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Other aircraft lost in the sea in or near Plymouth Sound include:

Please note that all aircraft in UK waters that have crashed during military service are protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.

Fairey IIID (Unknown)

15th July 1929

Plymouth Breakwater

Salvaged

On 15th July 1929 at 10:30am, a Fairey IIID two-seat general-purpose biplane belonging to Lee on Solent crashed on the south side of Plymouth breakwater in an exercise with the RN gunnery school, Devonport, operating guns on the Breakwater Fort.  The biplane appeared to have trouble flying in the strong breeze and at one point flew low outside the breakwater, executed what one observer described as ‘a series of hops’ before crashing in the sea.  A naval picket boat rescued the pilot and observer with minor injuries.  An RAF pinnace from Mount Batten took Pilot Officer W.H. Hutton and observer Aircraftsman L. Silvester from the picket boat then took them to hospital.  

The aircraft crashed between the Breakwater Fort and the lighthouse at the west end of the Breakwater.  The wind blew the crashed plane onto the Breakwater and as the tide fell the plane was nearly high and dry, a heavy swell outside the breakwater made salvage difficult close to the rocks but the aircraft was recovered.  The Fairey was powered by a 375hp Rolls-Royce Eagle V-12 or 450hp Napier Lion W-12 piston engine, and was one of 227 of this type built.

Blackburn Shark Mk II (L2349)

09 May 1939

Plymouth Sound

Not found, probably salvaged

On 09 May 1939, Blackburn Shark L2349 floatplane L2349 from 2 AACU Royal Air Force cartwheeled on takeoff after the aircraft turned sharply and a wing float dug in. It is likely that this aircraft was salvaged.

Blackburn Shark Mk II (L2357)

20 July 1939

Mount Batten

Salvaged

On 20 July 1939, Blackburn Shark L2357 was taxiing near RAF Mount Batten when it ran on to rocks and was wrecked. The aircraft was later salvaged.

Blackburn Shark Mk II (L2374)

20 October 1939

Plymouth Sound

Not found, probably salvaged

On 20 October 1939, Blackburn Shark L2374 Floatplane from 2 AACU Royal Air Force, crashed on take-off after striking a hawser strung between two ships. It is likely that this aircraft was salvaged.

Junkers Ju-88 (Unknown)

22 August 1940

Off Plymouth

Not found

A Junkers Ju-88 multirole combat aircraft from 8/KG30 (or 3 (F)/121) was shot down off Plymouth by Spitfires from 152 squadron on 22nd August 1940, killing the pilot while three crew members baled out and were captured.

Messerschmitt Bf 110 (Unknown)

30 October 1940

Off Plymouth

Not found

A Messerschmitt Bf 110 was shot down by 234 Squadron off Plymouth.  No other documented references to this event have been found, however this may be the twin-engined German fighter aircraft seen by a Plymouth resident flying south over the city before crashing into Cawsand Bay. Remains of a twin engine aircraft were seen in Cawsand Bay many years ago by a sports diver, but the location was not recorded.

Unknown German Aircraft

12th January 1941

Off Plymouth

Not found

Twyford noted in his book about the Plymouth Blitz, ‘It Came to Our Door’, that ‘During one of four attacks yesterday, it was reported that one raider was shot down into the sea by a coastal battery.  The crew were seen to bale out.  Search parties could, however, find no trace of any survivors.’  No other references to this event have been found.

Junkers Ju 88D-2 (0398)

6th December 1941

South of Plymouth

Not found

Two air raid alerts were sounded over Plymouth on 6th December 1941, the first for several weeks but a continuation of the Plymouth Blitz.  The alerts were short, only five minutes each, but during the first a German bomber was engaged by Spitfires of 317 squadron over Whitsand Bay and shot down in the sea south of Plymouth.  The bomber was Junkers Ju 88D-2 (0398 4U+CH) piloted by Ofw. K. Raasch; none of the aircrew survived.

Dornier Do 217 & Junkers Ju 88

13th June 1943

Off Plymouth

Not found

Plant notes in his 'Torpoint’s War Diary' that a Dornier Do 217 of 1/KG2 and a Junkers Ju. 88 of 9/KG6 were shot down into the sea by Beaufighters of 125 Squadron operating out of Exeter, during a night time raid on Plymouth. Twyford noted in his book about the Plymouth Blitz, ‘It Came to Our Door’, that ‘This raid had another noteworthy feature. The attacking force was estimated at about twenty, and four of these were brought down. One, a Junkers 88, crashed in the garden of a house in Stoke which was being used as a hostel for the WRNS, a second crashed at Stokenham near Kingsbridge; and the other two came down in the sea.’

