Sicily

A formation of four Short S.19 Singapore Mk III was en route from Pembroke Dock, in the UK, to Singapore on behalf of the 205th Squadron and should be delivered to the 210th Squadron based at Singapore. On the leg from Nisida (a small island near Naples) to Kalafrana, Malta, the seaplane was flying in marginal weather conditions and while coming out of clouds, the aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed on a hillside. The wreckage was found at an altitude of 1,219 metres, some 25 km west of Messina, Sicily. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all nine occupants were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt H. L. Beatty,
F/O J. A. C. Forbes,
Sgt H. J. Willis,
Cpl S. T. Bailey,
LAC C. C. N. Allen,
LAC R. D. J. Rees,
LAC W. P. Wallace,
A1C L. Wogan.
Passenger:
R. J. Penn, technician by the RAE.

The seaplane departed Syracuse harbor on a flight to Tripoli via Malta, carrying 14 passengers and a crew of four. Shortly after takeoff, the captain encountered engine problems and was forced to ditch the airplane few km offshore. All 18 occupants were rescued by the crew of a ship while the aircraft was lost during the tow.

On the leg from Ajaccio to Tunis, while flying over the Mediterranean Sea, the crew encountered engine problems and ditched the aircraft off Ustica Island, north of Palermo. The crew was rescued three days later and the aircraft was recovered but considered as written off.
Crew:
Jean Ponce, pilot,
Mr. Maillard, mechanic.