P.O. Ronald John Fyfe
(Roy)
This page is dedicated to my Great Uncle. Roy did not make it through the Second World War. He went missing in Saro S36 Lerwick L7263 WQ-L, on 22 February 1941, flying out of Stranraer in Scotland. He was 29 years old.
A year earlier, the then Flt Sgt Fyfe, had an encounter with the Kriegsmarine on 20th of June 1940 in Lerwick L7260.He made an inconclusive attack on the source of torpedo trails.
Earlier he had flown in the first Consolidated PBY-4 Catalina P9630 to Invergordon Scotland, on early trials from the M.A.E.E Sea plane base at Felixstowe, Suffolk, England, where he was also stationed 1939.
Pilot Officer, Ronald John Fyfe. 44549.
209 Squadron.
209 Squadron Crests (Crown copyright)
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL link.
http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=1270535
I have now found a report in the book, CLIPPED WINGS by Ian & Ralph Ormes.
February 6th 1941
The 6th was a busy day for the escorting aircraft - 43 in all took part in the watching of no less than thirteen convoys.
On the following day a search for the survivors of the Calafatis was laid on but bad weather prevented the mission. The Calafatis was on a voyage from Philadelphia for Glasgow with a cargo of steel, was sunk by German aircraft on February 4th. 18 died, 13 survived.
The record continues with routine searches by single aircraft from Stranraer but takes a more poignant turn when the search is for a missing Lerwick WQ-L, the plane Roy is in. The aircraft was believed to have gone missing in the Sound of Mull and apart from sister aircraft, a Sunderland from Oban joined in. On the 22nd the search intensified and spread to Minches, Firth of Clyde and Sound of Jura. Three Hudson's and a Whitley and a Stranraer (from Lough Erne) joined in. A tug had earlier reported a flare and hopes had risen. On the following day the search was resumed with square searches of the likely areas, again with no result. One Lerwick laid on for the task had to return after eight minutes with engine trouble, doubtless thankful not to have to be looked for in its turn.
WQ-L was finally presumed missing from its escort duty on the 21st February, on which day nine convoys had been shepherded by a total of 29 aircraft.
THE MISSING MEN FROM L7263 WQ-L
F/O
Anderson Peter Thomas 84833 Age 25
Panel No 29 RAF
Volunter Reserve
Wing Commander
Bainbridge
John Edmond 05139 Age 35
Panel No 28 RAF
F/O
Cragg Edmund
Franklin 78670 Age ?
Panel No 30 RAF Volunter Reserve
CPL
Davis William
Charles 570228 Age 20
Panel No 55 RAF
FLT Sergeant Daniell Michael
Charles 761087 Age ?
Panel
No 74 RAF Volunter Reserve
FLT Sergeant
Dingle Ronald Leslie 754495
Age 26 Panel No 36 RAF Volunter Reserve
P/O
Fyfe Ronald John
(Roy) 44549 Age 29
Panel No 32 RAF
Sergeant Lewis Thomas Owen
970474 Age ? Panel No 47
RAF Volunter Reserve
Sergeant McDonald Jame McIntosh
621572 Age ? Panel No 47
RAF
Leading Aircraftman
McQuitty
Albert Edwards 911664 Age 24
Panel No 56 RAF Volunter Reserve
Sergeant Taylor Alan
Robert 982555
Age
? Panel No 53 RAF Volunter Reserve
Sergeant Tilley William
Ernest 51647 Age
? Panel No 53 RAF
F/O
Turner Richard Patrick 74697 Age
22 Panel No 30 RAF Volunter Reserve
Unkown Man (14th Man ? )
Saro Lerwick S.36 History
In
November 1938 the
first three Saro S36 Lerwicks L7248, L7249, L7250 were assigned as
prototypes. In June 1939 four Lerwicks entered service trials with No 240
sqdn at RAF Calshot
In December 1939 they entered There first operational service, With No 209 Sqdn (code letters WQ) at Oban
Scotland. The Lerwick still had many unresolved stability problems on the water and in the air. Modifications done did
not bring enough improvement, unable to maintain height on one engine, nor could
it maintain a constant heading as the controls could not counter torque of the
single engine. The aircraft was considered unacceptable.
