Flight Lieutenant David Stead

Street naming for Flight Lieutenant David Stead.

I originally proposed that a street name on the new Sun Lane estate be named after David Stead. This was eventually accepted after an initial rejection by Bradford Council on the 8th March 2023 (Agenda item 8 at the Shipley Area Committee).

That the Area Committee approve the proposed street name for reasons set out in Document “N” which reads:

2.1 The new development compromises of 475 residential dwellings and 47 new streets. See map in Appendix 1.

2.2 We have been contacted by Councillor Bob Felstead requesting a street name dedication for Flight Lieutenant David Stead.

2.3 Flt Lt David Stead was the captain of a 47 squadron Special Forces Flight Hercules.

2.4 On 30th January 2005, FL Stead and his crew were tasked at very short notice to fly to Kandahar and evacuate a number of very seriously injured casualties including a number of children. During the routine flight, in bad weather conditions an RAF c-130K Hercules aircraft was shot down by enemy fire. Nine RAF personnel and one soldier died in the crash. At the time it was the single largest loss of British Life in Iraq since 2003. FL David Stead unfortunately lost his life.

2.5 Please see Appendix 2, document from Councillor Bob Felstead with more detailed information surrounding the events of this incident.

2.6 Councillor Gerry Barker, Councillor Dale Smith and Councillor Bob Felstead have been consulted regarding the street name.

2.7 Councillor Bob Felstead is in support of the street name dedication.

2.8 We have received no other comments from Local Councillors during a consultation period of 21 days.

2.9 We will be asking the developer to put ‘Flight Lieutenant’ in smaller text under the street name.

RAFAC – 1224 Squadron (Wharfedale).

Cadets and the staff of 1224 (Wharfedale Squadron) paid their final respects to the former air cadet. Flight Lieutenant David Stead, RAF, who died along with nine other British Servicemen when the RAF Hercules he was flying crashed north of Baghdad on January 30^th, 2005.

Flight Lieutenant Stead’s death has been keenly felt by all of the Squadron, though few of the present cadets had met him. The packed church and a moving and inspirational service paid tribute to the young man.

The Squadron, invited to take part in the funeral by Flt Lt Stead’s family, provided ushers inside Ilkley Parish Church. Almost the entire Squadron turned out to provide a lining party prior to the arrival of the funeral cortege and again after the service as a RAF Hercules made a very low pass over the church in a final tribute.

The ‘Last Post’ played during the service by Corporal Andy Novell was later described as “…awesome, the best I have ever heard” by Flt Lt Baz Irvine who was in charge of the arrangements.

Citation – Officer Squadron Leader JG Gladston, Flight Commander SF, 47 Squadron.

Flt Lt Stead was the captain of a 47 Squadron Special Forces Flight Hercules. On 22 April 2002, after completing another Special Forces task in Southwest Afghanistan, Stead and his crew were tasked, at very short notice, to fly to Kandahar and evacuate a number of very seriously injured casualties including a number of children. Stead immediately cut short essential repairs to his aircraft and at 0845Z, ten minutes after being called, he was airborne from Bagram. It was immediately obvious that the weather en route to and at Kandahar had deteriorated significantly. The visibility was reported to be 100 metres, with no vertical visibility, and the wind was gusting to 35 knots, conditions below those normally permitted. The weather en route was appalling with embedded cumulonimbus clouds up to 35,000 feet. The crew also experienced severe turbulence and icing en route and when Stead descended, he encountered a raging dust storm with associated brownout conditions, which would continue until landing. On arrival in the local area, the Air Traffic Controller Informed Stead that, due to the out of weather conditions, he was not cleared to make an approach to the airfield and that he could only continue at his own discretion. Regardless of the lack of suitable approach aids and extremely mindful of the atrocious weather conditions, Stead, in the finest traditions of the Royal Air Force, decided to press on and fly an internal-aids let down to the airfield. This is an extremely hazardous and unconventional approach, which requires enormous skill, crew co-operation, no little courage and demands the highest levels of captaincy and leadership to execute even in the most benign of conditions. Flt Lt Stead accurately flew the approach and let down under superb direction from the aircraft navigator. He managed to spot the threshold to the runway just as he over flew it and carried out a textbook landing. Stead’s was the only fixed-wing aircraft to even attempt an approach into Kandahar all that day.

