Base: Ballykelly
C/59 - Time UP: 1126 hrs (18th) - Time DOWN: 0405 hrs (19th) - DURATION: 16hrs 31 mins

Z/59 - Time UP: 1203 hrs (18th) - Time DOWN: 0526 hrs (19th) - DURATION: 17hrs 23 mins

Op: A/S Sweep

Details:

According to AIR27/556 - Liberator 'C' first sighted the moving oil slick, made their attacks and after PLE was reached at 0029 hrs. Also on patrol in the vicinity was Liberator 'Z' when they sighted a fully surfaced U-boat at 0045 hrs.

C/59:

"A/C was on patrol south of Ireland when at 2335 in posn. 4943N, 0949W an oil slick 3-4 miles in length was sighted. The captain considered the movement of the slick suspicious enough to warrant an attack and 3 attacks were made dropping first 2 then another 2 and finally 4 DC's in the direction of the movement but no results were observed other than a slight change of direction of the oil slick. Patrol area was left soon after the incident at 0029 as PLE had been reached.

Z/59:

A/C was on patrol south of Ireland when at 0045 (19th), after a radar contact from 25 miles a fully surfaced U-boat was sighted in posn 4925N,0900W. Co.090'/12 Kts. Although first sighting was made at 500 yards the U/B was identified too close on the port side for an attack to be made and the A/C passed the starboard side of the U/B which was considered a 740 ton type. The A/C continued on track from 2 mins then made a slow turn to starboard and only the C/T was visible on the surface. Unfortunately 'Z' again passed the starboard side of the U/B and could not attack as a turn was impossible in the time. When 'Z' came to the posn again the U/B had completely submerged and it was not seen again. At 0144 the search was abandoned as PLE had passed by ten minutes.

Crews on this day:

'C/59': F/L H.G. Cameron (capt) - F/O D.G. McGilp (2nd-pilot) - F/S H. Pickering (Nav) - F/L N.W. Flowers - F/Sgt's B. Scott & F.G. Carber - Sgt's D.E. Peacock & T.B. Smith.

'Z/59': F/L C.E. Blair (capt) - F/O A.P. Cara (2nd pilot) - F/O D.H. Jones (Nav) - F/O E.C. Wavell DFC - Sgt's W. Gittings, E. Omerod, F.B. George, K.W. Bowden & T.C. Goode.

Unknown

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