Fly Past

46 RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION PATROLLERS AND AIRLIFTERS

V

ickers’ Warwick was envisaged

as a larger and more capable

version of the company’s

Wellington bomber... but was

plagued with disappointing

performance from the outset.

The prototype (K8178) first flew

on August 13, 1939 and shared

the same geodetic structure as the

Wellington. Power came from a

pair of Rolls-Royce Vultures but the

aircraft was deemed underpowered

and a second prototype (L9704) was

equipped with Bristol Centaurus

radial engines, ahead of its maiden

flight the following April.

Although performance was still

lacking, an order for 250 Warwicks

was placed in January 1941 but a

shortage of engines led to the type

being re-fitted with American-built

Pratt & Whitney Double Wasps.

This caused further delays and by

the time the aircraft finally entered

production in June 1942, its

capabilities had been superseded by

more modern machines.

AIR-SEA-RESCUE

Undeterred by the aircraft’s

ineffectuality as a bomber, the Air

Ministry opted to convert it for air-

sea-rescue (ASR) duties, complete

with a Lindholme lifeboat

underslung below the fuselage.

The RAF did not have a dedicated

ASR aircraft at the time, although

Boulton Paul Defiants and Avro

Ansons had been used to search for

downed crews.

Re-designated as the Warwick

ASR Mk.I, the aircraft finally

entered RAF service with 280

Squadron at RAF Thornaby,

Teesside, in October 1943 –

more than four years after its

maiden flight.

In total, almost 365 Warwick

ASR Mk.Is were equipped for the

role and a further 16 remained as

bombers, but were never

used operationally.

The ASR variant would eventually

populate 15 RAF squadrons, which

operated seven Warwicks in the UK

and eight overseas, enabling the

first successful ‘live’ drop of a

Lindholme lifeboat to a ditched

Halifax crew, near Spurn Head off

the Yorkshire coast.

OFFENSIVE MISSIONS

The eventual availability of

Centaurus powerplants enabled the

production of 119 Warwick GR

Mk.IIs and a fleet of GR Mk.V anti-

submarine variants.

A production order for 525 Mk.Vs

was placed, although just 235 were

ultimately completed, most of

which went directly into storage in

1944. However, the type became
      the first Warwick variant employed
      offensively when it entered service
      with 179 Squadron at RAF St Eval,
      Cornwall, replacing Wellington GR
      Mk.XIVs from November 1944.
      This definitive version of the
      Warwick was distinguishable from
      earlier variants in having a large
      dorsal fin fillet. It also sported a radar
      scanner beneath the nose and a large
      Leigh Light in the ventral position.
      The Mk.V would go on to serve
      with 621 Squadron in Egypt and
      Palestine, and the earlier ASR Mk.I
      was operated as far afield as the
      Azores (269 Squadron), Algeria,
      Egypt, Iceland, India and Malta.
      With the end of war the Warwick
      would soon become surplus. In

1918 2018

VICKERS

WARWICK

ickers’ Warwick was envisaged

as a larger and more capable

WARWICK

1943 TO 1946

Above

Bristol Centaurus-

powered Vickers

Warwick GR Mk.II

HG348. ANDY HAY/WWW.

FLYINGART.CO.UK

Right

Vickers Warwick

B/ASR Mk.I BV285

served with the Air

Sea Rescue Training

Unit at RAF Hurn, near

Bournemouth. ALL KEY