Royal Navy Research Archive

Rob Haywood

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 23:28:55 +0100

Is there any knowledge of RAF personnel still being employed aboard carriers in the latter stages of the war. I have information of an RAF engine fitter/mechanic, joined RAF c.1937, who served on carriers throughout the war, EAGLE, INDEFATIGABLE, demobbed in 1946, rejoined the RAF later and retired in c.1962 as a flight sergeant. Was he the only one, or were there more RAF men aboard. Incredible career.

JJ

Thu, 15 Feb 2018 01:40:09 +0000

Strange that there is no mention of Kernahan's combats on the 29th Jan 1945 and 12th April 1945. Both are clearly noted in Browns Seafire and in Sturtivant, R. & Burrows, M. (1995) 'Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939 to 1945.'

TB

Sat, 29 Oct 2016 13:56:06 +0100

Ah, nice bit of deduction there. Your source is right too - his crash did lead to the loss of one crewman's life. Cheers!

Tony

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 21:55:29 +0100

Hi TB

The information for the two photos comes from several sources which point to a crash by Sub-Lt L.A. Bradbury on April 16th.

First source ids the reference book - Sturtivant, R. & Burrows, M. (1995) 'Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939 to 1945' – the entry for Seafire NN208 states:

RY 30.6.44; RNARY Coimbatore; 887 Sqn Indefatigable 3.45; Bounced into barrier, Cat LX 27.3.45 (CPO MAC Levett); Bounced over wires & barriers into deck park, Cat ZZ 16.4.45 (S/L LA Bradbury OK) [the aircraft was a write-off – cat ZZ - and would have been jettisoned]

Second source is from the book - Eadon. S., (1995) ‘Sakishima and Back’ ' – both photos appear in the book with a description of the crash [BUT on April 15th] and its consequences (Pages 189/190).

There is no recorded crash on the 15th, but there was one Seafire crash on Indefatigable on the 16th which wound up in the deck park so it is my conclusion that the images are of Sub-Lt L.A. Bradbury RNVR in NN208 ‘117S’.

TB

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 07:08:13 +0100

Great piece! What was your source for connecting photos A 29715 and A 29483 from the IWM to Sub-Lt L.A. Bradbury's crash landing?