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Merlin Reduction Gear from Robin McNair Hurricane BE 566 (No.2
Pg 5 Relics)
This is a Merlin reduction gear
recovered from the crash sight of Hurricane BE 566 flown by
Robin Mac Nair.
He took off from Charmy Down
and was shot down while protecting Bath during the German Blitz
on 25th April 1942.
This piece was supplied by the
person that excavated the aircraft under licence from the MOD.
Robin John McNair was born on 21st May 1918 in
London and was educated at Gaveney House, Hampstead and Douai
Schools.
He joined the RAFVR in March 1939 as an Airman
u/t Pilot and began his flying training at 16 E&RFTS Shoreham.
Called up on 1st September 1939, he completed
his training and arrived at 5 OTU Aston Down on 7th July 1940.
He converted to Spitfires and joined 3 Squadron at Wick on 28th
July where he flew Hurricanes.
On 28th September McNair was posted to 249
Squadron at North Weald. He went on to 96 Squadron when it was
formed at Cranage on 18th December 1940. He destroyed a He111
over Liverpool on 12th March 1941. With his tour completed,
McNair was posted to a night-fighter OTU as an instructor.
He was commissioned in November 1941. In early
1942 McNair joined 87 Squadron at Charmy Down and flew with the
squadron in the Dieppe operation on 19th August.
He was awarded the DFC (gazetted 22nd September
1942). In October he was posted to 245 Squadron at Middle Wallop
and became a Flight Commander in early 1943.
McNair was given command of 247 Squadron at
Merston in January 1944 and led the squadron to Normandy in
June. Whilst leading it on an armed reconnaissance in July, his
Typhoon was hit by flak and his engine failed. McNair glided
over enemy lines through intense fire and landed in a field.
He was posted away in August, became CFI at 55
OTU Aston Down and was awarded a Bar to the DFC (gazetted 26th
September 1944).
In 1945 McNair converted to Meteors and was in
command of 74 Squadron when he was released from the RAF in
January 1946.
McNair joined the Ministry of Civil Aviation,
then went to British European Airways on its foundation in 1946.
From 1951 to 1956 he was deputy to Lord Amherst, director of
BEA's Associated Companies and helped to establish smooth
commercial relations between the airline's foreign subsidiaries.
After holding a series of senior appointments, which entailed
responsibility for the establishment of new routes and overseas
marketing, McNair retired in 1979 from British Airways, into
which BEA and BOAC had merged.
He died on 18th May 1996 in Chichester. |
