P.O. Ronald John Fyfe and the Saro Lerwick S36

                                                                   In action

                                                                        JUST SOME

 

L7256 WQ-V  In action on 25/3/40 against a submarine. bombs dropped by (F/Lt. Bennett)
L7260 WQ-'?' In action on 20/6/40 against a submarine, by (F/Sgt.Fyfe)
L7262 WQ-P  In action on 4/7/40 Escorting S.S."EASTERN PRINCE" (F/Lt Denis. Spotswood)
L7256 WQ-V  In action on 4/7/40 Escorting a cruiser and two sloops.
L7262 WQ-P  & L7260 WQ-'?' In action on 5/7/40 Escorting "LUARENTIA".
L7256 WQ-V In action on 8/7/40 Escorting a cruiser HMS GLASGOW.
L7256 WQ-V In action on 9/7/40 Escorting a cruiser HMS NORFOLK.
L7262 WQ-P In action on 20/7/40 searching for Dutch Naval Focker T.VIII2 OF No320 Sqdn.
L7262 WQ-P In action on 26/7/40 South of St Govan's Head searching for Focker T-8W that had ditched and was found in tow behind the trawler King Edward.
L7258 WQ-R In action on 10/1/41 searching for survivors of "BASSANO", none found.
L7264 WQ-N In action on 12/1/41 on escort duty with convoy HG49 U-boat sighted on surface 0114 hours 300 yards on port bow, position QXJJ 1258 225 dgr 10. boat completely on surface then dived continued hunting till 0610 hours.
L7263 WQ-L In action escorting convoy OB271. met at 1955 hours consisting of 4 DR, 2 EV, 25 MV.Remaind with convoy till 0038 (F/Lt Pain, P/O Fyfe, P/O Cragg). 7 crew.
L7264 WQ-N In action search for SS"ALMEDA STAR" torpedoed at position HGUJ 1620.(F/Lt Wyllie, P/O Bunting, P/O Jennings).1012 hours met 2 DR (H30 and H84) at 1108 hours met stationary tug, at 1218 hours met tug "SALVONIA". At 1334 received signal return immediately to Oban.
L7266 WQ-Y In action on 19/1/41 patrol spotted a submarine position JFZR 2243 295dg.(FL/t Pain, P/O Nixon, P/O Van Bergen) crew 8.
L7263 WQ-L In action on 24/1/41 escorting convoy HG50.(F/Lt. Fox , P/O Fyfe).7 crew
L7263 WQ-L In action on 28/1/41 escorting convoy SC19.(F/Lt. Fox, P/O Fyfe, P/O Cragg) 7 crew.
L7264 WQ-N In action on 6/2/41 on escort duty with convoy SC20, investigate oil streak, drop two depth charges and  two 100 lb A/S bombs, against possible submarine. (F/Lt.Wyllie, P/O Bunting, P/O Ryan). 7 crew.
L7266 WQ-Y In action on 4/2/41 searching for  "BARON RENFREW" found ship under tow by two tugs and escorts.6 crew.
L7266 WQ-Y In action 22/2/41 This is the report about the search for L7263 WQ-L that has now gone missing. The aircraft Roy is in.

Airborne at 0214 to search for WQ-L /209.Searched until 0940 hours L/209 not found. From 0330 until dawn letter of the day flashed on the upward and downward identification lights at approximately half minute intervals. At 0940 hours Naval tug signalled to V/S "Any news of missing twin engine flying boat". Naval tug to aircraft "Saw flair position 5310 North 1240 West 2000 hours". At 0950 hours aircraft signalled to EVA (K07) "Any news of missing flying boat" EV to aircraft "Regret, no". Signalled to base at 1000 hours and 1100 hours. Set course for base at1135 hours continuing search coastwise via North of Ireland. Force landing in position JFZR 24101 at 1232 hours owing to airlock in petrol feed. Signalled to base "WHS-JFZR 2401 underway Loch Foyle send power boat to tow". Airborne at Loch Foyle at 1328 hours. Signalled base. Landed at base at 1403 hours. Weather- cloudy. Cloud s/10 cu and st cu. Visibility 4 miles at 1500 feet. Cloud 270dg 15 knots. sea slight. Occasional sleet showers.(F/Lt Pain, P/O Nixon,7 crew

L7266 WQ-Y In action the next day 23/2/41 Airborne at 0815 hours to search for L/209 sighted convoy of 14 MV in position on JFZR 2357 280dg at 0843 hours. Sighted large portion of steamer floating keel uppermost about 12 feet protruding above surface in position MFUJ 5401 at 1125 hours and at 1155 hours sighted part of raft floating awash, nothing on it in position QXBM 0840. L/209 not seen. Set course for base at 1722 hours. Landed at base at 1756 hours.
Weather fine. Cloud 2/10. CU. Visibility over 30 miles at 4000 feet. wind 080dg 7 knots sea calm.(F/Lt Pain, P/O Nixon,) 7 Crew.

