SUPERMARINE WALRUS 100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
PATROLLERS AND AIRLIFTERS RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION 39Defiants used to patrol for downed
aircrew, Avro Ansons to drop
supplies and dinghies, and Walruses
to pluck aircrew from the water.
From 1943 the rescue Walruses
began to operate overseas, initially
in North Africa and later across
the Mediterranean and Persian
Gulf. In February 1944 the type
debuted in the Pacific, in the hands
of 292 Squadron, to cover the
Burma campaign.
By the end of the war Walruses had
rescued more than 1,000 downed
aircrew, with 277 Squadron alone
responsible for 598 of these.
A more powerful replacement, the
Supermarine Sea Otter [see page
44] was introduced from 1942,
but the Walrus soldiered on to the
end of the war. In January 1945
the type was pressed into service
in the minesweeping role, with
aircraft from the newly formed 624
Squadron co-operating with Royal
Navy warships. It would be April
1946 before the last Walrus was
finally retired.1941 that the type entered RAF
service as an air-sea rescue asset.
The majority of RAF aircraft
were built at Saunders-Roe,
which completed 461 examples
(including 191 Mk.IIs with
wooden hulls to save metal alloys
for more ‘important’ aircraft) out
of the 746 Walruses built. In total
approximately 250 Walruses were
transferred from Fleet Air Arm
contracts to the RAF.
OPERATIONAL SERVICE
The Royal Navy used its Walruses in
a variety of applications, from radar-
equipped anti-submarine warfare
to bombing, reconnaissance and
general communications tasks.
Fleet Air Arm crews also fielded
the Walrus in the air-sea rescue role,
and it was in this area that the RAF
examples were primarily utilised.
The Walrus entered RAF service in
October 1941 with 275 Squadron
at RAF Valley, Anglesey and 278
Squadron at Matlaske in Norfolk.
Two months later, 277 Squadron
at Stapleford Tawney joined the
ranks of Walrus operators and in
January 1942 the aircraft joined 276
Squadron at Harrowbeer.
The specialist RAF Air Sea Rescue
Service squadrons flew a mixed fleet,
with Spitfires and Boulton PaulType: Four-crew air-sea rescue amphibian
First fl ight: June 21, 1933, entered RAF service October 1941
Powerplant: One 750hp (559kW) Bristol Pegasus II radial
Dimensions: Span 45ft 10in (13.97m), length 15ft 3in (4.6m)
Weights: Empty 4,900lb (2,222kg), all-up 7,200lb (3,266kg)
Max speed: 135mph (217km/h) at 4,750ft (1,448m)
Range: 600 miles (966km)
Armament: Up to three Vickers K guns in bows and amidships, and up to 500lb
(227kg) of bombs or depth charges
Replaced: N /A
Taken on charge: Approximately 250
Replaced by: Supermarine Sea OtterSUPERMARINE WALRUS I
Defiants used to patrol for downed
aircrew, Avro Ansons to drop
supplies and dinghies, and WalrusesTwo months later, 277 Squadron
at Stapleford Tawney joined the
ranks of Walrus operators and inSUPERMARINE WALRUSSUPERMARINE WALRUSSUPERMARINE WALRUSSUPERMARINE WALRUSSUPERMARINE WALRUSSUPERMARINE WALRUSSUPERMARINE WALRUSSUPERMARINE WALRUSSUPERMARINE WALRUSSUPERMARINE WALRUSSUPERMARINE WALRUSSUPERMARINE WALRUS
Left
Supermarine Walrus
I P5668 ‘Alice II’ of
HMS ‘Gloucester’
during the Battle of
Cape Mattapan, on
March 28, 1941. ANDY
HAY/WWW.FLYINGART.
CO.UKAbove
Former RAAF Seagull
V A2-4 is now on
display at the RAF
Museum London. Built
in 1934, it served
for most of the war
with 9 Squadron
RAAF in Australia. In
1946, it was sold to
civilian owners but
it crashed in 1970.
The derelict wreck
was subsequently
acquired by the RAF
Museum, which had
it shipped to the UK
for restoration. It has
been on display at
Hendon since 1979.
STEVE BRIDGEWATER