Three losses, 12 August 1942

[rafcommands]

Hi,

Wellington was BB503 from No.172 Sqn

F/O A W R Triggs RAAF
Sgt N P Walker
P/O C Badham RAAF
F/Sgt A S Cartwright
F/Sgt R P McLean
P/O J C Devonshire RCAF

At 03:55 hrs the tail gunner reported excessive sparks just before the starboard oil pressure dropped and the Wellington lost height. The aircraft was ditched a few minutes later in position 48 06N 07 39W and the entire crew escaped onto the wing. The dinghy failed to inflate automatically and this was pulled from the storage by the captain. At 19:30 hrs survivors sighted Sunderland B/461 which landed but hit a wave, bounced, broke off the tip of the starboard wing, caused the starboard engine to burst into flames and the aircraft to sink.
On the 17th of August they were sighted by a Beaufighter and finally on the 18th ML Q180 picked up both the Wellington crew and F/O Watson RAAF the sole survivor from the Sunderland.
Finally at 17:20 hrs the ML reached Newlyn Harbour with seven survivors at the cost of a Sunderland, Whitley and Wellington together with seventeen of their crews.

Sunderland was T9090 of No.461 Sqn

W/C N A R Halliday
F/O R P Barker RAAF
P/O D Laurenti RAAF
F/O J H F Watson RAAF
Sgt J Wright
Sgt G Turner
F/Sgt T A Betts
Sgt C G Bentley RAAF
Sgt R Fletcher
Sgt W A Ramsey RAAF
Sgt C L Unsworth RAAF

The Sunderland had been directed to the estimated location of a dinghy and had just started a C.L.A. search when the tail gunner reported a Verey signal two miles to starboard at 19:15 hrs. Two dinghies were located and the surface wind estimated at 290/26 knots. W/C Halliday moved away from the dinghies, jettisoned the depth charges and fuel. At 19:45 hrs the Sunderland carried out a good approach but hit the top of a wave, broke the step, bounced and hit two more waves before coming to a halt. Just as the aircraft stopped another wave hit carrying away the port float, propeller of the starboard outer engine and filling the flying boat with water. W/C Halliday and four others escaped into a dinghy, P/O Laurenti and F/O Watson on the main float, F/O Barker, Sgt Ramsey and F/Sgt Betts in the water. The dinghy developed a leak and deflated and all the crew ended up in the water and tried to swim to another dinghy that had appeared 100 yards away. Only F/O Watson made it to this dinghy before collapsing and waking up after dark.
During the next few days several aircraft passed close and F/O Watson sighted the original dinghy with the survivors from the Wellington crew three times but could not attract their attention. During his time in the dinghy F/O Watson witnessed one of the searching Whitley aircraft being attacked by Arado's and believed it had been shot down into the sea. On the 16th he was sighted by a Beaufighter who guided more Beaufighters and Hudsons to his position. At 18:00 hrs on the 16th he made contact with the Wellington crew and they tied both dinghies together. They were all finally rescued by boat on the 17th of August and landed at Newlyn.
All those who were killed are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial to the Missing.

Whitley was not shot down but suffered engine failureon the 13th. Z9300 of No.10 OTU

Sgt F Boyd
Sgt W G Wishart
Sgt T Parker
Sgt R F Crouch
Sgt A J Hendry

Ditched at 16:10 hrs due to loss of power from the port engine. The crew were picked up from their dinghy three days later by a RN destroyer.

All from the draft RAF Coastal Command Losses, Vol 2

Regards
Ross