ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 269314
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| Date: | Wednesday 12 November 1941 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Shorts Sunderland Mk1 |
| Owner/operator: | 210 RAF |
| Registration: | T9044 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RAF Pembroke Dock. -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Standing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | N.A. |
| N.A. |
T9044 was one of a batch of 20 Mk 1 aircraft built by Short Brothers, Belfast. She first appeared on the 210 squadron records on the 17th of September 1940, when she was flown up from RAF Pembroke Dock by F/O Baker and P/O Butcher to RAF Oban which was located at the northern end of the island of Kerrera, in Ardantrive Bay west of Oban, Argyll and Bute, Scotland.
210 squadron had just moved in during the month of July 1940. T9044 took off on her first operational patrol on the 20th of September, again piloted by F/OL Baker, his second pilot was F/O Brown on this occasion. She was ordered to carry out convoy duties. The A/C log states:
“Aircraft sights 2 convoys on route out. Met with convoy of 24 M/V’s (Merchant Vessels) 5 E/V’s (Escort Vessels) at 09:15hrs.”
She carried out anti-Submarine duties and left the convoy (Irish Sea off Liverpool) at 16:15hrs, alighting back at Orban at 19:08hrs.
T9044 flew on the 21st of September 22nd and the 23rd. On the 24th (her fifth patrol) She was on Convoy duties again. Her pilot was F/O Baker. His 2nd & 3rd pilots were F/O Milton and F/O Armstrong. The A/C Log states:
“Met up with convoy at 01:09hrs. Unable to get a decent visual or count due to bad visibility! Stayed in the area as top cover. Gained visual again at 08:20hrs, count 16 M/V & 2 E/V.
Relief Sunderland arrived (time not legible). A Focke Wulf 200 ‘Condor’ was sighted flying in and out of the heavy clouds. She was seen to drop a single bomb towards the convoy below and then started to take evasive action, we may have been spotted! We couldn’t get close enough, but our captain saw our tracer rounds strike the E/A before it went into cloud. Lost contact! Returned to base, alighted Oban at 10:34hrs”.
T9044 flew ten more patrols with 210 squadron from Oban.
December 1940, she took off for Pembroke Dock, via the west coast of Ireland, carrying out calibration tests on the way. She alighted at PD.
It seems she was then on storage here, still on 210 squadron strength, from the end of 1940 they started to fly the Catalina. Throughout 1941 there is nothing showing that she flew operationally until the severe storm that hit this area on the 10th of November, throughout the 11th and on the 12th T9044 couldn’t hold out any longer and her forward mooring mast gave way and she started to take on water. She sank at her mooring.
Crew:
Unmanned.
Wreckage:
An engine was recovered and can be viewed at the Pembroke Dock Museum trust along with many other artifacts, of which, the trust hope to eventually raise the whole aircraft. With the goal to put it on permanent display. For museum opening times, the trust can be contacted on 01646 622246.
If you visit the museum. You have the chance to buy a piece of this aircraft to keep. The funds amassed from these rare artifacts will go towards the main goal by the Trust.
Additional information:
Pembroke Dock has the world’s only Mark 1 Sunderland – one of only four military Sunderland’s left in the world. The others – in UK and New Zealand museums – are all later Mark V versions and differ significantly from the aircraft found in the Waterway.
This is the aircraft that was the subject of a program on the Wreck Detectives series and since the Wreck Detectives exploration dives on the Sunderland, Milford Haven Port Authority has placed a 100-metre exclusion zone around the site. Fishing here is now prohibited and those wishing to dive it must apply for a license from the Port Authority. The wreck was located by the Celtic Divers Club whilst clearing nets.
Aircraft that were surplus to requirements was quite common in those days as the scrap yards were full or airframes and the price of raw materials dropped through the floor. Even airworthy aircraft were just towed into deeper water and just scuttled.
Memorials:
The old Garrison Chapel which is now the home of the museum (Was housed in the old Martello Tower) is a living memorial to all the RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RSAAF, USNAF and Dutch airmen who flew from RAF Pembroke Dock.
Sources:
nationalarchives.gov.uk
www.divetheworld.com
www.key.aero
www.sunderlandtrust.com
www.westerntelegraph.co.uk
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Nov-2021 14:15 | Davies 62 | Added |
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