RCAF History: Squadron Leader Ian "Curly" Somerville
RCAF Squadron Leader Ian Somerville
(Mrs Sheri Somerville Street family Photo)
Squadron Leader Ian Somerville.
S/L Ian “Curly” Somerville served with the Royal Aircraft Establishment‘s Foreign Aircraft Flight at Farnborough in the UK after the war ended in 1945. He was a graduate of the Empire Test Pilots School, RAF Boscombe Down, and test flew the Blackburn B-37 Firebrand single-seat carrier-borne and land-based torpedo strike fighter, Avro Lancaster, Gloster Meteor, de Havilland DH 98 Mosquito, Hawker Tempest and many other aircraft including a number of ex-Luftwaffe types.
On 5 May 1945 he was recruited to test German aircraft at Travemuende and Flensburg in Germany, and Vaerløse and Kastrup in Denmark. His task was to train British pilots to ferry these aircraft back to Farnborough; and to test them in preparation for their flights back to Britain.
(RAF Photo)
Avro York Mk. I British transport aircraft. The design was derived from the Avro Lancaster, with several sections of the York and Lancaster being identical. A review of S/L Somerville's logbooks from June to August 1945 shows he flew with S/L Clyde Smith from Farnborough to Schleswig and then Flensburg in an Avro York transport on 12 June 1945.
(RAF Photo)
Siebel Si 204D-1, (Wk. Nr. 322127), captured at Flensburg. Designated RAF AM4, this aircraft was likely scrapped in 1945. The Si 204 was planned as a small all-metal passenger aircraft with two crew and eight passengers for German airline Deutsche Luft Hansa (DLH). Development was initiated in 1938. After the beginning of the war, the aircraft was redesigned as a trainer aircraft with a full "stepless" glass cockpit.
On 15 June he ferried a Seibel Si 204D, AM12 and a Junkers Ju 52, (Wk. Nr. 5325), AM GD1, with S/L King. He was the pilot or the 2nd pilot with S/L McCarthy or F/L Lawson at the controls on Siebel Si 204Ds, AM4 and AM5, Junkers Ju 352, AM8 and AM19. On these flights his 2nd pilot crews included F/O Warren, WO Sabin, and F/O Thompson.
(RAF Photo)
Junkers Ju 52/3m, (Wk. Nr. 641038), Tante Ju, transport bomber, captured at Flensburg where it had been flown by Deutsche Luft Hansa (DLH) as D-AUAV. The Ju 52 was flown to Farnborough on 18 July 1945. Designated RAF AM104, this aircraft was scrapped at Woodley in 1948.
(Sheri Somerville Street Photo)
(RAF Photo)
On 23 June and 3 & 4 July 1945, S/L Somerville flew a Junkers Ju 352A, (Wk. Nr. unknown), AM19, from Eggebek to Farnborough, and Junkers Ju 352, AM8 on 2 July.
(RAF Photo)
Focke-Wulf Fw 200C-4/U1 Wk. Nr. 176), RAF AM94, Farnborough. On 3 July S/L Somerville flew AM94, from Schleswig to Farnborough with S/L Kyle and Sgt Dowie. In between ferry flights on the German aircraft he flew an Avro 683 Lancaster (Serial No. JA928) and an Airspeed Oxford (Serial No. 349).
(IWM Photo, CH 21128)
f Lancaster B Mark III (Serial No. LM449), coded PG-H, of No. 619 Squadron RAF based at Coningsby, Lincolnshire, 1945.
In between ferry flights on the German aircraft, S/L Somerville flew an Avro Lancaster (Serial No. JA928) and an Airspeed Oxford (Serial No. 349).
(RAF Photo)
The Airspeed Oxford, affectionately known as the Ox-box, was the RAF’s first twin-engine cantilever low-wing monoplane trainer. A total of 8,586 Oxfords were manufactured and served in training, communications, ambulance and other roles.
(RAF Photo)
Arado Ar 196A-5 (Wk. Nr. 514), ship-borne reconnaissance/coastal patrol floatplane, captured at Schleswig. Designated RAF AM92, this aircraft was scrapped at Felixstowe in 1945.
Between 11 and 16 July S/L Somerville test flew three Arado Ar 196A float-planes including, (Wk. Nr. unknown), AM92 with a German mechanic onboard at Schleswig-See. This aircraft was not delivered to England. He also test flew Arado Ar 196A-5, (Wk. Nr. 127), AM91 and AM90 on the Schleswig-See.
