Group Captain Keith Mossman
RAF Cold War Warrior whose signal stations helped intercept Soviet long-range bombers
GROUP CAPTAIN KEITH MOSSMAN, who has died aged 96, served in a wide variety of air defence posts at the height of the Cold War. George Keith Mossman was born on October 10 1927 and educated at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School in Sutton Coldfield. He trained as a pilot at the RAF College Cranwell in the first post-war entry in 1947, winning the Groves Memorial Trophy for the best pilot on his course, and Victor Ludorum.
He converted to the Meteor day fighter before joining 63 Squadron at a time when there were 45 fighter squadrons in Fighter Command. On one occasion he ferried a Meteor F8 from Chivenor to Singapore in a 16-leg journey staged across RAF occupied bases over 21 hours.
After a period as a flying instructor, and a tour at the MOD, Mossman returned to the air defence world when he completed the guided weapons course. He served at HQ Fighter Command as the plans officer for the development of the Bloodhound surface-to-air missile.
In 1959 Mossman returned to flying and, after the all-weather conversion course, joined 25 Squadron at Waterbeach as a flight commander to fly the Javelin. Deployments to Cyprus were a regular activity for the squadron before it moved to Leuchars where it maintained a quick reaction alert (QRA) capability to scramble in minutes if the Soviets threatened to enter UK airspace. He was then posted to the Central Fighter Establishment to command the All-weather Fighter Combat School at West Raynham.
In 1962 he sailed for a three-year secondment to the Royal Malayan Air Force based at Kuala Lumpur. The young air force was equipped with the piston-engine Provost, the Pioneer and the Twin Pioneer; Mossman converted to all three, allowing him to fly into jungle outposts and landing grounds.
With the formation of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963 tensions with Indonesia increased and there was an uprising in Brunei. Mossman made frequent visits to Borneo flying a de Havilland Dove aircraft. He developed a keen interest in butterflies and discovered a new species, named Ypthima doherty mossmani in his honour.
In 1965 he returned to the UK and was posted to the master radar air defence station at Patrington, near Hull, and after two years, promoted to wing commander, took command of No 260 Signals Unit in Cyprus.
Lightnings were scrambled frequently to intercept both Soviet and Egyptian Air Force Tupolev 104 long-range bombers, which often tried to enter Cypriot air space and 280 SU provided the necessary control for 56 Squadron’s Lightnings which were scrambled to intercept. At the end of his tour, Mossman was appointed OBE.
Mossman later took command of RAF Buchan in Aberdeenshire, a large earlywarning radar station that provided crucial cover for the airspace north of Scotland and into the Norwegian Sea. The interception of Soviet bombers of the Northern Fleet by Phantoms and Lightnings was a common occurrence and Mossman was kept busy. In addition to airborne interceptions, there were numerous large-scale Nato maritime exercises.
On one memorable New Year’s Eve party in the officers’ mess, Mossman dressed up as an oil-rig worker in a long wig and a clack lace shirt. No one recognised him, and he maintained that he learnt a lot about his station that night. For his services at Buchan, Mossman was advanced to CBE.
His final appointment in the RAF was in the MOD as Deputy Director of Air Defence. He was also responsible for the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and chaired a Nato tri-service group on air defence.
After three years, Mossman retired from the RAF and took up an appointment with the Sultan of Oman’s Air Force, overseeing the installation and commissioning of an Integrated Air Defence System purchased from British Aerospace.
On retirement, he became head of the Emergency Planning Office for Cumbria County Council.
In his spare time, he was a fisherman, clock maker and repairer, and beekeeper. He and his wife travelled widely, including a special visit to Hawaii where he attended a family reunion with the Hawaiian descendants of James Mossman, a sea captain who had settled there seven generations before.
He married, in 1952, Vivian Talamo, who survives him with four children.