SUNDERLAND FILM FOOTAGE APPEAL TAKES OFF

An appeal has taken off in Milford Haven to track down archive film footage of the famous Sunderland flying boats which used the Haven extensively during the Second World War.

Milford Haven Port Authority is appealing to anyone who may know of the existence of pieces of film of the magnificent machines actually flying in the Haven to let them know, so it can be included in a DVD it is producing to co-incide with the 50th anniversary of its creation next year.

The huge Sunderland “Flying Boats” operated from Pembroke Dock over nearly 20 years up to 1957, and were instrumental in the protection and defence of the naval convoys during the War.

When they entered service at Pembroke Dock in 1938, they were the largest aircraft in the RAF, and at one time during World War II, RAF Pembroke Dock was the largest operational flying-boat station in the world.

Just three of the aircraft remain operational in the world - two in the UK and one in New Zealand – but they have left their legacy in the shape of a pair of unique and historic hangars at Pembroke Dock now owned by the Port Authority.

Built around 1934, the two hangars have undergone multi-million pound refurbishment programmes in recent years to restore them to their former glory, turning them into modern 18m high manufacturing units each offering a huge 30,000 cubic metres of unobstructed space. The Port Authority’s marketing manager David Griffin said they were contacting a number of specialists and organisations to see if they had footage available.

“But we’d also be very interested to hear from anyone who lives locally who may have memories of the Sunderlands, and may know of – or even own themselves – any archive footage of the planes flying in the Haven. We would love to include it in our DVD and bring back memories of this dramatic time in the history of this area.”