St Thomas, Ontario
Lost in a storm - never found [RCAF Cas File]: Flying as No.2 to the CO Sqn Ldr G J C Hogan, Pilot Officer Neville was on the way back from a strafing mission on Japanese transport and ran into bad weather. The aircraft became separated. Neville last radioed that if he did not get through the storm in 20 min he was going to bale out. The CO came in clear over Tamu, but Neville was still in storm and was lost.
Neville, Kenneth Arnold (Pilot Officer)
Killed in Action 1944-March-23
Birth Date: 1921
Born:
Parents: Son of Walter John and Alice Neville, of St. Thomas, Ontario.
Spouse:
Home: St Thomas, Ontario
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
5 Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Frangas Non Flectas Thou mayest break but shall not bend me
Base
Rank
Pilot Officer
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
J/90361
Prev: R/68098
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Hurricane serial: LB546
Hawker Hurricane Mk IIc.
Source BBMF
Source BBMF
The Hawker Hurricane is a single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s"“1940s that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). The Hurricane developed through several versions, as bomber-interceptors, fighter-bombers, and ground support aircraft in addition to fighters. Versions designed for the Navy were popularly known as the Sea Hurricane, with modifications enabling their operation from ships. Some were converted to be used as catapult-launched convoy escorts. By the end of production in July 1944, 14,487 Hurricanes had been completed in Britain and Canada.
A major manufacturer of the Hurricane was Canadian Car and Foundry at their factory in Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario. The facility's chief engineer, Elsie MacGill, became known as the "Queen of the Hurricanes". The initiative was commercially led rather than governmentally, but was endorsed by the British government; Hawker, having recognized that a major conflict was all but inevitable after the Munich Crisis of 1938, drew up preliminary plans to expand Hurricane production via a new factory in Canada. Under this plan, samples, pattern aircraft, and a complete set of design documents stored on microfilm, were shipped to Canada; the RCAF ordered 20 Hurricanes to equip one fighter squadron and two more were supplied to Canadian Car and Foundry as pattern aircraft but one probably did not arrive. The first Hurricane built at Canadian Car and Foundry was officially produced in February 1940. As a result, Canadian-built Hurricanes were shipped to Britain to participate in events such as the Battle of Britain. Canadian Car and Foundry (CCF) was responsible for the production of 1,451 Hurricanes.
Sea Hurricane
While the Sea Hurricane never served in the Royal Canadian Navy, it was, ironically, operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force. In late 1941, the RCAF found itself without any frontline fighters, having sent its earlier Hawker Hurricanes off to the UK along with 1 (Fighter) Squadron, RCAF, and was having a hard time procuring additional fighters to meet its needs.
For reasons that are still slightly unclear, the RCAF received 50 Sea Hurricanes in 1942. It is assumed that these aircraft, built in Thunder Bay, Ontario by Canadian Car and Foundry, were to be used as part of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) Merchant Ship Fighting Unit (MSFU) based in Canada, but were diverted to the RCAF. These Sea Hurricanes were basically a Hurricane Mk. I with a tail-hook, catapult spools, a short blunt de Havilland spinner, and an eight gun wing. Wikipedia and Harold A Skaarup Web Page
Folding Wings
The idea of adding folding wings to the Sea Hurricane was examined in 1940 but ultimately abandoned due to concerns about the aircraft's ability to accommodate the extra weight and the urgent need for next-generation aircraft. The Sea Hurricane was primarily designed as a stopgap measure for naval operations, which limited the resources available for such modifications.
Examination of the Concept
- Weight Concerns: There were significant worries about the Sea Hurricane's ability to handle the additional weight that folding wings would introduce.
- Resource Limitations: The Sea Hurricane was intended as a stopgap solution for naval operations, which meant that resources for further modifications were limited.
The Sea Hurricane was adapted from the original Hurricane design to meet the needs of naval aviation. Key modifications included:
- Strengthened Airframe: To withstand the rigors of carrier operations.
- Arrestor Hook: Essential for landing on aircraft carriers.
- Naval Equipment: Ensured functionality in maritime conditions.
While the folding wing concept was explored, the pressing demands of the war and the need for more advanced aircraft led to its dismissal. The Sea Hurricane continued to serve effectively in its modified form without the folding wings.
Hurricane
Wikipedia Hurricane
Harold A Skaarup Web Page
Hurricane - Kestrel PublicationsUnit Desciption
5 Sqn Frangas Non Flectas ( x)
History of the Squadron during WWII (Aircraft: Audax, Mohawk IV, Hurricane IIc, IId, Thunderbolt I & II)
The Maple leaf in the badge reflects the squadron's close association with the Canadian Corps during WWI.
At the outbreak of war in September 1939, No. 5 Squadron were based in the North-West Frontier of India at Fort Sandeman (now Zhob, Pakistan), equipped with the Westland Wapiti biplane. The squadron became a light bomber unit when it converted to the Hawker Hart in June 1940. It became a fighter unit, equipped with obsolete Hawker Audaxes, in February 1941. In December 1941, the squadron relocated to RAF Dum Dum, Calcutta, and began to receive their first monoplane – the American-built Curtiss Mohawk Mk.IV. After the outbreak of hostilities with Japan, the squadron moved to RAF Dinjan, Assam, in May 1942, and was tasked with escorting Bristol Blenheim bombers over north west Burma (now Myanmar). Its first operational fighter sortie was flown in July 1942. In January 1943, the squadron began flying RHUBARB operations, on targets on the Imphal and Chindwin rivers, and these became an important part of the squadron’s activities. In June 1943 while the squadron was based at RAF Kharagpur, the Mohawks were replaced by Hawker Hurricane Mk.IId’s for ground attack missions, although they did not use them on vehicles until the following January. Later the squadron converted to Hurricane IIc’s and returned to more normal bomber escort and interdiction duties. In June of 1944, the squadron re-equipped with North American Thunderbolts, returning to operations in December. Duties were a mixture of escorts to Dakotas dropping supplies, RHUBARBS and dive bombing with wing-mounted 500 lb (227 kg) bombs. The last operations were bombing in support of the invasion of Rangoon. At the end of the hostilities, the squadron returned to India where it converted to Tempests and was disbanded in August 1947.
Maps for Movements of No. 5 Squadron 1941-45
MAP 1 Bases used by 5 Sqn RAF 1941-45 (right-click on image to display enlarged in new tab)
|