Short S.25 Sunderland

Operator:

Registration:

T9113

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Mount Batten - Mount Batten

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The seaplane departed RAF Mount Batten at 1513LT on a maritime patrol flight over the Bay of Biscay, off the French coast. At 2015LT, the crew reported that he was attacked by two German JU.88. About 30 minutes later, the Sunderland crashed into the sea and was lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Norman Jack Alecock,
Sgt Donald Maurice Bowd,
F/Sgt Roy Victor Chinnery,
F/O Louis Gordon Emrys-Jones,
Sgt Ernest Richard Eva,
Sgt Cyril Ernest Hayward,
F/O Robert Henry Holloway Hosband,
F/Sgt Samuel King,
F/O Donald Ian Stewart,
F/O Oscar Lovelock Wennholm,
Sgt Joseph Ingleby White.

Probable cause:

Shot down by two German fighters.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland near Braemore: 14 killed

Date & Time: Aug 25, 1942 at 1342 LT

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Registration:

W4026

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Oban – Invergordon – Keflavik

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The seaplane departed Oban to Keflavik with an intermediate stop at RAF Invergordon, carrying 11 crew members and three passengers, among them Prince George, Duke of Kent, who was flying to Iceland on an official visit. Few minutes after takeoff from RAF Invergordon, while cruising in poor visibility due to bad weather conditions, the seaplane hit the Eagle's Rock hill located near Breamore, about 55 km northwest of Inverness. The air gunner was seriously injured while all 14 other occupants were killed.
Crew (228th Squadron):
F/Lt Frank McKenzie Goyen, pilot, †
W/Cdr Thomas Lawton Moseley, copilot, †
F/O Sydney Wood Smith, copilot, †
P/O George Richard Saunders, navigator, †
F/Sgt William Royston Jones, flight engineer, †
Sgt Leonard Sweett, flight engineer and fitter, †
F/Sgt Charles Norman Lewis, airframe fitter, †
F/Sgt Edward James Hewerdine, wireless operator, †
Sgt Edward Francis Blacklock, wireless operator, †
Sgt Arthur Rowland Catt, wireless operator, †
Sgt Andrew Simpson William Jack, air gunner.
Passengers:
Air Commodore George Edward Alexander Windsor, HRH Prince George, The Duke of Kent, †
Lt John Crowther, private secretary, †
P/O C. V. Michael Strutt, †
Lac John Walter Hales. †

Probable cause:

The aircraft was equipped with a new gyro-compass few days prior to the accident and the crew was not familiar with it. According to the Board of investigations, it appears that the accident occurred as a result of navigational error. The crew failed to make sufficient allowance for a strong on-shore wind and allowed the aircraft to drift over high ground before it gained sufficient altitude to clear the hilly terrain. According to the Hansard Report of October 7th 1942, blame was apportioned to the captain of the aircraft, "Who changed flight plan for reasons unknown and descended through cloud without making sure he was over water, and crashed." Poor visibility due to bad weather conditions was considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland off Gibraltar: 11 killed

Date & Time: Aug 22, 1942 at 0235 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

W4029

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Flight Type:

Military

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Gibraltar - Gibraltar

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The crew was returning to base at Gibraltar following a convoy mission. During a night approach, the seaplane hit the water surface, exploded and disintegrated some 1,000 metres offshore. A crew member was seriously injured while 11 other occupants were killed. Two bodies were found on 3rd and 9th of September only.
Crew (202nd Squadron):
P/O Colin Arthur Rimmington, pilot, †
Sgt Frederick d'Arcy Scott, pilot, †
F7Sgt James Michael Corcoran, pilot, †
Sgt Ernest Frederick Chaplain, flight engineer, †
P/O Kenneth Gordon Gray, observer,
Sgt George Form, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Cecil John Barrington, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt John Simpson Hay, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Alan Morgan, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Cecil James Lee, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Harold Wallis, air gunner, †
Sgt Keith Adams. †

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland I off Sierra Leone: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 17, 1942

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Registration:

