Tornado

**Former Tornado Navigator John Nichol tells the incredible story of the RAF Tornado force during the First Gulf War in 1991; the excitement and the danger, the fear and the losses. It is an extraordinary account of courage and fortitude.** **‘We were doing about 620 miles-per-hour, 200 feet above the desert, in total darkness. Everything was running on rails as we approached the target. Then all hell broke loose.** **I remember the missile being fired at us; I broke left and shouted, “Chaff!”** **** ‘* *All I could see was a flame, like a very large firework, coming towards me. Then there was a huge white flash. I remember an enormous wind and then I was knocked unconscious.** **My last thoughts were that I was going to die.** **’** In 1990, Iraqi dictator **Saddam Hussein** ordered the **invasion** and occupation of neighbouring **Kuwait** , setting in motion a chain of events that had unimaginable political, military and personal repercussions, which still reverberate around the globe today.This is the story of the aircrew at the heart of **Operation Desert Storm** , almost none of whom had any prior experience of armed combat. It is the story of the Tornado’s missions, of those who did not return – and of the families who watched and waited as one of the most complex conflicts in recent history unfolded live on television. **It is a story of untold fear and suffering, and astounding courage in the face of hitherto unimaginable adversity.**