Supermarine Walrus in New Zealand Service
The first Walruses associated with New Zealand arrived in 1936–37 aboard the Leander-class cruisers HMS Achilles and HMS Leander. These aircraft were carried on catapults and used for reconnaissance, gunnery spotting, and fleet observation duties. The Walrus was particularly suited to cruiser operations because it could be launched by catapult, land alongside the ship, and then be recovered by crane.
One notable incident occurred on 24 November 1937 in Wellington Harbour when HMS Leander’s Walrus, K8541, overturned while landing after the pilot forgot to retract the undercarriage. Although the crew survived, the aircraft was written off and later replaced by Walrus K8558.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, cruiser-borne Walruses remained part of New Zealand’s naval aviation capability. Achilles landed her aircraft before entering wartime operations, while Leander continued operating a Walrus until 1942. As radar technology improved, the need for ship-launched spotting aircraft declined, leading to the withdrawal of Walrus aircraft from cruiser service.
The RNZAF also operated a small number of Walruses during the latter part of the war. These aircraft were employed primarily for seaplane training and general maritime duties from Hobsonville near Auckland. One example was NZ158 (formerly RAF serial X9512), which arrived at the Seaplane Training Flight in September 1944. The aircraft saw limited use, accumulating only 108 flying hours before being placed in storage after the war ended.
