100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
PATROLLERS AND AIRLIFTERS RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION 29Left
A fl eet of 15 RAF
Stranraers from 209
and 240 Squadrons
remained in service
long enough to
be camoufl aged
for service during
World War Two.
Airframe K7295 was,
appropriately, based
at Stranraer, Ayrshire
with 240 Squadron
from June 1940 and
fl ew reconnaissance
missions off the North
Scottish coast until
April 1941. ANDY HAY/
WWW.FLYINGART.CO.UKSUPERMARINE STRANRAER
that as the onboard toilet opened
directly into the airflow, the seat
often whistled at certain airspeeds!
IN ACTION
A fleet of 15 Stranraers remained
on strength with the R AF by the
outbreak of World War Two in
September 1939. Short
Sunderlands had replaced 228
Squadron’s Stranraers just before
the start of the conflict, but the old
biplanes continued to serve with
209 and 240 Squadrons,
mostly flying reconnaissance in
Northern Scotland.
However, the outmoded aircraft
soon showed its limitations and 209
Squadron replaced its examples with
Short Lerwicks in December 1939.
Meanwhile, 240 Squadron held onto
its Stranraers until April 1941,
when they were replaced by
Consolidated Catalinas.
The RAF Stranraer flew its final
wartime patrol on March 17, 1941,
but RCAF examples soldiered on
until 1946.“Crews considered the type’s
performance to be marginal at best and
this led to unkind monikers; the printable
included ‘Supermarine Strainer’ and ‘the
Whistling Birdcage’.”
Above
Although RAF
Stranraers were
seldom fl own in
wartime action, the
40 examples provided
to the RCAF were
used extensively
on anti-submarine
and coastal defence
duties, on Canada’s
Atlantic and Pacifi c
coasts. The fi nal
examples remained in
service until 1946.Left
The prototype
Southampton Mk.V
was registered K3973
and fi rst fl ew in July- It was renamed
the Stranraer in
August 1935. ALL KEY