William "Paddy" Harbison, , was a retired British Royal Air Forcefighter pilot who served during the Second World War and the Korean War. He held senior command roles in the RAF and was the author of a noted technical report that evaluated the performance and tactics of jet combat during the Korean War.
Harbison joined the Royal Air Force in 1941 shortly after the Battle of Britain. He received flight training in Canada and upon graduation joined No. 118 Squadron RAF and remained with them for the duration of the war. While in the European Theatre, Harbison flew the Supermarine Spitfire and North American P-51 Mustang. On 23 March 1945, Harbison led 118 Squadron on a mission escorting over 100 Avro Lancaster bombers. Shortly before reaching their target in Bremen, Germany, the formation came under attack by twenty Messerschmitt Me 262 fighters. Several members of the squadron, including Harbison, damaged enemy jets, but could not catch them due to their superior speed.
Interbellum
After the war, he served with No. 64 Squadron RAF flying the twin-engine de Havilland Hornet, the fastest piston-engine fighter ever to enter service. Harbison also served with No. 263 and No. 257 Squadrons flying the Gloster Meteor. In 1948, Harbison participated in an exchange program with the United States Air Force's 1st Fighter Group. He was stationed at March Air Force Base in California where he flew the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star and became the first serving RAF pilot to fly the North American F-86 Sabre. Harbison returned to England in 1950 where he was assigned to the All-Weather Development Squadron at the Central Fighter Establishment.
Korean War
To obtain first-hand information on Korean air operations, CFE obtained approval from USAF Chief of Staff, Hoyt Vandenberg, to send four RAF pilots to observe and report. Second World War ace, Wing Commander John Baldwin, Squadron Leader Harbison, and two junior officers were selected for this task. Harbison's specific assignment was with the USAF 4th Fighter Group to evaluate combat tactics used by the F-86 against the Soviet MiG-15. On 13 February 1952, Harbison reported to Colonel Harrison Thyng, commander of the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing at Kimpo Air Base, South Korea where he was assigned to the 335th Fighter Squadron. After attending "Clobber College", a program where newly arrived pilots flew training sorties with experienced instructors, Harbison once again found himself flying combat missions. He enjoyed the flying and considered himself lucky for the opportunity to "observe the air war along the Yalu River, arguably the best seat in the house". Harbison was credited with damaging a MiG-15 in combat and was awarded the United States Air Medal. After Baldwin failed to return from a weather reconnaissance mission, responsibility for completing the final report fell to Harbison. Despite the short notice and with little knowledge of the details Baldwin had intended to include, Harbison completed a 152-page report that evaluated the operational characteristics of the F-86 and the tactics used against the MiG-15.
After retiring from the RAF on 31 March 1977, Harbison joined British Aerospace and returned to the United States as vice president of their Government Programs Office in Washington, D.C. He continued working as a consultant for the company after retiring from BAe. Nearly fifty years after its original publication, Harbison's report found new life as a training guide included in the computer game, MiG Alley. Impressed by the mix of technical and tactical analysis that applied just as much to a 1999 flight simulation as to real jet combat in 1952, one reviewer described Harbison's report as, "the best game strategy guide I've ever read." Harbison remained active in the aviation community after his second retirement, attending reunions and speaking at symposiums including:
The Jet Age: Korea, Vietnam, Cold War — A panel of four war veterans discuss the challenges and triumphs of air power over the years. The event was held on 14 June 2007 at the Pentagon Conference Center to commemorate the Air Force's 60th anniversary.
Third No. 118 Squadron Reunion — Members of No. 118 Squadron RAF meet for their 3rd reunion on 8 May 2009 in Coventry.
70th Anniversary of V-E Day — Harbison and his wife Helen were among the honorees at the NationalAir and Space Museum's observance of the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. Harbison described his success in shooting down the German V-1 flying bomb and shared his pilot logbook that documented his wartime missions including photographs of aircraft and crew.
Harbison was married to Helen, a 1947 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University. The Harbisons raised two sons and lived in the town of Falls Church, Virginia. Harbison died on 25 December 2018, aged 96.
