Sunderland L2159

[robin bird]

Written off during bombing raid on Greenock but can anyone advise what it was doing there and were there casualities?

[Resmoroh]

Robin,
I’ve had a brief, quick, look at the Cas (RAF and Civilian War Dead) for 7 Apr 41 from CWGC. There are about 150. They can be reduced to usable numbers by logical elimination. Nothing immediately obvious, but I don’t know what, exactly, you’re looking for.
All I’m saying is that if nothing positive turns up, the “hard way” is not impossible!!!
HTH
Peter Davies

[cozzy711]

L2159 was a 230 Squadron aircraft NM-W that force landed at Kythira Island, Greece after engine trouble on the 26th August 1940. It was temporarily interred. On 21st December 1940 it left Egypt bound for a major overhaul by Scottish Aviation at Greenock where it was DBR in the air raid on 7th May 1941. There were numerous casualties in what became known as the Greenock Blitz but none associated directly with this aircraft.

Chris

[robin bird]

thank you, I think the Scottish Aviation work was via RAF Helensburgh

[AL90]

Hi Robin,
Scottish Aviation ran the repair and modification facilities at RAF Largs, RAF Greenock and RAF Helensburgh. Largs was initially an overspill for Greenock but later on the work was split so that Largs dealt with Catalinas and Coronados and Greenock was for Sunderlands.
My father's friend landed a badly leaking Catalina at Greenock for repair and was told to take it to Rhu as they were only repairing Sunderlands at that time, it sank shortly after landing and may be the one off Shandon. I did dive on it a number of years ago but it was a dismal failure as, even with the biggest torch we could only see about three inches and found nothing.
RAF Greenock was built on Battery Park which is on the boundary between Greenock and Gourock next to the Torpedo Factory, the two hangars are long gone but the slipway is still there. Moorings were directly off the slip. Back in the early 80's divers brought up a Sunderland engine and prop off Battery park so L2159 may have been hit on the moorings.
RAF Largs was at the north end of the town at Barfields Pavilion (Vikingar), the slip is now the RNLI lifeboat station.
Alan.