GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY 52
The outstanding and rare ‘Afghanistan operations’ 2008 D.F.C., 2010 A.F.C. group of six awarded to Chinook pilot, Squadron Leader A. ‘Frenchie’ Duncan, Royal Air Force, who flew with 18 and 27 Squadrons on five operational tours of Afghanistan between 2006-2011. Regularly under rocket and small-arms fire, and often on flying duty under the most extreme conditions for periods of over 18 hours at a time, Duncan distinguished himself throughout his operational military career.
Never more was this apparent than on 17 May 2008, when through his brilliant evasive flying and the heroics of his crew, Duncan managed to save the lives of Gulab Mangal, the Governor of Helmand Province, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s entire Provincial Reconstruction Team during an organised assassination attempt by a Taliban RPG team. Duncan’s VIP flight came under RPG attack, and as he said immediately after effecting a successful landing: ‘I walk around the cab and when I take in the extent of the damage, I can’t conceive of how we stayed aloft after the incident. We’ve been hit by three separate weapons systems: as well as the RPG passing through the pylon and taking out part of the aft rotor, we’ve taken a significant degree of shrapnel damage, seven or eight rounds of .50 cal and some 7.62 mm. In total there are thirty-four holes in the aircraft.’
Just six days after being hit by the RPG, Duncan and crew narrowly averted a similar fate whilst on a night mission - Operation Oqab Sturga (Eagle Eye), ‘I look down and see it through the glass panels below my pedals as it flies under my feet. It’s so close, I feel I could put my hand out and grab it. The tail crackles and sparkles as it passes underneath me, jetting purple and yellow fire that is close enough for the reflection to dance across the instruments in the control panel. My NVGs show it in green, but it’s close enough that I can see it through the gap where the tubes meet my eyes. Instinctively, I lift my feet off the controls as though by leaving them there they’ll burn in the rocket’s tail.’
Having survived two RPG encounters in quick succession, Duncan went on to further distinguish himself, 4 December 2010, when flying a series of epic IRT missions during ‘brownouts’, and virtually no visibility at night - landing in battle areas with ‘Contact’ taking place barely 100 metres away. His gallantry was recognised with the award of the A.F.C., and ‘the events of that night proved a salutary lesson for all of us in the crew - that out here, you don’t always have to face the enemy to find yourself confronting fear. The weather we faced was sufficiently bad that it saw all other flights grounded, so I suppose the obvious question is: was it worth the risk in us being deployed? So far as we were all concerned, the answer has to be yes. Us fighting our way through the gloom meant that a six-year-old child was treated quickly, and survived; the ISAF soldier we picked up would have died had we not got to him when we did, and the other ISAF soldier we hooked up kept his eyesight. Against that backdrop, it was worth it all and more.’
DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, E.II.R., reverse officially named ‘Flt Lt A M Duncan RAF’ and dated ‘2009’, in Royal Mint case of issue; AIR FORCE CROSS, E.II.R., reverse officially named ‘Flt A M Duncan DFC RAF’ and dated ‘2011’, in Royal Mint case of issue; IRAQ 2003-11, no clasp (Flt Lt A M Duncan RAF);OPERATIONAL SERVICEMEDAL 2000, for Afghanistan, 1 clasp, Afghanistan (Flt Lt A M Duncan RAF); JUBILEE 2012, in card box of issue; ROYAL AIR FORCE L.S. & G.C., E.II.R. (Sqn Ldr A M Duncan DFC AFC RAF 5208968H) in named box of issue; together with
N.A.T.O.MEDAL 1994-, 1 clasp, ISAF, in case of issue, generally very fine or better (7)
£40000-50000 D.F.C. London Gazette 6 March 2009:
‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1st April to 30th September 2008.’ The recommendation states:
‘Flt Lt Duncan was the aircraft captain of a Chinook involved in two distinct operations. In the first, he was the captain of the third of a 3 aircraft formation tasked to fly a VIP party, including the Governor of Helmand Province, from Lashkar Ghar to Musa Qal’eh on the 17th May 2008. In the second, he was involved in a 4 aircraft night air assault in support of 2 Para Battle Group a few miles South of Musa Qal’eh on the 23rd May 2008.
On the 17th May, Flt Lt Duncan captained a Chinook flying from Lashkar Ghar to Musa Qal’eh. Whilst flying at ultra low level the aircraft was concurrently engaged and hit by Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG), heavy machine gun (HMG) and small arms fire. Flt Lt Duncan was immediately aware that his aircraft had been hit due to the uncontrolled lurch of the aircraft during flight. Assessing that he still had sufficient control of the aircraft, he manoeuvred to clear the immediate threat area and weigh up his options. Having lost one hydraulic system and a large portion of a main rotor blade he decided to return to Forward Operating Base Edinburgh making a safe landing and offloading the VIP party without incident.
www.dnw.co.uk
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