Air Vice-Marshal Barry Newton, did airborne ‘sampling’ of Britain’s first atomic bombs – obituary

Air Vice-Marshal Barry Newton, who has died aged 88, flew a Canberra bomber during the British nuclear and hydrogen bomb test programme in the 1950s. He later filled senior posts with Britain’s reserve forces.

Newton was a pilot on No 76 Squadron when the unit deployed to RAAF Base Edinburgh near Adelaide, Australia, in the summer of 1956 to participate in Operation Buffalo, the testing of the first four British low-yield atomic weapons.

He flew one of the five Canberras that were positioned at Maralinga airfield, 500 miles north-west of Adelaide, to gather data from the tests carried out in the Woomera weapon’s range. Flying at high level, the aircraft were tasked with meteorological reconnaissance, cloud sampling and cloud tracking after the explosion: the pilots used the call-sign “sniffer”.

The first test was carried out on September 27 1956 when Newton and his crew monitored the atomic blast and captured air samples, in pods attached to the wings, from the radioactive cloud caused by the explosion.

Three more tests were carried out, including the first to be dropped from an aircraft, a Vickers Valiant of No 49 Squadron. Newton flew in support of these test flights, which concluded on October 22. The aircraft were fitted with Geiger counters to monitor radiation levels in the cockpit.

He remained with the squadron, which later deployed to Christmas Island for Operation Grapple, a series of four tests of Britain’s first hydrogen bomb. The first drop, from a Valiant, took place on May 14 1957 when Newton and his colleagues, flying their Canberras, monitored the tests.

At the end of 1957 he left 76 Squadron and was awarded a Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air for his part in the nuclear testing programme.

Barry Hamilton Newton was born on April 1 1932 in Hornsey, Middlesex and was educated at Highgate School. He was awarded a cadetship to the RAF College Cranwell, where he trained as a pilot and was commissioned in July 1953.

He converted to the Canberra jet bomber, and for 18 months served on No 109 Squadron based in Lincolnshire before transferring to No 76 Squadron, equipped with the more advanced version of the bomber, which was preparing to deploy to Australia.

After completing a course at the Central Flying School, Newton returned to RAF Cranwell in October 1959 to serve as a flying instructor. In addition to his formal duties, he took a keen interest in the activities of the flight cadets.

He regularly drove to the sport’s field in his immaculate red Aston Martin DB2, the envy of his fellow officers and the cadets, dressed in his Crombie overcoat and trilby hat, to stand on the touchline to support the College rugby teams.

Newton had a series of appointments in the flying training arena, which included commanding a squadron at No 6 Flying Training School equipped with the Jet Provost, and a period on the staff at HQ Flying Training Command.

After attending the RAF Staff College in 1966, Newton was appointed the personal staff officer to the Commander Second Allied Tactical Air Force and Commander-in-Chief RAF Germany, Air Marshal Sir Denis Spotswood, a man renowned as a hard task master.

Newton’s relaxed style, ability, excellent staff work and social skills served him well. Whenever possible, he drove to his home to take afternoon tea with his family before returning to his desk.

Newton returned to flying in June 1969 when he commanded the flying wing at RAF Cottesmore, home to three Canberra squadrons. After attending the Air Warfare Course, he began a series of appointments in the MoD policy branch and in the Cabinet Office, which included support of the Joint Intelligence Committee. In 1975 he was appointed OBE.

On promotion to air commodore in 1982, he completed a refresher flying course before moving to HQ RAF Support Command where he was responsible for all flying training in the RAF.

A year later he was appointed an ADC to the Queen and for following two years was the RAF senior director at the Royal College of Defence Studies. In 1986 he took up the post of commandant of the Joint Services Defence College at Greenwich. Shortly before retiring he was appointed CB.

On completion of his regular service in the RAF in the summer of 1989, Newton became a Gentleman Usher to the Queen, a position he held until 2002 when he became an Extra Gentleman Usher. For his services he was appointed CVO.

In retirement, Newton retained close links with the services. He was vice chairman of the council of the TA & VR Association for 10 years, and in 1997 was appointed the Honorary Air Commodore of No 606 (Chiltern) Auxiliary Squadron, part of the Joint Helicopter Force based at Benson near Oxford.

In 2000 he became the Honorary Inspector of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and later was made President of the UK Reserve Forces Association. In all these appointments he remained well informed, travelling widely to meet people and to attend events, parades and reunions. His visits included one to meet the RAF auxiliaries manning the Rapier air-defence missile system in the Falkland Islands.

His memory for faces – his wife immediately provided the names – was a huge asset and everyone he met immediately felt at ease in his company. Well respected and much admired, he remained in contact with those who had worked for him, and was quick to recognise their later achievements with personal letters and greetings.

Keen on early aviation history, he was instrumental in the refurbishment, and eventual re-siting, of the Grade II listed memorial “The Airmen’s Cross” near Stonehenge. The Cross was erected in memory of the two pioneer airmen, Captain Eustace Lorraine and Staff Sergeant Richard Wilson, who were killed in a flying accident in July 1912.

Newton believed in the importance of the memorial and in 1995 arranged to have it refurbished. In 2012, major roadworks in the area would have isolated the Cross, so Newton arranged for it to be moved to a new Stonehenge Visitor Centre. A year later, the Earl and Countess of Wessex rededicated the Memorial Cross in its new location.

In 2002 Newton was made an Honorary Freeman of the Company of Lightmongers. In addition to his interest in military history, he also listed walking and philately among his interests.

Always immaculately turned out, and with faultless manners and courtesy, he was described by a colleague as “a gentleman of the old school”. Barry Newton married in September 1959, Lavinia, daughter of Colonel J J Aitken CMG, DSO, OBE. She died in 2016 and their son and daughter survive him.

Air Vice-Marshal Barry Newton, born April 1 1932, died August 25 2020