LANDED ON AIRFIELD

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 217, 9 June 1943, Page 5

LANDED ON AIRFIELD

Sunderland Flying Boat

LONDON, June 7. A Sunderland flying-boat recently made aviation history by successfully landing on an airfield after rescuing, the crews of ■ two other planes in the Bay of Biscay. Another Sunderland which went out to rescue the crew, of a Whitley bomber in a dinghy 250 miles from land sank in a rough sea. The captain was killed and the first pilot injured and the remainder of the crew scrambled into a dinghy. One member of the crew plunged into the sea' to rescue the injured, pilot and brought him.back after swimming with him for 40 minutes.

Next day a second Sunderland located the two dinghies, and though the visibility was only 100 yards in fog, it landed, and took both crews aboard. Later in the day a Fighting French destroyer arrived and took off the men, except seven who had volunteered to remain with the Sunderland’s captain, Flight Officer G. Singleton, in an effort to save the flyingboat.

After the destroyer had unsuccessfully attempted to tow the Sunderland the volunteer crew decided to risk a takeoff in a very rough sea. Waves struck file plane with terrific violence, making a hole ip the hull 7ft. by 4ft. Seven attempts were made before the craft was airborne. 'The crew jettisoned everything inflammable and padded themselves ■with cushions and mattresses, but the craft touched down on the airfield near its base with only a slight jar.