Date & Time:
Apr 7, 1943 at 1345 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
FP138
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Hamilton - Largs
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The seaplane departed Hamilton, Bermuda, on a transatlantic flight to Largs, Scotland, carrying two passengers and four crew members. For such a long flight, the airplane was unarmed. Approaching Europe, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and became disoriented. He was rerouted to Plymouth instead of Largs but due to a navigation error, the airplane continued over Brittany. Due to a fuel exhaustion, the crew was forced to land off the French coast when the airplane was shot down by a combination of German Flak and fighter. The seaplane crashed into the sea off Vougo. Three crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
Cpt Edward Howard Stafford, pilot,
Sgt Alan Rodgers, flight engineer, †
F/O Keith Thompson, navigator,
Sgt Howard Lionel Covert, radio operator.
Passengers:
F/O Harry Leo Abrin, †
R/O Roslyn Lloyd George Browne. †
Crew:
Cpt Edward Howard Stafford, pilot,
Sgt Alan Rodgers, flight engineer, †
F/O Keith Thompson, navigator,
Sgt Howard Lionel Covert, radio operator.
Passengers:
F/O Harry Leo Abrin, †
R/O Roslyn Lloyd George Browne. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a combination of German Flak and fighter.
