Wing Commander Paul Wharmby

Wing Commander Wharmby MA BSc RAF

Wing Commander Paul Wharmby joined the RAF in 1985 having completed 3 years with Manchester and Salford University Air Squadron. His first Front Line tour began at RAF Mahram in 1988 flying the Tornado GR1 with 617 Sqn. Operating from Bahrain, he took part in Operation DESERT STORM in 1991 before converting to the Harrier GR5/7 in 1992.

As a member of 1(F) Sqn, Wharmby returned to operations in Northern Iraq as part of Operation WARDEN before graduating from the Qualified Weapons Instructor Course in 1994. One year later he joined the instructional staff of the Harrier Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) at RAF Wittering before moving on once more in 1997 to IV(AC) Sqn, RAF Laarbruch. During this tour Wharmby flew sorties over Bosnia as part of Operation DELIBERATE FORGE and was later forced to eject when back in Germany.

In 2000 Wharmby became the Harrier capability integration desk officer within MoD Main Building planning the aircraft’s upgrade from GR7 to GR9A. By 2003 he had returned once more to the Harrier OCU as a Flight Commander shortly before attending the Joint Services Command and Staff Course in 2005. On graduation and promotion to Wing Commander he oversaw the conversion of Harrier GR7 to GR9A in addition to the insertion of advanced operational upgrades specific to Operation HERRICK. Remaining within the procurement arena, he took up post as the Carrier Strike Programme desk officer in MoD Main Building in 2009 before being posted to RAF Valley as OC Operations Wing early in 2011.