Community / Catalina flying boat set to visit on commemorative flight
LOCAL people are set to treated to a rare sight this week when a Second World War Catalina flying boat will overfly Lerwick cemetery as well as the site of the former RAF base at Sullom Voe to mark the 80th anniversary of two Victoria Crosses (VC) being awarded to Catalina pilots.
A commemorative trip north on board the UK’s only Catalina which is still flying will get underway from the Imperial War Museum in Duxford today (Monday).
The Catalina amphibious aircraft was a common sight during WW2, and several were stationed at the Scatsta RAF base. They were mainly used in anti-submarine warfare, convoy escort and search and rescue missions especially at sea.
On 17 July 1944 Flight Lieutenant John Cruickshank won his VC when flying a Catalina out of Sullom Voe to attack and sink the German submarine U-361.
During the engagement the Catalina had sustained damage and its navigator JC Dickson was killed.
Cruickshank was hit in 72 places with two serious wounds to his lungs. He nevertheless brought the aircraft back to Sullom Voe, landed the aircraft and ran it ashore to stop it from sinking.
Today, aged 104, Cruickshank lives in Aberdeen and is the last surviving WW2 Victoria Cross holder. The commemorative flight will orbit his home on Wednesday before heading north to Shetland.
The second VC commemorated was awarded posthumously to Flt Lt David Hornell who, flying out of Wick, sank the German submarine U-1225 on 24 June 1944.
Despite the aircraft being on fire Hornell managed to land it on a heavy swell with the crew taking to the only serviceable dinghy. By the time they were rescued 21 hours later flight engineers DS Scott and St Laurent had died and Hornell died shortly afterwards.
Hornell and Dickson are both buried at the Lerwick new cemetery. Wreaths are planned to be laid in Lerwick as well as at the Sullom Voe memorial on Wednesday, while an overfly of Lerwick and Sullom Voe is planned for Thursday.
Organiser of the trip Jeffrey Boyling, a director of the company that owns the last Catalina, said: “These were the only Catalina Victoria Crosses and so to commemorate the 80thanniversary a flight is planned from the Imperial War Museum Duxford to overfly RAF coastal commend bases, landing in Aberdeen where John Cruickshank lives before continuing to Sumburgh.
“The whole trip will take five days weather permitting.”
Boyling is also still raising funds to make the ‘Operation Shetland 2024’ trip possible. Donations can be made via this GoFundMe page.
