in the fairground.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27I remember my feet slipping and I thought "I'm going in",
0:50:27 > 0:50:31but then the strop caught me and I went up.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37Looking down the Sea King helicopter
0:50:37 > 0:50:40and seeing the faces of all the people who'd been rescued.
0:50:40 > 0:50:45I remember seeing Carl, Luke and Emily's little face - petrified!
0:50:45 > 0:50:51Soaked through. But realising, at this point, as a family unit,
0:50:51 > 0:50:53we were together, completely safe
0:50:53 > 0:50:56and we'd been rescued from a building
0:50:56 > 0:50:58which was about to collapse.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10It's changed all of us.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13You know, it was a very traumatic thing
0:51:13 > 0:51:15and it has changed us, no question.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18And it has changed the village physically -
0:51:18 > 0:51:20the river's wider, got a new bridge,
0:51:20 > 0:51:23the river's deeper, the car park's changed,
0:51:23 > 0:51:27several buildings were washed away and have been rebuilt.
0:51:27 > 0:51:31Still a beautiful place and we still get lots of visitors.
0:51:36 > 0:51:38So, yeah, it happened,
0:51:38 > 0:51:42we're all trying to get over it still, I think,
0:51:42 > 0:51:44but it's left its mark.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49'There were seven Sea Kings
0:51:49 > 0:51:52'in the air over Boscastle that day.'
0:51:52 > 0:51:55'The combined skills of the Royal Navy and the RAF
0:51:55 > 0:51:59'ensured that not one single life was lost.'
0:52:00 > 0:52:06'In 2010, having racked up more than 40 years of service,
0:52:06 > 0:52:10'the Sea King found itself thrust into the public eye once more.'
0:52:12 > 0:52:16'Flight Lieutenant Wales - or Prince William -
0:52:16 > 0:52:19'qualified as a search-and-rescue pilot
0:52:19 > 0:52:22'based at RAF Valley in Anglesey.'
0:52:22 > 0:52:25I'm proud to be amongst such committed guys
0:52:25 > 0:52:30and privileged to be flying with the best pilots, I think, in the world.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33'Much of the time, he's able to do his vital work
0:52:33 > 0:52:35'out of the public eye.'
0:52:35 > 0:52:38'But in the summer of 2012, the Prince was at the controls
0:52:38 > 0:52:43'for one of the most heart-warming rescues of recent times.'
0:52:43 > 0:52:47'Two sisters - 16-year-old Sharon and 13-year-old Tamara -
0:52:47 > 0:52:51'were playing in the waves when they were swept out to sea
0:52:51 > 0:52:53'off Anglesey in North Wales.'
0:52:54 > 0:52:58If the helicopter hadn't come when it did, I wouldn't be here.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01'The West sisters needed their prince.'
0:53:01 > 0:53:05'Thankfully, he was only 38 seconds away
0:53:05 > 0:53:08'and, thankfully, he brought a King with him.'
0:53:10 > 0:53:14If it hadn't been for the Sea King helicopter
0:53:14 > 0:53:17and, bizarrely, Prince William actually flying it,
0:53:17 > 0:53:21I wouldn't be able to sit here today with my arm round my daughter
0:53:21 > 0:53:25and I'm sure every parent knows how that feels.
0:53:37 > 0:53:42The Sea King is about to end its military career -
0:53:42 > 0:53:45this great old war horse is being retired.
0:53:45 > 0:53:49But its departure heralds an even greater changing of the guard -
0:53:49 > 0:53:54both the RAF and the Royal Navy's dedicated air-sea rescue squadrons
0:53:54 > 0:53:56are being disbanded.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00From 2016, our airborne search-and-rescue fleet
0:54:00 > 0:54:03will be privatised.
0:54:03 > 0:54:08This really is the end of the Sea King era.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11MUSIC: "Heroes" by David Bowie
0:54:13 > 0:54:15'It's no glamour puss,
0:54:15 > 0:54:17'more of a brute than a beauty.'
0:54:17 > 0:54:20'A few too many close shaves.'
0:54:20 > 0:54:25- 'But what a character.' - # I would be king...
0:54:25 > 0:54:28'It just never seems to know when it's beat.'
0:54:28 > 0:54:33'And ZA298 was the king of them all -
0:54:33 > 0:54:38'the Mk 4 Jungly, often bloodied, never bowed.'
