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| Date: | Wednesday 13 December 1944 |
| Time: | 22:45 |
| Type: |  Short Sunderland III |
| Owner/operator: | 461 Sqn RAAF. |
| Registration: | EJ154 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 11 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | RAF Pembroke Dock -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Aerial patrol |
| Departure airport: | RAF Pembroke Dock |
| Return. |
Details:
EJ154 was the 6th of 10 Sunderland GR aircraft manufactured in the serial range EJ149 to EJ158 by Short Bros in their Windermere factory, Cumbria. The camouflage was having the upper surfaces painted in the Temperate Sea Scheme of Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey, the lower areas being White.
The mark 3 had defensive armament of eight .303 Browning machine guns mounted in Frazer Nash turrets, 2 in the front turret, 2 in the upper dorsal turret and 4 in the rear turret, a significant improvement from the earlier Sunderland’s. In addition, there was 4 fixed guns in the nose and 2 more mounted port and starboard at the Galley. This gave a total of 14 machine guns allowing the nickname by both Allies and Axis as the ‘Flying Porcupine’. (Some aircraft even had .50 Caliber Browning Belt Fed machine guns, all around the mid-section with two in the Dorsal turret and two in the Galley.) The Offensive armament comprised of up to 2,000lbs bombs, mimes or Depth Charges which hung on a centre rail that extended out port and starboard under the main wing, the ordinance was stowed within the hull and run out as and when required through an exit hatch on both sides.
One drawback of the Sunderland was they could not be fitted with the mk.II ASV due to the equipment only being fitted to the undersides of aircraft. A new ASV was developed, this was the mk.IIIC radar and was fitted to the mark 3 Sunderland. This did away with the prominent ‘Stickleback’ antennas of the earlier aircraft. The new type was now located in a streamlined blister under both wings just outboard of the wing floats.
EJ154 was received by the RAF at wig Bay during May 1944. She was delivered to 416 squadron on the 7th of June 1944 at RAF Pembroke Dock by aircrew of the Sunderland Ferry Flight.
She was officially taken on charge with the squadron and issued the radio codes ‘UT-T on the 8th. She flew on two non-operational ‘Shake up flights’ on the 30 & 31st of June and another on the 31st of July. Her first aggressive Op’ was on the 3rd of August, F/O Alexander and his crew had that honour. Their tasking was to patrol the Bay of Biscay, which turned out to be uneventful.
On the 6th of August, again in the hands of F/O Alexander. They took off at 21:27hrs for an ASW patrol in the Bay of Biscay. At 02:30hrs, the ASV set went U/S and PD *PD was the shortened term for Pembroke Dock by airmen and Women during the war*, was contacted who in response ordered them to abort and RTB (Return to Base).
The 13th of August saw Alexanders crew depart PD in EJ154 at 21:00hrs for another ASW patrol in the Bay of Biscay. This time a radar contact was made at 05:35hrs and investigated. This proved to be a fully surfaced U-Boat on a heading of 355 degrees at 10kts. As they approached, the U-Boat opened fire from multiple guns to which the Captain of the Sunderland responded with firing 700 rounds from the four fixed nose MG’s. They dropped six 270lb depth charges as they were about to pass over the boat, these straddled the U-Boat and silenced the Flak guns. F/Sgt Kenley in the tail turret saw the conning tower between two explosion plumes. The target then disappeared off the radar screen and was not seen again. Alexander remained on station, sending sighting reports, then at 07:02hrs, a large patch of oil was seen on the water surface and markers were dropped. At 07:23hrs, three Royal Navy surface ships arrived just as Alexander was ordered to RTB. As he headed away, another three vessels arrived on the scene to prosecute the attack. By the end of the month, EJ154 had flown 11 operational missions and 2 non-operational.
September 1944. On the 25th, EJ154 flew on her 17th aggressive Op’. Again, in the hands of the crew of F/O Alexander. They departed PD at 23:09hrs on another ASW patrol, this time in the Northwest Approaches off the Irish Coast. They completed the mission and were heading for home when they experienced serious engine issues at 10:00hrs. Alexander immediately jettisoned the Depth Charges and fuel before making a safe alight landing at RAF Castle Archdale on Loch Erne, Northern Ireland. EJ154 was stuck at Loch Erne for three days while both inner engines were repaired. Alexander’s crew took off in EJ154 on the 29th of September, departing RAF Castle Archdale at 10:00hrs to return to PD. EJ154 ‘T’ flew 6 operational missions and 6 non-operational flights during September.
