Another message from my dad….

“We got a Radio message from N.Z. asking if we would play in an air/sea rescue exercise. The Sunderland left it’s base in Auckland harbour, while we sent out a Homing Signal ( instead of a real distress signal ).

Her D/F equipment could not have been all that good, for there was another ship on our starboard bow, about ten miles away, and when the aircraft came in sight, it went to the other ship first, circled her, found it was the wrong one, and then came over to us.

She buzzed us a few times, and then sent us a signal to say they had a broken oil line, and would have to leave. She disappeared over the horizon, and then all went quiet. Sparkie could not raise her at all, and we were starting to get worried. Finally their base radioed that she had landed safely.”

Steve