(Rept0n1x Photos)
Fieseler Fi 156C Storch, (Wk. Nr. 475081), captured at Flensburg. Designated RAF AM101, later VP546, this aircraft is on display in the RAF Museum, Cosford.
On 12 July S/L Somerville flew Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, AM100.
(RAF Photo)
Junkers Ju 290A-2 long-range bomber, (Wk. Nr. 110157), coded 9V+BK of 2/Fernaufklarungs-gruppe (FAGr)5. This aircraft was captured at Flensburg and flown to Farnborough on 21 Sep 1945 where it was assigned RAF AM57. It was one of the last German War Prize aircraft to be scrapped at Farnborough in 1946.
On 13 July S/L Somerville flew a Junkers Ju 290, AM6. On 14 July he flew a Junkers Ju 52/3m, (Wk. Nr. 5375), AM GD1, a tri-motor transport, from Schleswig to Gilze-Rijen and back. On 16 July he again flew Arado Ar 196, AM92 and AM90.
(Happy Days Photo)
Dornier Do 24T-3, (Wk. Nr. No. 5342), X-24, three-engine maritime patrol and sea rescue flying boat, Militaire Luchtvaart Museum, Netherlands.
On 16 July, S/L Somerville did his first test flight on a Dornier Do 24T-3 seaplane, (Wk. Nr. unknown), AM115, at Schleswig-See. This aircraft was allocated RAF Serial No. VM483 on 2 October 1945.
(RAF Photo)
Messerschmitt Bf 108B, (Wk. Nr. 1547), AM84, single engine light liaison aircraft at Schleswig.
On 17 July S/L Somerville flew Arado Ar 196, AM93 followed by a flight in a Messerschmitt Bf 108. On 18 July he flew another Junkers Ju 52/3m, (Wk. Nr. 641038), AM104, from Schleswig to Farnborough, followed by a number of flights on Ju 352, AM8.
(BAE Systems Photo)
His first flight on the Blackburn Firebrand (DM373) took place on 25 July 1945 at Harding in the UK, followed by flights in Junkers Ju 52, AM104 on the 26th, North American Harvard (Serial No. FX216) and a Supermarine Walrus on the 27th, a Grumman Martlet (Serial No. V1511) and an Avro Tutor (KCW) on the 28th and 29th a Grunau baby glider and Olympia glider on the 29th then back on the Ju 352, AM19, then an Airspeed Oxford (Serial No. RR349).
On 1 August he ferried a Messerschmitt Bf 110G-4/R6, (Wk. Nr. 730301), AM34, from Grove to Schleswig. This aircraft was equipped with FuG220 Litchtenstein SN-2 radar and two 20-mm cannon in the nose. This aircraft was also flown by S/L McCarthy on 3 August 1945. Wk. Nr. 730301 is on display in the RAF Battle of Britain Museum at Hendon in the UK.
He flew the Focke-Wulf Ta 152, AM11, high-altitude interceptor on 2 August. After a test flight at Schleswig, he then ferried a Heinkel He 219A-2-2 Uhu (Owl), (Wk. Nr. 290126), AM20, a twin-engine night fighter, accompanied by F/O Steele from Schleswig to Farnborough on 3 August. He was the 2nd pilot with S/L McCarthy on the Focke-Wulf Fw 200, AM97 return flight. On 4 August he flew a Junkers Ju 352A Herkules, (Wk. Nr. unknown), AM110, a tri-motor medium transport from Schleswig to Kastrup and then returned with it the same day, followed by a number of flights on the same aircraft. He flew a de Havilland Dominie (X7375) at Croyden in the UK then was back on the Ju 352, AM8.
On 12 August he flew a Junkers Ju 86P, (Wk. Nr. 5132), AM82, a four-seat high-altitude medium bomber at Fassberg, then back on the Ju 352, AM8 with F/O Sullivan. It appears he flew a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (320328) on a check ride on 14 August and then Siebel Si 204D, AM56 on the 17th and 18th, and an Airspeed Oxford (RR349) on the 19th.
Also 19 August he flew a Messerschmitt Me 410B-6, (Wk. Nr. 410208), AM74, from Vaerløse to Kastrup (his logbook records he flew a Me 210, AM73 on this date). This aircraft was a twin-engine anti-shipping strike aircraft equipped with FuG200 radar. On 20 August he flew a Messerschmitt Me 410A-1, (Wk. Nr. 130360), AM73, from Vaerløse to Kastrup (his logbook records he flew AMV2 and then AMV1 on this date). On 23 August he flew a Focke-Wulf Fw 190F-8/U1 Würger, (Wk. Nr. 580058), RAF AM36, at Kastrup. This aircraft was a two-seat trainer version of the fighter.