L7259 WQ-'?' In action 26/2/41 escort convoy OB290 position JFYH 0625 240dg. Sighted SS"SOLFERINO" on fire also "KYRIAKOULA" and "HELMORE HELP" both being abandoned 2DR and 1MV picking up survivors. All collected. Circled "KYRIAKOUKA" and "HELMORE HELP". again both had bad list to port. "SOLFERINO" not present, presumed sunk.

Lerwick Three plane Formation flypast in Felixstowe for the local "Warship Week" 16/5/1942. Possibly including L7267,L7250 

No operations were flown during September and October 1940

During August and September 1942 fifteen Lerwick sorties escorting North Russian convoys were flown.

What happened to them

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L7248   21/10/41  Crashes, hit a hill side Faslane. Seven killed one of them a civilian tech. A calibration flight from M.A.E.E

L7249   01/9/39  Sunk. With M.A.E.E. at Felixstowe, during take off, a camera hatch was left open. Some records say it sank at pier side mooring due improperly secured hatch. Salvaged and used statically till July 1940.

L7250 WQ-U 14/8/41 Became TA-U with No4 OTU. 2/2/42 Damaged at Invergordon. 2/2/42 M.A.E.E. Felixstowe. 18/8/42 Became DG-U with 422 Sqdn Withdrawn at Pembroke Dock 19/10/42.

L7251 WQ-?  First Lerwick to receive Hercules II engines.  21/11/40 Sank at moorings during a gale Loch Ryan, Stranraer. Entrance hatches and front turret apparently not properly secured allowing water to pour in. SOC 29/11/42.
 
L7252 WQ-?  24/3/41 Damaged after forced open sea landing, sank Bristol channel. The Captain/First Pilot that day was  S/L Banks and Eddie E Briggs as 2nd Pilot. Ditching position "170 St Goven 10". All crew safe. Struck off 26/3/41 Cat E.
Here is the story of the last flight of L7252.
The work being carried during these flights was with the Flying Boat Blind Approach System (FBBA) which was a development of the Blind Approach Beacon System (BABS) used for Land based aircraft.
Since BABS was not available for flying boats the development unit was given the task of working out a flying boat blind approach system (FFBA). This system used the VHF direction finding for obtaining alignment for landing. Two Lorenz beam beacons were used as ILS to provide inner and outer markers. Practices on this system took place on 28 Feb 1941.
It was whilst testing carrying out the final tests for this system on 24 March 1941 that flying boat (Lerwick 7252) was forced to ditch in the open sea. This was because the system was not adequate to cope with bad weather which prevailed on the day.
It ditched in the Bristol Channel at 1405 on 24th March, as it was coming to rest it hit hard against a swell and the starboard engine came adrift from its top two mountings, pivoted on the bottom two, and the propeller, still turning, cut a hole in the hull.
The boat sank in 25 minutes. The crew took to the dinghy, and shortly after this, the weather being still very bad, heard the engines of what sounded like a German bomber flying from East to West. Nothing more was heard until after dark at about 8pm when the Captain of the flying boat, Sqdn Ldr Banks, heard engines and the 2 star cartridge was fired off but the sound of the engines disappeared.
After the event it was discovered that the Captain of the RAF launch based at Tenby had seen the distress signal, but had returned to Tenby for more fuel. The weather was still bad on the morning of the 25th but eventually the crew were fortunate to enough to see 3 ships on the horizon. Their last pyrotechnic signal was fired and the ships went past and started to disappear, however one of the ships eventually turned round and came back to pick them up.
The three ships were Exeter and two destroyers escorting her northwards for repair after the Battle of the River Plate. The Exeter saw the signal and informed the other two ships that "the submarine on port bow is friendly". Fortunately for the crew the Captain of one of the destroyers, Lt Cdr Jonas of HMS Jackal has served in submarines and said he had never seen a signal like that, and asked permission to investigate. The crew was picked up at 1235 hrs on 25 March after 22 1/2 hys in the dinghy. They returned to dry at Plymouth the same day.