Junkers Ju 88D-1 (430564)

12th August 1943

8 miles south east of Plymouth

Not found

During the air raid on Plymouth on 12th August 1943, a German Junkers Ju 88D-1 (430564 7A+NH) from 2/KG6 piloted by Ltn. Herbert Röhrer was shot down by a Mosquito Mk. VI of 125 Squadron crewed by Sergeants Miller and Bone.  The aircraft crashed into the sea 8 miles south east of Plymouth, one body was found and the other two aircrew are missing.

Heinkel He-111 (Unknown)

February or March 1944

Off Rame Head

Not found

An air raid on Plymouth in the early hours lasted about 70 minutes and involved between 30 and 35 German aircraft, the first raid in six months.  One German Heinkel He-111 was shot down off Rame Head or Tregantle Fort with the crew escaping by parachute into the sea.  Members of the Whitsand Bay Home Guard were waiting on the beach as the downed crew made their way ashore.

Supermarine Spitfire (EN768)

19 June 1944

Off the Eddystone

Not found

Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb EN768 of 234 squadron based at RAF Predannack suffered engine failure near the Eddystone Lighthouse and crashed into the sea.  Flight Sergeant Robert William Henderson (1332437) of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve died in the crash.

Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina (C-FOWE)

31 May 1986

Plymouth Sound

Salvaged

The Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina seaplane built in 1944 was taking part to an airshow off Plymouth on 31 May 1986, the second of two Catalinas to arrive from the US in celebration of the first transatlantic flight by flying boat in 1919 and the 75th anniversary of US Naval aviation. A landing strip had been marked out in Plymouth Sound however the Catalina landed about 460m short. The starboard wingtip float struck an inflatable buoy then the left wing struck a channel marker buoy, ripping off the port wingtip float and 3m of the port wing. The aircraft lurched heavily and landed on its port side, and came to rest slowly filling with water. The crew of the plane were quickly taken off by rescue craft and the aircraft sank in shallow water. There were no injuries among the seven occupants but the aircraft was salvaged, repaired at RAF Mount Batten and returned to the USA later the same year.

Short Sunderland (DP179)

29th March 1943

Cattewater

Salvaged

At approximately 1915 hours on the night of 29th March 1943, a Sunderland aircraft DP179 RB-M of 119 Squadron RAF ran ashore while landing in bad weather. No injuries were sustained by members of the crew. Personnel of No. 10 Squadron RAAF, based at RAF Station Mount Batten, with the help of the local National Fire Service, carried out salvage operations, including towing the damaged aircraft across the Cattewater to the slipway. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service, only to crash on 03 October 1943 during an anti-submarine patrol.

Last updated 30 Jan 2022

Unknown Cattewater / Boulton Paul Defiant (N3434)

Date 29th August 1944?

Cattewater, Sparrows Quay

Found, possibly Boulton Paul Defiant TT Mk III (N3434)

Remains of an aircraft thought to be WWII vintage was found on the foreshore at Sparrows Quay, in the Cattewater, in the River Plym, on the east side of Plymouth. One report says that on 29th August 1944, the Boulton Paul Defiant TT Mk III (N3434) from 691 Squadron Anti-Aircraft Cooperation Unit RAF hit a ship’s barrage balloon cable while on naval co-operation exercise because the balloon was hidden in cloud. Roland griffith kindly provided information from the squadron Operational Record Book which states:

Low cloud with rain and drizzle barred all flying until late afternoon, when an appreaciable improvement in the weather took place. F/Sgt Fryer with LAC Buck (sic) and as T.T.O. took off at 16:00 hrs, to give a sortie at Wembury, but struck a balloon cable on the edge of Plymouth at 16:07 hrs. The aircraft crashed, both occupants being killed.

The pilot, P/O Victor James Fryer (1324723) and drogue operator LAC William Henry Buckland (1360425) were killed in the crash. Both bodies were recovered, Fryer is buried at Chingford Mount Cemetery and Buckland is buried in Swindon. The location of the crash has been given as Cattewater Wharf, Plymouth.



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