210 SQUADRON - Bomber, Short Sunderland
History | Operations and losses | Sources | Links | Books | Questions and/or remarks
In June 1938, the first Sunderlands arrived and by the end of the year No.210 was fully equipped. The first operational patrol with the type was flown on 3 September 1939. On the outbreak of war the squadron was immediately involved in patrolling the Irish Sea and with detachments at Invergordon and Sullom Voe, the North Sea to the Norwegian coast. The squadron re-located its headquarters in July 1940, when it moved to Oban and began conversion to Catalinas.
From October 1942, the squadron was back at Pembroke Dock with a detachment at Gibraltar covering the North African landings. The squadron moved to Hamworthy in April 1943, whilst the detachment at Gibraltar remained there , however, on 31 December the detachment was transferred to No 202 Squadron and the squadron HQ was disbanded.
The squadron was reformed on 1 January 1944 by renumbering No 190 Squadron at Sullom Voe in the Shetlands, where it continued to operate until the end of the war, disbanding on 4 June 1945. During this period one of its pilots, Flying Officer John Cruickshank carried out a daring attack on a German U-boat and despite severe injuries, managed to fly his aircraft home and waiting until daybreak was able to land it safely saving his crew, an achievement for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Station
Pembroke Dock Sept 1939 to Jul 1940
See also the War Diary May 1940 of 201 Squadron, also flying in Sunderlands. Other Sunderland units were 10 (RAAF), 204 and 228 Squadrons.
back up
Operations and losses 10/05/1940 - 30/06/1940
Not all operations listed; those with fatal losses are.
29/06/1940: Convoy Patrol, Atlantic Ocean. 1 Plane lost, 9 MIA
back up
Fatalities 01/01/1940 - 09/05/1940 (incomplete)
Type: Sunderland I
Sergeant (Pilot) Jack C. Carpenter, RAFVR 745604 (Australia), 210 Sqdn., age 28, 09/04/1940, Sylling Churchyard, Norway
Sergeant (Obs.) James A.L. Barter, RAFVR 751471, 210 Sqdn., age 21, 09/04/1940, Sylling Churchyard, Norway
Sergeant (Pilot) Jack C. Carpenter, RAFVR 745604, 210 Sqdn., age 28, 09/04/1940, Sylling Churchyard, Norway
Aircraftman 2nd Class George Eveson, RAF 635904, 210 Sqdn., age 29, 09/04/1940, Sylling Churchyard, Norway
Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) Peter W.H. Kite, RAF 40231, 210 Sqdn., age 20, 09/04/1940, Sylling Churchyard, Norway
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Arthur F. Le Maistre, RAF 41033 (Canada), 210 Sqdn., age 26, 09/04/1940, Sylling Churchyard, Norway
Aircraftman 1st Class Graham H. Maile, RAF 543456, 210 Sqdn., age unknown, 09/04/1940, Sylling Churchyard, Norway
Aircraftman 1st Class Robert L. Millar, RAF 569861, 210 Sqdn., age unknown, 09/04/1940, Sylling Churchyard, Norway
Leading Aircraftman Frederick A. Morrison, RAF 522580, 210 Sqdn., age 30, 09/04/1940, Sylling Churchyard, Norway
Leading Aircraftman Douglas W.B. Upham, RAF 562805, 210 Sqdn., age unknown, 09/04/1940, Sylling Churchyard, Norway
back up
29/06/1940: Convoy Patrol
Type: Short Sunderland Mk I
Serial number: N9026, DA-D
Operation: Convoy Patrol
Lost: 29/06/1940
Flight Lieutenant Allan S. Ainslie, RAF 37310 (South Africa), 210 Sqdn., DFC, age unknown, 29/06/1940, missing
Flying Officer Colin F. Elder, RAF 70787, 210 Sqdn., age unknown, 29/06/1940, missing
Pilot Officer Geoffrey N. Gaylard, RAF 41398, 210 Sqdn., age unknown, 29/06/1940, missing
Sergeant Frederick E.G. Balley, RAFVR 755360, 210 Sqdn., age 27, 29/06/1940, missing
Sergeant Glyndwr L. Walters, RAF 533619, 210 Sqdn., age 26, 29/06/1940, missing
Sergeant Albert G.N. Hayes, RAF 522076, 210 Sqdn., age 25, 29/06/1940, missing
Sergeant Douglas T. Crockett, RAF 570634, 210 Sqdn., age unknown, 29/06/1940, missing
Leading Aircraftman Eilwyn R. Morris, RAF 536055, 210 Sqdn., age 27, 29/06/1940, missing
Leading Aircraftman Edwin Peacock, RAF , 210 sqdn., age 19, 29/06/1940, missing
Took off 04.30 hrs from Pembroke Dock. Missing off the SW coast of Ireland. and believed to have been shot down. A Milford Haven trawler later recovered Sgt Hayes' gas mask bag and pieces of wreckage identified as coming from the nose of a Sunderland. The crew members are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
It could be that Wing Commander Ernest Reginald Baker refers to this loss in this letter, dated 02/07/1940:
'It seems that Angel and Junior were shot down just off the coast here - it's a damned shame they were two grand blokes. Incidentally my crew weren't with them - chaps I have flown with since came here.'
