On This Day 20th May 1959

[Warmtoast]

Last Flight of an RAF Sunderland


On 20th May 1959, Sunderland ‘P’ ML797 Captained by Flt. Lt. J. Poyser, 205 Detachment Commander (Sunderland Aircraft at Seletar) with Flt. Lt. A. Ford DFM, (205 Detachment Seletar) as co pilot and W. Cdr. R. A. N. McReady OBE, 205 Squadron Commander (RAF Changi) made the final flight of an RAF Sunderland.
Also on board for the final R.A.F. Sunderland flight was Air Chief Marshal The Earl of Bandon, C. in C. F.E.A.F.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/GAN/SunderlandP-Copy.jpg

205/209 Sqn Sunderland “P” at Gan on 15th September 1958.


On 15th September 1958 “P” ML797 was tasked to fly diplomats from the British High Commission in Colombo from China Bay for talks with the Maldive government in Male, the capital of the Maldives. It damaged a float whilst attempting to alight in a severe swell at Male and had to divert to Gan for temporary repairs before returning to Seletar via China Bay. I took this photo, my only one in colour of a Sunderland, the following day prior to its return to China Bay.


Earlier I'd made my first long flight was when I returned to China Bay by Sunderland after a spot of leave in Singapore. Having ovenighted at R.A.F. Glugor (Penang) we took-off on the long flog to China Bay and after an hour or so at 7,000ft or thereabouts to get cool the Captain descended to around 500ft and enquiring of the signaller operating the Primus in the galley as to why we had descended, was told that the Captain (a Flt. Lt. Fairbairn) enjoyed his tea which had to be made in the proper English manner with boiling water; harking back to schoolboy science lessons I recall we were taught that at height water boils at a lower temperature than at sea-level, which is why the captain descended to near sea-level to make tea at the point where water boiled at the correct boiling point for a perfect cuppa! With the tea made, up we went again.


http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20China%20Bay/ViewThroughWindow.jpg
The large windows provided panoramic views of the passing scenery.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/GAN/ChinaBay1957-SunderlandRefuelling.jpg

Taken at RAF Glugor, Penang. After an overnight stop and refuelling, preparing to take off on the long leg over the Indian Ocean to China Bay.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20China%20Bay/ChinaBay-Sunderlands.jpg

An unusual number of Sunderlands detached to R.A.F. China Bay in September 1957 for JET-57 (Joint Exercise Trincomalee, 1957), the annual Navy Exercise which involved the Royal Navy and Indian and Pakistan navies which took place in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) adjacent to the Royal Naval Base at Trincomalee, the HQ of the East Indies Station. Aircraft from the Royal Air Force, Indian Navy and Pakistan Air Force also participated.

Four of the six Sunderlands still on strength with 205/209 Sqn participated in the exercise, aircraft detached were “K” RN270, “N” RN282, “W” DP198 and “P” ML797.
“O” PP112 and “L” PP127 joined the exercise later relieving two of the original four which returned to Seletar.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20China%20Bay/ChinaBay1957-SunderlandWAlighting.jpg

"W" DP198 alights at China Bay during JET-57

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Changi%20%20and%20Seletar/Image2-1.jpg

Sad to see the ultimate fate of these flying boats as they were broken up for scrap by Chinese salvage contractors at RAF Seletar - taken in 1957 this shows "Y" SZ577 under the knackers hammer.

..and so fifty years ago today, 20th May 1959, an era ended with the last flight of a Sunderland in RAF service.

[S'land]

Not that I am biased or anything, but this was a sad day in history. Even sadder is the last photograph in Warmtoast's post. I am always somewhat envious of people like Warmtoast, Old Hairy and my father (passenger in an Empire Boat) who flew in Sunderlands and Empire Boats.

[240 Gardner]

S'land, I too am envious of such people - especially my late father's time spent flying Sunderlands from 1942 to 1946. Sadly, having been born in 1959, I am too young even to have seen one fly in the U.K. (I missed the ex-Antilles 'boats in the air).

Only last weekend, I was privileged to meet one of his former crewmates from 95 Squadron (Bathurst, 1944/5), and with whom he had lost contact when they came home from Africa in June 1945.

The gentleman's affection for the Sunderland, 64 years on, was very evident throughout his house, with paintings and photographs, not to mention his collection of memorabilia from their time with 95 Squadron.

Some of the tales were enlightening too - I wonder if a Sunderland would have fit under the Connel Bridge near Oban....

