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Last Updated: Aug 21st, 2020 - 13:06:35 |
Jack 'Butch' O'Sullivan was one of the first 20 New Zealanders recruited into the Fleet Air Arm on 1940. He trained in England and his first tour of duty was on Walrus amphibians. One Tender ship that he flew anti-submarine patrols in the Indian Ocean from was the HMS Albatross in 1942.
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| Training on the Walrus |
‘On the Albatross the launch Catapult extended towards the bridge over the bow and the gunnery Officer, who was responsible for firing the catapult had to time firing the catapult so that you would be launch with the ships bow rising, if his timing was wrong you could be fired into the sea.
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| Retrieval at sea |
Recovery procedure was for the ship to turn into wind so as to create an area of smooth water on the leeward side for the Walrus to land on. The Walrus normally carried a crew of three and for craning back onto the ship the air-gunner would climb onto the wing centre section, tying himself there if necessary in rough weather. A boom was swung out ad the pilot would taxi up to a hooking device to lift the aircraft back onto the ship.
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| Walrus "K" |
Typically this recovery procedure would take 20 minutes and it was a most vulnerable time for the ship as it would be moving at only 3-4 knots. The aircraft crew would be signalled by flags as to manoeuvring for the recovery.
Butch O'sullivan rose to the rank of Commander by Wars end.
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