L7253 WQ-G   20/2/40. Crash, stalled off Lismore Island 5M West of Oban in poor visibility. The aircraft stalls and bounced several times on the water, a wing tip breaks off and so the starboard float is lost, keeled over capsizes,(this seems to happen often)  water pours in through open windows. The pilot Flt Sgt Corby (Captain) drowns, his body is recovered but three crew  AC2 Trumay (Fitter), LAC  Peterson (rigger), ACL Webber (aircrew) lost, two of the crew did survive AC2 Taylor (aircrew) P.O  Ogle-skan (2nd pilot). The aircraft is salvaged and used as a training airframe and sinks later in a gale at Wing Bay.
  
L7254 WQ-M  16/10/41 Accident, struck rock taxing .Helensburg Bay Marine Training,24/7/42  Moved to Wig Bay and used as an instructional airframe but sank in a gale. Then moved to No63 MU, Scrapped. 10/12/42 30/3/43

L7255 WQ-A  06/12/40 Sank at moorings in Stanraer during a gale, one wingtip float breaks off, flying boat capsizes. Struck off 10/1/41.

L7256 WQ-H   4/5/41 Became TA-V with No4 OTU.30/8/41 Became TA-Y with No4 OTU.  23/7/42 Became DG-V with 422 Sqdn. Struck off 3/12/42.Lots of code changes here.

L7257 WQ-F  30/4/41. Became TA-R with No4 OTU. Sunk at moorings during a gale at Cromarty Firth Invergordon. Retrieved by 56 maintenance unit. See images above.

L7258 WQ-R  11/11/41, 23/7/42 Became DG-R with 422 Sqdn. Struck off 4/2/42 Scrapped 14/10/42.

L7259 WQ-O 20/10/41 or Struck off 29/11/42.

L7260 WQ-P?  7/1/41. ? with No4 OTU. 23/7/42 Became DG-P with 422 Sqdn. ??/??/?? Crash two crew missing. Scrapped 3/12/42.

L7261 WQ-?   29/6/40 Accident, Flg Off Pain returns from an shipping escort mission due to severe weather. The starboard float collapse as he taxied crosswind to the mooring, rapidly sank in 30 minutes in Ardentrive Bay. The airframe is beached four days later  and a salvage operation starts, but L7261 never flies again. Struck off 10/7/40.

L7262 WQ-P  Crash, wing dropped on take off 07/1/41 Stranraer.(F/Lt.Spotswood, Sgt Briggs, P/O Windeler) two crew drowned Sgt Evans and AC1 Middlebrook.Crew 7,visabilty good,light wind from E.N.E. Scrapped.

L7263 WQ-L   22/2/41 Crash, Missing  flying out of Stranraer on escort duty.  the aircraft Roy is in  Said to be crew of 12 onboard ? inc, P/O Ronald John Fyfe,44549 age 29 and Cpl William Charles Davis, 570228 age 20. I was told by my late father, they had a crew of 12 onboard at the time, but I have also read in other reports that it had 14 onboard when it went missing? That's a lot more than the said normal crew of nine, that was then reduced to six to save weight. Note also on board at the time Wing Commander John Edmond  Bainbridge. Wing Commander Mac Dermontt appointed a few days later. Struck off 1/3/41.

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L7264 WQ-N 16/5/41 Became TA-N with No4 OTU. 1/8/42 Became DG-N with 422. Had a forced landing. Scrapped 3/12/42 at No63 MU Wig Bay.

L7265 WQ-Q 23/3/42  Became TA-Q with No4 OTU. 21/12/41. Crash, stalled when landing at Invergordon. Pilot Flg Off Armstrong, with the unit No4 (C) OTU. The port wing dropped and the port float hit first. The aircraft recovered and flew on, left wing low. A further landing attempt near the North Trots, was disastrous. Several of the crew were then injured. Struck off 31/12/41 With 199.15 flying hours logged.

L7266 WQ-D. 16/8/42 Became DG-Y with 422. Scrapped 3/12/42.