He flew a Focke-Wulf Fw 44 (no AM number) on the 24th, Fw 190, AM40, Me 410, (AM72 or AM73), and an Airspeed Oxford (Serial No. RR349) on the 25th, followed by a number of flights in the Junkers Ju 352A-1, (Wk. Nr. 100015), AM18, including from Travemünde to Farnborough from the 26th to the 29th of August. The last two flights in his logbook on 30 and 31 August 1945 at Farnborough were in an Avro Anson (Serial No. 139864) with F/O Steel and Lt D. Somerville as co-pilots. His flying times on types at RAE Farnborough total 397 hours and 25 minutes.
In summary, during his tour with the Foreign Aircraft Flight, Squadron Leader Somerville flew the Arado Ar 196A float-planes AM90, AM91, AM92 and AM93, the Dornier Do 24T-3 seaplane, AM115, the Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, AM100, the Focke-Wulf Fw 44J Stieglitz biplane trainer, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190F-8/U1 Würger, AM36, the Focke-Wulf Ta 152H-1, AM11 high altitude interceptor, the Focke-Wulf Fw 200C-4/U1, AM94, the Heinkel He 219A-2-2 Uhu, AM20, the Junkers Ju 52/3m, AM GD1, the Junkers Ju 86P, AM82, the Junkers Ju 290, four engine heavy transport, AM6, the Junkers J2 352, AM8 and AM19, the Junkers Ju 388L-1/V6 advanced twin engine fighter, AM83, the Messerschmitt Bf 108, liaison aircraft, AM84, the Messerschmitt Bf 110G-4/R6, AM34, the Messerschmitt Me 410A-1, AM73 and Siebel Si 204Ds, AM4, AM5 and AM12.
At the end of his tour in Europe, S/L Somerville was posted back to Canada to the RCAF Test and Development Flight at Rockcliffe. He had logged 4,078 hrs 20 minutes of military and 650 hours of civilian flying time when he retired from the RCAF in July 1946.
(Sheri Somerville Photos)
Pages from S/L Somerville's logbook listing a few of the German aircraft he flew.
(RAF Photo)
Junkers Ju 52/3m, (Wk. Nr. 641038), Tante Ju, transport bomber, captured at Flensburg where it had been flown by Deutsche Luft Hansa (DLH) as D-AUAV. The Ju 52 was flown to Farnborough on 18 July 1945. Designated RAF AM104, this aircraft was scrapped at Woodley in 1948.
On 12 July he flew Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, AM100, and on 13 July he flew a Junkers Ju 290, AM6. On 14 July he flew a Junkers Ju 52/3m, (Wk. Nr. 5375), AM GD1, a tri-motor transport, from Schleswig to Gilze-Rijen and back. On 16 July he again flew Arado Ar 196, AM92 and AM90.
Also on 16 July, he did his first test flight on a Dornier Do 24T-3 seaplane, (Wk. Nr. unknown), AM115, at Schleswig-See. This aircraft was allocated RAF Serial No. VM483 on 2 October 1945. On 17 July he flew Arado Ar 196, AM93 followed by a flight in a Bf 108. On 18 July he flew another Junkers Ju 52/3m, (Wk. Nr. 641038), AM104, from Schleswig to Farnborough, followed by a number of flights on Ju 352, AM8.
His first flight on the Blackburn Firebrand (DM373) took place on 25 July 1945 at Harding in the UK, followed by flights in Junkers Ju 52, AM104 on the 26th, North American Harvard (Serial No. FX216) and a Supermarine Walrus on the 27th, a Grumman Martlet (Serial No. V1511) and an Avro Tutor (KCW) on the 28th and 29th a Grunau baby glider and Olympia glider on the 29th then back on the Ju 352, AM19, then an Airspeed Oxford (Serial No. RR349).
On 1 August he ferried a Messerschmitt Bf 110G-4/R6, (Wk. Nr. 730301), AM34, from Grove to Schleswig. This aircraft was equipped with FuG220 Litchtenstein SN-2 radar and two 20-mm cannon in the nose. This aircraft was also flown by S/L McCarthy on 3 August 1945. 730301 is on display in the RAF Battle of Britain Museum at Hendon in the UK.
(RAF Photo)
Focke-Wulf Ta 152H-1 high-altitude fighter, (Wk. Nr. 150168), captured at Leck. This aircraft was designated RAF AM11. It was scrapped at Farnborough, England in 1946.
He flew the Focke-Wulf Ta 152, AM11, high-altitude interceptor on 2 August. After a test flight at Schleswig, he then ferried a Heinkel He 219A-2-2 Uhu (Owl), (Wk. Nr. 290126), AM20, a twin-engine night fighter, accompanied by F/O Steele from Schleswig to Farnborough on 3 August. He was the 2nd pilot with S/L McCarthy on the Focke-Wulf Fw 200, AM97 return flight. On 4 August he flew a Junkers Ju 352A Herkules, (Wk. Nr. unknown), AM110, a tri-motor medium transport from Schleswig to Kastrup and then returned with it the same day, followed by a number of flights on the same aircraft. He flew a de Havilland Dominie (X7375) at Croyden in the UK then was back on the Ju 352, AM8.
(Luftwaffe Photos)
Junkers Ju 86P in Luftwaffe service. On 12 August S/L Somerville flew Junkers Ju 86P, (Wk. Nr. 5132), AM82, a four-seat high-altitude medium bomber at Fassberg, then back on the Ju 352, AM8 with F/O Sullivan. It appears he flew a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (320328) on a check ride on 14 August and then Siebel Si 204D, AM56 on the 17th and 18th, and an Airspeed Oxford (RR349) on the 19th.
Also 19 August he flew a Messerschmitt Me 410B-6, (Wk. Nr. 410208), AM74, from Vaerløse to Kastrup (his logbook records he flew a Me 210, AM73 on this date). This aircraft was a twin-engine anti-shipping strike aircraft equipped with FuG200 radar. On 20 August he flew a Messerschmitt Me 410A-1, (Wk. Nr. 130360), AM73, from Vaerløse to Kastrup (his logbook records he flew AMV2 and then AMV1 on this date).
(Alan Wilson Photo)
Focke-Wulf Fw 190S8 two-seat training version of the Fw 190F-8/U1 (Wk. Nr. 680430), RAF AM29, shown here as "Black 38" on display in the RAF Museum, Hendon, England.
On 23 August S/L Somerville flew Focke-Wulf Fw 190F-8/U1 Würger, (Wk. Nr. 580058), RAF AM36, at Kastrup. This aircraft was a two-seat trainer version of the fighter.
S/L Somerville flew a Focke-Wulf Fw 44 (no AM number) on the 24th, Fw 190, AM40, Me 410, (AM72 or AM73), and an Airspeed Oxford (Serial No. RR349) on the 25th, followed by a number of flights in the Junkers Ju 352A-1, (Wk. Nr. 100015), AM18, including from Travemünde to Farnborough from the 26th to the 29th of August. The last two flights in his logbook on 30 and 31 August 1945 at Farnborough were in an Avro Anson (Serial No. 139864) with F/O Steel and Lt D. Somerville as co-pilots. His flying times on types at RAE Farnborough total 397 hours and 25 minutes.
In summary, during his tour with the Foreign Aircraft Flight, Squadron Leader Somerville flew the Arado Ar 196A float-planes AM90, AM91, AM92 and AM93, the Dornier Do 24T-3 seaplane, AM115, the Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, AM100, the Focke-Wulf Fw 44J Stieglitz biplane trainer, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190F-8/U1 Würger, AM36, the Focke-Wulf Ta 152H-1, AM11 high altitude interceptor, the Focke-Wulf Fw 200C-4/U1, AM94, the Heinkel He 219A-2-2 Uhu, AM20, the Junkers Ju 52/3m, AM GD1, the Junkers Ju 86P, AM82, the Junkers Ju 290, four engine heavy transport, AM6, the Junkers J2 352, AM8 and AM19, the Junkers Ju 388L-1/V6 advanced twin engine fighter, AM83, the Messerschmitt Bf 108, liaison aircraft, AM84, the Messerschmitt Bf 110G-4/R6, AM34, the Messerschmitt Me 410A-1, AM73 and Siebel Si 204Ds, AM4, AM5 and AM12.
