Operation: Anti-Submarine Patrol

Date: 12th August 1942 (Wednesday)

Unit No: 461 Squadron RAAF, 15 Group, Coastal Command

Type: Sunderland II

Serial: T9090

Code: UT:B

Base: RAF Mount Batten, Devon

Location: North Atlantic Ocean off Brest

Captain: Wg Cdr. Neville Anthony Roy Halliday 26200 RAF Age 30. MiA (1)

1st Pilot: Fg Off. Roger Phillip Barker 402483 RAAF Age 22. MiA (2)

2nd Pilot: Fg Off. David Laurenti 407749 RAAF Age 25. MiA

Observer: Fg Off. John Herbert Ferrier Watson 402193 RAAF Age 22. Survived (3)

1st Fitter: Sgt. John Wright 962564 RAFVR Age 26. MiA

2nd Fitter: Sgt. George Turner 624304 RAFVR Age 21. MiA

1st WOp: Flt Sgt. Thomas Alfred Betts 550720 RAFVR Age 22. MiA

2nd WOp: Sgt. Charles George Bentley 401361 RAAF Age 26. MiA

3rd WOp. Charles Leonard Unsworth 405088 RAAF Age 26. MiA

Rigger: Sgt. Ronald Fletcher 647612 RAF Age 21. MiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. William Alfred Ramsey 416064 RAAF Age 20. MiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

Sunderland II T9090 took-off at 15:40 hrs from RAF Mount Batten in Devon on an Anti-Submarine Patrol. Enroute they were directed to the area of a ditched Wellington to carry out a ‘Creeping line ahead search pattern’ (CLA) to locate the aircraft and crew.

Wellington VIII BB503 WN:D was over the North Atlantic when at 03:55 hrs, the tail gunner noticed excessive sparks coming from one of the engines. At the same time the starboard engine oil pressure dropped and the aircraft started losing height. The pilot had no option but to ditch the aircraft. The entire crew escaped injury and settled on a wing. The pilot pulled the dinghy from its stowage area, inflated it and all six (6) of the crew climbed aboard:

Fg Off. Allan William Russell Triggs 400500, RAAF;
Plt Off. Colin Badham 403467 RAAF;
Plt Off. J.C. Devonshire J7989 RCAF;
Flt Sgt. R.P. McLean 966872 RAFVR;
Flt Sgt. A.S. Cartwright 971501 RAFVR;
Sgt. N.P. Walker 13762396 RAFVR

Above: Photograph of Plt Off. Devonshire, J7989 RCAF, taken on the 28th September 1942. (Courtesy of François Dutil)

The Wellington reported their position to base of the planned ditching.

The last signal received from the Sunderland was at 17:45 hrs which stated “Am over dinghy SPTC 1235 alighting”

(1) Wg Cdr. Halliday was the Commanding Officer (CO) of the Squadron since May 1942.

(2) Fg Off. Roger Phillip Barker

Above left: Fg Off. Roger P. Barker. Group photograph left to right: Flt Sgt. George G. Mallaby, Fg Off. Roger P. Barker, Jock Ritchie? and Geoff Hall? outside the Fish Hotel in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The then Plt Off. George Gilmour Mallaby 402902 RAAF was one of seven (7) crew MiA on the 15th July 1942 aboard 159 Squadron Liberator II AL566 on an operation to Benghazi.

(3) The following is a statement provided by Fg Off. Watson after being rescued and which described the circumstances of the loss of Sunderland II T9090 and her crew:

‘This statement commences after UT:B had been attacked by a Conder aircraft and the attack broken of without any damage being sustained by UT:B.

We received re-direction signal to a new position of the dinghy and arrived there at approximately 1915 hours. We had just turned on the first leg of a square search when the tail gunner reported a Very pistol light approximately two miles on starboard side.

