Brian, yes Hercules of course! Am I getting old? "Oh, no not you!", do I hear you say? No? Well please yourself. I clearly don't drink from the same fountain that our dear Danny did!
Interesting that Abe went back to NZ only to then return to Dear Ole Blighty. Ever a man of discernment, and one of nature's gentlemen. He came to 30 from the British Antarctic Survey where he drove garishly painted Trotters for a living. A varied and distinguished career indeed.
Davidsa, your suggestion that Sunderlands would choose to overfly water where possible is well made. I can only say that the Sunderland that the King's brother, Prince George, perished in was planned to route around the Scottish East Coast before setting heading for its supposed destination, Reykjavik. Instead it crashed well inland on Eagle Rock that overlooked Loch More, which in turn bordered the estate of Sir Archibald Sinclair, then SoS for Air . The Duke, an Air Commodore, was officially on a tour of inspection of RAF bases, though mysteriously had a briefcase chained to his wrist stuffed full with Swedish Kroner.
15 bodies were recovered, the official SOB, when a 16th, the rear gunner, turned up alive. The aircraft supposedly was some 30 mins late on flight plan in crashing, the time of impact being recorded by witnesses. The extra body was supposedly that of Rudolf Hess on his way home via neutral Sweden. Which raises the question of who died at Spandau with a horizontal ligature, evidently a hitherto unique result of suicide?
What has this to do with Sunderland routeing? Nothing much, but a rattling good yarn wouldn't you say?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbeath_air_crash
Prince George's mysterious death in 1942 - Political Conspiracies - The Education Forum