A photograph capturing a special moment in local history - when a Sunderland flying boat last flew over Pembrokeshire - has been donated to the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre.
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Making the presentation was an ‘old boy’ of Pembroke Dock, Air Commodore Paul Crotty, CBE, who grew up at Llanreath and vividly remembers Sunderlands operating out of the Haven in the 1950s.
Air Commodore Crotty had a distinguished career in the Royal Air Force, spanning 33 years, and at one time commanded the RAF’s largest station, RAF Stafford, with over 2,500 personnel and staff. He is a regular visitor to relatives in Pembrokeshire.
The photograph shows civilian Sunderland ‘Islander’ flying over Pembroke Dock in 1993 en route to the USA and a museum in Florida.
• Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre, run by the Sunderland Trust, is a registered charity (No 1120476). Located in the Royal Dockyard Chapel, it is open Mondays to Saturdays, 10 am to 4 pm. The Trust is undertaking a big fundraising drive to continue the work on preserving Pembroke Dock’s very significant heritage, including Wales’ only Royal Dockyard. See www.sunderlandtrust.com for more information.