Lt C H ‘Fairy’ Filmer RN - July 07

[Antipodean Andy]

From the Operation Skua website (looks like the pics didn't come through)
http://home.online.no/~oela/

Obituary Lt C H ‘Fairy’ Filmer RN
By Lt Andrew G. Linsley Leader OPERATION SKUA 1974

On behalf of the friends of OPERATION SKUA I deeply regret to announce the death of Lt Cecil Howard "Fairy" Filmer on 15 July 2007 in Durban, South Africa, aged nearly 92.

He was a Norwegian Campaign Skua pilot with 803 NAS shot down while on the doomed mission against the Scharnhorst on 13 June 1940 and was a POW for the duration of the war.

He was born in South Africa in 1916 and at the age of 15 joined the 1931/32 intake to the South African Training Ship ‘General Botha’. He was runner-up to the King’s Gold Medalist for his Term (the highest award attainable) and was appointed as a Midshipman RNR. He completed his 3 year apprenticeship in the Merchant Navy with Houlder Brothers of UK. He sat, and passed his 2nd Mate’s Certificate of Competency as a watchkeeper.

At this point he was under RNR training in the destroyer “Foresight”. He elected to join the RN and because of his previous experience was sent as a Sub Lieutenant to “Resolution” and “Ramillies” to obtain his RN watchkeeping ticket. In 1937, aged 21, he was appointed as ‘Pilot’ to the destroyer “ Grenade” in the Mediterranean and volunteered to join the FAA as a pilot. He obtained his wings in 1938 and was immediately sent to 803 NAS as part of the Air Group of “Ark Royal”. He was promoted Lt with Seniority date of 31st January 1939. Whilst based ashore at HMS Sparrowhawk (RNAS Hatston), Kirkwall, Orkneys, as part of Lt Bill Lucy’s 803 Squadron he helped to write a piece history when he delivered a 500 lb SAP bomb on the German Köln class cruiser “Konigsberg” in Bergen harbour on the 10th April 1940. In his own words: “This was the first time in the history of aviation that a major warship was sunk by air attack in wartime.” As the BBC of the day stated that night (and Alva Liddell said it)
“The RAF has done it again!”
From the 12th to the 26th of April he was involved in 5 sorties against German shipping and the Luftwaffe from both Hatston and “Glorious”. The most notable for him was that of April 26th when, as ‘Blue 3’ he set off in pursuit of 3 Heinkel 111s. He shot one down but was in turn shot down at Alesund, Norway. He managed to ditch his a/c near the shore, but much to his regret his TAG, PO Ken Baldwin, had been killed.

He then spent time helping to salve his aircraft, made his way to Andalsnes and was brought back to UK in “Glasgow” where he met with the King and Crown Prince of Norway. After a period of ‘survivors leave’ he rejoined his squadron with a replacement a/c.


Filmer was a section leader from 803 NAS on the ill fated “Black Thursday” attack on “Scharnhorst” and other naval units in Trondheim Fjord on the 13th of June 1940. Despite appalling ‘flak’ he carried out his dive-bombing attack and was immediately ‘jumped’ by two Me 110 fighters. His own account of the attack and subsequent events (running to 4 pages) makes fascinating reading: “As we neared Trondheim I was stunned to see the Battle cruiser was surrounded by a heavy cruiser and 4 destroyers. It was painfully evident that the firepower from the six naval ships plus the land batteries was going to be immense. The tracer bullets commenced rising well before we were within striking distance”. It is obvious that the loss of PO Baldwin weighed heavily on his mind and that he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that the same fate did not befall Midshipman Tony Mckee DSC.
Out-gunned and out maneuvered by his German adversaries he elected to ditch his a/c to save his wounded Observer. They were rescued by the Norwegians but were soon taken into custody.

He spent 5 years as a POW in camps in Germany and Poland. The finale came in 1945 when, with 30.000 others, having to march several hundred kilometers, in freezing conditions down to -25 C. They made their way from their camp SE of Berlin to the NW German coastal port of Lubeck to avoid the advancing Russians. Part of this journey was in cattle trucks. For all this he was Mentioned in Dispatches twice – for the ‘Konigsberg’ attack and his tunneling whilst a POW.

After the war he returned to flying with the RN and retired in 1958, as a Lt Cdr with a Seniority date of 31st January 1947.

He then went back to what he called “his first love”, the Mercantile Marine and was promoted Master within 12 months. 5 years into this career his ship broke down South of New Caledonia. Again, undaunted and in the best traditions of the ‘General Botha’ he ‘rigged sail’ from deck awnings and sailed 350 miles at 4 knots to a point where he was picked up by an Australian rescue tug. He continued for a further 16 years, based in Fiji, and sailing between such places as, Tahiti, Rarotonga, Konolulu and the Gilbert Islands to mention but just a few. He retired at 69 to Durban. He remained single because, in his own words:

“Just as well; a wife would not have seen much of me over the years!”

[spidge]

Quite a lot of these guys "retired" to the Pacific after ww2.

[Hugh]

Quite a remarkable guy.

Regards
Hugh