The Biafran War
The Nigerian Civil war otherwise known as the Biafran war, (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), was a war fought to counter the secession of Biafra from Nigeria. The Biafrans were being pummeled by the newly delivered Ilyushin Il-28 and a MiG-17 of the Nigerian Air force, both aircraft causing massive devastation to the Biafran troops and civilians.
During the duration of the conflict, both side made use of mercenaries heavily but a more notable hired gun was Count Carl Gustaf Ericsson von Rosen a Swedish aviator and mercenary pilot. He flew relief missions in a number of conflicts as well as combat missions for Biafran rebels. He proposed a grand plan of using light aircraft like the MFI-9 to support ground troops and for other roles such as Reconnaissance and food aid drops. Lynn Garrison a lead Biafran pilot describes his experiences and hopes while fighting for the Biafran side.
Lynn Garrison
Lynn Garrison (born April 1, 1937) is a Canadian pilot and political adviser. He was a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot in the 403 City of Calgary Squadron, before holding jobs as a commercial pilot, film producer, director and mercenary. Later he became a political adviser in Haiti, and is now an author. With regard to flying, Garrison is known for his oft-repeated comment, “If it has fuel and noise, I can fly it.”
During the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970), Garrison joined a group of mercenaries fighting for the Biafrans in their effort to create an independent state. In May 1969, Carl Gustaf von Rosen formed a squadron of five Malmö MFI-9 MiniCOIN small piston-engined aircraft (armed with rocket pods and machine guns) known as the Babies of Biafra, which attacked and destroyed Nigerian jet aircraft on the ground and delivered food aid. Garrison coordinated the attacks, destroying an Ilyushin Il-28 bomber and a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 fighter aircraft. He also introduced a supply-dropping procedure (learned in northern Canada). A bag of grain was enclosed in a larger bag before dropping. When the load hit the ground the inner bag would rupture, while the outer bag contained the contents. Many lives were saved through air drops using this simple concept… (Wikipaedia)
- Tell us a little about yourself Sir.
At the moment, I am in Haiti where I have been involved, one way or another, since 1980 when I came here to do a film on Voodoo. I have been very active in this nation’s affairs, including the time when I lived with their military (1991 – 1994) as the bridge between the American embassy and Grande Quartier General during the embargo. I was strategic advisor to General Raoul Cedras, the COMCHIEF.
I have a number of projects that I would like to see work here. One is HARP – Haitian Aerial Reforestation Project -that would see tree seeds scattered with aircraft. The aircraft could also be used for malaria control.
- How did you meet Count Carl Gustaf von Rossen?
Since the age of 17, I have always been involved with aviation and still own the Fokker Triplane that starred in the 1965 film The Blue Max. My son has it in Oregon now.
JAMES BARING/LORD REVELSTOKE: One of my associates was James Baring, of the Baring Bank family. James was an ex-RAF pilot. His father was Lord Revelstoke. James would take the title upon his father’s death.
James owned a 260 civil model that we flew off my grass field outsid of Dublin, Ireland. He and I saw the potential of the Marchetti SF-260 as a military COIN aircraft and convinced the manufacturer of this. The SF-260 Warrior was a result of our proposal. We were also pressing Marchetti for the development of a tandem-seated fighter version, but this did not advance.
We used his civil 260 to practice low-level attack missions around the Irish countryside.
Andre Dehlamende controlled Marchetti distribution from his facility in Gosselies, Belgium. Andre was deeply involved wit a variety of paramilitary projects in Africa. We delivered some SF-260s to Rhodesia during the Unilateral Declaration of Independence. Others went to Singapore.
The Barings owned the Island of Lambey, off the coast of Ireland and had an aviation company LAMBAIR which was the Marchetti dealer for Ireland. James and I used LAMBAIR to sell 12 Marchetti SF-260s to the Irish Air Corps. James flew my film aircraft in productions when I needed him.
- How did you come to fly for the Biafran Air Force?
Lord Revelstoke was a friend of Ojukwu’s father. James and I met Ojukwu through friends who had attended Sandhurst with him.
