Aviation Research Group Orkney Shetland

Some of the progressive projects the group has been working on.

THE RENDALL SPITFIRE.

Front page of `Orcadian` 24th September 2009.

SPITFIRE CRASH SITE LOCATED

By Lorraine Shearer.

An Orkney man has discovered the spot where a Second World War Spitfire plane crashed into a mist-shrouded hill in Rendall killing the pilot — 68 years ago today, Thursday.

William Shearer, 28, of Kirkwall is a member of the aviation group A.R.G.O.S (Aviation Research Group Orkney and Shetland) and has been trying to locate the site of the doomed plane for the past year.

After many days and nights spent trawling an area spanning a few hundred acres in Rendall, William and fellow A.R.G.O.S member, Kevin Heath, came up trumps at the weekend. He is delighted to have pinpoin ted the exact spot just days before the 68th anniversary of the death of the 20-year-old Canadian pilot, Sergeant Reginald Herman Pauley.

William said: "I have walked the hill around 20 to 25 times and on Sunday I found fragments of aluminium — there were numbers on one of them which confirmed it was Reg Pauley's Spitfire." He said the discovery was aided by Mrs Ivy Ballentyne, who had heard the crash as a youngster while working in the byre at Sunnybank farm.

"She was out milking a cow at 8am and heard the plane coming in," William explained. "She said to herself, 'that seems awful low' and heard it strike the hill. Ivy put an 'x' on the map where she thought it was — she was pretty accurate and thanks must go to her and others, such as Jim Nicholson, of Gitterpitten, who visited the crash site when a young boy. Although he could not quite remember its exact location after all this time, he was a great help."

Fellow members of A.R.G.O.S have been researching the aircraft, which flew in the Battle of Britain, and its pilot for some time. Dave Earl found that the pilot hailed from Port Elgin, New Brunswick, Canada and had joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in the summer of 1940. Sgt Pauley conducted much of his early flying training at St Eugene, Ontario, flying the Fleet Finch and North American Harvard-type aircraft before passing out with flying colours, as an above average pilot, by March, 1941. Dave said: "Following a short spell of leave where he spent much of his time back home, he bid a fond farewell to William and Emma, his parents, and brother Eric for the last time and was posted overseas to RAF Usworth, Tyne & Wear, home to No 55 operational training unit. "Here he converted to Hawker Hurricane fighters and then on August 1, 1941, was posted to RAF Castletown, Caithness where he joined 124 squadron to fly the much more elegant Supermarine Spitfire."That same day Sgt Pauley flew his first operational flight in a Spitfire R7156 D-Dog, which was to become his regular aircraft at that airfield. Later in the afternoon, seemingly thrilled by the experience of flying Britain's finest, he was granted permission to take her up again for an aerobatics exercise.However, a letter to his mother just four days prior to his death did express some concern. The young pilot wrote: "Dear mother and dad, I am flying Spitfires now and nothing else, I finished training about two and half months ago and became fully operational two months ago and have flow no other type since. "You know that Spitfires are the best fighters in the world, though I may say too that things arn't very safe and I am dicing with death every time I take one of these Spits off....hope this letter finds you happy, love Reg."

Above: Sgt Reginald H.Pauley training in Canada. Photos: Reg Pauley, (Nephew).

The purpose of the squadron was to protect the approaches to Scapa Flow, anchorage for the Home Fleet.

On September 24, 2941, just four days after writing, Sgt Pauley was up flying a Spitfire again — out over the North Sea to the east of Orkney on a20flotsam patrol.

His regular aircraft R7156 was damaged beyond repair in an accident at Castletown with another pilot, so Sgt Pauley was flying X4108. Dave continued: "Though it would appear all these Spitfires are alike, to the pilots who flew them they would totally disagree. This was in comparison a bit like driving a car today — one would get used to the general feel of the aircraft and its characteristics, and handling any other machine would not have that same feeling, and could affect performance. "Whether this had anything to do with the eventual loss of Sgt Pauley's aircraft is another of those unanswerable questions." Around 8am the two Spitfires were observed by Orkney man Irvine Wood flying in close formation low over Gairsay Sound in a roughly west south-westerly direction. A band of low cloud hung over the hills north of Finstown, which near Rendall rise to a little over 725ft. As they entered the low cloud suddenly and without warning Reg Pauley's Spitfire struck the hill and he was killed instantly, in a split se cond his number two managed to pull up and just cleared the hill.

