Catalinas at Lisbon Portugal 1939 1943

[Wynnum]

Geof

The West Africa Service

01Feb41 – “Guba” G-AGBJ[i] was put into service on the Poole-Lisbon route.
15Feb41 – “Guba” began flying the full service, Poole, Lisbon, Bathurst, Freetown, Lagos.
05Apr43 – “Guba” flew its last BOAC operational service, to West Africa – then return to RAF.

Jun41 – To supplement “Guba” on the West Africa run, BOAC obtained Catalina Mk I AH563 from allocation [25May41] to 240 Sqn, diverted to BOAC as G-AGDA, delivered 22Jun41. It served on the West Africa Service, also did runs Lisbon-Gibraltar-Malta-Cairo. Last Service flight was Lagos-Poole in Mar43, after which it crashed during a training flight 23Mar43.

01Oct42 – Two Catalina, FP221 and FP244, were allocated to BOAC on a two-month temporary loan.
27Oct42 – Now with BOAC after mods etc, FP221 became G-AGFL, FP244 became G-AGFM. In Nov42, they began flying from Hythe to Lagos. The loan was extended to 01Jun43, but the two Catalinas were returned to RAF service 15Mar43 under their original serials. (Sunderlands were now being used on the West Africa Service). These two Catalinas soon move on to Ceylon, for the Ceylon-Australia service.

[i] This “Guba” was the second Consolidated flying boat to carry the name “Guba” and registration NC777. The British Purchasing Commission took over this plane in Sep40; it flew from Botwood, Newfoundland via Stranraer to Pembroke Dock on 25-27Oct40 as AM258 (an incorrect issue of serial number, same number already issued to a Liberator). It was allocated to BOAC and registered as G-AGBJ. Later, after return to RAF, it was serialed as SM706.


Cheers, Wynnum