RAF marks 80th anniversary of final World War Two patrol by Coastal Command
An RAF flypast has marked the 80th anniversary of the final patrol by Coastal Command during the Second World War.
A P-8A Poseidon MRA1 aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth flew over the site in Northern Ireland where RAF Castle Archdale once stood.
Although VE Day had been celebrated the month before, Coastal Command were required to escort surrendering U-boats and allied convoys for weeks after.
The final mission of the war saw a Shorts Sunderland GR Mark V aircraft take off from the air station in Country Fermanagh to escort an Atlantic convoy south-west of Ireland.
Flown by the commanding officer of 201 (Guernsey's Own) Squadron Wing Commander J Barrett – it was the last operational sortie for Coastal Command that undertook nearly a quarter of a million patrols and destroyed more than 200 U-boats.
As well as confronting U-boats, the RAF formation targeted Germany's surface fleet – playing an important part in the Battle of the Atlantic, maintaining Britain's maritime communications and targeting German links with Scandinavia later in the war.
During 1,000,000 flying hours over the war, the Coastal Command lost around 2,000 aircraft and suffered more than 5,800 fatalities.
The 201 Squadron is now part of the maritime patrol fleet based in the Scottish Highlands.
The P-8A Poseidon MRA1 is used for anti-submarine warfare, surveillance and search and rescue missions.
They are equipped with APY-10 radar, an acoustic sensor system, including passive and multi-static sonobuoys, an electro-optical/IR turret and electronic support measures to provide comprehensive search and tracking capability, and armed with torpedoes for engaging sub-surface targets.
The aircraft is powered by two CFM56-7B27A turbofans with a top speed of 907km/h.
Its predecessor, the Sunderland GR Mark V, was one of the most successful flying boats of the war.
It was armed with four fixed 7.7mm machine-guns in the nose, two similar beam guns and four in the tail turret.
Fitted with four Whitney R-1830-90B Twin Wasp engines and a top speed of 343km/h.
Commanding officer of 201, Sqn Wing Commander Robert McCartney, who was there to watch the flypast, said: "201 Squadron today is very proud to continue the maritime heritage of our forebears on the squadron, and we are delighted to mark the 80th anniversary of Coastal Command's last sortie of World War Two with this flypast.
"Coastal Command played an absolutely pivotal role in the War, and this flypast also represents a tribute to the 5,866 personnel from the Command who lost their lives during the conflict."
Related topics
Join Our Newsletter
