RAF Aircrew buried on Bioko Island (formerly Fernando Po) in West Africa

RAF Aircrew buried on Bioko Island (formerly Fernando Po) in West Africa
Greetings,
I am currently working in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. I have come across a burial plot of 10 RAF Aircrew and have seen somewhere they were part of a RAF Coastal Command Short Sunderland Flying Boat which went down near here in 1944.

I have the names and numbers and they are confirmed by CWGC files. What I'm seeking is more information on the airmen, their squadron, mission, aircraft type, etc. Quick internet searches point toward No. 95 Squadron or No. 204 Squadron operating in the Gulf of Guinea from various locations, but my assumption they were from a Sunderland may not be correct which means neither are the squadrons.

I'll be here for another year or so and am planning to take care of the plot after gaining concurrence from the CWGC.

Any assistance on the history of these men and their final mission would be most appreciated.

Jeff O'Connell
LCDR, U.S. Coast Guard (Ret)
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea

 

Folks,

Am able to answer my own question. Sunderland....270 Squadron out of Lagos area. Went down due to weather. More to follow.

Jeff

 

RAF No 270 Squadron was one of those squadrons formed in the closing stages of the Great War and then disbanded within a year.

It was reformed in West Africa in November 1942 in connection with the battle against the U Boat and was equipped with the Catalina 1B which remained on charge until April 1944.The squadron received the Sunderland Mark 111 in December 1943 which remained on charge until the squadron disbanded in June 1945.This would be the aircraft type lost at Fernando Po in June 1944.

Initally, its bases were at Bathurst (Gambia) and Fisherman's Lake (Liberia) but in July 1943,the squadron was relocated to Apapa (Lagos) with detachments to Abidjan, along the coast,west of Lagos in French West Africa,to Jui in Freetown (Sierra Leone) and to Libreville in West Equatorial Africa.

 

That matches what I'm finding. I have a detailed explanation of what actually happened and will post it later today. Many thanks.
Jeff

 

Folks,

Here's the "rest of the story" and several links to the crash from a co-worker and authority on Equatorial Guinea. Some are in Spanish, but are easily translated using an online translator.

Best,
Jeff




Jeff,

Yes, it was a Sunderland.

this is the "must-have" source for all WWII events in EG:
Jesús Ramírez Copeiro del Villar - "Objetivo Africa. Crónica de la Guinea española en la II Guerra Mundial"
It really is an exceptional source - just the pictures make it worth a buy. It can be obtained through th3 Spanish Cultural Center.

According to this source, the airplane, a British Short Sunderland Mk III, out of Lagos, Nigeria, overflew Santa Isabel (now Malabo) around noon on 3 June 1944. It flew at an altitude of around 200 meters in an easterly direction along the coast. It ran into a tornado and crashed amid ceiba trees in the vicinity of the beach/town of Laka (vic. of Baney). Specifically, it crashed about 200 meters from a German-owned plantation (Haus Moritz) managed by one Hans Egon Classen. There was only one badly injured survivor, William Best, who died shortly thereafter. According to this source the crew was:

Harold James
Maurice Munns
Stanley (William) Rolph - Grave No. 8
Roland Lindsay
William Best
J. Duffy
George Chaplin
Robert Graham
John Gondola
Thomas Elliott

You can track them down through the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Roll of Honour. For example Rolph is the last name at this link:
Roll of Honour - Essex - Marks Tey
And JJ Duffy: Roll of Honour - Norfolk - Harlestone

Here is an exchange on the graves at the House of Commons:
House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 18 Jul 2005 (pt 9)

Not sure, but believe the aircraft belonged to the 270 Squadron, out of Lagos.

This one provides a list of Axis/Allied aircraft lost in Spanish territory during WWII; the Sunderland mention is halfway down: FUERZAS ARMADAS ESPAÑOLAS :: Ver tema - Curiosidades de La Historia Militar Española

Also: http://acceda.ulpgc.es/bitstream/10553/588/1/5192.pdf

Anexo:Aeronaves internadas en España durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre

Hope this helps!

Pedro

 

That's a very thoughtful contribution, Jeff, thank you



I'll be here for another year or so and am planning to take care of the plot after gaining concurrence from the CWGC.

Jeff O'Connell
LCDR, U.S. Coast Guard (Ret)
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea

 

I'm very happy to do it if CWGC has no objection. My heart goes out to these guys and their families...what a place to die....too far from home and way too young.
Jeff

 

My father was a WOP/AG flying Sunderlands with 270 Squadron in West Africa in 1944. I am reasonably certain that the aircraft in question was of 270 Squadron and would be interested to know which Sunderland it was. I am particularly interested in what was going on in Fernado Po that was of interest. About 3 months after the incident described 270 Squadron was still active there. My father's log shows that on 11 September 1944 he was in Sunderland ML869 which was participating in Operation Bokoko at Fernando Po. I dont know what was this operation was. I seem to remember seeing somewhere that Fernando Po was used by German U boats but 1944 seems a bit late for this.