[S'land]

240 Gardner,
If you have not already seen it, may I recommend this thread in which Old Hairy tells of flying the Sunderland.

http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/331471-sunderland-flying-boat.html

[240 Gardner]

S'land

I had already read it (and chipped in in a small way) but thank you for the recommendation :ok:

[S'land]

Sorry 240 Gardner, I should have checked. However, it is one of my favourite threads.

[240 Gardner]

S'land

Not at all! I'm always grateful for being pointed towards anything to do with the Sunderland, especially a top-notch thread like that.

thanks :)

[Old Hairy]

Thank you Warmtoast, your post has made me come over all warm and unnecessary:ok: think I will have a large Malt!
Thank you gents for your kind remarks, I did enjoy the reminiscing,but my how time does fly

[lauriebe]

Warmtoast, many thanks for posting those photos. Like quite a few others, I have a soft spot for the Sunderland.

The mention of RAF Glugor caught my eye. It's just 25 minutes drive from where I am presently and where I lived as a scopie in 68 whilst working at Western Hill. At that time it was an MCU and the good old Sunderland was long gone. Great shame.

I was there just a couple of weeks ago taking some photos of the old camp area. The slipway is still there but has been built on. The jettys are long gone and some of the old workshops have been taken over by the Malaysian Navy. The watch office is still there though and in use as offices.

The admin/accomodation site for the old base had been in use by the Marine Police until about 18 months ago but, sadly, is now deserted. What was the seaward side of the camp has now been reclaimed and a 6 lane highway running to and from the new bridge runs past there.

[Warmtoast]

Thanks Lauriebe

I have a photo of what is/was the RAF Glugor Control Tower, it was passed to me a couple of years ago and I just can't recall who passed it to me, so if the originator is reading this my apologies; I just don't have your details to attribute the photo to you!

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAFGlugorControlTower.jpg

[lauriebe]

Warmtoast, the "originator", me, thanks you for that.:ok:

It's a photo that I took some 4 or 5 years ago. Still looks the same and the photo is one of several of the site that I took at that time. It has been posted on several sites.

[lauriebe]

Having read Warmtoast's account of the JET-57 exercise above, I was wondering if anyone might have a listing of the Sunderlands that participated in the previous years exercise, JET-56.

The reason I ask is that I have recently been shown a photo of a Sunderland, coded 'U', which is believed to have been taken at that time. Unfortunately, the serial is not visible. The only Sunderland with that code that I can trace so far is EJ155. This aircraft also carried the name "Tawau Beach". However, it appears EJ155 might have been returned to the UK prior to JET-56.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[Krakatoa]

If it is any help I was on the crew of EJ 155 on the ferry trip from the UK on the 12th January 1953. My last flight on 8th. March 1953.
I would not think it returned to the UK.
The Short Sunderland by Chaz Bower records that EJ 155 "...to FBSU 16TH. November 1955..."

[b377]

Nice pics.

were the original Bristol engines kept throught its flying career? I ask because I read somewhere that the Empire Class had their's replaced with more reliable P&W in later life but this may be untrue.

Wonder what these planes sounded like at full takeoff power.

[240 Gardner]

B377

I was under the impression that only Mk V Sunderlands (either original build or conversion) were retained for post-war use.

Perhaps someone could confirm or deny this?

My father's Mk III was not alone in being scuttled in Africa after VE Day, rather than being flown home.

[lauriebe]

Many thanks for the information.

The only FBSU that I can track down at that time is the Flying Boat Storage Unit which was located at Wig Bay and run by Shorts. It disbanded on 31.10.57. So the info about EJ155 being returned to the UK in late 55 seems to be correct.

Looking through various sources, I can't find another aircraft on 205/209 to carry the 'U' code after EJ155 was returned. This now throws into doubt the date pencilled on the reverse of the photo which shows 1956. Hence the plea above.

[Pondskater]

Here's a couple more photos of the last days of the Sunderland.

This is a quite well known photo of ML797 on a farewell flypast on 15 May 1959 - the last formation flypast by two RAF Sunderlands. The photo was taken from DP198 and is courtesy of Bill Whiter.

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc106/pondskater/309SundW.jpg

And DP198 on one of the final fly pasts over Singapore. Land reclamation has considerably changed the area now.

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc106/pondskater/158SundW.jpg

Both EJ155 and DP198 were built in Windermere and I've done a fair bit of research into them for my recent book on the factory there.

