Supermarine Walrus K8541

History

The Supermarine Walrus was designed to serve as a fleet spotter for catapult launching from cruisers or battleships. Both HMS Leander and Achilles were initially fitted with them

HMS Leander was commissioned into service with the NZ Division of the Royal Navy and arrived in New Zealand in 1937. Once in New Zealand she undertook a tour of the nation’s ports. On 24 November 1937 at Wellington her Supermarine Walrus aircraft K8541 overturned in Wellington Harbour on landing because the pilot forgot to raise the wheels. The crew survived but the aircraft was written off.[1]

Leander’s aircraft was replaced by K8558 which remained in service until the aircraft were landed and not used again in mid 1942. Achilles landed its aircraft in 1939 before the war broke out. This aircraft was assigned to FAA 720 Catapult Squadron up until to 21 January 1940 and from then to 1944 700 Squadron.[2]

Colour Scheme and Markings

In 1937, the aircraft was painted silver with the RAF roundel on the fuselage and under the lower wings and on top of the upper wings and the plane number in black next to the roundel on the fuselage.

When K8558 was initially in service she was painted silver with the roundels. One the nose she also carried the ship’s badge of Leander. Underneath the cockpit was the code Z3. IN 1939, the plane was given the code P9A to show she was part of 720 Squadron. In her later service with 700 Squadron, the code markings were removed and FAA standard camouflage scheme of dark sea grey, dark slate grey and sky grey lower surfaces was applied. Aircraft number was in white, no code numbers were applied.[3]