My article will reveal some basic elements that have never been discussed. The idea of small aircraft, in small wars, was generated by me during the very early sixties in California and Biafra saw the elements fall together because of my exposure to Von Rosen.
There was a marked lack of combat skills, among the pilots. It is one thing to get up and down. It is an entirely different matter to fly and fire machine guns or rockets with any certainty of hitting anything, without a lot of training and experience. Same goes for dropping bombs. Anyone can salvo a bomb load, but hitting within a useful distance is something else.
Frederick Forsyth was in Biafra, during the conflict. He went on to write Dogs of War, plus The Biafra Story, from his experiences. We both trained in the RCAF, under the NATO Plan, at the same time. And, during the seventies, he lived off the end of my runway, in Ireland, when I was doing feature films.
- What was the true state of the Biafran and Nigerian Air Force then?
It was David against Goliath in Biafra. Unfortunately we had the slingshot and Nigeria had Shell/BP. As you get older you realize how naïve it is to believe in Justice, or simply fairness.
I don’t think people realize the timing of the conflict, so soon after Independence, or the fact that the Nigerian Air Forces was in its infancy. We trained some of the early pilots in Canada.
- What inspired the Biafran Baby concept? Arming light aircraft for attack missions.
It really doesn’t matter now, but history credits Count Gustav von Rosen as being the overall creator of the Biafra Babies concept. This was not the case. He was the final initiator for the acquisition of the 5 surplus MFI-9s in Sweden, after I had outlined our concept of armed light aircraft, operating off roads, unprepared fields…..etc. To Ojukwu. Von Rosen possessed the Swedish contacts through which to purchase the aircraft.
Von Rosen had no real concept of the dynamics involved with accurate, low-level rocket attacks or, for that matter, low-level navigation. It is one thing to fly with radio compasses and altitude and quite another to operate at 100 feet with nothing more than a map in your lap and a course in your mind. Things happen very fast and one small mistake can spoil everything.
John Fairey, of the Fairey Aircraft family, was also one of my film pilots. He had contacts within the French aviation industry and was instrumental in acquiring French government support for supply of MATRA rocket pods and rockets.
James Baring’s banking contacts helped with some funding, although this upset his father. The UK government/Shell/BP were firmly behind the Nigerian government and Lord Revelstoke almost had a stroke. Lord Revelstoke was in charge of a European commission to stamp out “barter deals.” He was also upset when I proposed Marchetti provide Ireland the SF-260s in exchange for potatoes, Irish whiskey, mutton and Aron knit sweaters, since the Irish government was short of funds.
The entire Biafran effort was a sort of “old boys network” with pilots from all over Europe and America lending a hand.
One of my directors, Bud Mahurin, got the USAF leadership interested. They offered the loan of 4 Boeing C-97 freighters to create an air bridge into Biafra. At the time Mahurin was a senior level executive in the Apollo Project with North American-Rockwell. Bud was a War Two/Korea fighter ace.
Russ O’Quinn would coordinate this project for them. Russ was an ex-USAF pilot who had gone into test work after getting out of the air force. Flew with Douglas for 10 years. He finally set up his own company FLIGHT TEST RESEARCH as the first civilian group of its type. I sold him a pair of Canadair F-86s MK6 for his operation.
I was asked to do an on-site survey to check the feasibility. Russ’s team would fly over 1000 sorties in support of the relief effort. He used a lot of pilots drawn from Air America. I think John Lear, Bill Lear’s son, an Air America pilot, flew some missions for Russ O’Quinn, and also Hank Warton, a questionable character who really took a lot of money and worked “against” the Biafrans.
I operated out of Ireland for 11 years and shared a semi-detached residence with their Prime Minister, Jack Lynch, during that period.
Please tell us about the famous raids against the Nigerian Air Force air fields at Port Harcourt, Enugu, Benin and other small airports.
IRELAND:
During the Biafran War a DC-6 operated from Shannon, Ireland to San Tome with food and relief supplies. It was flown by a guy named Lynch, who had a brother, Father Lynch with CONCERN. It would fly into ULI, or other spots, to drop of the load. Return to San Tome, pick up weapons, and fly these into Biafra. It would then return to Ireland for another load, sponsored by the Catholic group CONCERN.
