Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Twickenham, Middlesex, England (parents)
Fairey Battle
Fairey Battle, RCAF (Serial No. 1639), wearing target towing stripes, used in bombing and gunnery training, July 1941.
The Fairey Battle is a British designed single engine light bomber, used as a trainer in the RCAF. The Battle was powered by the same high-performance Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that powered various contemporary British fighters including the Spitfire. It was, however significantly heavier, with its three-man crew and bomb load. Although it was a great improvement over the aircraft that preceded it, the Battle was relatively slow and limited in range. It was only armed with two .303 in machine guns facing the rear, and was found to be highly vulnerable to enemy fighters and anti-aircraft fire.
The Fairey Battle participated in direct combat missions during early stages of the Second World War and earned the distinction of attaining the first aerial victory of an RAF aircraft in the war. In May 1940 the Battle suffered heavy losses, frequently in excess of 50 percent of aircraft sortied per mission. By the end of 1940 the type had been entirely withdrawn from active combat service, and was relegated to training units overseas, with many serving in Canada.
The RCAF received its first batch of eight Battles in August 1939, at RCAF Station Borden, Ontario. A total of 802 Battles were eventually delivered from England, serving in various roles and configurations, including dual-control trainers, target-tugs, and gunnery trainers for the Bombing and Gunnery schools of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Canadian use of the Battle declined as more advanced aircraft, such as the Bristol Bolingbroke and the North American Harvard were introduced. Battles remained in RCAF service until shortly after the end of the war hostilities in 1945. No. 111, 115 and No. 122 Squadrons of the RCAF flew Battles.
Fairey Battles were not manufactured in Canada, but they were assembled, serviced and modified here, including the installation of turrets at the Canadian Car and Foundry plant in Montreal. Harold Skaarup web page with revisions
Wikipedia Fairey Battle Bomber
Harold A Skaarup Web Page
Fairey Battle - Kestrel Publications
Battle Mk. I / IT L5556
TOS 17 Apr 1941 at No. 6 Repair Depot, Trenton. To No. 1 Training Command on 10 May 1941, for use by No. 31 Bombing & Gunnery School at Picton, Ontario. Damaged at 13:10 on 6 April 1942 at Picton aerodrome, undercarriage leg collapsed on landing at Picton. To No. 9 Repair Depot at St. Jean, Quebec on 4 Sept 1942. Fuselage transferred to Canada Car & Foundry at Turcot, Quebec on same date for installation of turret and conversion to Mk. IT. To No. 3 Training Command on 7 Nov 1942, for use by No. 9 Bombing & Gunnery School at Mont Joli, Quebec. Category A crash at Mont-Joli on 7 October 1943, collided with #1949 while drogue towing and lost tail, 3 m E of Mont Joli. Flight Sergeant R. Dean, Leading Aircraftman (RAF) E.W. Astell and Leading Aircraftman K. McKinstry were killed. To No. 9 Repair Depot for scrapping on 14 October 1943. SOS 24 Feb 1944; Cat A write-off.1941-04-17 Taken on Strength No. 6 Repair Depot 2019-08-20
1942-April-06 Accident: 31 Bomb & Gunnery School Loc: Aerodrome Names: Hancock | Holdon | Reay
1944-02-24 Struck off Strength Struck off, scrapped 2019-08-20
RCAF.info - RCAF Station Mont Joli QC
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