After only a few months of operational service the Lerwick was superseded by the
Catalina PBY_5 in April 1941, Just as the last aircraft was delivered May 1941.
Twenty one aircraft were
built in total with the sequential serial numbers L7248 Through L7268.An unusual
feature of the air craft was The offensive weapons - 2000lb (900kg) of bombs or
depth charges, were carried in two streamlined nacelles behind the engines.
A significant number of Lerwicks were lost following accidents at the time of
takeoffs or sea landing. Lost, Missing in
action L7263.
Click on images to see larger version.
The MK1 Cockpit
The Prototype
L7248 Prototype was the first Lerwick built. The 1st image shows a very early
version with none stepped floats. The 4th image looks the same
as the 2nd below but note, it has a dark top to the tail. In the last image you can see
L7248 at this time has no tail gun. Crashed 21/10/41.
L7249 In The air, image one and two with dark top, of the modified taller tail .In the 6th image you can see the dorsal turret retracted clearly.
I am unable to see what this Lerwick is. A big image.
This is a fantastic image from Aeroplane Monthly, Lerwick L7252 in production with an other un-marked. also a big image.
No 240 Squadron
L7250
9/6/39
L7251
11/7/39
L7253
19/9/39
L7254
2/10/39 (Not delivered)
No 209 Squadron
L7250 WQ-U
Joined 209 on 11/5/40.
L7251 WQ-?
Joined 209 on 11/1/40,retuned 13/7/40
L7252 WQ-?
Allocated to 209 10/2/41,but sent top Pembroke for trails.
L7253 WQ-G Joined 209 on ?
L7254 WQ-?
Joined 209 on 4/5/40.
L7255 WQ-A Joined 209 on 2/12/39,returned 8/6/40,Stranraer 13/11/40.
L7256 WQ-V Joined 209 on 26/12/39,returned 15/5/40,Stranraer 3/3/41.
L7257 WQ-F Joined 209 on 17/1/40, Oban 13/7/40, 10/4/41, 13/9/41.
L7258 WQ-R Joined 209 on 20/3/40, Stranraer 4/11/40.
L7259 WQ-?
Joined 209 on/before 4/4/40, returned 22/2/41,Stranraer 4/5/41
L7260 WQ-P Joined 209 on 31/5/40, Stranraer 15/2/41
L7261 WQ-?
Joined 209 on 16/6/40
L7262 WQ-?
Joined 209 on 1/7/40, Stranraer 21-23/10/40, 23/12/40.
L7263 WQ-L Joined 209 on 8/9/40, Stranraer 12/12/40.
L7264 WQ-N Joined 209 on 8/9/40, Stranraer 26/11/40.
L7265 WQ-?
Joined 209 on 5/12/40.
L7250 WQ-U Prototype three. Note the background of the two images,one of them seems to have
had the houses removed,could this be the work of the Ministry of Defense?
L7255 WQ-A
No 209 Sqdn 1939 over Oban. The second image is the same but much bigger.
L7257 WQ-F. 3rd image WQ-F sunk at moorings November 11th 1941.
L7265
WQ-Q No 209 Sqdn
1939.
L7266 In flight, so
they say ?
Unable to see what the 1st Lerwick this is, would love to know.
What happened to them
Items in grey are facts I am unsure about
L7248
Crash, hit a hill
side 21/10/41.Seven killed.
L7249 Crash, with M.A.E.E.
at Felixstowe,during take off a
hatch left open. Felixstowe 01/9/39.Some records say it was used statically till
July 1940.
L7250 WQ-U Damaged at Felixstowe 2/2/72, Withdrawn at Pembroke Dock 19/10/42.