Local man Harvey Lennie was first on the scene from Queenamidda, soon followed by members of the Brass family at Upper Elibister. But nothing could be done to save the pilot.

The authorities arrived and Sgt Pauley's body was recovered. He was buried with full military honours at 3pm on September 27, 1941, in Sandwick cemetery. He was soon joined by two other fallen comrades, Sgt Cox who was killed in a Hurricane crash in Birsay and P/O Bridger, who died in a Spitfire accident at Skeabrae.

Based on local knowledge, a search was carried out for the crash site of Sgt Pauley's Spitfire in 2004, but due to the rugged terrain and thick heather, finding any remains at that time proved fruitless. Dave said: "A few local farmers had found a few bits and pieces while cutting peat soon after the war and these have been donated to A.R.G.O.S.

"The group hopes to put these on display in a future museum along with photos of the tragic young pilot."

SPITFIRE ON SKELDAY HILL - Thursday 12th November 2009.

With the researchers was 84-year-old John Spence, who as a young lad had witnessed the scene of carnage, shortly after the crash.From memory, John had been able to indicate the rough area to William and Kevin, who are members of the aviation group ARGOS (Aviation Research Group Orkney and Shetland).William said it was fitting that they had carried out the search on Remembrance Sunday — when people all over the country, including Orkney, were commemorating those who fell during both World Wars.

"I took the poppy from my jacket and laid it on the ground — it was very appropriate that we should have discovered the location of the crash on Remembrance Sunday," William said.

Capitaine Robert Henri Gabriel Sassard, a 31-year-old French pilot, took off from Skeabrae at 6.32am on April 6, 1945, with wingman Sergeant A. Rose flying in close proximity,they were in charge of two MKIX Spitfires of 329 squadron on dawn patrol between Copinsay and Duncansby Head.

Fellow ARGOS member, Dave Earl, explained: "It was a routine affair and should have presented no problems, that is except for the poor weather with bad visibility and very low ceiling down to 400 to 500ft in parts of Orkney."

Flying in a north easterly direction to head out over the Stronsay Firth, in the lead aircraft TB914 was Capitaine Sassard.

However, within just a few minutes of leaving the airfield Capt Sassard's aircraft wing clipped Skelday hill at a height of around 500ft and disintegrated, killing the young man instantly as wreckage cascaded down the hillside.

Sgt Rose narrowly missed the hill himself.

Dave continued: "Capt Sassard was one of only seven pilots of 329 'Cigognes' squadron at Skeabrae and had, in fact, only arrived there three days earlier on April 3, from RAF Turnhouse, Edinburgh."He had not been with that squadron very long but had previously seen action both during the battle of France when serving as a Sous Lieutenant with Free French squadron GC11/6 and he shot down one enemy plane, then with 345 squadron at Shoreham, Sussex, flying Spitfire MKVbs.

"He had a lucky escape on July 10, 1944, when flying a mission to France coded 'Ramrod 1072', when his Spitfire was hit by anti-aircraft fire at Vernon, north west of Paris."Having baled out he landed in the area of Rouen, but managed to evade capture and get back to allied lines and return to England."

Following the crash at Skelday Hill the body of Capt Sassard was removed by the RAF and he was buried in St Olaf's cemetery in Kirkwall on April 10, 1945 with full military honours. It has since been discovered from burial records, that his body was exhumed on October 5, 1948, and returned home to France at the request of his family.

William first heard about this particular Spitfire crash — the last one to happen in Orkney — through ARGOS.

"Johnny Spence pointed to an area where we should try. After an hour, Kevin spotted a shiny piece of aluminium sticking out of the ground and identified it as being from an aircraft."

Using a Mini Geo metal detector — which has a range of 23ft down — they were able to take an x-ray sample of the area, which has revealed a wealth of aluminium pieces over an area of 70 metres square.John said: "The remains had been taken away up by the time I got there, but I remember the engine was some distance away from the wreckage of the plane."

Ian Harvey, 79, also recalls cycling to the crash site soon after."Inquisitiveness got the better of me and I took off on my bike to view the wreckage. It was a complete wreck and the engine was right out."

ARGOS will be applying for a licence from the Ministry of Defence to carry out further investigations.

William said: "I would like to thank John Spence and Ian Harvey, who both visited the crash site shortly afterwards, for their help in locating the spot and landowners, Maxwell Tait for permission to search."