L7267 WQ-S or L. 29/3/41 I have read this may have been L to replace L7263 that went missing. Last operation with 209 Sqdn, 29/4/41. 4/6/42 Became TA-S  with No4 OTU. 24/7/42 Became DG-S with 422 Sqdn, Crash landing 10/9/42,Lough Erne at 12.35,on practice flight, duration 45 minutes. Bounced when hitting water. Pilot open up throttle but port engine did not respond A/C skidded and tail was severed off. P/O L.Hore and P/O S.Butler, 422 Sqdn. 
The following comes from Mr R J Webster one of the crew.
"I was on the lower deck at the time , I can only tell you how it looked to me. We made a bad landing and it appeared we hit the water with the tail, I was thrown forward to the floor and when I got up we had a gaping hole at the rear of the plane and about a hundred yards behind us the tail section complete was sinking then it sank.
The main part of the plane floated and as it was not too far from the slipway boats came out to pick us up, they put floatation bags under the wing and it was towed to the slipway, dragged up and then was broken up and shipped away. No one was really hurt and not all got wet".

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L7268 WQ-? 5/5/41 Became TA-Q with No4 OTU. 14/10/41 Crash,lost engine power stalled and dived into the sea 6 miles east-north-east of Tarbat Ness on. Six crew lost 3 recoverd alive. With No.4 (c) OTU. Cat."E" 21/11/41 struck off. And another report said 9 killed 3 injured.

Note

Trying to sort out what code and serial went together is a mine field I have read so many magazine Lerwick histories,books etc and the all seem to have mistakes some even quote the same codes for four planes in one article. Some could be type errors ie O or Q, I have seen L7259,L7262,L7265,L7268 all written down as WQ-Q some one's wrong. It would seem that if an aircraft was lost the code could be reused on a replacement aircraft.

 

The many movements made, by the Lerwick family of twenty one aircraft

Saunders-Roe
Saro
British aero and marine engineering company

L7248 at Saro 22/8/39 fitted with taller rudder and auxiliary tailplane.
L7250 at Saro 8/7/40 
L7252 at Saro 29/7/40
L7254 at Saro 22/11/39 for mods,7/7/40
L7255 at Saro 4/7/40
L7256 at Saro 8/8/40
L7257 at Saro 8/5/40
L7258 at Saro 24/5/40 
L7268 at Saro xx/xx/xx, xx/xx/xx.

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M.A.E.E Felixstowe
(Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment)

 

L7248 at M.A.E.E  Felixstowe x/x/38, 14/3/39 Performance criticisum reported.
L7249 at M.A.E.E  Felixstowe 13/6/39, sank when here in accident.
L7250 at M.A.E.E  Felixstowe 16/12/41, 26/5/42
L7251 at M.A.E.E  Felixstowe 1939
L7252 at M.A.E.E  Felixstowe 29/7/39.Trials with larger fin.
L7254 at M.A.E.E  Felixstowe 13/2/40,8/6/41,25/5/42 Mooring trials.
L7259 at M.A.E.E  Felixstowe  ?/5/41.
L7267 at M.A.E.E  Felixstowe  14/2/42 to 10/5/42.

 

M.A.E.E Helensburgh
(Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment)

L7248 at M.A.E.E  Helensburgh 29/4/40
L7258 at M.A.E.E  Helensburgh 22/1/41
L7252 at M.A.E.E  Helensburgh 28/4/40

 

RAF Calshot

 

L7250 at RAF Calshot 12/12/39, 13/6/40, 25/7/40
L7251 at RAF Calshot 23/9/39, 14/3/40
L7254 at RAF Calshot 24/4/40, 3/7/40, 7/10/40
L7255 at RAF Calshot 20/11/39, 26/6/40, 16/9/40
L7256 at RAF Calshot 28/3/40, 18/7/40, 22/1040, 4/5/41, 4/6/41, 24/9/41
L7257 at RAF Calshot 23/3/40, 22/5/40
L7258 at RAF Calshot 21/5/40, 6/6/40
L7259 at RAF Calshot 8/7/40, 18/7/40, 9/5/41, 19/8/41
L7260 at RAF Calshot 22/5/40, 18/7/40, Reserve 16/5/41
L7261 at RAF Calshot 1/6/40
L7262 at RAF Calshot 28/6/40
L7263 at RAF Calshot 19/8/40
L7264 at RAF Calshot 29/8/40
L7265 at RAF Calshot 14/10/40
L7267 at RAF Calshot 2/3/41, Reserve 16/5/41

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No4 (Coastal) Operation Training Unit Stranraer

Flying Boat Training Squadron

Singapore IIIs, Stranraers, Catalinas and Lerwicks.