0:54:41 > 0:54:44'But, while on a mission in Afghanistan,
0:54:44 > 0:54:47'the king of the Junglies was shot down again.'
0:54:47 > 0:54:50'A Taliban rocket smashed through the aircraft,
0:54:50 > 0:54:54'missing the pilots by inches.'
0:54:54 > 0:54:57There was nothing we could do for the Sea King,
0:54:57 > 0:55:01she was patently damaged beyond our immediate ability to repair.
0:55:03 > 0:55:07At that point, our only responsibility was to stay alive.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09'But Royal Navy Engineer Neil Copeland
0:55:09 > 0:55:13'was not about to give up on the old aircraft yet.'
0:55:13 > 0:55:15'He and his team of nine engineers
0:55:15 > 0:55:18'spent four hours working on the Sea King
0:55:18 > 0:55:20'just yards from the front line
0:55:20 > 0:55:24'and the Taliban fighters that had shot her down.'
0:55:24 > 0:55:28'Finally, they strapped 298 under a Chinook helicopter
0:55:28 > 0:55:32'and flew her home.'
0:55:32 > 0:55:35We lifted it out and brought it back to Bastion.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38It was recovered to the UK, repaired,
0:55:38 > 0:55:42it's been back at Yeovilton in December of this year.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44It's a matter of pride,
0:55:44 > 0:55:47to ensure you come home with everything you took out.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52'Three times that aircraft has been shot down
0:55:52 > 0:55:55'and three times he's got right back up again.'
0:55:55 > 0:56:01'One of the most reliable aircraft in the Armed Forces.'
0:56:01 > 0:56:03'The king of the Junglies.'
0:56:03 > 0:56:08'So when something absolutely must get there on time,
0:56:08 > 0:56:12'there's only one helicopter up to the task.'
0:56:12 > 0:56:14'ZA298.'
0:56:14 > 0:56:18TV REPORT: 'After more than two months in this country,
0:56:18 > 0:56:22'the Olympic flame is getting used to dramatic entrances.'
0:56:22 > 0:56:26'Perhaps this was the most spectacular yet.'
0:56:26 > 0:56:30'Abseiled into the Tower of London from a Royal Navy helicopter.'
0:56:30 > 0:56:32MUSIC: "Chariots Of Fire"
0:56:38 > 0:56:41I can't say this is a beautiful aircraft,
0:56:41 > 0:56:43but there's something about it
0:56:43 > 0:56:46which is just very impressive.
0:56:46 > 0:56:50You feel it's built to do a job,
0:56:50 > 0:56:55it's here for a function, and it carries that out superbly.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57So when you're on this plane,
0:56:57 > 0:57:02you feel comfortable, you feel it's going to do its work,
0:57:02 > 0:57:04it's going to get you home.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07And that's a marvellous feeling. Just makes you feel safe.
0:57:14 > 0:57:19I'm not superstitious, but that aircraft seemed to look after us.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24I have a place in my heart for them.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27You've got me out of some scrapes, you did well, old friend.
0:57:28 > 0:57:30'What a bird.'
0:57:30 > 0:57:32'It's nearly 50 years
0:57:32 > 0:57:37'since the MoD ordered their first batch of Sea Kings.'
0:57:37 > 0:57:42'Countless conflicts and thousands of rescues later,
0:57:42 > 0:57:46'it can hold its bruised old head up proudly -
0:57:46 > 0:57:48'job done.'
0:57:48 > 0:57:50They saved our children and us.
0:57:50 > 0:57:52Fantastic. I'll miss 'em.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55I'm the only person ever born on a Sea King
0:57:55 > 0:57:59and I'd like to say goodbye.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02Everything comes to the end of its life, but it's sad to see them go.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05Thank you. Thank you for saving my life.
0:58:05 > 0:58:09Quite the very best of Britain's flying past.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12Fit for a prince, queen of the skies,
0:58:12 > 0:58:14king of the sea.
0:58:16 > 0:58:18Farewell, old friend!
0:58:18 > 0:58:22MUSIC: "This Is The Sea" by The Waterboys
0:58:22 > 0:58:25# That was the river
0:58:27 > 0:58:30# This is the sea
0:58:40 > 0:58:43# And now if you're feeling weary
0:58:44 > 0:58:48# If you've been alone too long
0:58:49 > 0:58:53# Maybe you've been suffering from... #
0:58:53 > 0:58:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd