Walrus P5708 at Linton on Ouse airfield.
On 8th May 1941 an unusual vistor over Yorkshire was forced to land at Linton on Ouse airfield after suffering engine failure. The 700 Squadron aircraft made a landing at Linton on Ouse
without serious incident but was possibly left as abandoned at Linton on Ouse for some time until it was repaired.
Pilot - Acting Sub/Lt William R A MacWhirter RNVR, of Keyhaven, Hampshire. Uninjured.
William MacWhirter was later awarded the DSC as Acting Lt/Comm after the War, almost certainly for his command in 1945, in early 1945 he joined HMS
Implacable in the British Pacific Fleet, and as commanding officer of 1771 Squadron he took part in attacks on the Japanese mainland in July 1945. He left the Navy in 1956.
Walrus P5708 was built to contract B.974377/39 by Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd. at Woolston and was first test flown on 19th March 1940. Two days
later it was flown to the Lee on Solent Storage Section of the Royal Navy. On 19th June 1940 it was taken on charge by 701 Squadron for operations on HMS Argus
sailing out of Glasgow for Iceland. It is believed that the aircraft was force landed in the sea off the East coast of Iceland on 8th October 1940 and slightly
damaged before being recovered and returned to the U.K. on HMS Argus, arriving at Donibristle on 26th October 1940. It is believed to have been repaired at
Donibristle and is listed as being on charge there in March 1941. On 4th April 1941 it was flown to Ringway (for reasons unknown) but later that month it was
taken on charge by 751 Squadron at Arbroath but in May 1941 it was taken on charge by 700 Squadron at Hatston. On 8th May 1941 it sustained Cat.X damage at
Linton on Ouse as recorded above. After this date no record of the aircraft exists until repairs were completed and the aircraft was taken on charge by 749
Squadron in February 1943 based at Piarco, Trindad and re-coded "W2-QJ". On 26th February 1943 a wing float struck drift wood on take off in Trinidad and
Cat.X damage was recorded, it was probably repaired on site again only to suffer damage on 22th November 1943 when the tail wheel torque tube fractured,
Cat.X was again recorded and it was repaired on site. On 12th August 1944 it was force landed due to fuel failure and Cat.Y1 damage was recorded. No further
details are known of what happened to the aircraft other than papers deposited regarding the aircraft's disposal were made on 14th June 1946.