Short Sunderland (Photos & info IWM)

A formation of Short Sunderland Mk.I flying boats of 228
Squadron, Royal Air Force, approaching Newhaven
on the East Sussex coast

A formation of Short Sunderland Mk.I flying boats of 228
Squadron, Royal Air Force, over the English Channel

Short Sunderland Mark I, L2163 DA-G, of No. 210 Squadron
RAF based at Oban, in flight over the Atlantic while escorting
Canadian Troop Convoy 6 (TC.6), inbound for Greenock

Sunderland Mark III/Mark V prototype conversion, ML839 A,
of No. 10 Squadron RAAF based at Mount Batten,
Devon, making a test flight off the South Coast. ML839
was refitted with Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90 Twin Wasps
in place of its Bristol Pegasus XVIIIs by No.10 Squadron

Short Sunderland GR Mark V, ML778 NS-Z, flown by
Wing Commander J Barrett, the Commanding Officer
of No. 201 Squadron RAF and his crew, based at Castle Archdale,
 County Fermanagh, undertaking Coastal
Command's last operational patrol of the war,
escorting an Atlantic convoy south-west of Ireland

This aircraft was the first production Mk V . 15 May 1945 went to 
Calshot which was at that time a Flying Boat Servicing Unit. 
March 1946 she joined No.4 Operational Unit at Wig Bay, 
in July 1946 was put in Storage at 57 MU. December 1949 the aircraft 
was allocated to the French Aeronavale under the terms of an
agreement between the French and British Governments. 
June 1950 the aircraft went to Shorts Brothers at Belfast to 
undergo modifications as specified by the French Navy.
 These were completed by Aug 1951 when the aircraft went to France 
via 57MU at Wig Bay. The aircraft went on to serve with 
various units of the Aeronavale. 30 January 1962 the aircraft was 
struck off charge. 1965 the aircraft was purchased by M Bertin 
from the French Navy training base at Brest and transported 
by road 353 kilometres to La Baule in Brittany where the inside 
was gutted out and she was turned into a discotheque and 
drinks club. In May 1976 the aircraft came to the attention 
of the Museum as it became known that the local 
authority wished to have the aircraft removed as it blocked the 
path of a proposed road.

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