Contact Re: Sunderland Dv985

[darren.crick]

Guys,

can anyone translate and perhaps make contact on our behalf??

"Le 26 avril 1944, le Sunderland DV985 codé I, de la flottille 7FE disparait au large de Dakar au cours d'une mission de recherche anti-sous-marine. Tout l'équipage, soit 13 hommes disparait avec lui. Il s'agissait, par ordre alphabétique de : BONDON Georges, EV1 navaé, BOUVEYRON Paul, EV1 navaé, COSSET Germain, QM mecbo, GABOU Théodore, Mt mecbo, GIMAT Gabriel, SM pilav, GUILLOU René, QM radio, LE CORFEC Louis, QM mitbo, LE HENRY René, SM mecbo, LEROY Louis, SM pilav, MARTIN Roger, QM mitbo, OFFRET Francis, Mr radbo, PARA Gaston, QM radbo, RABIER Maurice, QM darbo"
realname: STELLA Jean-Claude

[Luig]

Here is a part translation from an e-mail correspondent in Reunion (Island):

"On April 26th,1944 the Sunderland DV 985 (radiocode I), from squadron
(flottile is the French name for Navy Squadron) 7FE,disappears off the
coasts of Dakar during an anti submarine patrol. The whole crew disappears :
- here are all the names and grades- (GRADES=rank I guess)
If you want some grades translation, tell me, please, it will take more
time."

Probably the correspondent would be happy to directly e-mail - I'll send you details Darren.

[herkman]

Must have really been a RAF airframe.

The French Navy took delivery of 19 rebuilt ex RAF Sunderlands (one of which survives in the RAF Museum).

These deliveries were not made until 1951.

Three if these were lost on operations, the last (no serial quoted) was strangly lost off DAKAR SENEGAL ON THE 7/7/58 with the lose of four people.

When you look at the lose of aircraft by the French sine the war, it is very high.

Regards

Col

[Joe Barr]

According to the Air Britain publication 'Royal Air Force Aircraft DA100-DZ999' Sunderland DV985 crashed near Goree Island on the date given. Goree is just off Dakar where there was a flying boat base at a place called Bel Air until at least 1963 when I had a flight in an Aernavale P5M Marlin based there. The book lists DV985 as with 343 Squadron RAF when it crashed.

However!!. Another Air Britain publication 'The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force and Commonwealth 1918-1988' by the same author (James J Halley) states:

Quote
After the Allied landings in North Africa, a number of Armee de l'Air units based in Algeria and Morocoo remained in being and were in most cases re-equipped with British and American aircraft. The majority saw service with North African or Coastal Air Forces and some were given squadron numbers in the series allotted to Free French units. Two similar squadrons were formed at Dakar under the control of No. 495 Wing, which was responsible for anti-submarine patrols from West Africa, from naval personnel.

Flotille 7E had been flying anti-submarine patrols with a few flying boats which had survived the years of Vichy control and some Sunderlands allotted in July 1943. On 29 November 1943 the unit was given the number '343' and remained under RAF operational control until the end of the war, reverting to its fomer status on 27 November 1945. Throughout this period it flew Sunderlands on anti-submarine and convoy escort missions.
Unquote

It looks as though 7FE (Aeronavale squadrons or flottilles are often refered to as #F hence the abbreviation 7FE) retained its Sunderlands after it returned to French control, predating the Sunderlands transferred in 1951. Other Sunderlands in 343/ 7FE, included DD833 (DBR 10.9.43), DV986 (crashed 19.9.43) and DV987 (SOC 21.6.45), JM670 (SOC 21.6.45), JM688 (SOC 21.6.45), JM689 (to Aeronavale 6.45), JM704 (cr off Bel Air 5.2.44), JM705 (spun in on approach Bel Air 22.10.43), JM706 (SOC 21.6.45).

21.6.45 may be a generic date for the transfer to French control of 7FE aircraft - just over 6 weeks after VE Day.


Wikipedia has a table of French Navy ranks (and their RN/RAN equivalents) that appears to be translatable from the abbreviations in the initial message.
Regards

Joe

[darren.crick]

Thanks Phil for that Translation and everyone esle for the added info, it appears it nothing to do with the ADF at this stage anyway.

I will respond to the email from the person who assisted with the translation and see if they can email a reply on our behalf.