I led the first 4 attacks at very low-level, with some success. The 5th attack was to be against troop concentrations and I declined this mission.We had some vocal debates about committing the aircraft against targets of low-value.
I mapped the tracks out for the team but the formation got lost and didn’t find the target.
I wanted to disrupt the Nigerian infrastructure along with that of the Shell installations. To this end, I targeted a number of petroleum facilities that effectively shut down a great deal of the productive capabilities. Having grown up in Calgary, Alberta, Canada’s oil centre, I was very familiar with refineries, pipeline, pumping stations, and their vulnerabilities.
SHELL/BP was largely responsible for Nigerian support and hitting them made SHELL reconsider is position when Nigeria had them cut off payments to Biafra for oil being exported.
The first 5 missions:
MAY 22 PORT HARCOURT
MAY 24 BENIN
MAY 26 ENUGU
MAY 28 UGHELLI DELTA 1 POWERPLANT
MAY 30 TROOPS – didn’t participate, and formation didn’t find target
Later in the year, I believe it was November, we attacked an airfield using some Harvards and the MFI-9s. One of the Harvards was a MK2 Armament trainer that I had flown with the RCAF. I will dig around for more information on this.
It must also be realized that Von Rosen, at that time, was what would be described as an “elderly transport pilot” who told me he was a year from retirement. Ground attack is not something you learn from a brochure. We were faced with an immediate requirement, for immediate action and I was pressed into service, on condition that they left my name out of the game. The other pilots were not really much above “amateur” level, although keen to try. One has written a book in which he says we fired our rockets from 800 M. My goodness! That is very close to half a mile! At that range the target is a “fly speck” on the windscreen. A slight jiggle on the controls and your rockets would miss, miss, miss. He also suggests we fired 2 rockets at a time, making sure we destroyed our targets. WOW!
Let’s say that saw us take 3 minutes, after firing 2 rockets, to make another decision, and fire another 2. Added up, that gives 18 to 20 minutes a couple of hundred feet above a dangerous place. One mission like this and all 5 aircraft would be downed by ground fire!
Never this approach. It is the explanation of someone who knows nothing about ground attack, or its inherent dangers. The idea was to get as close as possible, pointing directly at your target, then salvoing all 12 missiles in level flight, about 5 feet above the ground.
I never missed and almost blew myself up a couple of times, but you never, never, never linger over a target at low level. And, the Cardinal Rule is – Never make a second pass! They will be waiting for you!
On several attacks, other pilots salvoed their missiles very early. I can remember being focused on my target ahead, waiting to get into range, and being surprised by clusters of rockets passing me on the left and right.
To prepare, I parked my aircraft, on the ramp, and paced off 300 yards. I then put 2 markers 40 feet apart. This represented the wingspan of a fighter, length of a fighter. On returning to my aircraft I looked through the windscreen, sitting myself in the position I would be in during the attacks, and placed 2 bandaids on the plexiglass, one covering each of the ground markers.
I learned this concept from Wing Commander Joe McCarthy, my OC in RCAF pilot training who few with the Dambusters.
Now, when I was running in on a target, I would know exactly – well almost exactly – when I was 300 yards away.
I never made an attack without destroying something of value. The rockets were expensive and couldn’t be wasted.
- Do you have any regrets fighting for the Biafran side?
The honor is mine. That was a sad period that should have ended differently. The cause was a just one. For that reason we volunteered our assistance. I wish the end had been a different one.
BIAFRA REMEMBERED
During August, 2017 I was contacted by someone from the intelligence community who was drafting a a study: ANALYSIS: POTENTIAL USES OF LIGHT CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT IN MINI-COUNTER INSURGENCY (MINI-COIN) ROLES
He had found my Biafran action among some dusty files and asked for details of what had actually happened. This guy had tried to convince decision-makers expensive, sophisticated weapons weren’t required to counteract small threats. Everyone should be remember people in Viet Nam complaining about using multi-million dollar F-4s to destroy bicycles.