L7251 WQ-? Sank at moorings during
a gale Stranraer 21/11/40.?
Crash,bounced on landing 24/3/41 Cat E. Struck off 26/3/41.Static use M.A.E.E
till May 1941.
L7253 WQ-G Crash,stalled in a forced landing 20/2/40.(With 240
sqdn ?
) 4 lost 2 saved
L7254 WQ-?
Sank, accident, struck rock taxing 16/10/41.Helensburg. Marine Training,
Wig Bay. No63 MU Scrapped
30/3/43.
L7255 WQ-A Sank at moorings during a gale 06/12/40,Stranraer. Struck off
10/1/41.
L7256 WQ-V Struck off 3/12/42.
L7257 WQ-F Sank at moorings during a gale 11/11/41.Invergordon. Struck off
4/2/42
L7258 WQ-R Scrapped 14/10/42.
L7259
WQ-?
Struck off 29/11/42.
L7260 WQ-P Scrapped 3/12/42.
L7261 WQ-?
Accident,float collapse,sank during taxi 29/6/40.Ardentrive Bay.Struck off
10/7/40.
L7262 ? Crash, wing dropped on take off 07/1/41.Stranraer.Scrapped.
L7263 WQ-L Crash, Missing 22/2/41 flying out of Stranraer on patrol. Said to be Patrol crew of 12 onboard ? inc,
P/O Ronald John Fyfe,44549 age 29 and Cpl
William Charles Davis, 570228 age 20.An odd one this I have found the code WQ-Q
used in
reports for the loss of L7263 AND L7261.Also 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. Struck off 1/3/41.
L7264 WQ-N Had a forced landing on 29/7/42.Scrapped 3/12/42 at No63 MU Wig Bay.
L7265 WQ-Q
Crash,stalled landing Invergordon 21/12/41.Struck off 31/12/41.With 199.15
flying hours.Pilot Flg Off Armstrong, with the unit No4(C)OTU.
L7266 WQ-Y Scrapped 3/12/42.
L7267 WQ-S Last
operation with 209 Sqdn, 29/4/41. Crash landing 10/9/42,Lough Erne. P/O L.Hore
P/O S.Butler. 422 Sqdn
L7268 WQ-?
Crash,stalled and dived into the sea 14/10/41.Nine killed.
______________________________________________
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.
M.A.E.E
Felixstowe
(Marine Aircraft
Experimental Establishment)
L7248
M.A.E.E at Felixstowe x/x/38, 14/3/39
L7249 M.A.E.E. at Felixstowe 13/6/39
L7250 M.A.E.E at Felixstowe 16/12/41, 26/5/42
L7251 M.A.E.E at Felixstowe 1939
L7252 M.A.E.E at Felixstowe 29/7/39.Trials with larger fin.
L7254 M.A.E.E
at ? 13/2/40,8/6/41,25/5/42 Mooring trials.
L7259 M.A.E.E
at ?/5/41
Felixstowe.
L7267 M.A.E.E
at 14/2/42 to 10/5/42.
(Marine Aircraft
Experimental Establishment)
L7248 M.A.E.E at Helensburgh 29/4/40
L7258 M.A.E.E at Helensburgh 22/1/41
L7252
M.A.E.E at 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
No4 (Coastal) Operation Training Unit Stranraer
Flying Boat Training Squadron
Singapore IIIs, Stranraers, Catalinas and Lerwicks.
L7250
Was Then TA-U/4 OTU 18/8/41.
L7256
Was Then
TA-V/4 OTU
20/8/41, 18/11/41
L7257 Was Then
TA-F/4
OTU 30/4/41.
L7258 Was Then
TA-R/4 OTU 29/4/41.
L7259 Was Then
TA-?/4
OTU 23/3/42.
L7260 Was Then
TA-P/4 OTU 4/6/41.
L7264 Was Then
TA-N/4 OTU
16/5/41, 6/6/41.
