Lake Windermere Sunderland

The Air Birtain Forum has a copy a Westmoreland Gazette article (which is local newspaper the Times quoted originally)..

Sunderland may have been found
By Ellis Butcher

ONE of Windermere’s most enduring mysteries could finally be solved this summer following reports that a salvage team knows the exact location of a long-lost “sunken aircraft”. For nearly 60 years, there have been rumours that a rare Short’s Sunderland Flying Boat lay somewhere beneath the surface
after being scuttled on the lake at the end of the Second World War. The tale took a new twist this week when it was reported that an anonymous salvage expert, using a sophisticated sonar device, had located an exact outline of The Flying Porcupine’ buried in mud and resting on the bed near White Cross Bay. The location is close to where 35 Sunderlands were
manufactured after defence chiefs shifted production from vulnerable Rochester, in Kent, to Windermere. Those behind the find are now reported to be planning to drum up finance for a major salvage operation this summer to raise the 85ft long, 112ft wide craft. Michael Berry, chairman of English Lakes Hotels Limited, and son Tim, have attempted to get to the bottom of
the mystery for more than a decade. Two years ago they linked up with Marcus Cardew, of an Ulverston company, to use the latest sonar technology. Mr Berry said: “I would be absolutely delighted if this is correct. Tim and Marcus and I, with a team, have spent a lot of time around the water of that area and found absolutely nothing.” Allan King, who is writing a book about
the Sunderlands, said his extensive research had never found any evidence some were scuttled. Said Mr King: “I would love to think there is one down there but I am sceptical. If this turns out to be another false alarm, it represents a continuation of the myth.” The White Cross area is said to be the deepest part of the lake at 65 metres, although the specific location of the “sunken” craft has not been revealed for fears of alerting other salvage
experts. Windermere parish councillor Richard Ogden said: “I don’t know if this is a Loch Ness monster-type story or not. If they say it is off White Cross Bay in deep water, that might well be possible. It would be quite interesting to see if this is proved to be true.”