Canada Aviation & Space Museum: Fairey Swordfish, Fairey Battle and Fairey Firefly

Canada Aviation and Space Museum / Musée de l'Aviation et de l'Espace du Canada,

Fairey

The Canada Aviation and Space Museum is located at 11 Aviation Parkway, Ottawa, Ontario.

The aim of this website is to locate, identify and document every historical Warplane preserved in Canada.  Many contributors have assisted in the hunt for these aircraft to provide and update the data on this website.  Photos are by the author unless otherwise credited.  Any errors found here are by the author, and any additions, correctons or amendments to this list of Warplanes in Canada would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at [email protected].

Fairey Swordfish

Fairey Swordfish Mk. 4 (Serial No. NS 122).

(Jack McNulty Photo)

Fairey Swordfish (Serial No. NE927) was serving on HMS Seaborn when it left the Fleet Air Arm. After being taken on strength with the RCAF, the aircraft was Free Issue to the Royal Canadian Navy T.O. MC 12429, dated 16 June 1946. It was later flown to HMCS. Hunter in Windsor, Ontario to be used as a maintenance trainer.

(Shearwater Aviation Museum Photo)

Fairey Swordfish in flight ca. 1941.

(Author Photo)

Fairey Battle Mk. I, RCAF (Serial No. R7384).

(RCAF Photo)

Fairey Battle Mk. I, RCAF (Serial No. R7384). Built as a trainer, delivered new to Canada. First used by No. 31 Service Flying Training School at Kingston, Ontario. To workshop reserve at No. 6 Repair Depot on 9 September 1941. Transferred from RAF account to JATP account on 3 December 1941. Assigned to No. 9 Repair Depot at St. Jean, Quebec on 128 June 1942. Fuselage shipped to Canada Car & Foundry on 28 June 1942. To No. 2 Training Command on 20 December 1942, as a Mk. IT. Used by No. 3 Bombing & Gunnery School at MacDonald, Manitoba. To No. 8 Repair Depot, 13 March to 22 April 1943. To storage with No. 2 Training Command when completed. Issued from storage on 20 August 1943. To storage on 21 March 1944. Pending disposal from 23 June 1944. Then stored at No. 3 Bombing & Gunnery School, reported with 724:55 total time, 443:43 since overhaul. To No. 2 Air Command on 1 December 1944, still pending disposal. Allocated for public display on 10 July 1946, and issued from storage. By July 1950 stored by No. 10 Repair Depot at RCAF Station Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. To workshop reserve at Calgary on 10 April 1963, for restoration. To Rockcliffe Museum on 3 March 1964. Currently on display in Canada Air and Space Museum at Rockcliffe, Ontario. Taken on Strength No. 1 Training Command, 18 Jan 1941.

(RCAF Photo)

Fairey Battle Mk. I, front view. First flown in March 1936, the Fairey Battle was operationally obsolete by 1939 when it was to see active service as a front line combat aircraft. Following a gallant but hopeless exposure in France at the beginning of the war, the type was relegated to training duties, in which it contributed far more to war effort than it had as an operational asset. The Royal Canadian Air Force had received its first Battles in August 1939 when eight were shipped by rail to Camp Borden in Ontario. More were sent from England and large numbers were eventually to be employed as dual control trainers, target tugs and gunnery trainers in the many bombing and gunnery schools of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. With the introduction of Bolingbrokes and Harvards, the numbers of Battles in RCAF use declined, but they still continued in service until the end of hostilities. Nos. 111 and 122 Squadrons of the RCAF also flew Battles.

(DND Archives Photo, PCN-5245Photo)

Fairey Battle Mk. I, front view.  Canada Air and Space Museum, Ottawa, Ontario.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3589768)

Fairey Battle Mk. I, RCAF (Serial No. 1889), with gun turret, 8 June 1943. Ex RAF P6547. Served with Test and Development Establishment at RCAF Station Rockcliffe, dates unknown. Converted to Mk. IT, with turret, on 9 November 1942.

(Kozakewich family Photo)

Todd Kazakewich sent me these photos of his father, Michael A. Kozakewich, who trained as a Wireless Air Gunner during the war.  He operated radio equipment and manned the gun turret in a Fairey Battle when these photos were taken. Crash card data indicates it was 5-3-1945. Sgt W.F.N. Harries was the pilot, LAC P.L. LaVert, WAG UT and LAC M.A. Kozabewich WAG UT were on board for a scheduled camera gun exercise, when the radiator cracked and leaked glycol causing the pilot to do a wheels up landing in the snow near Luceville, Quebec. The pilot is standing to the right, Todd's father is on the left.

‍

(DND Photo)

Fairey Battle doing an engine run-up at RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario, in front of the Base Parachute Section on 22 Apr 1942.  There are three battery carts in front of the aircraft, including one being pulled by a technician.

(RCN Photo courtesy of the Shearwater Aviation Museum)

Fairey Firefly Mk. 1, RCN, on deck.

Fairey Firefly Mk. 1 (Serial No. F.7776), DK545.

(RCN Photo via Bruce Dealhoy)

Fairey Firefly Mk. 1, HMCS Magnificent.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3241480)

Fairey Firefly AS Mk. V, RCN, 1949.

(RCN Photo via Mike Kaehler)

Fairey Firefly Mk. I, RCN (Serial No. MB579).

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3205701)

Fairey Firefly F.R. Mk. I (Serial No. MB579), coded AB-U, of No. 826 Squadron piloted by Lieutenant-Commander(P) J.W. Roberts after hitting No. 2 Barrier aboard HMCS Magnificent, 18 Feb 1950.

‍