L7265 Was
Then
TA-Q/4
OTU 23/7/41
L7266 Was Then
TA-Y/4 OTU
xx/xx/xx
L7267 Was Then TA-S/4 OTU 4/6/41
L7268 Was Then TA-?
/4 OTU on 5/5/41
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.
RAF Pembroke Dock
L7250
at Pembroke Dock 8/9/1940,19/10/42 withdrawn
L7251 at Pembroke 30/7/40
L7252 at Pembroke Dock 21/11/40,14/2/42 (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 1942 at Loch Erne, as a flying boat unit.
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.
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
L7250
at Greenock 19/11/40 on charge of No43 Group
L7254 at Greenock 26/11/40
L7258 at Greenock 14/5/41, 7/11/41,had a forced landing here 13/1/42, Returned
on 14/10/42,for scraping.
L7260 at Greenock 3/12/42 Reduced to produce.
L7264 at Greenock 3/6/41, 22/10/42,
L7266 at Greenock 22/1/41, 19/5/41, 20/11/42, 3/12/42 Reduced to produce.
L7251
at Scottish Aviation 10/12/40
L7254 at Scottish Aviation 3/11/41
L7256 at Scottish Aviation 26/10/42 Reduced to produce.
L7257 at Scottish Aviation 23/7/41
L7260 at Scottish Aviation 27/1/41, Overhaul 25/10/41 to 22/3/42, 20/10/42.
L7262 at Scottish Aviation 27/1/41 and declared Cat."B" 28/5/41
L7264 at Scottish Aviation 22/10/42
L7266 at Scottish Aviation 19/5/41
L7266 at Scottish Aviation 20/11/42
RAF Wig Bay
Near
Kirkcolm and Greenock
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.
_____________________________________________
Some of the changes made to the Lerwick S.36
L7248 In tests to improve things had Auxiliary fins fitted, an immediate improvement was noted. Then the fins were removed and the height of rudder increased. Later the taller rudder and fins were fitted together, rolling was removed and yawing reduced.
L7248 Here again at Saunders Roe, with the extra tailplane finlets and the modified
taller top, to the tail fin.
L7248 At some time had a twin tail unit fitted similar the
Consolidated XP4Y.
L7251 First flight with Hercules II engines 21/9/40.
L7252 On this aircraft a taller rudder and enlarged fin was fitted. Direction control proved to be adequate and there was only a slight rolling tendency. This improvement was used on the later Lerwicks.
L7254 On this aircraft the angle of the wings to hull was increased by 2 degrees and larger air screws of 14' 6" were fitted, but found to be to close to the sea in rough-water. and went back to 13' 6" air screws. The tail unit was raised by 15". Unfortunately the aircraft still rolled and yawed, with the roll worsening as speed increased.
L7261-8 Were fitted with Hercules 1V engines in place of the Hercules 11.
L7262 First flight with modified floats etc Sqd Ldr Winn and Flg Off Wyllie 16/8/40.
____________________________________________
Other bits and pieces
Here is a link to a rare plastic 1/72 scale model of the Saro Lerwick s36.
http://www.seawings.co.uk/lerwickarticle.htm
Another model, found this image at the RAF Hendon Museum site.
Part of an
old U.S. Navy Bureau Of Aeronautics, Lerwick model plan.
A Saunders Roe adverts of the time.
This drawing shows the streamlined nacelles behind the engines open and a bomb dropping out.
Cigarette card.
Here we have an oil painting by Allan Forbes AGAvA. More paintings of other
aircraft can be found here.
http://www.gava.org.uk/
Screen grab. Found this Saro Lerwick within the Saro Shrimp video. In the fantastic Seawings site, Go to References, then Video Gallery section, on page 7. See links. Or click here for Youtube link Saro Shrimp. You should see the Lerwick three times.
Some more plans, large.
Here are some old monochrome images, I have added some colour with paintshop.