On circling we found two dinghy’s, one empty and the other containing men. Wind speed on the leg was 290/26 knots. We then did three circuits. During these circuits we went approximately one mile away and dropped our Depth Charges (DC) and Anti-Submarine (A/S) bombs. The Captain asked the galley whether all DC, and A/S bombs had gone. Galley replied "No, one depth charge is still on the starboard side (Number 6) shall I try and knock if off." Captain replied "No, bring it in.” Petrol was then jettisoned and the pipes were replaced. One run was made over the dinghy taking photographs. On one circuit we dropped a smoke float and later prepared to land up wind and up swell.

I then prepared the signal that we were over the dinghy’s but as the Captain appeared to be in a hurry to land I queried about sykoeing the signal. The Captain ordered the crew to "stand by". I then got the crew with their Mae Wests on to the top deck. Pilot Officer Laurenti was still downstairs taking photographs. The sykoeing of the position signal impeded safety preparation. Pilot Officer Laurenti then came up to the bridge, but he was not wearing a Mae West as there was one short for the boat.

Sykoeing - Referred to the use of the SYKO cipher device, a mechanical encryption tool used by the British military to encode and decode messages, particularly for low-level radio traffic. The SYKO device was employed by the RAF and the RN for secure communications during the war.

We then prepared to land, and from the astro-dome I saw waves 10 to 12 ft in height coming up. I undid two clips of the astro-dome, and we made what appeared a good gliding landing, but hit the top of the first wave. This impact appeared to break the step, we then seemed to bounce and the Captain opened up engines and we were carried 400 to 500 yds. We touched again with the nose a bit more up, and there was a heavy crash. I think the whole for'ard of the step had gone. We then touched lightly on the third wave top, but below stalling speed.

As we became waterborne I could hear metallic and rending noises, and just then a large cross wave struck the port bow and carried away the port float. Subsequently the Wellington crew told me that the starboard outer engine had lost its propellor. The boat slewed heavily to starboard, and everyone was thrown to port. I was banged against the port side of the plane and then made a dash for the astro-hatch and undid the remaining two bolts with the willing assistance of the two engineers. This was warped and stuck by the crash but we managed to swing it down and the two engineers then clambered out on the main plane. I turned back for a dinghy, Very pistol and cartridges or anything at hand all to take with me. By this time the water was 2 ft deep on the bridge, as I turned back to the hatch to escape the outward pressure of the water it closed it on me.

Last thing I remembered before I became unconscious was being jammed under the astro-graph platform with water over my head. When I regained consciousness my body was still in the plane but my head was out through the hatch, held between Plt Off. Laurenti's knees. He was sitting in the hatch with his legs hanging down. I was then pulled out of the aircraft and saw the crew on the main plane preparing a "J" type dinghy which had come from aft. I think the aircraft may have been broken in two. The Captain and four others were sitting in the dinghy, Plt Off. Laurenti and I were on the main float. Fg Off. Barker was treading water approximately 100 yards south of the aircraft with his Mae West on and swimming east from there. Sgt. Ramsey and Flt Sgt. Betts were approximately 60 yards due west of aircraft and treading water.

The waves were approximately 12 ft from crest to trough. I was laid across dinghy, when I recovered I asked whether anybody was hurt, and the Captain replied "No, not that I know of." In the dinghy was the Captain, Sgt. Wright, Sgt. Turner both of whom had scratched faces, Sgt. Bently (who was joking) and myself. Plt Off. Laurenti had one hand on the plane, and one on the dinghy, Sgts. Fletcher and Unsworth were hanging on to the dinghy. On the nose of the "J" type dinghy there suddenly appeared a bulge, apparently caused by a flaw in the rubber, we had only been in the dinghy about four mins. This swelled up to about a foot and then burst. This "J" type dinghy is normally for three people only and was still reasonably light.

When the dinghy burst, it still floated so we hung on to the sides. The Captain said "Chaps, I'm awfully sorry about this". Nobody answered, he then said "Our only hope is for someone to go for the empty dinghy, can anybody swim it?" There was no answer for a minute, I then answered "I can swim alright." I started to go, but Sgt. Bentley held me back and said "Wait a minute until you get over it a bit." The Captain then took the nose of the dinghy and said "Hang on to the side and paddle towards the other dinghy which is down wind from us." I then started to swim towards the dinghy, it took approximately ¾ hour to reach the dinghy. I swam side stroke two thirds of the way. When I arrived at the dinghy I was too weak to get into it so hung on the ladder hoping to act as an anchor and keep the dinghy from getting further away before the others arrived. After a short while I felt myself slipping off the ladder and so making a desperate effort I climbed into the dinghy.

