I was most interested to read Dr Kevin Wright's article 'Peering into the Ether' on electronic intelligence in the March 2016 issue of Aeroplane. In early 1958,1 was flying a Swift FR5 out of RAF Gutersloh on an air test and came across Comet XK663, which was mentioned in the article, at 30,000ft-plus just east of Hanover. Thinking the Comet was from No 216 Squadron at RAF Lyneham, I did a barrel roll around it, taking photographs with the aircraft's port F95 camera. As I was going back to New Zealand on DOMCOL (Domiciled Collective Leave) at the end of 1958,I sent one of the photos - reproduced here - to the adjutant of the squadron. I asked, with tongue slightly in cheek, if, in return for the photo, I could have a lift as far as Australia in one of their Comets. You can imagine my consternation when, a couple of days later, I received a Top Secret' cable from the security officer at Lyneham, ordering me to immediately destroy all negatives and photographs of that Comet. I thought that, at the very least, the Tower of London beckoned! It was only then that I studied the photos more closely.
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