911664 Leading Aircraftsman Albert (Bert) E McQuitty 1916-21/2/1941.

 

NEW ZEALAND AIR CASUALTIES 

Leading Aircraftman A. E. McQuitty, who was reported yesterday missing after operations, is a son of Constable J. McQuitty, of Ravensbourne, and was born in Dunedin and educated at Milton and the Otago Boys’ High School, from which he matriculated. He learned to fly in the Otago Aero Club, and in 1939 went to England, where he joined the Royal Air Force.  -Evening Star, 28/3/1941.

Bert McQuitty was a crewman in a Saro Lerwick of RAF 209 Squadron which took off on a convoy and anti-U-boat patrol from Stranraer, Scotland, heading for an area between Scotland and Norway..  The Lerwick was a modern, clean, all-metal monoplane flying boat - it was also one of the worst aeroplanes ever put into RAF service.  

It could not maintain altitude if one of the two engines failed - in fact, it could not fly in a straight line with one engine shut down and the other at full throttle to try and stay in the air. Loss of an engine meant a slow, spiralling loss of height. It was unstable in the air and on the water, needing constant attention to from the pilot, which was a tiring business on the long patrols for which the plane was designed.

Those who saw Bert McQuitty's plane take off did not see it again.  It disappeared on a day of good flying weather.  Two months later the Lerwicks were replaced by American Catalinas.

Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin.