What happened
The aircraft was operating out of a base in the region when it departed on a mission covering the Pescadores Islands (also known as Penghu Islands) off the coast of Taiwan. After completing its operational tasks, the crew intended to return to their home station. However, the seaplane never arrived at its destination. Given the failure to make contact and the lack of any subsequent sightings, the aircraft is presumed to have crashed into the Pacific Ocean. Extensive search efforts failed to locate any wreckage or debris, meaning no physical trace of the accident was ever recovered.
Findings
The incident involved a crew of nine personnel assigned to the 20th Squadron. The roster included W/O William Voss Bates, Sgt Walter Douglas Scott, F/Sgt William Alan Rowe, Sgt Alfred Russel, Sgt Donald Kelway Storrie, W/O James Reginald Cleworth, W/O Malcolm Oswald Merrett, W/O Ross William Schulz, and F/O Keith McClement Caulley. As no wreckage was found, specific technical causes for the loss could not be determined from physical evidence. The event is recorded as a total loss with all nine crew members presumed killed.