I rested for a moment, and then tried to find a paddle but could not do so, it was almost dark now and as I stood up I saw the full Wellington dinghy, but no sign of the aircraft port float or any of the crew. I then suffered another fit of vomiting. At last I heard a Whitley aircraft pass directly over, flying approx. 1000 ft what I thought was the site of the crash in search of me. I thought it may drop a dinghy but it did not appear to do so. I was possibly unconscious before and after this.

Later I took stock of the dinghy and found sea anchor, mast, a knife, a valise container for dinghy, my own Mae West. I then tried to sleep in the cold and rain, was too weak to bale the dinghy out, and suffered from cramps and shivers all night.

Finally it was light and I then found a graduated mica beaker and with the aid of this baled out the dinghy. I then untangled the mast, erected it and put up the red windsock. When it was fairly light, approximately 08:00 hrs I sighted the Wellington dinghy approximately 6 miles NW of me. I waved but did not get any reply. I passed time in exercise in trying to get dry. In the early afternoon a Beaufighter aircraft circled over my dinghy and later circled the Wellington dinghy. Approximately an hour later another Beaufighter appeared and both aircraft circled over the Wellington dinghy but not over me. Despite signalling with handkerchief in morse and semaphore that I was an Australian and not a German I did not get any acknowledgment. Both Beaufighters then disappeared. Approximately one hour later two Whitleys appeared, the Black one circled over the Wellington dinghy and the White one over me. The Black Whitley departed on a course of approximately 360^O an hour later. A few minutes later the White Whitley went in a wide circuit SE of me. About this time three Arados 196's appeared from North out of the clouds flying approximately 150 ft to 200 ft. The Whitley apparently sighted them when they were about 15 miles away as it seemed to climb and make away to the East.

When the Whitley was about 4,000 ftin height and one mile from cloud cover it was overtaken by the Arados, which rising steeply from the water attacked the Whitley. When attacking, one from port, one in rear and one from ahead. I could not see any flashes but heard a lot of gunfire, and almost immediately the Arado attacking from rear did a steep turn and dived towards the water. He went out of sight, over the horizon and I think he had been shot down. By this time the Whitley had made cloud cover which apparently was fairly thin.

Gunfire continued, and seemed to increase. Gun firing then ceased and I heard a large explosion and saw a column of smoke about 500 ft high rise from the water. I concluded that the Whitley had been shot down.

The sea was still rough but the weather was improving and I was almost dry. Much later I sighted a small ship which may have been a fishing vessel or destroyer coming towards me, and in the failing light thought it was possibly a rescue boat. Darkness fell and I expected to see some pyrotechnics, but did not. The weather deteriorated and it was blowing hard from the South. I had a slightly better night.

Next morning it was very foggy, visibility very bad and I lost all sight of the other dinghy, conditions for rescue boat were bad. At first light I sighted a Junker 88 flying at 1500 ft on a course NW. Nothing else was sighted, except a shark. Sea grew rougher, and later I sighted six fishing vessels on the horizon, and took down my windsock as I did not wish to be picked up by a fishing vessel and become a prisoner. I hoped to be blown further and further north and perhaps reach the Scilly Isles. I did not see anything else that day, which was Friday, the 14th August, 1942. I slept in between taking exercises and bailing water out of the dinghy. At dusk I drank another half tin of water and went to sleep.

Next morning the weather was worse still. In the morning I had to keep moving round the dinghy endeavouring to protect myself from the wind. Later I rigged up the valise on the mast to increase my speed northwards, and put out the sea anchor which helped to stop the dinghy from slewing around.

