Fleet Air Arm tributes

[Hagar]

I found this Obituaries page while doing some research.
http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/RollofHonour/Obituaries/Summary_Obituaries.htm

Some famous names among them. Here's a few examples.

This hardly seems a sufficient tribute a legendary pilot. I believe he was made an honorary member of the FAA during WWII which might explain it.

Jeffrey QUILL
He was renowned as a test-pilot, involved with development of, among others, the Spitfire and Seafire.

The Guardian 24 February 1996,
The Times 29 February 1996

Commander Peter 'Hoagy' CARMICHAEL RN
Fleet Air Arm pilot  for shooting down a)
Fleet Air Arm officer who in a dog-fight over Korea was the first and only Fleet Air Arm pilot of a piston-engined aircraft, Sea Fury, to shoot down a jet-engined aircraft, a  MiG during the Korean War whilst operating with 802 squadron from HMS Ocean in August 1952.
Joined the Navy as a naval airman in 1942, went to Pensacola in America for his flying training, first action in May 1944, flying Seafires with 889 Squadron from HMS Atheling in the Bay of Bengal. With 1834 squadron, HMS Victorious took part in strikes on oil refineries in Sumatra in January 1945, then involved in operations against Japanese airfields in the Sakishima Gunto off Okinawa in April and May, and in the final operations with the US 3rd Fleet against mainland Japan in July and August, 1945. Post-war President of the HMS Ocean Association.

Source: The Daily Telegraph 9 August 1997

Rear Admiral Dennis Royle Farquharson CAMBELL
Inventor of the angled flight deck that revolutionised aircraft carriers, preventing many crashes and deaths: Qualified as a pilot 1931, then flew Fairey Flycatchers with 401 and 405 Flights from the carriers Furious and Glorious. In March 1939 he got his first command, 803 squadron , flying Blackburn Skuas from Ark Royal. Subsequently a test pilot at Boscombe Down until March 1942 when he was appointed Commander (Air) in HMS Argus which was ferrying replacement aircraft to Malta. Carried out Firebrand first deck landing trials on board Illustrious in February 1943. In 1943,Washington DC as Senior Naval Representative to the British Air Commission.

Source: The Daily Telegraph 15 April 2000
The Guardian, April  2000

[ozzy72]

I thought that Mr. Quill also flew with the FAA at one point? I know he was heavily involved in developing the Seafire and mastering deck landings with it at their training center....

Mark

[Hagar]

I thought that Mr. Quill also flew with the FAA at one point? I know he was heavily involved in developing the Seafire and mastering deck landings with it at their training center....

Mark

I had an idea he flew operationally with the RAF during the BoB. As I understood it he was given an honorary rank in the FAA when testing the Seafire.

These trials were intended to produce answers which were required before the mounting of Operation Dragoon, the invasion of the South of France in which it was hoped that Seafires launched from escort carriers would once again play a major r6le. The Avalanche operation had undoubtedly tarnished the Seafire's reputation and the attrition that it had suffered was totally unacceptable. Although we believed that we had resolved the hardware problems reasonably satisfactorily, the Fifth Sea Lord, Rear-Admiral D W Boyd, now wanted to know something of the pilot problems asociated with the Seafire. He felt that I was too experienced in decklandings to give him the answers, so he made Jeffrey Quill, the most experienced Spitfire pilot in the UK, an RNVR Lieutenant-Commander in the Fleet Air Arm and sent him deck landing in the Seafire with a directive to report back on his experiences.

http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/aircraft/WWII/seafire/sea-info/sea_info.htm

Remind me to tell you an interesting little story about the amazing Jeffrey Quill.

[ozzy72]

Doug please tell me an interesting little story about the amazing Jeffery Quill

[Hagar]

I'll post it here. This will have to wait till later as it will be from memory. I lost the book I read it in many years ago.

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Some very interesting history there.

Will check out the sites shortly.

Thanks

Cheers....Happy Landings...Doug

[Hagar]

Here's my story as promised. This was published in a collection of short stories by well-known test pilots describing memorable moments in their careers. Unfortunately it was lost many years ago so I'll be as faithful to the original as I can.

