Lieutenant-commander Graham Patrick
Naval airman who took part in attacks on German convoys
LIEUTENANTCOMMANDER GRAHAM PATRICK, who has died aged 99, flew the “Applecore” and the Avenger as an observer, and later helped to refurbish Holyrood Palace.
In 1942-43 Patrick was an observer flying with Lieutenant-commander Sam Walsh, the commanding officer of 841 Naval Air Squadron. They flew the Fairey Albacore or “Applecore”, as it was nicknamed, which was intended as a replacement for the Swordfish; however, it proved unsuccessful as a dive- and torpedo-bomber except at night.
From bases at Manston, Tangmere and Exeter, their black-painted Albacores stalked the Channel, controlled by RAF radar, while Walsh and Patrick strained their eyes for the telltale track of a wake which signified a German convoy. Then, throttling back, the Albacore would begin a silent dive from 800 feet and, after a few seconds, release its bombs.
In 16 months, Walsh and Patrick undertook some 70 night-time patrols and made 18 attacks on shipping. The squadron claimed 22 enemy vessels sunk, one beached, 15 damaged and 43 probably damaged; Walsh and Patrick’s tally was four sunk.
The 814 Squadron disbanded in December 1943, when its aircraft were transferred to 415 RCAF squadron. Patrick was awarded the DSC.
Graham Mcintosh Patrick was born in Dundee, where his father was an architect, on October 17 1921. He was educated at Dundee High School before beginning to read Science at St Andrews in 1939. However, at the end of his first year he volunteered for the Fleet Air Arm and joined No 44 Observer course to learn air-navigation and Morse at Arbroath.
Patrick was appointed to 828 Naval Air Squadron in Malta, where he arrived via the battleship Malaya and the submarine Olympus. The squadron’s task was to intercept Axis supply convoys between Italy and North Africa. Patrick’s task was to find Malta after five-hour night-time sorties over the Mediterranean, sharing the cockpit with an overload tank filled with high-octane fuel.
In early 1944, Patrick crossed the Atlantic in RMS Queen Elizabeth to retrain on the Avenger divebombers of 856 NAS. For the return to Britain in the carrier Smiter, the Avengers were hoisted on board by crane, so tightly packed that it was difficult to cross the flight deck.
A few days later in New York, waiting to join a homebound convoy, Patrick met two dockers, one of whom exclaimed: “You Navy guys are marvellous. We can see how the first plane landed on, but how the hell did the last one?”
In late 1944 the squadron embarked in the carrier Premier for operations off the Norwegian coast. Later, after a six-month course to be Air Signals Officer, Patrick joined the Ministry of Aircraft Production which led him postwar to the Ministry of Works.
In 1952 he assisted with the Coronation arrangements, and was Gold Staff Officer in Westminster Abbey. Afterwards, he moved to Edinburgh to manage government-owned historic buildings there.
In 1965-67 he was regional director Property Services Agency, Middle East, was present during the Aden Emergency, and involved in the British withdrawal. He was appointed CMG.
After a further spell in what became the Department of the Environment, Patrick was appointed Director, Scottish Services, PSA, in Edinburgh, during a refurbishment of Holyrood Palace. The Queen’s interest in the work led to him being summoned to audiences, and he was appointed CVO in 1981.
Patrick retired to the South coast, to garden, practise silversmithing, work with model boats and to paint. During the war he married Barbara Worboys, a WRNS cipher officer. She died in 2013 and he is survived by their two sons.
Lt-cdr Graham Patrick, born October 17 1921, died November 20 2020