Date:	Saturday 20 January 1945
Time:
Type:	Supermarine Walrus Mk I
Owner/operator:	Flotille 4S, Aéronautique Navale
Registration:	X9532
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Location:	Mediterranean Sea, off Nice -   France
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:

Narrative:
On 20 January, the Walrus I coded "" of the Flotille 4S had engine failure and the pilot had no other choice than alighting in the sea. He had not enough time to retract the landing gear (that was down as the Walrus had taken off from a runway) and the Walrus overturned when it hit the water. The pilot, PM Marie Auguste Joseph Reichard, and the observer, LV Ernest Fabien Sourdon, were able to exit the aircraft but drowned. The two radio operators managed to escape and swam to the nearby beach.

http://www.flottille9f.net/
"Mémorial de Navale (2015-2016)", by Lucien Morareau, ISBN 978-2-913344-17-4
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wikAéronautique Navale (Flotilla 4S, French Fleet Air Arm) was taking off from Nice airfield for an antisubmarine patrol, i/Aéronautique Navale (Flotilla 4S, French Fleet Air Arm) was taking off from Nice airfield for an antisubmarine patrol, A%C3%A9roport_Nice_C%C3%B4te_d%27Azur

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
23-Jan-2017 18:28	Laurent Rizzotti	Added
27-Feb-2017 07:49	Anon.	Updated [Source, Damage, Narrative]
07-Sep-2019 04:13	angels one five	Updated [Narrative]