Second World War Harbison joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) 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 (CFE).
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.
Senior command After completing his tour in Korea, Harbison was once again flying the F-86 as commander of
No. 67 Squadron of the
RAF Second Tactical Air Force at
RAF Wildenrath in West Germany. In 1956, he returned home to attend the
Army Staff College at Camberley,
Surrey. In 1957, Harbison was assigned to air defence operations in the
Ministry of Defence and then served a tour as the commanding officer of the all-weather
No. 29 Squadron RAF flying
Gloster Javelins. Harbison then attended
Joint Services Staff College at
Latimer, Buckinghamshire. Following graduation, Harbison served in eastern Scotland as commander of
RAF Leuchars, the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. He then attended the
Canadian National Defence College in
Kingston, Ontario followed by a tour as Group Captain Operations at
RAF Fighter Command headquarters. Promoted to
air commodore in 1969, Harbison served as the director of operations of the
National Air Traffic Services in London. He returned to the United States in 1972 as
air attaché at the
British Embassy, Washington, D.C. Harbison was promoted to
air vice marshal in January 1975 and shortly thereafter appointed commander of
No. 11 Group RAF responsible for the air defence of the United Kingdom. No. 11 Group was the successor to RAF Fighter Command which had defended London and the south-east of England against attacks by the
Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. At the end of his tour, Harbison retired from the Royal Air Force. ==Later years==