His first e-mail contact to me said, in part:
“ .….. the idea that we would release half-million-dollar weapons—or more—against hostiles in battered pickups that they traded for a goat is astounding. Certainly such things can be done, but it is tantamount to using a shotgun to kill a fly.”
I pointed out to the planners at USNORTHCOM the example of your Biafran squadron, and they were rather amazed that simple light sport aircraft—with no advanced electronics, no GPS-guided munitions, nothing whatsoever that resembles the high-tech approach of an F-22 or F-35—were able to take on a decently-funded Russian-supported air force with MiG fighters and Ilyushin bombers, and show the world that all of that advanced approach ultimately meant nothing. Using the Malmo MFI-9 aircraft, your squadron destroyed half of the Nigerian bomber force, and a disconcertingly high number of MiG fighters.”
And so I wrote the story for him to include in his study.
I have never publicly revealed details about my involvement, since I “never existed.” Over the years, I operated in this theater, and others, as an anonymous figure, code named Shadow.
The actual story is somewhat more complicated than reported. Major power centers – governmental and commercial – were in play behind the scenes as Biafra became a break-away state, looking for recognition.
Perhaps these shadowy forces were instrumental in the final decision of Ojukwu to act. There were huge dollar amounts in petroleum involved. Countless people’s lives were at risk.
Tens of thousands would die from starvation, unremarked and forgotten. Many of these were small children.
But the focus, at the time, seems to have been on economic resources, and who would control them.
What transpired between 6 July 1967-15 January 1970?
I was in California working on a follow-up to The Blue Max, and Darling Lili, two feature films I had been involved with in Ireland, where I had my War One aviation facility.
One morning a representative of the Santa Monica based RAND corporation arrived on my doorstep, accompanied by a Father Lynch from CONCERN, the Catholic relief organization. The RAND group had a scenario that needed a solution:
“There was the port. It was blockaded by a War Two corvette crewed by local sailors with ex-RN officers. The corvette was protected by a torpedo net. The boat was preventing tankers from loading at a refinery.”
What would I do to solve this problem?
During our first meeting, I was led to believe it was a film project. Father Lynch was a strange element, but the follow-up discussions made things clear. The break-away state of Biafra needed help. The corvette was blocking Port Harcourt and Biafra’s new government was counting on revenue from Shell Oil to survive. Father Lynch’s brother was flying a DC-6 for CONCERN- the Catholic relief agency. He operated out of Shannon, Ireland to San Tome, off the African coast, ten into Port Harcourt.
The USAF was eager to assist and offered 4 Boeing C-97 transports for a project that would be coordinated by Russ O’Quinn. Russ was an ex-USAF pilot who went on to test-fly for Douglas before creating his own civilian test unit – FLIGHT TEST RESEARCH in San Diego, Califonia. I sold Russ 2 Canadair F-86 for his unit.
They wanted an on-site analysis of the facilities and problems involved with Biafra. I would look around for them during my trip.
I ended up on an old Super Constellation, operated by Hank Warton, flying into Africa from Portugal. It was an interesting flight with an engine failure at about hour 9 en route. I was told this was not an unusual event since all the aircraft’s engines were well past their overhaul limits.
The tide was already beginning to turn against the break-away state and my corvette plan soon became redundant as Port Harcourt passed into the federal government’s hands.
At an earlier time, James Baring, one of my business associates, had introduced me to the man who would play a pivotal role in the Biafran War. James was a member of the Baring Bank family. Ojukwu’s father was a close friend of Lord Revelstoke, Baring’s father. Ojukwu had attended Sandhurst. We met during that period, and a later time when he returned to the UK for additional schooling.
Now we regained contact in Africa.
As the conflict progressed, MIG-17s and IL-28s, with Czech and East German pilots became a dangerous factor during daylight and nocturnal periods. Subsequent conversations with Colonel Ojukwu and Count Gustaf von Rosen saw us discussing the MIG threat and what could be done. One of my Canadian associates, Roy Farran, had pioneered armed jeep units for the Special Air Service, during World War Two. Roy would tell the story in his book, “Winged Dagger.” I suggested this concept. (Rolf Steiner would carry out jeep attacks a year later.)