THE ORCADIAN

Quarterly magazine launch - Thurs 7 Jan 2010

Thurs 4 February 2010. by Lorraine Shearer.

Letters give a poignant insight into the tragedy of Second World War plane crash

When the letter from the Admiralty dropped through the letter box of the family home in Worcester, Mrs Smalley's heart must surely have skipped a beat.

The arrival of such mail during the Second World War inevitably signalled tragedy and on this occasion, early in February, 1943, it was to be the news which every parent dreads.

Written on Admiralty embossed notepaper, H.V. Markham, said: "I am commanded by My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to state that they have been informed that your son, Temporary Sub-Lieutenant Anthony Charles Armstrong Smalley, R.N.V.R, lost his life on Wednesday, 3rd February, 1943, as the result of an aircraft accident at Orkney.

"My Lords desire me to express to you their deep regret at receiving this intelligence and their profound sympathy in the great loss which you have sustained. "I am, Madam, your obedient servant.".

Above left: Sub/Lt Lloyd Harding Johnson was killed instantly when his Seafire struck his pilot comrade`s plane.

Above right: Temp Sub/Lt Anthony Charles Armstrong Smalley, who died at the age of 23 following the Seafire collision. ( Photo: Courtesy of the Smalley family).

The 23-year-old officer of the Fleet Air Arm was engaged in camera gun attack training when his Seafire collided with another aircraft at 6,000ft over Woodwick Range in Evie.

Both Spitfires were irreparably damaged, as one plunged into the sea near Tingwall, and the other plummeted into a field near Rendall. Both Smalley and fellow 880 squadron pilot, Sub-Lieutenant Lloyd Harding Johnson, 21, of New Zealand, were killed instantly.

Yesterday, Wednesday, February 3, marked the 67th anniversary of the tragedy, and now members of the Aviation Research Group Orkney & Shetland have located the site of the Spitfire crash in the field in Rendall, and in January, 2010, received the licence from the Ministry of Defence to excavate the site.

It is hoped to unearth much of Anthony Smalley's Spitfire, including the engine, which the researchers are certain is still there.

In July, 2009, William Shearer and Kevin Heath began to search to the crash site on land after first being told of the incident six years ago, and being told three firsthand accounts by eyewitnesses who remembered the event.

The site appeared to be nothing more than a shallow dip in a field, which may well have been missed, if not for the very large reading on the metal detector being used by William and Kevin.A small piece of stainless steel was found on the surface, which was stamped, "WA and 107 in a circle and the numbers 300 62 635" — this confirmed that it was the site of a MK V Spitfire aircraft,one which had been converted to a Seafire to allow it to operate from aircraft carriers.

Kevin said: "Through research we heard there were two missing Seafire crash sites — one went into the sea and the other one crashed on to land.

"Ivy Ballantine pointed us in the right direction. She remembers the one crashing on to land and told us about which field it crashed into. We stumbled across it using the metal detector, which can pick up on things 25ft underground."After finding the impact crater we found the piece of metal confirming that it was the site of a Spitfire crash. We could not remove anything until we got the licence, which we now have."

The ARGOS team are hopeful of recovering most of the aircraft, conserving it and, at some point in the future, displaying the items found at a yet to be defined place in Orkney, ideally a museum dedicated to crashed aircraft.

"This is a significant find," Kevin said. "We are delighted to have come upon it thanks to the help of all involved."

Fellow ARGOS member, David Earl, passed on a telephone number to Kevin to try and speak to members of the Smalley family. Kevin explained: "I said I was ringing up about an aircraft crash in Orkney, and the woman said, 'oh, that would be Anthony's'." She passed Kevin on to her son, who was able to supply him with letters written to the pilot's mother.

A fellow officer wrote in a letter to Mrs Smalley: "I know it is an impossible things to say, but I beg you not to grieve too much. We had all chatted about our chances many times, and it was everyone's opinion that if we should die we would have spent some of the happiest days of our life in the Fleet Air Arm, and would pass on with the knowledge that the day will come when the war will end and the world may be a better place to live in."Pray God this will be so, and all the thousands of grand lads who have lost their lives will not have died in vain."

Sub/Lieutenant Anthony Smalley was the younger son of Mrs G. E. Smalley, of Shepherd's Hey, Malvern Common, Malvern, Worcester.Born at Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, he won a scholarship from Bilston Grange, Rugby, to Malvern College in 1934.From there he went to college in Newcastle-on-Tyne, and was with the firm of Reyrolle and Co, studying electrical engineering, when war broke out.

