Tuesday, February 09, 2016

Lieut Cdr (ret) Royal (Roy) Valentine Morris RN 19xx-1975



Roy Morris served in the  R.A.F. 1943-44 and then Royal Navy till 1950. He was recalled six months later and served as pilot and deck landing officer till February 1952, when he joined Fairey as a test pilot. He attended No. 12 E.T.P.S. course in 1953.

In 1959 Deck-landing trials of the Gannet AEW3 took place in the English Channel and were ompletely satisfactory. The aircraft concerned was XL 451 (the prototype was XJ 440
and production machines started at XL 449). Three pilots were involved in the trials: Roy Morris of Fairey Aviation, and Cdr.C. E. Price and Lt-Cdr. T. C. Evans from Boscombe Down. Observers were H. J. M. Lawrence of Fairey Aviation (ex-849AEW Sqn.), C. O. Clark and Lt. P. J. Oldridge