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| Crew of Praa Sands WWII crash plane remembered | Crew of Praa Sands WWII crash plane remembered |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A memorial has been unveiled to the crew of a Sunderland flying boat which ditched on a Cornish beach during World War II. | |
| The aircraft, flown by nine RAAF Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and two RAF personnel, had been shot at by eight German fighter planes. | The aircraft, flown by nine RAAF Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and two RAF personnel, had been shot at by eight German fighter planes. |
| The crew nursed the stricken plane for 300 miles before it crash landed at Praa Sands on 2 June 1943. | The crew nursed the stricken plane for 300 miles before it crash landed at Praa Sands on 2 June 1943. |
| Relatives of the crew, from Australia and Canada, attended the ceremony. | |
| 'Everybody agog' | 'Everybody agog' |
| The plane and its crew, based at Pembroke Dock in Wales, was over the Bay of Biscay when it was attacked by German fighters. | The plane and its crew, based at Pembroke Dock in Wales, was over the Bay of Biscay when it was attacked by German fighters. |
| The crew had been looking for survivors of an airliner which had been shot down the previous day. | The crew had been looking for survivors of an airliner which had been shot down the previous day. |
| The Sunderland's crew shot down three of the German fighters but RAF crewman Ted Miles was killed and most of the others wounded. | The Sunderland's crew shot down three of the German fighters but RAF crewman Ted Miles was killed and most of the others wounded. |
| With no communications and with one engine not running, the Sunderland headed for home until ditching in the sea near Praa and beaching the plane. | With no communications and with one engine not running, the Sunderland headed for home until ditching in the sea near Praa and beaching the plane. |
| Local people took the men into their homes and gave them medical assistance. | Local people took the men into their homes and gave them medical assistance. |
| Colin Windlay, who was 10 at the the time, said: "Everybody was all agog. There was a plane on the beach. | Colin Windlay, who was 10 at the the time, said: "Everybody was all agog. There was a plane on the beach. |
| "I remember looking in the rear gun turret and it was full of spent ammunition cases. They had put up a tremendous fight." | "I remember looking in the rear gun turret and it was full of spent ammunition cases. They had put up a tremendous fight." |
| Patricia Swain, 92, sister of Captain Colin Walker of the RAAF, said: "It was a miraculous thing. | Patricia Swain, 92, sister of Captain Colin Walker of the RAAF, said: "It was a miraculous thing. |
| "It's very emotional coming here. To think after 70 years it's being remembered in the spot it actually happened." | "It's very emotional coming here. To think after 70 years it's being remembered in the spot it actually happened." |