Sources: CWGC and Ross McNeill, Coastal Command Losses of the Second World War, Volume 1 (1939-1941), Midland publishing, 2003. ISBN: 1 85780 128 8
back up
Sources
Air of Authority - 210 Squadron
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database
Bail-outs for 1940
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
RAF - Campaign Diary - The Battle of France (May-June 1940)
RAF Museum: British Military Aviation in 1940
RAF Order of Battle, France, 10th May 1940
Royal Air Force History Section
The Royal Air Force, 1939-1945
The Second World War - a day by day account
The War in France and Flanders, 1939-1940, by Major L.F. Ellis, 1954
Wing Commander Ernest Reginald Baker, DSO, DFC and Bar
back up
Books
D C T Bennett 'Pathfinder' (Goodall Publications 1958/88)
J Evans 'Sopwiths to Sunderlands: 210 Squadron RAF 1917-41' (Paterchurch 1999)
Ross McNeill, Coastal Command Losses of the Second World War, Volume 1 (1939-1941), Midland publishing, 2003. ISBN: 1 85780 128 8
Schofield/ Conyers Nesbit 'Arctic airmen' (2005)
Mike Seymour & Bill Balderson 'To the ends of the earth- 210 Sqns Catalina years' (Paterchurch Publications ISBN 1 870745 08 6)
back up
Links
Air Aces
Airwar over Denmark
Allied World War II Casualties in the Netherlands
Armée de l'Air - Order of Battle,
10th May 1940
Australian Wargraves
Axis History Factbook
Battle-of-Britain.com
De Belgen in Engeland 1940-1945 (in Dutch)
Belgian Aviation History Association Archaeological Team
British Aircraft Directory
British Aviation Archaeological Council - Books and research links
HMS Cavalier
Ciel de Gloire (in French)
RAF Squadrons
CWGC Cemeteries Germany
CWGC Cemeteries Netherlands
Czechoslovak airmen in
the RAF 1940-1945
Danish WW2 Pilots
Dutch Pilots in RAF Squadrons
Eagles Squadrons (American pilots in the RAF)
Håkans aviation page (from Sweden, in English)
'High flight', poem by John Gillespie Magee
An Irish Airman Foresees His Death, poem by W.B. Yeats
Jagdgeschwader 27 (in German)
Luchtoorlog ('Arial War', in Dutch, with many photos)
Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth
The Luftwaffe, 1933-1945
Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum
The National Ex-Prisoners of War Association
Naval History.net
Nordic Aviation during WW2
Pilotfriend.com: aircraft of WW2
Polish Air Force 1940-1947 Operations Record Books
RAF Battle of Britain
RAF Upwood
De Slag om de Grebbeberg (Dutch)
Warbird Alley
War over Holland
World War II Aircraft wrecksites in Norway
www.bomber-command.de
Bills-Bunker.de
The Lancastershire Aircraft Investigation Team
North East Diary 1939-1945
Wartime Leicester and
Leicestershire
The Aerodrome -
Aces and Aircraft of World War 1
WW1 Cemeteries
back up
This page is dedicated to the men of 210 Squadron.
© Bart FM Droog / Rottend Staal Online 2008. Permission granted for use of the data gathered here for non commercial purposes, if this source is mentioned with a link to http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/index.html
|