My Flying Boat War

Wing Commander Vic Hodgkinson DFC served as a pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force throughout WWII. Starting in 1939, he was a founding member of 10 Squadron RAAF, operating Short Sunderland flying boats. Loaned to the RAF in early 1940, the squadron played a crucial role in the Battle of the Atlantic, conducting air-sea rescues and attacks on German submarines. During this time, Vic participated in numerous air-sea rescues, including saving twenty-one survivors of a U-boat attack. He also conducted depth charge attacks on German submarines. Vic's resilience was tested when his Sunderland crashed into the Irish Sea near Bardsey Island in fog, resulting in the loss of six of his eleven crew members and a grueling twelve-hour wait for rescue. Later, he flew missions in the Mediterranean, enduring heavy enemy fire to support Allied troops in Crete. Returning to the Atlantic, his crew successfully engaged a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor. In 1942, Vic returned to Australia, serving with 20 and 40 Squadrons RAAF, flying various aircraft including the Catalina and Dornier Do 24. His missions ranged from supply drops and minelaying to bombing and reconnaissance. This is Vic's remarkable story, told in his own words for the first time.