Tempest fighters in Canadian units

By: K225 - 20th January 2010 at 13:24 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Only one Hawker Tempest was ever operated by the RCAF. The aircraft was in service from 1946 to 1947

By: StevSmar - 20th January 2010 at 13:35 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

There's a book I have by the voracious Canadian Aviation author, think his name is Mulberry/Millberry or something like that, which has photos of Canadians flying Tempests or Typhoons. Perhaps that may provide a partial answer to your question?

Unfortunately my copy is buried inside a box, buried deeper under other stuff while we are renovating, so I can't be more precise on the actual title for a couple of months.

By: K225 - 20th January 2010 at 15:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

There were three RCAF Squadrons, Nos 438, 439 and 440 Sqns, that flew the Hawker Typhoon during WWII.

By: contrailjj - 20th January 2010 at 16:27 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

There's a book I have by the voracious Canadian Aviation author, think his name is Mulberry/Millberry or something like that, which has photos of Canadians flying Tempests or Typhoons. Perhaps that may provide a partial answer to your question?

Unfortunately my copy is buried inside a box, buried deeper under other stuff while we are renovating, so I can't be more precise on the actual title for a couple of months.

That's "Typhoon and Tempest - The Canadian Story" by Hugh A Halliday - Larry (Milberry) - CANAV Books - was the publisher... ISBN 0-921022-06-9

http://canavbooks.com/Publications/TyphoonAndTempest/

By: contrailjj - 20th January 2010 at 16:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Post war, Tempest NV999 had a short career with the Winter Experimental Establishment at Edmonton - flipping over in a field near Meeting Creek, AB and being written off in February of 1946.

By: walshlee - 20th January 2010 at 18:28 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

W.E.E. Flight RCAF Tempest VN999 crash

Fellas this was a Mk V tempest that was flying south of Calgary with Blackey Williams when it got caught in a snow storm and wiped out. The a/c was written off and I believe one of the WEE guys told me she was locally scrapped.

Here is a file in the National Archives:

Reference: RG24 ,National Defence, Series E-1-b, Volume 4976
File: 620-38ER, Access code: 90
File Title: Tempest Aircraft - Technical Aspects.
Outside Dates: 1945-1947
Finding Aid number: 24-100

There is a WEE report on the testing of this Tempest while in Canada but have never been able to find in the archives.

As well I am sure the RCAF would have conducted a Investigation on the crash but not sure what the FILE number is or what Microfilm the Investigation Report is on. Don't have access to the findings aid.

Larry Milberry has a photo of it in 60 Years

Lee
www.CAHS.com (toronto)

By: brewerjerry - 21st January 2010 at 01:23 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

..... flying south of Calgary with Blackey Williams ...

Lee
www.CAHS.com (toronto)

Hi
Was this the ex 406sq mosquito pilot ? or am I getting mixed up.:confused:
Cheers
Jerry

By: walshlee - 21st January 2010 at 03:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

B. Williams and WEE Flight

Jerry,

Yep that's him. I had been trying to track him down over the past number of years as he was living in Washington state somewhere. I found his two sons living in Vancouver some years ago. Blacky, along with Jerry Garton and Ken Brown had successful WWII careers and went on to do some interesting things with WEE flight. Sadly I never got to speak with blacky about his WEE Spitfire and Tempest days as he died before I got a chance to speak with him.

By: dogsbody - 22nd January 2010 at 05:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Canadians flew the Tempest, but while in RAF squadrons.

By: StevSmar - 25th January 2010 at 23:37 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

That's "Typhoon and Tempest - The Canadian Story" by Hugh A Halliday - Larry (Milberry) - CANAV Books - was the publisher... ISBN 0-921022-06-9

Thanks for adding, frustrating not having easy access to my books.

By: contrailjj - 26th January 2010 at 01:49 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

But here are reported about another Tempest's version - Mk.VI (see below):

http://www.canadianwings.com/Aircraft/aircraftDetail.php?TEMPEST-30

http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/v2/equip/hst/tempest-eng.asp

Where is truth ?
_______________________________________________________________
And also Dogsbody wrote:

But our other colleagues have not written about this fact.

What numbers had those RAF squadrons ?
And more information - serial numbers and code letters of these Tempests, their quantity, etc... ?
_______________
Flyer.

There was only ever one Tempest in Canada as mentioned (whether it was a V or VI, I don't know) it WAS NV999.

Following information is a quick glean from Halliday's book - the book is readily available from the publisher at the above web-address (CANAV Books)

As for the Canadians on RAF Sqns flying Tempests...
3 Sqn and 486 (RNZAF) Sqn - from April 1944
56 Sqn - July 2 1944 (transitioning from Spitfires)
274 Sqn - August 7 1944
80 Sqn - sometime before October 1944

By October their were the 5 squadrons on the continent based at B.80 (Volkel)

Some names??
274 Sqn... F/L John Malloy (Ottawa, Ont.) - EJ781
274 Sqn... F/O Frederick Mossing (Regina, Man.)
3 Sqn... P/O George Whitman - actually an American who joined the RCAF
56 Sqn... F/L Harvey Hoare (Lang, Sask.) - EJ534/A-56, JN869/D-56
56 Sqn... F/L John Ryan (Toronto) - JN864/C-56, EJ536/R-56
56 Sqn... P/O David Ness (Westmount, Que.) - EJ522/F-56, EJ536/B-56, NV963/US-C
80 Sqn... F/O John Garland (Richmond, Ont.) - EJ722, EJ667

By early February 1945 there were relatively few Canadians remaining on the Tempest Sqns.

May 4, 1945 F/O J.T. James was the last RCAF pilot on 274 Sqn.

Hope that helps.

By: Cranswick - 26th January 2010 at 09:31 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Canadian Tempest was a Mk.VI

But here are reported about another Tempest's version - Mk.VI (see below):

http://www.canadianwings.com/Aircraft/aircraftDetail.php?TEMPEST-30

http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/v2/equip/hst/tempest-eng.asp

Where is truth ?

Flyer.

Tempest NV999, the aircraft used bythe WEE, was the fourth production Mk.VI. Externally similar to the Mk,V except for the additional radiators in the inboard leading edges of the wings and the tropical air filter beneath the centre-section, immediately aft of the radiator fairing 'chin'.
This was the only Tempest in Canada.