Upturned Short Sunderland aircraft P9620 of 204 Squadron, RAF, floating in the Atlantic Ocean ...

Place Oceans: Atlantic Ocean
Accession Number P00233.001
Collection type Photograph
Object type Black & white - Print silver gelatin
Maker Callen, Terence John
Place made Atlantic Ocean: North Atlantic Ocean
Date made 29 October 1940
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Copyright

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

Public Domain Mark This item is in the Public Domain

Description

Upturned Short Sunderland aircraft P9620 of 204 Squadron, RAF, floating in the Atlantic Ocean with an unidentified crew member sitting on the fuselage. The aircraft, with thirteen crew aboard, became lost when the compass was damaged in an electrical storm, eventually running out of fuel and making an emergency landing into the Atlantic Ocean. HMAS Australia rescued nine of the crew, however 744561 Leading Aircraftman Matthew Ewing Towe, RAF; 39866 Sergeant (Sgt) Stuart Hayden MacDonald, RNZAF; 642035 Aircraftman Kenneth William Beavis, RAF, and 755445 Sgt Malcolm Sydney Ross, RAF, were lost at sea. The unidentified crew member seated on the upturned aircraft was not saved.