Hawker Hurricane W9187

Finnock, Inverkip, Inverclyde

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Operating Country

UK (RAF)

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Acknowledgment

Information and accident data regarding this aircraft
was kindly provided by Phillip Jones, Researcher and Author,
and also contributor to Combined Operations website.
This website includes information on 516 Squadron RAF.

Copyright Notice

All photos remain the property of their original author and may not be reproduced elsewhere without his prior written permission.

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Aircraft Type Photo

BELOW: Mk. I RAF Hawker Hurricane R4118, with its original markings, on display at Kemble Airfield, Gloucestershire, England. Details of this Hurricane's appearances at airshows can be found at HurricaneDisplay.co.uk

hurricane mk i r4118 on display at kemble airfield england

Photo: 2006 Adrian Pingstone (Arpingstone). Released by the author to the public domain.

Aircraft Type and Background

RAF Hawker Hurricane / W9187

Aircraft Type Nickname: "Hurry"; "Flying Tin Openers"; "Flying Can Openers" (later versions).

A military single-seat interceptor / fighter / bomber flown by the Royal Air Force. The Hurricane was designed by Sydney Camm and built mainly by Hawker Aircraft Ltd.

The Hawker Hurricane was equipped with 1 Rolls Royce liquid-cooled Merlin III 12-cylinder power plant. Later versions had Merlin XX, XXI or XXII power plants.

The Hurricane fighter-bomber was armed with eight .303 inch Browning machine guns mounted on the wings. The Mark IV version also carried 2 x 250lb or 500lb bombs or fragmentation bombs. Some Hurricane Mark IVs were equipped with rocket projectiles,100m.

W9187 was one of 200 Hurricane Mk.1s delivered between November 1940 and February 1941, by Gloster Aircraft. She served first with 607 Sqn, then with 59 OTU, before going to 1441 Flight. (forerunner of 516). [PJ]

Aircraft Accident Details

The Mark I Hawker Hurricane featured here was attached to 516 Squadron,¹ which, at the time, was based at RAF Dundonald, near Troon, Ayrshire.

During a combined operations flight, the pilot of the Hurricane—F/O Richard Rymer—experienced engine problems and was forced to make an emergency landing. The aircraft crashed landed at Finnock—a spacious area of relatively level ground on the hills behind Inverkip and Wemyss Bay.

According to the Records, the engine of the Hurricane failed in flight, and the pilot was forced to land with undercarriage retracted. The engine began to run roughly and black smoke was being emitted from the exhaust ports.

The Report goes on to say that no blame was attached to the pilot [F/O Rymer]. On subsequent inspection of the engine, a side camshaft was found to be 'unserviceable' ('U/S') due to a fracture.

The Hurricane was fitted with a Merlin 3 engine. Its serial number was 175059.

The accident occurred at 12:30 hrs [on 18 September 1942]. At the time, 87426 F/O R. Rymer had accumulated a total of 680 hours solo flying, with 14 hours solo on Hurricanes.

[Accident data above kindly provided by Phillip Jones.]

Footnote

¹ 516 Squadron: For more detailed information on this Squadron, please see 516 Combined Operations Squadron website.

Aircraft Pilot

F/O Richard ('Dickie') Rymer survived the accident—and the War. He went on to become a test pilot for BAC. Sadly, however, he and his crew died when the prototype BAC One-Eleven (BAC 1-11) crashed.

Crash Site Photos

BELOW: Part of Finnock on the hills behind Inverkip and Wemyss Bay, in Inverclyde. Finnock once formed part of Michael Shaw Stewart's Ardgowan Estate (Ardgowan policies). Later, however—and together with the village of Wemyss Bay—the lands of Finnock were transferred to Wallace of Kelly (Kelly Estate).

This is where the Hurricane fighter force-landed. Note the relatively level ground, which extends for over 1km (over 0.5 miles) on either side of this photo.

finnock on kelly estate near wemyss bay where the hurricane crash landed

Photo: 2009 Gordon Lyons

BELOW: Another view of the area where the Hurricane crashed. Note the extensive relatively level ground.

The grass and stone track on the right of the photo can support recovery vehicles, and would have made it easier to remove the aircraft from this site.

another view of finnock showing the access track nearby

Photo: 2009 Gordon Lyons

Photo Gallery

At the moment, there are no more specific crash site photos in the Photo Gallery.

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Crash Date / Site

Accident Date: 18 Sep 1942

Accident Site:

Finnock

(farmland between Inverkip and Wemyss Bay)

Region: Inverclyde

Nearest towns or villages:

Inverkip or Wemyss Bay

Nearest large towns:

Greenock (N), Gourock (NW) or

Largs (S)

OS Grid Ref. N/A

GPS Ref. N/A

Present Condition: As far as is known, the wreckage of this aircraft was recovered from the site. However, if anyone can report the existence of remaining wreckage or fragments, we would be grateful for any details you can provide.

Aircraft Details

Registration or Serial: W9187

Operator: RAF

Operating Base: RAF Dundonald ('Bogside') Combined Operations Development Flight; EFTS Prestwick, Reserve Field (until 1941); 516 Squadron RAF

Base Location: Dundonald, near Troon, Scotland

Current Airport Status: Extinct. Closed 1 August 1945. Derequisitioned in 1952 and returned to farming and industrial use. Sections of runway may still be visible.

Principal airport data courtesy of John Woodside, A Catalogue of UK Airfields