The contribution by Jeffrey Quill, legendary chief test pilot of Supermarine Aviation, was entitled The Day I Rendered My A25. (Form A25 had to be rendered in the event of an accident with a FAA aircraft.)

At some time during WWII Jeffrey Quill had been asked to report aboard HMS Argus to sort out problems with the Seafire. He had earlier been given the rank of RNVR Lieutenant-Commander in the Fleet Air Arm & completed a deck-landing course. HMS Argus was the first real aircraft carrier in the world, starting life as the passenger liner Conte Rosso & converted with a full-length flight deck. Commissioned in September 1918 she had no superstructure or island like later carriers & was a real flat-top. She was now used for training & ferrying aircraft.

On arrival at the shore base for further instructions Quill was offered the use of a Sea Hurricane that was also required aboard the carrier. This aircraft was unusual in the fact that it had originally been intended for the French Navy & the throttle worked in the reverse direction to normal. The weather was too bad for the usual ADDL's (Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landings) to be carried out but as Mr Quill was a highly experienced test pilot, already familiar with deck landings & also required urgently it was decided to dispense with this formality.

Unbeknown to him the deck landing instructor aboard Argus was the formidable Cmdr R.N. Everett, the most experienced batsman in the Royal Navy. He had been notified of his old friend Jeffrey Quill's impending arrival & decided to put on a demonstration of how it should be done for his pupils' benefit. What happened next proves that Sod's Law (Murphy's Law in the US) is ready to strike even the most experienced amongst us. All went well until Quill approached the carrier. He made the elementary mistake of leaving the throttle friction nut tightened. After a flawless approach & when "Bats" signalled Cut he made his second mistake. Forgetting it was reversed he instinctively pulled the throttle back - this required more effort than normal to overcome the increased friction. The engine ran flat out & before he could do anything about it he ended up entangled in the safety net.

Fortunately Quill was uninjured apart from his pride. He said that it would have been better if he had been slightly hurt as then he might have been treated more sympathetically. On leaping out of the poor old Hurricane he found that everyone had mysteriously disappeared. Not being familiar with this unusual carrier he had no idea how to go below decks. On wandering around the flight deck he found himself looking down at the Captain & other officers in the pit that served as a bridge. Everyone studiously ignored him & he was becoming more embarrassed by the minute. He was contemplating whether or not to leap down into this pit when a kindly junior officer led him away & showed him the correct way down. Needless to say he had to render an A25. Cmdr. Everett never forgave him & they didn't speak to each other for years afterwards.

[ozzy72]

Ooops
Its nice to know even the best of us can foul up really badly if there is a sufficiently large audience

[Hagar]

These things always seem to happen when everyone is watching. It was common practice for everyone not on duty to watch anything interesting going on & news spread quickly on board a ship. The spectators on carriers were called "Goofers". I imagine there were plenty there to witness this sad incident. They all managed to hurriedly disappear when it all went wrong.

I was disappointed at the lack of info on the WWW on Cmdr Everett. He was a legendary character with unconventional methods. When he was on the bats the pilot was left in no doubt as to who was in charge. He would abandon the comparative safety of the batsman's position & conduct the landings from the flight deck itself. He used his whole body to signal rather than just the bats & often had to duck under the wing of the landing aircraft at the last moment to avoid being hit.

Cmdr Everett was the obvious choice of batsman for the first ever jet landing on a RN carrier. This was with the prototype Sea Vampire on HMS Ocean on 3 December 1945. Unfortunately he is not shown in this photo. Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown was the pilot on this occasion, another legend. You can see the assembled Goofers witnessing the event.



[quote]Captain Eric Brown had a 31 year career in the Royal Navy, and is the most decorated Fleet Air Arm pilot and British test pilot.

[ozzy72]

WOW I didn't know Winkle had done THAT much!!!
And I figure that with no TV on board then entertainment was where you found it, and lets be honest egg on the face of an officer is worth a weeks funny and vertically increasing stories in the mess