Date:	Monday 5 February 1940
Time:	day
Type:	Saunders-Roe London II
Owner/operator:	240 Sqn RAF
Registration:	K6927
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Holyhead Harbour, off Porth-y-Felin, Holyhead, Anglesey -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Oban, North Connel
Destination airport:	Calshot, Hampshire

Narrative:
This London was delivered to 204 Squadron on 8 June 1936. It was returned to Saunders Roe for conversion on 17 February 1937 before being taken back by 204 Squadron when it left for an Australian tour on 2 December 1937. On 15 December 1937, the engine cut out and it was ditched into the sea 52 miles off Akyab, Burma. It was towed to the S.S. JALAGOPAL, but was damaged in collision with the towing ship. It was then assigned to 201 Squadron on 1 October 1939 and 240 Squadron on 11 November 1939.

On 5 February 1940, it was being flown by Pilot Officer Willis and Pilot Officer H.A.B. Porteous from Oban to Calshot. The weather deteriorated and the pilot decided to head for Holyhead Harbour. Visibility was down to about 200 yards or less and he had difficulty in deciding where to land. Whilst flying at 50 feet over the harbour, he saw another London II at moorings which flashed at him to indicate its position. Pilot Officer Porteous decided to land alongside, but whilst making the very low, right-hand turn, the starboard wing tip float touched the water and the machine crashed, sinking 10 minutes later.

The starboard wings had been torn off and the hull split open. The crew were not seriously hurt and were picked up by the harbour motor boat. The final annotations on the aircraft's service history state that it was struck off charge, damaged beyond repair, after total flying hours 432.35.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft K1000-K9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1976 page 56)
2. Halley, J J, 1998, The K File, page 278
3. McNeil, R, 2003, Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses of the the Second World War, page 24
4. http://wight.hampshireairfields.co.uk/sar.html
5. https://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/506968/details/saro-london-ii-k6927

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
08-Feb-2017 17:21	ORD	Added
23-Dec-2017 16:25	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Phase, Nature, Damage]
17-Oct-2018 06:17	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
10-May-2019 20:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]