Pool of London
POOL OF LONDON: Temporary flying site
NOTES: On May 12th (or thereabouts) 1949 the BOAC Short Solent G-AKNO City of London landed onto the Thames and was moored here. Small boat operaters did a sterling trade in both senses of the word taking “trippers” out to have a closer inspection of this magnificent craft. It appears it was twenty one years since the last flying boat had landed on the Thames in central London but I rather doubt that claim.
A SUNDERLAND
Note: This picture shows a Short Sunderland of 201 Squadron based at PEMBROKE on the north side of 'THE POOL' during the Battle of Britain celebrations in 1956. Picture source: Dyffryn Clydach and Bryncoch Historical Society
SEPTEMBER 1982
Some time after making the entry above, a friend sent me these two fabulous pictures of the Short Sandringham/Sunderland G-BJHS which were published in the January 1988 edition of Aeroplane Monthly.
THE LAST FLYING BOAT VISIT?
Possibly the last flying boat to visit this location was the Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina G-BLSC which arrived in the UK in 1984. It had landed east of Tower Bridge and then taxied under it - into the "Pool". This was the Catalina that very unfortunately hit submerged debris in Southampton Water in 1998 and subsequently sank. Although I can find mentions of G-BLSC making this visit - I cannot find a date. Can anybody help here?
Alan Edwards
This comment was written on: 2017-12-17 22:01:59I have two colour photos which I took (sadly undated) of a flying boat in the Pool of London, one photo shows the Tower Bridge raised to allow the Flying Boat to take off. The photo must have been taken from London Bridge.
Reply from Dick Flute:
Hi Alan, I would much appreciate seeing these pictures if you could be kind enough to send me scans of them, preferably in JPEG form. Best regards, Dick
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