A small fish came from under the dinghy, I tried to catch it but could not. It stayed around the dinghy until Sunday night. I saw nothing else that day which was Saturday, 15th August. That night I drank some more water, and chewed the leather straps of my watch. It rained hard all night. Next morning (Sunday, the 16th August, 1942) the weather was better. The sun came out early and I dried all my clothes on the mast.

A Beaufighter appeared, and circled round me. I signalled "FOOD" with handkerchief on a stick. He signalled back "S5" which I could not understand. Then another Beaufighter appeared. I saw Very lights go up from the sea on the horizon and the second Beaufighter circled. I lay down in the dinghy. The first Beaufighter dropped a packet into the sea about 300 yards from me. I did not see the packet again. He then dropped another parcel 100 yards upwind from me, it burst and floated showing some red substance but I could not get to it. I dared not try to swim for it, for fear of losing my dinghy.

Later two Hudsons appeared. One came over me and dropped a smoke float. Then he came again with bomb doors open and dropped down wind a string of packages tied by ropes. These fell about 100 yards away, and I did not get these because I lost sight of them.

The Hudson signalled "HAVE DROPPED FOOD" they then flew round and finally made off. In the meantime the other Hudson circled the Wellington dinghy. Whilst searching for the food dropped I sighted the other dinghy about a mile away and so rigged up a sail and made towards them. After half an hour I had only made slight progress so removed the section of the mast, took an empty water tin, cut holes in it with a knife, pushed it on a section of the mast, flattened the end of it down and so made a paddle. This helped the steering considerably, and although I still searched for the food there was no sign of it. It was approximately 13:00 hrs.

After two more hours I was close enough to the other dinghy for them to see me and wave. I could see that they wore RAF uniform. Between 17:00 and 18:00 hrs I hailed them "I am all for the open life, how about you."They replied “You wouldn't be an Australian, would you." I replied "Yes, of the Sunderland aircraft. Did you see any of the others." They replied "No, we thought you were a Jerry and were standing by in case you tried to take us prisoners." I then joined them in the large dinghy which was dry and they rubbed me down and gave me a malted milk tablet and half a tin of tomato juice.

They painted my cuts and chaffs with antiseptic. We then exchanged experiences. After half an hour later we had another ration of food and settled down. Hudson aircraft now departed. About a quarter of an hour later four Fw190s arrived and did a circuit of dinghies, at approximately 600 feet and then broke off individually and flew over us at approximately 30 feet and waggled their wings, did another circuit and departed due East. Fifteen to twenty minutes later a Beaufighter approached from NW and turned on leg NE, apparently searching. In view of the proximity of enemy aircraft we decided not to fire the Very pistol. The Beaufighter had just disappeared when two more Fw190s came out of the clouds, they did not appear to see us and went after the previous four Fw190s. At almost last light a Sunderland flew directly over us from the NW at 800 to 1000 ft. We again decided not to fire the Very pistol.

Shortly after day break appeared two Beaufighters and two Hudsons we signalled them with a underwater torch to go away as there were Fw190s about. The Hudsons did not take any notice or acknowledge the signal. Next message to use was "IT WON'T BE LONG NOW." The Hudsons departed north and after approximately five minutes circled a spot where we could see a ship which looked like a small destroyer approaching. This turned out to be a Motor Launch which, together with three others, reached us half an hour later. During this time we made preparations to be taken off the dinghy.

We scrambled on board and took the three dinghies with us, at the same time warning them about the enemy aircraft we had sighted the previous night.

Very shortly after this we were attacked by two Fw190s; the motor boat put up a very heavy machine gun fire and the enemy aircraft departed.

It was thought that one aircraft was hit along the fuselage on the port side. About an hour later there appeared a Condor, 2 Ju88s, 3 Arados and 2 Fw190s. These stayed well out and appeared to be waiting to develop their attack. A Beaufighter kept up a patrol between the Motor Boats and the Arados. Later 7 more Beaufighters arrived and acted as escort. The original Beaufighter then departed. A Ju88 came into attack but was chased away by two of the Beaufighters. About five hours later we were joined by two Hurricanes and two of the Beaufighters departed. We arrived at Newlyn near Penzance at approximately 17:00 hrs and were taken to the West Penzance Hospital for medical treatment. I returned via road to my Unit on the following day, Tuesday 18th August 1942’.

