ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 311455
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| Date: | Friday 31 July 1942 |
| Time: | 10:25 |
| Type: | Short Sunderland Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 201 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | W4025 |
| MSN: | ZM-P |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 12 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Clyde Approaches, Scotland -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Aerial patrol |
| Departure airport: | RAF Lough Erne, Northern Ireland |
| RAF Lough Erne |
This aircraft had taken off at 08:55 hrs on 31 July 1942 from RAF Lough Erne - also known as RAF Castle Archdale - in Northern Ireland to provide anti - submarine protection to ships assembling in the River Clyde to become Convoy WS21.
The sortie was timed to last from 11.00 until dusk, with radio silence to be maintained.
At 10.25 and in poor visibility and low cloud it overflew the assembling shipping. Reports state it ‘appeared suddenly’.
Not expecting the aircraft to arrive early and unable to see and identify it, one of the vessels mistakenly opened fire and shot it down. Source 1.
Crew members were as follows.
Flying Officer James Robert Traill, (64942 RAFVR)
Flight Sergeant Maurice John Tomley, (924204 RAFVR)
Flight Lieutenant Walter Harry Wakefield, (43126 RAF) - Pilot
Pilot Officer John Allen, (109109 RAFVR)
Sergeant Norman Williams, (1294368 RAFVR)
Sergeant William Bluck, (568792 RAF)
Sergeant John Robert Goodings, (901208 RAF)
Sergeant Harry Scrace, (1245077 RAF)
Sergeant Clifford Gurnet Fort, (407101 RAAF) - Wireless Operator/Air Gunner
Sergeant Vivian Lewis, (407104 RAAF) - Wireless Operator/Air Gunner
Flight Sergeant James Andrew Collins, (626612 RAF)
Sergeant Peter Wheatley (1339066 RAFVR) See source 2.
Sergeant Wheatley was the only man rescued.
He was picked up by HMS Ledbury (one of the Royal Navy destroyer escorts for WS21 and a veteran of Convoy PQ17).
News of the incident was sent by another RN ship, the cruiser HMS Hawkins.
The bodies of Sergeant Williams, Flight Sergeant Collins and Flight Sergeant Tomley were recovered and then buried at sea.
Having no known graves, all the dead are commemorated on the Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede, Surrey, England.
Maurice Tomley is commemorated on a family grave in Seaford, East Sussex. See source 3 for details.
More information can be found in the RAF Casualty pack (AIR81/17126) and in the Admiralty WS Convoy reports (ADM 199/1211) held at the UK National Archives.
Sources:
1. AIR 27 1178/38 - No. 201 Squadron ORB.
2. https://aviationmuseumwa.org.au/afcraaf-roll/fort-clifford-gurney-407101/
3. https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/101298
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Apr-2023 12:20 | Richard | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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