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L7250 Was Then TA-U  OTU 18/8/41.
L7256 Was Then TA-V  OTU 20/8/41, 18/11/41
L7257 Was Then TA-R  OTU 30/4/41.  
L7258 Was Then TA-?  OTU 29/4/41.may have become R after L7257 sunk.
L7259 Was Then TA-Q  OTU 23/3/42.
L7260 Was Then TA-?  OTU 4/6/41.
L7262 Was Then TA-P  OTU ???????.
L7264 Was Then TA-N  OTU 16/5/41, 6/6/41.
L7265 Was Then TA-?  OTU 23/7/41
L7266 Was Then TA-Y  OTU xx/xx/xx   
L7267 Was Then TA-S  OTU 4/6/41. Detached to Felixstowe between February and May 1942
L7268 Was Then TA-? or Q  OTU on 5/5/41 

 

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L7267  TA-S RCAF 422 Sqdn.  

Some of the Lerwicks, served with 422 Sqdn RCAF (Canadian) to allow some training while
 waiting Catalina's. This was only for a short time.

 

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RAF Pembroke Dock

 

L7250 at Pembroke Dock 8/9/1940,19/10/42 withdrawn
L7251 at Pembroke 30/7/40
L7252 at Pembroke Dock 21/11/40,14/2/41  (209Sqdn trials)
L7254 at Pembroke Dock 12/10/40
L7255 at Pembroke Dock 18/9/40
L7256 at Pembroke Dock 17/7/40, 26/11/40, 22/8/42
L7257 at Pembroke Dock x/x/xx, 5/8/40
L7258 at Pembroke Dock 20/7/40
L7259 at Pembroke Dock 16/7/40
L7260 at Pembroke Dock 17/7/40, 22/8/42
L7262 at Pembroke Dock 19/7/40
L7265 at Pembroke Dock 26/11/40  store

 

No 422 Squadron

No 422 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force, formed April 2nd or July 1st 1942 at Lough Erne, as a flying boat unit. Lerwicks transferred from 4 OTU (c) to 422 Sqdn in July 1942.

L7250 Was DG-U  422 Sqdn 18/8/42.
L7256 Was DG-V  422 Sqdn 23/7/42.
L7258 Was DG-R  422 Sqdn 23/7/42.
L7259 Was DG-Q  422 Sqdn 23/7/42.
L7260 Was DG-P   422 Sqdn 23/7/42.
L7264 Was DG-N  422 Sqdn 1/8/42, 23/8/42.
L7266 Was DG-Y  422 Sqdn 16/8/42.
L7267 Was DG-S  422 Sqdn 24/7/42. Crash landing 10/9/42,Lough Erne. P/O L.C.Hore P/O S.W.Butler.

 

No 423 Squadron

 if an when ????

 

 

RAF Mount Batten
Plymouth Sound Devon England
Seaplane Station and Flying boat base

L7260 at RAF Mount Batten 23/8/42 till ?/9/42

 

 

Scottish Aviation Ltd
Tasked with carrying out much of the modification work to the newly arrived seaplanes

RAF Greenock
Flying Boat Maintenance Base

 

L7251 at Scottish Aviation Greenock 10/12/40.
L7250 at Scottish Aviation Greenock 19/11/40 on charge of No43 Group.
L7254 at Scottish Aviation Greenock 3/11/41,26/11/40.
L7256 at Scottish Aviation Greenock Returned for scraping. 26/10/42 Reduced to produce.
L7257 at Scottish Aviation Greenock 23/7/41.
L7258 at Scottish Aviation Greenock 14/5/41, 7/11/41,had a forced landing here 13/1/42, Returned on 14/19/42,for scraping.
L7260 at Scottish Aviation Greenock 3/12/42 Overhaul 25/10/41 to 22/3/42, Returned on 20/19/42,for scraping. Reduced to produce.
L7262 at Scottish Aviation Greenock 27/1/41 and declared Cat."B" 28/5/41.
L7264 at Scottish Aviation Greenock 3/6/41, Returned on 22/19/42,for scraping.
L7266 at Scottish Aviation Greenock 22/1/41, 19/5/41, 20/11/42, 3/12/42 Reduced to produce.

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RAF Wig Bay
Near Kirkcolm and Greenock

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L7254 at Wig Bay No63 MU, 24/7/42 Became 3300m at MTS.
L7264 at Wig Bay No63 MU, 3/12/42 Reduced to produce.