Swordfish at Yeovilton

Looking through a book about HMS Hermes (by Lt/Cdr Tony Dyson RN, published by Maritime Books, 1984) I found mention of mention of the last armed Swordfish take off from an aircraft carrier in November 1962.
Apparently this was for the twentieth anniversary dinner of the Taranto raid, held on board in the hanger. The following morning the Hermes sailed for Singapore and the Swordfish was flown off.
I have also found that this was by no means the last flight of a British military biplane from an RN aircraft carrier – the first fixed wing recovery and launch of the third commission (1966-68) was by a Tiger Moth by the Commander (Air), probably from 781NAS (aka Southern Communications Squadron?), sometime in mid 1966. The first landing was made more interesting by the fact that the engine didn’t want to stop afterwards; and for launching the art of propeller-swinging had to be re-learnt! (Picture from the same book – looks as though it was copied from a poorly reproduced newspaper…)

Flood.

I qualified my statement that it was the last biplane in military markings because I am sure that there was a Tiger Moth or similar that landed and took off from a carrier much later than 1959/60 – possibly on Ark Royal as recent as the 70s.

Anyway – I didn’t notice this before (I was looking for the earlier shots…) but isn’t this the pic that Mark12 refers to? Again from Warpaint 12 and again without atributation.:rolleyes:

Flood.

A number of answers.

Yes, LS326 was ‘Fairey’ blue fuselage and silver wings in Fairey ownership. painted back into warpaint (inc ‘5A’) for the film StB, I believe she retained those colours for many years (inc the shot which started this thread?) I have a shot from the BFI with Peter Twiss in front of LS326 IIRC aboard a carrier for the filming.

Flood, you are right about the last Swordfish. The Yanks have done stuff with B-25s and modern carriers, but not, I think, biplanes. Anyone for Shuttleworth’s Pup off a RN Carrier? You know recreating Dunning’s FIRST landing, not the second.

There’s a great story by Brian Johnson of the BBC (not the cricket chap, t’other one) who was aboad the Stringbag for the flight.

As you may guess, I wrote this up many years ago for Warbirds Worldwide Number umpty tum. There’s a great Charles E Brown shot of a Gannet, with Fairey’s Fulmar and Swordfish in formation in the RAF Museum’s archives.

Captions in Warpaints… Um, Curate’s egg anyone? Some of their contributors are A1 – the proofing and editorial is -ah- variable, and dates etc are unreliable. Ask the FAAM Archives about ‘unatributed’ and inacurately captioned pics and Warpaint sometime…

Cheers

Happy to ramble, happy to answer any other specific questions. It’s not a P-51 or Spitfire y’see…

Swordfish in Civvies

There is a big hole in the file where the print should be but here is a shot of the Fulmer at White Waltham in the mid 1950’s with the Swordfish lurking to the rear.

Mark

Apologies to unknown photographer but it looks like one of Eric Watts’ shots for Air Britain.

I believe 326 was operated out of Hamble in civilian colours, possibly light blue.

I was told a few years ago that NF389 did fly, albeit rarely, until the 1960s when it was grounded by the FAA to provide spares for 326.

Strewth they’re big! Must get the hang of this sometime…

Flood.

And hopefully this is a bit better?;)

LS326 in the 1950s

Wasn’t this Swordfish and the Fulmer painted in the ‘Civvie’ Fairey Corporate colours of silver with dark blue top decking in the 1950s?

Mark

Originally posted by JDK
Hi Papa Lima,
It’ll almost certainly be LS326; the Fleet Air Arm Historic Flight’s aircraft. It was owned by Fairey’s as G-AJVH until until ’59, appearing in ‘Sink the Bismark’ film with NF389 (also airworthy in 1958).

Strangly enough I put something about this on the modern military flame and insult forum a week or two ago… LS326, coded 5A, was the last Swordfish – and almost certainly the last military marked biplane – to take off from a Royal Navy aircraft carrier. My info was that NF389 was a non flying display airframe with 781 NAS after force landing at St Merryn on 23/8/52… Anyone got a picture of it flying after 1952?
Anyway here are a couple of pix taken from Warpaint 12 – Fairey Swordfish.

Flood.

You dont have to have your own website, there is a good FREE photo hosting facility at www.photobucket.com just upload and store your photo’s to post on BB’s.
Hope this helps 😀

Aha, but I don’t think I have a webspace, is that in other words a personal Web site?
(Sorry, folks, this should I suppose be a PM to Robbo, but on the other hand perhaps I am not the only one who is still learning how to handle this site!)

NF370 in February, before the boots went on.
How do you guys get bigger/more highly resolved photos that I can, within the 100k limit on this Forum? I am using Photoshop 7, 72 dpi, around 600 pixels is as much as I can get to stay within 100k.

Blast, Flooded again! 😉

As Flood says, ‘still’ airworthy – for which read rebuilt to better than condition in your photo. Currently (roughly! see the Flying Spitfires thread!) there is W5856 and LS326 flying in the UK with the FAAHF, plus NF389 due ‘soon’ from BAe.

In Canada, the Shearwater machine flew oce after restoration (to prove it was really restored to airworthy condition) that’s HS469. More airworthy is C-GEVS (for Ernie van Simmons) of Bob Spence in Ontario – HS554 – though I’ve not heard of it flying for a while. Ernie was the farmer that saved about a doz Swordfish, several doz Yales, and misc other a/c; though NOT Lysanders IIRC as was speculated here recently.

Cheers

PS How could I forget the then VERY static NF370 was in the UK at the IWM Lambeth, now undergoing restoration at Duxford?

Hi Papa Lima,
It’ll almost certainly be LS326; the Fleet Air Arm Historic Flight’s aircraft. It was owned by Fairey’s as G-AJVH until until ’59, appearing in ‘Sink the Bismark’ film with NF389 (also airworthy in 1958).

The only other likely candidate is HS618 which is the machine now at Yeovilton in the museum itself, and not airworthy then or now. W5856 was in Canada as a wreck then, as were most of the other now surviving Stringbags.

HTH
Cheers

Think you’ll find it is LS326 – which was the same (apparently) as the stores code for Royal Navy photographic fix…;)
Yes it is still around. And still flying.

Flood.