The only Sunderland I know to carry "U" at that time was EJ155 which was returned to the UK on 16 Nov 1955, initially to Pembroke Dock and then on to the FBSU at Wig Bay. It was declared Cat 4 and in October 1957 was sold for scrap to International Alloys Ltd. The Tawau Beach incident is quite interesting. The aircraft has been borrowed for the flight to Borneo and lost a float on landing and the No1 prop tips were bent. The aircraft was beached without landing gear and locals, including a group from the nearby jail, were called on to help with repairs and re-floating the boat. The aircraft was nicknamed "Tawau Beach" in commemoration of the incident but when returned to the original crew the regular captain E W Beer refused to allow the name to be painted on the aircraft, blaming the incident on pilot error.

Sorry I don't have any info about JET-56 in my notes (I only have a few ORB pages at the moment) DP198 would not have been there though, she was only ferried out to the Far East in July 1957, and EJ155 was home by then.

Allan

[240 Gardner]

In case it's of interest, here's what EJ155 was doing a little earlier in its career (the third entry):

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k43/240Gardner/EJ155small.jpg

[lauriebe]

Many thanks for the additional information. Seems to confirm what we have on EJ155 already and means the date recorded on the reverse of the photo is wrong. If it was taken during one of the JET exercises, it must have been an earlier one.

I was emailed two photos of EJ155 on the beach at Tawau only yesterday. I'll see if I can get the originator's permission to post here.

[Krakatoa]

Back further to 19th. July 1944.
Lieutenant Thurmann-Nielson, RNorAF, Captain of EJ155 found and attacked the U-387. Kapitanleutnant Buchler's U-boat was damaged and had to limp home to Trondheim.

[Pondskater]

Not only did they attack the u-boat, but the aircraft was on its first operational flight. Bad weather meant they quickly lost sight of their prey and were not sure how much damage they had done.

I was fortunate to get a copy of the u-boat log for that day which reveals that one depth charge actually hit the submarine's deck and rolled off. Buchler ordered the crew to abandon ship but immediately recalled it. They had a long struggle back to Norway. Reading the reports from the aircraft and the u-boat side by side is quite sobering.

Then, yes, EJ155 had a spell wth 4(C)OTU (always good to see info on that thanks, the OTU ORB is very sparse), then with 88 squadron at Hong Kong, including Korean War operations, before joining 205/209 in January 1955.

I've got photos of the Tawau Beach incident filed - I'll dig them out tomorrow.

Allan

[lauriebe]

I'm not sure what shots Pondskater has but I have been given permission to post these two photos. They are reverse angles and show the degree of improvisation that had to be done to get EJ155 serviceable again.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii52/lauriebe/TawauBeach02.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii52/lauriebe/TawauBeach01.jpg

[Pondskater]

That's the ones. And here is the third one from the set I was sent some years ago showing the temporary dam to protect the aircraft during work.

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc106/pondskater/336SW.jpg

And one more of EJ155 at Seletar - both these pics are courtesy of Ian Fraser.

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc106/pondskater/339SW.jpg

[Michael Hafferty]

Hi 'Warmtoast'.

I'll be brief. I'm re-writing a book about my time in the RAF as a National Serviceman. It includes quite a bit about RAF Seletar and the Sunderland flying boats. The first edition feedback was that it would be better if were it little longer, hence the re-write.
I no longer have the pics I used for the front cover and would like to ask your permission to use the colour pic of 'P', which would be ideal. Credit would, of course, be given to the source.
I was at Seletar 56 - 58 and worked on most of the f/boats shown, including 'P'. The a/c being broken up were outside my billet at 'F' block and I have several similar photos.
I was not a 'Professional Pilot', more 'Professional Ballast' as an Air Wireless Mechanic, but flew many times in Sunderlands.
I said I'd be brief. So that will do as an opening shot.
Per Ardua etc etc,
Michael.

[son of a pilot]

In 1955 or thereabouts, my father, Squadron Leader A Brown, was posted to RAF China bay as station commander. My mother, sister and I followed soon after, making the trip via the Suez canal in the boat 'The Empire Clyde'. I have many happy memories of the time I spent in Ceylon, not the least being the flights I was able to cadge on the various Sunderlands that visited us as well as those stationed at China Bay - it seemed that short flights to test this or that were frequent so I was not without opportunities! In 1957 I was obliged to return to the UK and Boarding School but father stayed on to hand over the station in 1961. It was a different world in those days.