Canadian Virtual War Memorial
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Chase, British Columbia
Blackburn Shark
Blackburn Shark Mk. III, RCAF (Serial No. 525), No. 6 (Torpedo Bomber) Squadron, May 1939
The Blackburn Shark was a British carrier-borne torpedo bomber built by the Blackburn Aircraft company in England. It first flew on 24 August 1933 and went into service with the Fleet Air Arm, Royal Canadian Air Force, Portuguese Navy, and the British Air Observers' School, but was already obsolescent by 1937 and in the following year, replacement by the Fairey Swordfish began.
The Blackburn T.9 Shark was designed and built, initially as a private venture, to Air Ministry Specification S.15/33 for a torpedo-spotter-reconnaissance aircraft to be operated by the Fleet Air Arm. It had a crew of three, with the observer/wireless operator and gunner sharing the second cockpit (open on Mks I and II, enclosed on Mk III). Armament consisted of one fixed, forward-firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun, plus a .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine gun or Lewis Gun mounted on a Scarff ring in the rear cockpit, with provision for a 1,500 lb (680 kg) torpedo or equivalent bombload carried externally.
The prototype was subsequently fitted with twin floats and was test-flown at Brough in April 1935 with successful sea trials taking place at the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment Felixstowe.
The RCAF purchased seven Blackburn Shark II (760 hp/570 kW Tiger VI) in 1936 for service with No 6 (TB) Squadron, later operating as No 6 (BR) Sqn on shipping patrols off the Canadian west coast. Two Blackburn Shark IIIs (800 hp/600 kW Pegasus III) were supplied to RCAF by Blackburn in 1939 as forerunners of 17 similar aircraft built by Boeing Aircraft of Canada at Vancouver, with 840 hp (630 kW) Pegasus IX and used by Nos 6 and 4 (BR) Squadrons. RCAF Blackburn Sharks, some of which operated as floatplanes, were withdrawn from service in August 1944 and five were then transferred to the RN Air Observers' School in Trinidad. Wikipedia
Wikipedia Blackburn Shark
Harold A Skaarup Web Page
RCAF Blackburn Shark Serials - Kestrel Publications
CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF On Strength (26), Canadian Aircraft Losses (6)Shark III 548
To Western Air Command, for storage, on 1 April 1940. To No. 4 (BR) Squadron on 1 May 1940. Served with No. 4 (BR) Squadron, RCAF Stations Jericho Beach and Ucluelet, BC, from 1940 to 1942. Operated on floats, coded "FY*F". To No. 7 (BR) Squadron, RCAF Station Prince Rupert, BC, in December 1941. Destroyed at Prince Rupert after depth charge accidently released by maintenance crew, and detonated beneath moored aircraft on 21 September 1943. 2 fatalities.
1940-03-19 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1942-January-05 Accident: 7 BR Squadron Loc: Prince Rupert Harbour Names: Dewes | MacDonald | Parker
1943-September-21 Accident: 7 Squadron Loc: Seal Cove British Columbia Names: Dorge | Fraser | Tite | Wight
1943-10-09 Struck off Strength Struck off after maintenance accident, see comments. 2019-08-20
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