Dive weekend focus on Sunderland survivor

For one weekend in May Pembrokeshire’s unique Sunderland flying boat survivor will become a tourist attraction.

Divers from all over the UK will have the exclusive opportunity to dive on the wartime Sunderland, which lies in 65 ft of water between Pembroke Dock and Neyland.

The dive weekend - on 16th and 17th May - is being co-ordinated by the recently formed Pembroke Dock Sunderland Dive Group and the limited number of places were snapped up. The Group is supporting the local Sunderland Trust’s aims to recover the aircraft, which sank in a gale in November 1940.

Hobbs Point, Pembroke Dock, will be the landing point for the dive vessels and a marquee will be erected there on Saturday 16th. Items already recovered from the Sunderland will be on display, including many parts of a Pegasus radial engine which has been disassembled and conserved by volunteers.

Throughout Saturday visitors to Hobbs Point will be able to learn more about the Haven Sunderland and local plans for T9044.

Stephen Thompson, Chairman of the Sunderland Dive Group, said: “Normally divers are not allowed near the Sunderland as it is protected by a 100 metre exclusion zone set up by Milford Haven Port Authority. Only our Dive Group members are able to dive the Sunderland, under licence from the Trust.

“As the Sunderland will hopefully disappear as a dive site in due course - when the aircraft is recovered - we thought it would be a good idea to stage this special weekend. Divers are coming from as far away as Yorkshire and London to take up this unique opportunity.”

T9044 is one of just four Sunderlands left in the world and is the only wartime Mark I version.

For further information visit www.pdst.co.uk


A Mark I Sunderland - similar to the Haven survivor - at a mooring.
PICTURE: Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust Archive