At the end of his tour in Europe, S/L Somerville was posted back to Canada to the RCAF Test and Development Flight at Rockcliffe. He had logged 4,078 hrs 20 minutes of military and 650 hours of civilian flying time when he retired from the RCAF in July 1946. (Larry Milberry and Hugh A. Halliday, The Royal Canadian Air Force at War 1939-1945. CANAV Books, Toronto, 1990, pp. 330-331)
RCAF War Prize Flights, German and Japanese Warbird Survivors
About this book
This handbook concerns the collection of Air Technical Intelligence, and the test flying of war prizes carried out by two RCAF bomber pilots, S/L Joe McCarthy and S/L Ian Somerville, who were posted to the Royal Aircraft Establishment's Foreign Aircraft Flight, Farnborough, in the United Kingdom in May 1945. Their primary task was to visit former Luftwaffe airfields, and to find and fly back any aircraft they deemed worthy of evaluation.
As a member of the Canadian Aviation Preservation Association and the Canadian Aviation Artists Association, the author strongly supports the preservation of Canada's aviation heritage. The primary intent of this handbook is to provide information for aviation artists and enthusiasts looking for that unusual "never before painted" military aviation subject, and to support the efforts of those engaged in the search for those missing warbirds for which no examples currently exist.
Background to the stories
“Never land in an airplane if you don’t want to die in one.” That has been my skydiver’s philosophy for many years. On the other hand, I can’t easily get to where I want to go with my parachutes without using an aircraft or ballon in most cases. It has been said that the most important thing to learn about flying is how to land safely, and this of course applies to all operators of flying machines. This is much more difficult to do when someone has been shooting at you and your machine has been banged up like a drum with various explosive elements and FlaK. The machines lost to the resident perils of war need to be replaced, and to that end, when an airplane was written off during the Second World War, all efforts were made to recover and salvage parts and materials from shot down and crashed machines for recycling purposes.
Thousands of flying machines and weapons of war were assembled by the large numbers of combatant nations taking part in the conflict from 1939 to 1945, and a great number of them were lost in the battles that eventually brought the war to an end. Post war, all participating nations quickly needed to get their economies back on a practical footing, and the race began in earnest to add as much surplus metal to the industries that put stoves, washing machines, cars, radios and all the conveniences of the future back in the market place. Keeping old worn out warplanes on hand in large numbers served no practical purpose to the nations in need at that time, and the scrapping and destruction processes began almost as quickly as the war ended.
A handful of visionaries thought some of the former “enemy” technology might be useful to future forces. As the Cold War set in, it became increasingly obvious that if power were to remain in the hands of free nations, they had to be prepared to be armed with better equipment than that in the hands of potential aggressors. In post-war 1945, Russian, British, French, Canadian and American technical experts began scouring Europe and Asia looking for any and all technology that could be of interest and benefit to the conquering nations. In the case of aviation, technical intelligence was the priority, and to that end, key teams of experts were assembled and sent overseas to gather, collect and bring home captured foreign aircraft and equipment for evaluation and where useful, integration into future programs for the defence of the West. Who and what these teams were, and the equipment they collected, is summarized in the next few chapters. This should help the reader to understand what specific aircraft are preserved in Museums and institutions around the world – and why there are so few of them.
The reader will find a fair amount of technical data included in annotative form throughout this story. The various marks and improvements in each type of aircraft can lead to some confusion as to which aircraft is being referred to. For this reason, the serial number both from the manufacturer and the identifying number assigned by the capturing forces is included with each aircraft where known, to help identify each specific aircraft referred to in the narrative. Captured aircraft flown by the RAF, for example, were assigned an Air Ministry (AM) number. The Axis aircraft flown by the Americans were initially given a Foreign Equipment (FE) number and later a technical (T) number. These numbers were primarily used to “identify aircraft of intelligence interest at their place of surrender in Germany or Denmark, and to clearly segregate such aircraft from the far larger number of aircraft which were to be destroyed as being of no further use.”[1] Wherever these numbers can be identified with a known aircraft of interest, they have been included in the articles that follow, because a significant number of them are the survivors listed here.
A number of aviation authors have carried out a considerable amount of research into the collection of captured War Prize aircraft and their eventual disposal. Detailed information on the final disposition of war prize aircraft has been extracted from Phil Butler’s authoritative reference book, "War Prizes, An illustrated survey of German, Italian and Japanese aircraft brought to Allied countries during and after the Second World War"; and the companion volume, "War Prizes – The Album".[2] Another excellent resource used here: "British Air Forces of Occupation (BAFO), Germany, Dissolution of the Luftwaffe, Volumes I & II, Feb – Dec 1946, Air HQ BAFO, July 1947".