The Whitley he saw flying over in its search of the downed crews on the 13th August was Whitley V Z9300 from 10 Operational Training Unit suffered (OTU). It suffered a port engine failure which forced them to ditch at 16:10 hrs.

Sgt. F. Boyd;
Sgt. W.G. Wishart;
Sgt. T. Parker;
Sgt. R.F. Crouch;
Sgt. A.J. Hendry.

The crew clambered aboard their dinghy and were safely picked up some 3 days later by a Royal Navy destroyer.

After returning to his unit he was promoted to Flt Lt. on the 14th February 1943 and was appointed the Staff Navigator on 461 Sqn. On the 1st July 1944 he was promoted to temporary Sqn Ldr.

Above: Sqn Ldr. John H.F. Watson from his service record

He was repatriated to Australia on the 4th December 1944 and was posted to General Reconnaissance School at Bairnsdale Airfield in Victoria. At his own request his appointment in the RAAF was terminated on the 28th August 1945.

John Herbert Ferrier Watson was born on the 14th April 1916 in Sydney, Australia. John passed away on the 27th February 2000.

.

Burial details:

Above: Runnymede Memorial (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

Wg Cdr. Neville Anthony Roy Halliday. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 64. Born on the 9th November 1911 in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Son of Lionel Edward and Constance Margrette Theodora (née Pardoe) Halliday of Liphook, Hampshire, England.

Fg Off. Roger Phillip Barker. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 109. Born on the 5th February 1920 at Hunters Hill, New South Wales. Son of Edwin Roy and Meta Beatrice Barker of South Yarra, Victoria, Australia.

Fg Off. David Laurenti. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 110. Born on the 17th January 1917 at Mount Gambier. Son of Hubert Rundle Laurenti and Muriel Laurenti of Brighton, South Australia.

Sgt. John Wright. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 97. Born on the 17th December 1916 in Brockenhurst, Hampshire. Son of John and Alice (née Patterson) Wright of Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Sgt. George Turner. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 95. Born in the 3rd Qtr 1921 in Morpeth, Northumberland. Son of John James and Hannah Turner of Stakeford, Choppinton, Northumberland, England.

Flt Sgt. Thomas Alfred Betts. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 73. Born on the 23rd April 1918 in Hastings, Sussex. Son of William Samual Thomas and Clara Liza (née George) Betts. Husband of Mary Gertrude (née Dent) Betts of Hilgay, Norfolk, England.

Sgt. Charles George Bentley. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 111. Born on the 9th December 1915 at South Melbourne, Victoria. Son of Charles John and Emily Olive Bentley. Husband of Mary Theresa Bentley of West Richmond, Victoria, Australia.

Sgt. Charles Leonard Unsworth. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 113. Born on the 27th November 1915 at Brisbane, Queensland. Son of Leonard and Elizabeth Florence Unsworth. Husband of Annie Mavis Unsworth of Lytton, Queensland, Australia.

Sgt. Ronald Fletcher. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 83. Son of Henry William and Edith Beatrice Fletcher of Llwynypia, Glamorgan, Wales.

Sgt. William Alfred Ramsey. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 113. Born on the 15th June 1922 at Norwood, South Australia. Son of Alfred Mercer and Florence Lily Ramsey of McLaren Vale, South Australia.

We are indebted to Ross McNeill the leading researcher for Coastal Command Losses and others. It has been researched for Sally Gaunt and the family of Fg Off. Barker. Dedicated to the relatives of the crew and their families (Mar 2018). Link to Liberator II AL556 added (Feb 2019). Thanks to François Dutil for the photograph of Plt Off. Devonshire (Feb 2020). Reviewed, corrected and updated with new information by Aircrew Remembered (Mar 2026).

Other sources listed below:

• Paul McGuiness RAAF Archive 461 Sqd RAAF

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