Having landed, Stead directed his crew to convert the aircraft into the casualty evacuation role and at 1145Z six stretchers with very seriously injured children, and one walking adult casualty arrived at the aircraft. In total twelve medical staff, and seven casualties boarded the aircraft. Moreover, thirteen Special Forces Soldiers and specialist equipment, whose extremely high priority flight to Bagram had been cancelled due to appalling visibility, turbulence in the mountainous terrain en route Stead elected to return to Kabul at low-level. Experiencing further severe turbulence, Stead flew north east at a reduced speed to try and minimize the effect on his severely wounded passengers. Navigating around embedded cumulonimbus and through valley and mountain passes whilst in instrument conditions, Stead and his crew managed, against all odds and in terrible conditions, to fight their way back to Kabul. Eventually, whilst under immense pressure to recover the casualties to medical help, Stead and his Navigator executed a second internal aids let-down into Kabul where he was met by medical staff. The mission only succeeded only due to Stead’s outstanding leadership, disregard for personal safety and acceptance of personal risk. His unparalleled captaincy, piloting skills and personal courage, under unbelievable pressure, were in accordance with the finest traditions of the Royal Air Force. He was directly responsible for saving the lives of a number of Afghanistani children and in recognition of his performance throughout this exceptionally dangerous evacuation, Flt Lt Stead is strongly recommended for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

An investiture at Buckingham Palace on Thursday, 1^st of December 2005 in The State Dining Room, the Royal Air Force Cross was conferred posthumously to the family by The Queen for Flt Lt David Stead, Royal Air Force, for Services in Afghanistan.

On the same day Flt Lt Richard Whipp, Royal Air Force, who was the Navigator on the mission, was also awarded the Air Force Cross for Services in Afghanistan from the Queen.

Background information.

On 30 January, 2005, Flight Lieutenant Stead was on a routine flight in an RAF C-130K Hercules aircraft when the plane shot down by enemy fire 20 miles north-west of Baghdad. Nine RAF personnel and one soldier died in the crash. At the time it was the single largest loss of British life in Iraq since 2003.

The incident occurred on the same day that Iraq held its first historic elections. Flight Lieutenant Stead’s funeral was held at RAF College Chapel of St Michael and All Angels at Cranwell and attended by Princess Anne, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon and military chiefs. The service was marked by a four-tornado flypast flyover.

Flight Lieutenant Stead leaves behind his wife Michelle and their two daughters, Holly and Amelia.

The Ministry of Defence paid tribute to Flight Lieutenant Stead’s great ability: “Crews always showed a depth of trust and confidence in his captaincy that motivated them to give their all. This ability was never better demonstrated that during the evacuation of a number of seriously injured combat casualties, including children, in Afghanistan.“

David Stead’s parents and family.

David’s parents live in Burley in Wharfedale, and I took the time to speak to the family at Sunday’s Remembrance Service.

Both the staff and cadets of 1224 Wharfedale Squadron, the Civilian Committee (of which I was the then chair), and District Councillors have asked for a new street in Burley in Wharfedale to be named after David Stead, to recognise his contribution to Queen and Country, and to all those he has helped in Afghanistan.

His parents and family after only a short pause for thought welcomed the opportunity to have a street named after David.

May I respectfully request, that the next street name in Burley in Wharfedale that’s being considered is name appropriately:

David Stead Way
David Stead Road

Cllr Bob Felstead said, “There are numerous examples of street naming after war heroes right across the district, David Stead is therefore not an exception to the rule. If references are required from the MOD, then I can source these for council.“