October 1944. F/O Alexander and crew took off in ‘T’ on the 26th of that month at 19:20hrs on another ASW patrol. This time in ‘Area 25’ in the Bay of Biscay off the Spanish Coast. At 21:25hrs the starboard outer engine failed but the aircraft was able to continue and make a successful emergency alighting at PD at 21:38hrs. She flew 8 Op’s and 2 non-Op’s during the month of October.
November 1944. Her 26th Op, this time in the hands of the crew of F/Lt Fischer. They departed PD at 15:46hrs for an ASW patrol but one minute after take-off, the starboard inner failed, the captain immediately took the A/C out to sea and jettisoned the depth charges and most of the fuel. He then performed a flawless alighting with engine out at 16:12hrs. ‘T’ flew on 5 Op’s and 6 non-Op’ during the month of November.
December 1944. Her 33rd mission, back in the hands of F/O Alexander (now with a DFC for the sinking of the U-Boat), departed PD at 17:06hrs on an ASW patrol over the Irish Sea. The crew flew the first three legs and were about to start on the fourth, when the port outer and starboard inner engines began to lose power. The captain aborted the mission, jettisoned the depth charges and fuel, then set a course back to PD. Alighting at 22:45hrs. Unfortunately, just after the aircraft touched down on the water, the crew felt a hard severe bump coming from the forward keel, Alexander had the flight engineer and his second to go down to inspect the hull. They soon came back reporting a large hole and they were taking in water. Alexander then taxied the aircraft to shore with the intent of beaching her at Angle Bay. The wireless operator called for assistance and as soon as they reached the shoreline the pumps were now at full output using the power from the APU. Soon, a Fire tender was alongside and lent its pumps to the task. The combined efforts were to no avail and EJ154 was left, abandoned after all sensitive and portable equipment was removed.
The investigation found EJ154 had struck an unlit Marine Tender that was not meant to be in the landing area. The impact had ripped a large hole in the Sunderland’s hull which doomed the aircraft no matter what attempts were implemented to save her.
EJ154 was SOC on the 16th of December. She had conducted over 55 flights, 33 being aggressive Op’s and the remainder being non-operational and at least one ferry flight within the squadron. She was salvaged for usable parts on site and eventually, scrapped.
Crew:
F/O R.R. Alexander DFC A/428288 RAAF. Pilot. Safe.
F/Sgt Colin Robert McMurdo DFM 23yo A/417966 RAAF. 2nd Pilot. Safe.
F/Sgt Ronald Frederick James Harris 20yo A/425847 RAAF. 3rd Pilot. Safe.
F/Lt H.J. Sparks A/406722 RAAF. Safe.
F/Sgt W. Nightingale 973988 RAFVR. Safe.
F/Sgt R. Cameron 1573824 RAFVR. Safe. (Regular crew, not on this flight.)
Sgt G.A. Brown 1720079 RAFVR. Safe.
W/O Bernard Walter Donoghue 22yo A/421894 RAAF. Safe.
F/Sgt Athol Gregory Goodwin 29yo A/421725 RAAF. Safe.
W/O B.J. Listow A/418438 RAAF. Safe.
F/Sgt M.P. Kenley A/430882 RAAF. Safe (Also part of the regular crew, not on this Op.)
F/Sgt R.W. Rowlands 16254550 RAFVR. (In place for Kenley who was on leave.)
Buried.
N.A.
Wreckage:
Unknown.
Additional Information:
McMurdo was born on the 24th of October 1921 in Adelaide.
R.F.J. Harris was born on the 3rd of February 1924 at Brisbane.
B.W. Donoghue was born on the 16th of July 1922 at Bowral, New South Wales.
A.G. Goodwin was born on the 26th of December 1914 at Cooma, New South Wales.
Sources:
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
www.aircrewrememmbered.com
www.adf.serials.com.au
www.rafmuseum.org.uk
www.naa.gov.au
www.awm.gov.au
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 01-Dec-2024 08:03 | Davies 62 | Added |
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