I then mentioned our idea of small attack aircraft, using the Bolkow-B208 as an example. We had one of these in Ireland and dozens flew around Europe. Their mid-wing configuration gave them great ground clearance and cockpit visibility. They were strong enough for underwing stores.
Von Rosen came to life!
He described an attempt to sell this very design to the Swedish military as the Malmo MFI-9. 5 of prototypes now sat unwanted.
The rest is history. Colonel Ojukwu came up with the funds. Von Rosen’s friends acquired the 5 Malmo MFI-9s. The 5 aircraft were broken down and transported into the area in pieces. Then, like model aircraft, we reassembled them. A rough military finish was applied with paint acquired from the local Volkswagen dealership.
We had no spray gun, so we used brushes.
As our work progressed, a French team from SNEB installed a rocket pod under each wing, giving us a salvo of 12 68mm Matra rockets, fired by a button on the top of the control column. I always thought the button resembled a doorbell button and perhaps this was the case, since we made do with whatever was available.
The aircraft originally flown by the Biafran team were a collection of orphans with ongoing spare parts problems. A couple of ex-RCAF Harvards, B-25s, an A-26 and C-47s. Most of the pilots were lacking useful flying experience in a military environment. It is one thing to take off, and fly around, but it is an entirely different situation to fly in an air-to-ground attack mode with effect. One pilot had flown Spitfires with the RAF during World War Two.
Von Rosen was one year from retirement as a transport pilot and admitted his lack of experience for what was planned. Von Rosen and Colonel Ojukwu suggested my RCAF experience would help guarantee success. I agreed to fly with their unit.
Each of the first 5 missions were basically the same. They were planned and set out in advance. Local intelligence let us know what the situation was at he target areas. We just had to navigate, at low-level, from A to B… hit the target, then return home.
Our aircraft were fueled and armed before dark in preparation for an early start. The others thought I was an old lady to drain my tanks, check the filters and then pass my gallons through a chamois to remove impurities and water. Too often a flight had been condemned by bad fuel.
Someone had given me a 1:25,000 map, which was roughly 2.5 miles per inch. I penciled in our track with a few way-points to check our progress, and briefed the mission in simple terms. We had been told where the Nigerian jet aircraft were parked and studied a hand-drawn diagram of the airfield.
Everyone would follow me to the target.
I squirted myself with bug-spray and got a fitful night’s sleep on the ground beneath the wing of my little fighter. Some believed I was taking things a little too far, but my life depended on the machine.
Awake!
A hot coffee in my little metal cup washed down a few soda crackers.
It was still dark when we launched. There was a lot of adrenaline around the aircraft as engines started and we taxied out. I was first off and initiated a rate one turn to port, circling the field as the rest of the formation joined up. A loose gaggle with 2 aircraft on each side, slightly above me, then straightened out and set course into history.
We never climbed above 300 feet and dropped down to very, very low level within a couple of miles from the target. I entertained a terrible uncertainty about missing the field when a Cessna 172 rose above the trees ahead.
We were dead on track!
Pressing the transit button on my throttle I called: “Two miles to go..” A series of two-click transmissions – the international acknowledgement, sounded in my headset.
At tree-top height we popped over the perimeter, I then dropped a few feet to flash across the grass at a shattering 135 mph, throttles against the stops, leaning forward in the harness as though this would add speed. In recalling those moments, I would swear that my spring undercarriage bounced on a grassy hump as I rushed towards my target.
Rockets shot past on both side of my plunging aircraft to hit open spaces in front of me. At least two of my associates had fired a way too early, wasting 24 rockets on empty ground. But then, ground attack is not an “on the job training” situation.
Parked aircraft were about 20 degrees port. I altered course pointing the nose of my ride directly at them.
Complete surprise.
No gunfire!
Several MIGs, Il-28s, a DC-6, Dakota and Harvard made impressions on memory cells.
Close, very close – about 300 yards – pointed directly at a MIG-17 I pressed the “doorbell button.” With a whoosh my 12 explosive tipped Matra 98mm rockets accelerated away.
Several hit the MIG.
How could I miss?
We were “bore-sighted” on it!
