Military use prior to September 1939 The Stranraer and its contemporary, the
Saro London, were the last multi-engine, biplane flying-boats to see service with the RAF. The RAF operated 17 Stranraers from 1937, although they were already considered obsolete when they entered service. Before the war, the type served primarily with
No. 228 Squadron,
No. 209 Squadron and
No. 240 Squadron. Generally, the aircraft was not well-received, with numerous pilots considering its performance being typically marginal. Others noted that it had superior seaworthiness to several aircraft in common use, such as the
Consolidated PBY Catalina. As early as 1938, some Stranraer squadrons had begun to re-equip themselves with other aircraft, such as the
Short Sunderland and
Short Singapore flying boats. Early on in its career, Stranraers made several challenging long-distance flights; one such flight, covering , was performed during a single exercise during September 1938.
Action during the Second World War No Stranraers saw action away from UK territorial waters during World War II. Immediately following the
outbreak of the war in September 1939, Stranraers patrolled the
North Sea, intercepting enemy shipping between Scotland and Norway. Aircraft assigned to such duties were typically armed with bombs underneath one wing and a single overload fuel tank underneath the other one. Use of the Stranraer for such patrols came to an end on 17 March 1941. Stranraers saw service with No. 240 Squadron, and limited numbers were deployed at the
No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit. The final Stranraer flight in RAF service was conducted by
K7303 at Felixstowe on 30 October 1942. Stranraer in wartime camouflage Having acquired a less than favourable reception by flight and ground crews alike, the Stranraer gained a large number of derisive nicknames during its service life. It was sometimes referred to as a "whistling shithouse" because the
toilet opened out directly to the air and when the seat was lifted, the airflow caused the toilet to make a whistling sound. The Stranraer also acquired "Flying
Meccano Set", "The
Marpole Bridge", "Seymour Seine Net", "Strainer", "Flying Centre Section of the
Lion's Gate Bridge", as well as a more genteel variant of its usual nickname, "Whistling Birdcage". The
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Stranraers were exact equivalents of their RAF counterparts. In Canadian service, they were usually employed in coastal patrol against submarine threats in a similar role to the British Stranraers. Aviation author Dirk Septer stated that no enemy action was ever recorded by the RCAF's Stranraers. However, the crew of a
5 Squadron Stranraer, flown by Flight Lieutenant
Leonard Birchall, were responsible for the capture of an Italian merchant ship, the
Capo Nola, in the
Gulf of Saint Lawrence, hours after Canada issued its declaration of war on Italy on 10 June 1940. The Canadian Vickers-built Stranraers served with the RCAF throughout the war, the last example being withdrawn on 20 January 1946.
Civilian use From May 1935, the Stranraer was developed for civilian use into the Type 237. Approximately 20 of the 40 RCAF Stranraers survived the war intact enough for potential reuse. Of these, 13 were sold to civilian operators through Crown Assets after the end of hostilities, with registrations in Canada and the US. Several were converted to Super Stranraer configuration with
Wright GR-1820-G202GA engines replacing the original Pegasus units. After the end of World War II, several examples served with
Queen Charlotte Airlines (QCA) in
British Columbia, operating until 1958. Queen Charlotte Airlines became at one point the third-largest airline in Canada; it was popularly known as the
Queer Collection of Aircraft. With limited money, it flew a mixture of types that were often the cast-offs of other operators. In QCA use, the Stranraer gained a more suitable reputation and was "well liked" by its crews. A total of eight surplus Stranraers were also sold to Aero Transport Ltd. of
Tampa, Florida. ==Operators==