Base; Thorney Island.
Take off time: 0905hrs
Op; Search.
P/O DA Drew took off from RAF Thorney Island to carry out a search for the missing crew of Blenheim L8792 TR-A (piloted by C/O Morgan-Weld-Smith DFC) who failed to return to base after a raid on Cherbourg the previous day, afterwhich he was to carry out a reconnaissance patrol of Le Havre. At 1105hrs TR-K was shot down over Le Havre by an ME.109 E-4 flown by Oberleutnant Paul Temme, the Gruppeadjutant of I./JG 2, killing the Blenheims 3 crew who are at rest in St Marie Cemetery.
 | Crew awarded the Battle of Britain Clasp - Although entitlement was revoked by the Air Ministry in 1960 (read more) |
All lost:
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During WWII, the RAF used three-letter codes to identify their aircraft from a distance. Two large letters were painted before the roundel, which signified the squadron to which the aircraft belonged, and another letter was painted after the roundel which indicated the individual aircraft. Aditionally, there was the individual serial number for each aircraft, which was painted in a much smaller size, usually somewhere at the rear of the aircraft: (more)
Codes used by RAF 59 Squadron:
PJ Sep 1938 - Sep 1939
TR Sep 1939 - Oct 1942
1 Aug 1943 - Jul 1944
WE Jul 1944 - Oct 1945
BY Oct 1945 - Jun 1946, Dec 1947 - Oct 1950