Shorts Sunderlands ?

[QUOTE=Allison Johnson]

It’s an interesting video and that’s good visibility for the UK. It looks like the current was running a bit so it was probably quite difficult for the guy to operate the camera, clean the guns and stay where he was.

Ali 🙂

oh £$£%£””$¬!£$% !!!! if only they would let us have broadband!!!! 😡

[QUOTE=Newforest]

Ah, the black art or ranking! 😀 No, it is not related to posts or fences or bridges. It is related to who knows what, in other words do not bother to ask as all will never be revealed or the answer will be nonsensible.

Yes, the video is very interesting, it’s not very clear down there is it! 🙂

It’s an interesting video and that’s good visibility for the UK. It looks like the current was running a bit so it was probably quite difficult for the guy to operate the camera, clean the guns and stay where he was.

Ali 🙂

[QUOTE=Allison Johnson]

How do these ranks work and what do they mean? Is it tied to the amount of posts?

Ali (rank 1)

Ah, the black art or ranking! 😀 No, it is not related to posts or fences or bridges. It is related to who knows what, in other words do not bother to ask as all will never be revealed or the answer will be nonsensible.

Yes, the video is very interesting, it’s not very clear down there is it! 🙂

This is worth looking at.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAIIY5SjDGI

Ali

[QUOTE=25deg south]

A copy of the halifax photo was given to me by a now retired member of BA groundcrew at Aldergrove. Its a photo of a photo ( no digital technology available in the 80’s when I got it) I’ve no idea of its original source unfortunately. I’m assuming a member of the salvage operation took it, being postwar with less restrictions possibly. I’ll investigate a liitle further myself to see what info I can get.
QUOTE]
Interesting to see the parallel chat going on with the “Aircraft in Lakes” thread. After over thirty years I finally see a shot of that bl..dy Halifax!
And its my double century post.

How do these ranks work and what do they mean? Is it tied to the amount of posts?

Ali (rank 1)

[QUOTE=Airfixtwin]A copy of the halifax photo was given to me by a now retired member of BA groundcrew at Aldergrove. Its a photo of a photo ( no digital technology available in the 80’s when I got it) I’ve no idea of its original source unfortunately. I’m assuming a member of the salvage operation took it, being postwar with less restrictions possibly. I’ll investigate a liitle further myself to see what info I can get.
QUOTE]
Interesting to see the parallel chat going on with the “Aircraft in Lakes” thread. After over thirty years I finally see a shot of that bl..dy Halifax!
And its my double century post.

Sunderland survivors

Diverting from the diving theme,and preserved examples. Does anyone know if this example is still with us…..former RNZAF Sunderland V NZ4111 on Chatham Island
Ian Hutchison wrote an article for Flypast on it in March 94

We also fitted the Sunderland with a full complement of Brownings! I have not read all of this thread so this may have been covered but there are 3 or 4 Sunderland wrecks in the waters off Oban between 50-180 metres down. Some of them very diveable. But locals are precious so seek permission.

There were three that were scuttled in Lough Erne too.

Ali

We also fitted the Sunderland with a full complement of Brownings! I have not read all of this thread so this may have been covered but there are 3 or 4 Sunderland wrecks in the waters off Oban between 50-180 metres down. Some of them very diveable. But locals are precious so seek permission.

… to show service 1945/46 when in service on the ‘Berlin Air Lift’. Yes the Berlin Airlift!

Salt to the lake, IIRC. The Sunderland’s postwar service is not less creditable than its wartime one.

Roundals on wings date from original restoration in late 1980’s as a 1950’s RAF markings. Latest markings on fuselage to show service 1945/46 when in service on the ‘Berlin Air Lift’. Yes the Berlin Airlift!

Hopefully the IWM will let us change the wing roundals!

Interesting combination of postwar roundels on the wings and wartime style roundels complete with yellow outline on the fuselage.
What era would this combination date from?

William

Hello I can assure forum members ML796 was temporarily ‘tailess’ in H2 at DX as we had to take the fin off to store her until the new airspace was ready. In this time we painted the fuselage and added squadron codes.