The jet erupted in a giant fireball. At least two rockets hit an Il-28. This collapsed, broken where it sat. There were eruptions further along, among the other aircraft.
Back on the stick to lift over the targets. With an involuntary movement I leaned forward in my harness, to duck as my aircraft charged through the orange and black eruption. A smell of burning jet fuel lingered in my nostrils as I ran for the far perimeter of the landing zone. I can vividly remember the claustrophobic expectation of ground-fire perforating me from behind, and scrunched down in an optimistic attempt to make myself a smaller target.
No bullets shredded my fabric-covered aircraft in which I sat unprotected.
Over the perimeter tree line and down a few feet to head away across the countryside to safety – pulse thumping in my ears.
None of our aircraft took hits. Surprise was total, but there is an old saying, forewarned in forearmed. Perhaps we would not be so lucky in the future.
I found myself destroying at least one target on each strike. I had experience, while the others didn’t. I understood the value of getting close, then closer! My 10 years flying fighter aircraft was finally bearing fruit.
The airfield attacks effectively neutralized the Nigerian jet advantage with no losses to our side.
I would fly 12 strike missions. Five against airfield concentrations, one against a power plant and the rest against oil pumping/terminal facilities. I avoided missions aimed at attacking concentrations of ground troops in the belief that these were a potentially dangerous waste of valuable aircraft and pilots. I had been advised to concentrate on attacks against infrastructure such as petroleum facilities.
Others were caught up in the adrenaline game of shooting rockets. In the long-run 2 MFI-9s with pilots were lost to ground fire on these shoot-ups.
As a result of my on-the-ground analysis, and the intervention of 5 “Biafra Babies,” the 4 Boeing C-97s were dedicated to the project and Russ O’Quinn’s crews would fly over 1,000 support missions, saving many, many lives.
We were fighting a gradually losing battle against far superior resources of the Nigerian government, backed by international Goliath like SHELL/BP. A handful of nations had recognized Biafra. The vast majority maintained their support of Nigeria, including the United Kingdom, and the United States, focused upon petroleum resources of the region. This was the focus. 50,000, 100,000 children could starve to death, forgotten in the long-run as corporate/national greed took center stage.
My memories of that sad period are focused upon the children.
One image is burned into my memory. It is that of a small girl, patiently waiting for death. He Mom had placed a necklace around her neck in an effort to give the child some dignity in this battle against a cold reality of geopolitics. The International Committee of the Red Cross in September 1968 estimated 8,000–10,000 deaths from starvation each day. She was but one of these faceless, nameless victims.The Biafran government reported that Nigeria was using hunger and genocide to win the war, and sought aid from the outside world. Private groups in the US, led by Senator Ted Kennedy, responded. No one was ever held responsible for these killings.
These are the things that must be remembered.
Also, we must remember Count Gustaf von Rosen. Without him the Biafran Babies would never have existed. He was the catalyst that made the reduction of Nigeria’s jet force, to near zero, a reality. Without these weapons Nigeria’s leadership could not continue its murderous bombing and strafing assaults upon the Biafran civilian population.
Count Gustaf von Rossen would move on to a new challenge
Later models of the Malmö Flygindustri MFI-9 became the SAAB MFI-15 Safari, with official modifications, developed from the Biafran concept, to facilitate the dropping of food supplies from underwing hard points. Von Rosen was utilizing this type in Ogaden when he was killed during a rebel ground assault.
If ever there was a man who deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, it was Biafra’s friend, Count Gustav von Rosen. Unfortunately, he was gone before anyone thought of this. Perhaps there could be a reassessment of rules governing the award so that our friend, Gustav von Rosen could receive the posthumous recognition he deserves for a life’s work, but specifically, his existence as the catalyst that effectively generated an action to eliminate the deadly threat of Nigeria’s jet fighters and bombers, flown by foreigners. Countless lives were saved by removal of their murderous bombing and strafing of civilian targets, coupled with the unimpaired flow of relief supplies via the air bridge.
First published in Military Africa April 15, 2018 – Updated on March 10, 2022, https://www.military.africa/2018/04/exclusive-lynn-garrison-biafran-war-heroic-pilot-speaks-on-his-exploits/