 

I too work in Malabo.
I visited the graves on Sunday (7th November 2010) with some colleagues, with the intention of doing some 'gardening' and tidying them up in readiness for Rememberance Sunday.
Unfortunately, on arriving there, it seems a large tree has blown down and is lying directly across the graves.
Arrangements have been made to clear the area, enabling us access. It appears that at least one grave has been damaged during the incident - we plan on making a repair in our workshop.
I will update and send pics if anyone is interested.

Ron

 

Ron, I would be very interested in pics of the graves
David

 

Ron, I would be very interested in pics of the graves
David

I will certainly do that for you David.
We will be heading up to meet the Vice Honourary Consul at 5.45pm tonight to discuss the removal of the tree and repair of the damaged headstone.

As an aside, the Cemetry itself is rather "shabby", though the war graves are generally tidied up by expats that are over here working (usually Oil Industry). The dead are honoured every Remembrance Sunday.

 

Due to weather and work loads, we never got as much done as we had intended - quite a lump of wood to clear before we even got started with the rake !

 

Thanks for the pic. Do the Commonwealth War Graves Commission do anything about the upkeep of this site?

 

There is no British Embassy on the Island of Bioko, though there is an Honorary Vice Consul who does what he can. He has contacted the CWGC to arrange for a replacement stone, I believe.
From what I have learned, the French authorities took control of the care of the graves, though this seems poor.
However, on Remembrance Sunday, they do send a representative (in uniform), and service is read (in English, by Dave Shaw, Honorary Vice Consul, the main man behind the rememberance of these fallen Servicemen.

 

Where is the best place to start with a search for the details of this aircraft & its crew? I have never done much research before but these graves have got my interest.
Thanks

 

Basic details of the individuals can be found on the CWGC web site by looking at Bioko cemetery. There is little published history of 270 Squadron in West Africa. Books on Coastal Command in WWII either dont refer to the squadron or only give details of start and finish dates of the tour of duty. I have my father's log book which gives very brief information about the operations his aircraft was involved in. It does not tell the full story. A typical entry for a flight is 'Convoy escort south from Lagos'. Other entries give a similar level of information. I am in the process of obtaining details from the Squadron's Operational Log Books. When I do I will share it with you. Regarding operations at Fernando Po I have have made numerous enquiries on WWIITalk and other similar forums and the only significant information I have found so far is your burial details.

 

"During 1943 enemy activity off the West African coast was only intermittent and the U-boats, captained by experienced officers, operated with great caution on the fringe of the area swept by aircraft. Consequently many patrols were without incident and the routine flying over vast stretches of sea did little to relieve the boredom of life in isolated tropical bases. The climate was unhealthy and treacherous, sudden storms of great violence being frequent at certain seasons of the year, when it was not uncommon for aircraft on patrol to be forced down almost into the sea or to return to find their base almost blotted out by heavy clouds and tropical rain. Jui, near Freetown, from which No. 490 Squadron began operations at the beginning of July 1943, was not a particularly pleasant spot. The name itself meant ‘Swamp of Death’ and the humidity, especially in the wet season, was excessive. The station was built on the low spur running out into the estuary where the flying boats were moored. Surrounding it were dense, steamy, mangrove swamps, while farther back lay high hills which cut off the sea breezes that would have freshened the heavy, stagnant atmosphere."

CHAPTER 2 — Aircraft against U-boat | NZETC

 

Grand effort lads, respect to you all, thank you, lofty

 

I am beginning to have doubts that the Sunderland that crashed at Fernando Po in June 1944 was a 270 Squadron aircraft. 'Short Sunderland in World War II' by Andrew Hendrie gives a list of what is supposedly all the Sunderlands that were built together with information as to what became of them. It does not show any 270 Squadron aircraft thar crashed in June 1944. Neither, however, does it show any other Sunderland of any other squadron crashing at or near the island at that time. The only Sunderland lost in West Africa in June 1944 is given as EK585 of 270 Squadron which caught fire at its moorings at Apapa 4 days after the Fernando Po incident. The search is becoming interesting!

 

I have just found some notes given to me a few years ago by a member of 270 Squadron who was in West Africa in 1944. In his notes he says "On 7th August 1944, we were instructed to fly to Fernando Po, a Spanish island, to investigate the area as reports suggested U-Boats were getting oil etc., from there. The previous attempt to investigate this possibility resulted in the flying boat, which had breached the 3 mile limit, being shot down by fire from the defending Gunners. All the Crew were killed. We wisely stayed outside the 3 mile limit, took our photographs and returned to Base." This does not necessarily suggest that the aircraft that was shot down was from 270 Squadron.