L2158

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Military

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The crew was performing a maritime convoy mission off the Sierra Leone coast. In unknown circumstances, the seaplane crashed into the Atlantic Sea. Four crew members were killed and four others were rescued.
Crew (204th Squadron):
F/Sgt Eugene Hastings Connell, †
Sgt William Arthur Davis, †
F/Sgt Edward Charles George Jackman, †
F/Sgt Walter Douglas Maconnell, †
P/O J. Quinn,
P/O H. Horner,
Sgt J. James,
Sgt K. O'Meara.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland II into the Bay of Biscay: 10 killed

Date & Time: Aug 12, 1942 at 1950 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

T9090

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Mount Batten - Mount Batten

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The seaplane departed RAF Mount Batten on a SAR operation in the Atlantic Ocean after an RAF Vickers Wellington was missing. While attempting to land some 100 km southwest of Lorient, the seaplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the Bay of Biscay. A crew survived and was rescued while all 10 others were killed.
Crew:
F/O Roger Phillip Barker, †
F/Sgt Charles George Bentley, †
F/Sgt Thomas Alfred Betts, †
Sgt Ronald Fletcher, †
W/Cdr Neville Anthony Roy Halliday, †
F/O David Laurenti, †
Sgt William Alfred Ramsey, †
Sgt George Turner, †
Sgt Charles Leonard Unsworth, †
Sgt John Wright, †
F/O J. H. F. Watson.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland III into the Firth of Clyde: 11 killed

Date & Time: Jul 31, 1942 at 1025 LT

Type of aircraft:

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Registration:

W4025

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Castle Archdale - Castle Archdale

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The seaplane departed RAF Castle Archdale at 0855LT on an anti submarine mission in the River Clyde. Approaching friendly vessels in limited visibility due to poor weather conditions, the airplane was mistakenly shot down by friendly fire and crashed into the sea. A crew member was rescued while 11 others were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Walter Harry Wakefield, pilot, †
F/O James Robert Traill, †
F/Sgt Maurice John Tomley, †
P/O John Allen, †
Sgt Norman Williams, †
Sgt William Bluck, †
Sgt John Robert Goodings, †
Sgt Harry Scrace, †
Sgt Clifford Gurnet Fort, †
F/Sgt James Andrew Collins, †
Sgt Vivian Lewis, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Peter Wheatley.

Probable cause:

Mistakenly shot down by friendly fire while approaching British vessels in poor weather.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland I into the Mediterranean Sea: 13 killed

Date & Time: Jul 25, 1942

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Registration:

L5806

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The airplane was engaged in an anti-submarine patrol mission over the Mediterranean Sea. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed into the sea somewhere off the Egyptian coast. Lost without trace.
Crew (230th Squadron):
F/O Jack Sedgwick Bentley,
F/O Albert Gordon Boswell Williams,
F/Lt Ephraim Hugh Brown,
F/Lt William A. Chapman,
P/O Eric Ernest Thomas Cattemull,
P/O Kenneth Frederick Harding,
P/O Herbert Reginald Nash,
F/Sgt Leonard Blashill,
F/Sgt Roland Lionel Manley,
Sgt William Bulman,
Sgt Alastair H. MacDonald,
Sgt Amon Riding,
Sgt Eric Sutherland Clutton Williams.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland I into the Atlantic Ocean: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1942

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Registration:

L5805

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Bathurst - Freetown

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The seaplane departed Bathurst, Gambia, at 2255LT on June 10 on a maritime patrol flight to Freetown, Sierra Leone. As the aircraft failed to arrive, SAR operations were conducted but no trace of the seaplane or its crew was found.
Crew (95th Squadron):
P/O Jack Pybus,
F/O James Morphett Henderson,
F/O Raymond Walter Lawrence,
P/O David John Whalley,
Sgt Vincent Cromer,
Sgt John Edward Burley,
Sgt Raymond George Greenman,
Lac Jordon McLeod McNeill,
Ac1 Herbert Kitchener McCombie.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland off Donegal: 12 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1942

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Registration:

W3977

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