Sunderland accident 3rd December 1941

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STEFAN
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Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 9:17 pm

Sunderland accident 3rd December 1941

Post by STEFAN » Tue May 01, 2012 6:29 pm

Hello

I am researching an incident which happened after a crash of a RAF Sunderland flying boat of the coast of Doonbeg on the night of 3rd December 1941.

Two persons survived from a total crew of eleven and were helped a shore by local men

I have read that one survivors came ashore alone and knocked the window of the Shanahan family.
Then I presume he alerted locals to the incident The Stack family were involved some how but the fog of time has distorted the facts somewhat.

I am interested in knowing

Who came ashore first and how they were helped. A family member Michael Stack was later awarded a certificate by the Humane Society for his help in the rescue of a drowning airman

Little is known of what happened between the Shanahan and Stack family rescue of the drowning airman

Family have advised that one of the crew was given first aid at the family Stack house and the bodies of the remainder of the crew were gathered in the court yard.

Does anybody have any information relating to the incident Are there any photographs of the incident ? local paper report?


I Look forward to hearing from any persons who can throw light on the event

Regards

Stefan

topdog
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:17 pm

Re: Sunderland accident 3rd December 1941

Post by topdog » Tue May 01, 2012 9:45 pm

Hi Stefan.
Sunderland accident of 3 December 1941. This has been fairly extensively covered in previous posts on this Forum under the heading: Four Men buried at Miltown Malbay, December 1941. First post 18 Nov 2008 / most recent 28 Feb 2012. Perhaps you could refer back to those via Search

[Here is a link to that post http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=406 Clare Admin]

Additionally I can add from my own notes:
Three of the crew struggled ashore or were rescued by local people, who had been out watching the aircraft fly up and down the coast, obviously in distress, as darkness started to fall.

One of them, Sergeant James (Jim) Cannell Masterson # 911625, a native of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England (often apparently incorrectly reported to be a Scotsman and / or a Flight Lieutenant), was the only member of the crew not to be wearing a lifejacket, and he attributed this to his survival. The other crew members were weighed down by their life-savers and in the raging seas could not struggle against the tide to reach shore. Being a strong swimmer, Jim Masterson decided to swim for the shore, focussing on a light on the mainland. Eventually hauling himself up the rocks, he made for the home of Patrick Shanahan, a farmer of Doughmore, where his cries for help were heard by Patrick's invalided mother.

A second airman, 19 year old Aircraftman Albert G Bennett # 1081395, although helped out of the water and onto land by Patrick Shanahan who braved the mountainous waves and very high seas, was near exhausted and died a few hours later. Shanahan was later awarded an honorary testimonial by the Humane Society for his efforts. Among the other rescuers was Simon McCarthy of nearby Clohane.

The third airman, the pilot, Flight Lieutenant James Grant Fleming DFC # 40380 (sometimes Sergeant / sometimes Flemming), 23 years old from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, had managed to find a dinghy, though he was apparently washed off this, according to T Ryle Dwyer's 'Guests of the State'. When he eventually reached land, he was helped ashore by three of the waiting rescuers.

Presumably Fleming was the airman assisted by the Stack family as mentioned in Stefan's post

topdog
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:17 pm

Re: Sunderland accident 3rd December 1941

Post by topdog » Tue May 01, 2012 10:24 pm

Hi Stefan

Further to my post a few minutes ago, I have just discovered some of my source notes on this terrible accident,

It is mentioned in the Clare Champion newspaper [published Ennis, Co Clare] of 6 December 1991 (commemorating the 50th anniversary) and of 1 October 1993 (referring to the visit to Doughmore in late Sept 1993 by Jim Masterson) The latter article also shows a photograph of Jim Masterson with Patrick Shanahan, his rescuer.

A larger, portrait, photograph of Patrick Shanahan is shown in the Clare Champion of 7 May 1993, in an article referring to the later 1943 crash landing of a USAAF Liberator bomber on the beach at Lahinch, a few miles away.

Finally following his death at the and of February 2000, at the age of 92, Joe O Muircheartaigh wrote a short article about Patrick Shanahan, also mentioning fellow local Simon McCarthy who went to the rescue with him. This was published in the Clare Champion of 3 March 2000.

Again I trust that this helps

pwaldron
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Location: Ballina, Killaloe
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Re: Sunderland accident 3rd December 1941

Post by pwaldron » Wed May 02, 2012 11:23 am

For more on Fleming in particular and other guests of the state, see Grounded in Éire: The Story of Two RAF Fliers Interned in Ireland during World War II by Ralph Keefer (McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal, 2001). The author's father was another Canadian whose plane came down in Clare.

dp_burke
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 3:23 pm

Re: Sunderland accident 3rd December 1941

Post by dp_burke » Wed May 16, 2018 10:48 am

Hello.

As I'm visiting Quilty at present I seen I never posted the correct address for the webpage on this crew.
http://www.ww2irishaviation.com/w3988.htm

Still seeking some of the crew mens families.
Regards

Dennis

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