The last operation of the Empire Flying Boat – the Calypso A1811
This is an official war time report about the survival of an Royal Australian Airforce crew and one Papuan man in August 1942.
The report of the sinking of the steamship “Mamuta” reached Townsville in the early afternoon of Friday 7 August, 1942. She had been engaged by a Japanese submarine and sunk by shell fire of Horn Island. At 4.30pm the Short Empire Flying Boat A1811 was dispatched from its base at 33 Squadron Townsville on a a search for survivors with the following crew;
F/L Mike Mather, Captain, P/O Dudley Thrift, navigator, Sgt Harrie Howes, 2nd Pilot, Sgt Casimaty 1st Engineer, Sgt. Hank Kilsby, Sgt Fred Darmody, Wireless Air Gunner, LAC. Len Henderson 2nd Engineer. LAC. George Edwards, Rigger, LAC. Stan Williams, Armourer.
One hour and a half after take off the aircraft moored at Cairns where all was made ready for an exceptionally early take off at 3 am next day which was designed to give maximum daylight over the search area. Excellent navigation brought the aircraft over this area at daybreak where an extensive but unsuccessful search was made. A corvette operation on a similar errand from Port Morsby was sighted toward the end of the search and signalled by Aldis Lamp that the aircraft was returning to Horn Island for the purpose of refuelling. During the refuelling break the crew took the opportunity of cooking eggs for a late breakfast. One and a half hours after re-fuelling the boat was on its way again to the search area, the crew hoping against hope that they would see something in the way of a raft or boat. At 3 pm a dark object was observed a little to starboard and on close inspection proved to be a raft crowded with waving survivors. The raft was particularly hard to see in the vastness of the ocean and several circuits were made before the aircraft came to alight. The landing seemed quite normal, but before she had lost her forward momentum the hull had apparently crumpled and water quickly filled to the floor of the flight deck and before she stopped her run the water was lapping over the nose of the aircraft, the crew, meanwhile had effectively evacuated to the whaleback of the aircraft, bringing with them two rubber dinghies. These were quickly inflated and lashed together. Paddles, one emergency ration can, one pair of binoculars, one old mattress, a sheet of three-ply, lifebelts, a flying helmet and a 12ft by inspection platform were salvaged. There was no time for further salvage, as by this time, the water was lapping the wings and the was flight compartment was filled with water. the crew clambered into the rubber dinghies and pushed off from the wreck. It was only then that the grim discovery was made that one of the crew, George Edwards was missing…
To be continued ....Sunday 19 August, 2018
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