Lyneham Squadrons
In 1982 Lyneham housed as well as the four squadrons, the Hercules Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), No 242, and as Wing Commander David Hawkins explained, it is now the normal practice for all crews to fly both types during their conversion, and there after to remain available to fly whichever version is tasked for a particular mission.

The standard Hercules C130K crew comprises the captain, co-pilot, navigator and engineer, plus an air loadmaster to look after cabin loads and - if supplies or personnel are to be air-dropped - an Army despatcher (from No 47 Air Despatch Squadron of the Royal Corps of Transport - another Lyneham-based unit that plays an important role in all Hercules operations and made a vital contribution during "Operation Corporate" in respect of loads that were to be dropped to the Task Force at sea).

The OCU, as well as its continuing commitment to train crews converting onto the Hercules, also had to take on at short notice the training of crews for air-to-air refuelling, both as tankers and receivers, and for the mail-snatch missions described later. This responsibility devolved in particular upon the Support Training Squadron, one of the OCU's five sub-units.

The organisation of the OCU is related, of course, to the various tasks to which the Hercules is committed in fulfilling the missions assigned to No 38 Group. There was a degree of specialisation among the squadrons in that the crews of No’s 24 and 30 are not trained for air dropping, thus leaving No’s 47 and 70 to provide the tactical support (TS) function.

So far as "Operation Corporate” was concerned, this meant that No’s 47 and 70 Squadron crews became involved in the missions south from Ascension Island while those of No’s 24 and 30 concentrated on the UK- Ascension pipeline - and also took charge of the Hercules tankers in due course.

Prior to the development of long-range variants and the application of air-to-air refuelling, Lyneham's Hercules were of only two types, the C Mk 1 and C Mk 3, as already described. The aircraft at Lyneham are in pool for central servicing and do not carry individual squadron markings. The two marks receive their regular first-line servicing from either one of the two Line Servicing Squadrons at Lyneham.

As Wing Commander O'Neill explained, the Engineering Wing, like other units at Lyneham, was called upon to make an intensive extra effort during the period of the conflict, not only because of the rapid increase in flying hours but also because of the several modification schemes introduced, some of which were in-house responsibilities.

The surge in the work load was to some extent alleviated by the fact that the cycle of regular maintenance checks was increased at about the same time; these are performed on a calendar basis (with a flying hours backstop) and the major check is made by Marshall of Cambridge every four years, with a minor check at the one-year and three year interval and a minor star check at the two-year interval.

Nevertheless, the engineering staff at Lyneham contributed some 54,000 hrs of work outside of normal planned duty time during the period of the conflict. Servicing and maintenance tasks were made somewhat more complicated by the introduction of Hercules tankers and the installation of long range tanks and of AAR probes in some aircraft.