Kenneth Hubbard

Group Captain Kenneth Gilbert Hubbard OBE DFC AFC (26 February 1920 – 21 January 2004) was the pilot of an RAF Vickers Valiant bomber which dropped Britain's first live thermonuclear weapon (H-Bomb) in Operation Grapple in the Central Pacific Ocean in May 1957.

Early life

Kenneth Gilbert Hubbard was born at Norwich in Norfolk and went to local schools before going to Norwich Technical College. He trained as a draughtsman before the gathering war clouds gave Ken Hubbard the opportunity to join the RAF and train as a pilot.

The Military

Kenneth Hubbard was commissioned in May 1941 and spent the next two years as a flying instructor. He was posted to 70 Squadron part of 207 group in Italy and after an operational tour flying Wellington bombers was awarded a DFC. As a Squadron Leader Ken Hubbard commanded RAF Shaibah (1951–53) His station was involved in the evacuation of British personnel from Abadan. He received an OBE. Ken Hubbard completed a Staff College course in September 1956 and was appointed OC No.49 Squadron, based at RAF Wittering, near Peterborough. The squadron was being equipped with the Vickers Valiant bomber, the first of the RAF's new generation of V-bombers. The all white Valiant bombers had a Grapple specification for the dropping of the H-Bombs. Wing Commander Hubbard had been assigned the major role in Operation Grapple, the aim of which was train his squadron to drop thermo-nuclear weapons in the megaton range from their Valiant bomber within a 300-yard target [air burst]for the scientists of AWRE. Wing Commander Hubbard and his crew were awarded the AFC for dropping Britains First H-Bomb from Valiant XD818 on 15 May 1957. [Vickers Valiant XD818 is now part of the Cold War Museum at RAF Cosford] A total of three air drops were carried out off Malden Island 400 miles South of the main base at Christmas Island. The last four air drops were off the South East coast of Christmas Island in the South Pacific. Operation Grapple was the largest joint service operation to be mounted since the end of the Second World War and was the climax of Britains Independent Nuclear Weapon Development Programme. After the Grapple tests Ken Hubbard served at HQ Bomber Command and later was promoted to Group Captain and commanded RAF El Adem and RAF Scampton. The later station was the base for the Vulcan B2s bombers of 27,83,and 617 squadrons equipped with the Blue Steel stand off missile. His final appointment was Group Captain Training at HQ Transport Command. He retired from the RAF in 1966. Members of 49 Squadron serving during the nuclear test series formed a Megaton Club and Group Captain Hubbard was the President.

Later life

Kenneth Hubbard retired from the RAF in 1966 and tried farming in the West Country. It was not to his liking, but he did meet Margaret Grubb and they married and he moved to Margaret's home The Priory at Blythburgh in Suffolk. He became a Director of one of his cousin's (Geoff Hubbard) refrigeration engineering companies and his last role was with a General Aviation Company, still within his cousin's group based at Norwich Airport. Ken Hubbard gave many years service to the Air Training Corps and the RAF benevolent Fund in the county. In retirement, Hubbard kept an aviary, had a brood of chickens and built a duck pond; but his particular love was dogs, and his faithful spaniel, Crusty, had been known to all his officers and airmen. He inaugurated an annual service for animals at [Holy Trinity] church. He enjoyed a drink at the local White Hart and started writing with his co-author Michael Simmons about his experience as the OC of 49 Squadron in Operation Grapple. The book was published by Ian Allan in 1985 under the title of Operation Grapple. A new edition with a different title of Dropping Britain's First H-Bomb was published by Pen and Sword in September 2008.

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