Lt Cdr James Henry ‘Jim’ Summerlee RN
Lived Cornwall
Pilot
Died 28 May 2012 leaving a widow Val.
Jim Summerlee died on 28 May 2012, aged 86. Born on 2 July 1925 in Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire. He joined the Royal Navy at HMS St. Vincent as a Naval Airman 2nd class, in 1943. Did flying training in Canada at St. Eugene then Kingston, both in Ontario, where he qualified for his Wings the day he was 19½.
Returned to Britain on the liner Louis Pasteur, landing at Liverpool on New Year’s Eve, 1944/45, then on to HMS Macaw at RNAS Carlisle. Commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant, back-dated to the day he received his wings. Training continued in 1945 with conversion to Corsairs at the No.1. Fighter School RNAS Yeovilton and deck landing on the Escort carrier HMS Premier.
In May 1946 posted to RNAS Anthorn near Carlisle, Cumberland, as a Ferry Pilot, ferrying various types of aircraft around Britain. In 1946, after a temporary posting to RNAS Gosport to learn to fly Hoverfly R4B’s one of the first helicopters, back to Anthorn and then on to RNAS Ford, Sussex on 27 August 1947 for a twin engine course. Following this, RNAS Dale, West Wales on 24 November 1947 flying Mosquitoes of 790 NAS. On 13 December 1947, the Squadron moved to RNAS Culdrose.
During this time, it is noted that he flew in a Mosquito with a Wren V.B. Smith on the 21 September and 16 December 1948 and the 6 May 1949. (They married on 8 Aug 1949).
After an accident in the mess, he transferred to RNAS Gosport on 17 April 1952 for training on Sikorsky S51 helicopters. First appointment was to RNAS St. Merryn, Cornwall, as a SAR pilot for 4 or 5 months.
On the 9 November 1953, he was loaned to the Royal Australian Navy and served on HMAS Sydney in the Korean War theatre on SAR. He flew out in a Constellation, joined Sydney in Singapore, and returned home at the end of hostilities from Singapore to Stanstead in Essex in an Avro York. While out in the Far East, he travelled by boat from Kure, Japan to visit Hiroshima.
After leave, he was appointed to RNAS Culdrose in June 1954 as a SAR pilot. Following a quick conversion course to the Sikorsky S55 he joined HMS Eagle on 6 February 1956 as the CO of the SAR Flight. During this time, Eagle took part in the Suez Campaign, and Jim received two Commendations. The first was to the whole crew was from the Commander-in-Chief for rescuing Lieutenant Lyn Middleton. The second was a Mention in Despatches for flying in and out of the War Zone at Suez, taking in medical supplies and bringing out the wounded. Jim lifted out Lyn Middleton on a second occasion, and narrowly missed doing so on a third. This was off the south coast of Malta when the resident crew at Hal Far did the job.
Returned to the UK and RNAS Culdrose in January 1957. Then on 19 February 1958, joined the RAF’s Air Torpedo Development Unit (ATDU) dropping experimental torpedoes in a deep water range off the Isles of Scilly. His last flight before leaving the Royal Navy on 7 August 1958 was in a Whirlwind V11 for ATDU.
Images and more on Jim’s civilian career can be found at NavalHistory.net