A deadly arena
The North Atlantic was arguably the most bitterly contested arena of World War II. If that vital link between Great Britain and the United States was severed then the Allied cause would surely fail. Indiscriminate sinking of merchant shipping by U-boats had brought England to the point of strangulation. It became a struggle for supremacy between the U-boat and the escort vessels and significantly the long range aircraft, notably the Liberator and Catalina. It was at that crucial stage of the conflict that Flight Lieutenant David Hornell performed an act of supreme bravery.
Active service
Hornell qualified as a pilot in 1941 and commenced active service with162 squadron RCAF. After service in Iceland. part of the squadron was detached to Wick in Scotland, from where it continued patrol duties. On 24 June Hornell was briefed for a routine operational patrol; involving a flight of 12 hours duration. His aircraft was a PBY5, an amphibian version of the versatileCatalina. Their patrol was uneventful, until on their return journey a surfaced U-boat was sighted.
U-boat attack
It proved to be U-1225, which made no attempt to submerge; instead it opened up with an accurate flak barrage against the attacking Catalina. During the unwavering run to the target the aircraft suffered frightening damage;most seriously to the starboard engine, which burst into flames; setting alight the adjacent wing area.
Undeterred, Hornell maintained his course and released a perfect depth charge straddle at the U-boat’s bows. Mortally hit, U-1225 rose steeply out of the water before settling back into the boiling foam. The Catalina had also suffered mortal damage with one motor hanging from its mountings and spilling burning fuel around it.
Hornell had no alternative than to ditch the stricken aircraft. After some horrific bounces it settled into the heavy seas, taking only minutes to slip beneath the waves. All eight crew survived the violent ditching, scrambled out and launched the aircraft’s two rubber dinghies. To their dismay one dinghy exploded, forcing all eight to depend on the one craft, designed to accommodate four persons.
Ordeal by water
Seven of the crew clambered into it, leaving one clinging to its side. With the onset of darkness the sea was whipped into huge swells that tossed the craft like a cork. By sheer coincidence their plight was discovered by a Catalina returning from its own patrol, when it sighted a distress flare fired from the dinghy. In the course of Hornell’s U-boat attack the Catalina’s radio was destroyed, giving them no opportunity to notify air sea rescue services. A measure of reassurance was provided by the circling aircraft, which remained over their position for a period of 14 hours, dropping markers at regular intervals. During that period one crewmember died from exposure and his body was committed to the sea.
Salvation
So violent were the conditions that several times the dinghy was overturned. The crew managed to right it and regain their places but the icy drenching further weakened each one of them. Throughout their ordeal Hornell endeavoured to encourage his crew, despite his own terrible weakness and being virtually blinded. A second crew- member succumbed to the conditions; forcing the others to endure them for almost 21 hours until they were retrieved by a high-speed rescue launch. The six survivors were taken aboard and given immediate first aid. By that stage Hornell had lapsed into a coma from which he never recovered, despite the concerted efforts of the launch crew.
David Hornell saw his duty to the end in his endeavours to rally and support his crew. His dedication was recognised with the announcement of the award of a posthumous V.C. This was gazetted on 28 July 1944
 |
 |