Joining the Fleet Air Arm early in 1940, he was commissioned six months later.

Both pilots were buried within St Olaf's cemetery on the outskirts of Kirkwall.

The chaplain at Hatston was on leave at the time, so the service was conducted by A. M. Rumball, who also wrote to Mrs Smalley. "I am indeed sorry to hear that you have had to bear the loss of your son in such tragic circumstances. The chaplain at Hatston was on leave so I took the service for him.

"The funeral party consisting of the firing party and the guard of honour fell in outside Kirkwall Cathedral and marched up to St Olaf's Church, which is the Episcopal Church of Scotland, where the officers were already seated.

"I said the first part of the Church of England service with the lesson as set out in the Book of Common Prayer. After which all marched back to outside the Cathedral to the strains of Chopin's Funeral March played by the band of the Argyles."There the procession entered transports for the cemetery which is a good two miles out of Kirkwall. Just short of the cemetery the procession was reformed, the band playing again."At the graveside I conducted the remaining portion of the burial service, during which the bearers lined the gravesides. Afterwards the firing party gave the threefold fire and a bugler sounded the Last Post while all saluted their late comrades."

The letter goes on to describe the grave site to Mrs Smalley, who never managed to visit her son's last resting place. "The cemetery slopes towards the sea and the outlook is to the south over Scapa Flow. The part where your son is buried is at the top of the cemetery and his grave is section 33, lair 11. (The two officers were buried in separate graves)."

M. Rumball advised that the Government had put up small granite tombstones in the form of crosses, but if Mrs Smalley wished to erect her own headstone then she should contact James Dowell. The letter goes on: "Should you wish your son's grave specially looked after and cared for, the superintendent tells me the charge is 15s/- per annum."I hope this covers all the information you require. With deep sympathy, yours sincerely A. M. Rumball."

Mike Cursham, of the R.N. Air Station, Hatston, captain of the station at which Anthony served, wrote to Mrs Smalley on February 6 — the day of the funeral. He spoke of the double tragedy with the loss of "two gallant young officers".

"The circumstances of the accident, which took place during a training flight, were such that they were unable to use their parachutes and both were killed instantly. "I am afraid it was a grievous blow, too, to the squadron to which they belonged. they were buried this afternoon in a cemetery on a hillside which looks south out over the Fleet anchorage, their brother officers, myself and a Naval guard of honour in attendance. "I was sorry that you were not able to be there as you wished but the journey is long and difficult."

The captain described the cemetery as having an "air of calm and beauty" in the spring and summer months.

A further letter was sent to Mrs Smalley from W. H. Martyn Lt R. N., of 880 Naval Air Squadron, who described Anthony as a "cheerful and competent member of the team, who was well liked by everyone".

He wrote: "I have known your son for some time and was his instructor at Yeovilton. His death through collision during attack practice was a great loss to the squadron and the Fleet Air Arm."

Mrs Smalley sent a message of love with Anthony's flowers on September 6, 1943 — "In proud and everlasting memory of darling Anthony, fighter pilot, Fleet Air Arm — on his 24th birthday — who gave his dear life for his country on February 3rd, 1943. Mummy."All my thoughts go onward with you! Remembering also his comrade who lies beside him".

ARGOS would like to thank the landowner, Sandra Mainland, for giving permission for the planned excavation.

The group would like to hear from anyone with memoirs of wartime events involving aircraft in Orkney and Shetland.

If you have any information contact Kevin Heath on 01856 850408, William Shearer on 01856 872385 in the evenings or via the website www.crashsiteorkney.com

Friday 26 March 2010.

Tuesday 30 March 2010.

Aviation group seeks members

AN AVIATION history group, based in Orkney, is taking off on a membership recruitment drive and are looking for new members from Shetland.

The aim of the Aviation Research Group of Orkney & Shetland (ARGOS) is to research and document all aspects of both military and civil aviation in the northern isles.

The group maintains a busy website at www.crashsiteorkney.com and publishes a quarterly magazine' The Argonaut.

Anyone interested in becoming a member of the group can contact its chairman Kevin Heath at 8 Dundas Street, Stromness, Orkney, phone: 01856 850 408 or e-mail: kjh1702@aol.com

Thursday 1st July 2010.

An unexpected find when the group went to look for a Spitfire on Eday in May.