Enjoy a pic of ML796 in the new Airspace.

The B17 was a B17-F (41-24516) which ditched on the night of September 11th 1942, and was flown by Captain William Curtis Melton and was discovered by the Inishowen Sub-Aqua Club in 2001. I have dived this also and it’s pretty much intact. There have been a lot of artifacts taken from it but the majority of them made it to the Maritime Museum in Greencastle.

Ali

Sorry to quote myself but rather than type all this in again. Here is a picture of the 50 cal machine gun off the B17 and the thing I find curious is the armour around the gun that makes it look a bit like a field gun. Was this something that was particular to the early models?

Ali

It does look interesting. Im no sonar expert so i could not judge if it looked like a Sunderland or not. Is there any way of measuring the size on these things? That could help alot.
I also like the idea of a wesite for these finds.

Wow it really looks like you have your head screwed on right Ali.Maybe you need to do up a website that records all the major wrecks around the English isles.Something in the likes of Pacific Ghosts maybe.Keep up the good work mate.Really enjoying seeing this other side of the restoration bizz.

Salvage photo

A copy of the halifax photo was given to me by a now retired member of BA groundcrew at Aldergrove. Its a photo of a photo ( no digital technology available in the 80’s when I got it) I’ve no idea of its original source unfortunately. I’m assuming a member of the salvage operation took it, being postwar with less restrictions possibly. I’ll investigate a liitle further myself to see what info I can get.

I’d definitely be interested in seeing some sonar images of the Sunderland at Milford haven Allison.
Does anyone plan any returns to Lough Erne for another go there?

Nice one Airfixtwin!!! mind sharing the source???? Go on go on go on!!!!

Lough Neagh crashes

Some photographic evidence of the salvage operations that took place at Lough Neagh……….. Halifax RG831 in 1948.

All the info seems to match up OK, Sunderland W4001 I have down as hit a rock taxying, DBR. DD858 I’ve actually got down as capsized and sank in Belfast Lough???? Catalina Z2152 I have down as beached and classified DBR.

A propellor from the Liberator in Lough Foyle was recovered by 665 Sqn AAC in 1982 and mounted outside the Sgt’s mess at Ballykelly, I’ve also heard of dives taking place on a B-17 at the mouth of Lough Foyle, which was on a ferry flight. Quite a few aircraft went into Lough Foyle, some very close to the shore. I walked out to the remains of a Firefly on the mud flats at Eglinton back around 1987. The tail section and rear cockpit remained lying on their side and half filled with mud, along with the port wing.

Back to Lough Neagh then….The Blenheim, T2128, I have down as being from 254 Sqn who where based at Aldergrove at that time.The bodies and wreckage, again being recovered by the Henry McGarry organization. The wreckage was collected at Lough Neagh on the 30th Sept By a team from 11 Repair & Salvage Unit, and the crew were buried at Killead Church of Ireland Graveyard. So it I think it can be ruled out as our mystery twin.

Two Beauforts also crashed in the Lough: AW311 No 5 OTU, 2/4/43. The wreck was again salvaged an brought ashore on the 17th April, and L4503 which crashed 28/5/43 again from No 5 OTU. The RAF form 1180 says crashed at ‘ Sweene Flat ‘ which might in fact be Skane. I don’t know if t 🙂 his aircraft was salvaged.

All these are RAF aircraft, and it is interesting to speculate if any U.S aircraft may be in Lough Neagh.
Cluntoe, Toome and Langford Lodge all former U.S bases and all on or near the shores. Has anyone investigated the USAAF records?

Thanks for pointing out that website Hurrifan, hadn’t seen it before.

no problem found it by chance myself…wonderfull thing this internet gizmo!!

thanks for all the gen on the various crashes.

so we still dont know what this twin is….Reckon there should be records of its location with Aldergrove ATC with all the reports they apparently have been getting ? Wonder if we rang and asked nicely…… :rolleyes: