Base: Ballykelly
Time Up: 1249hrs - Time Down: 2121hrs - Duration: 08hrs 42mins
Op: Anti U-boat Sweep, S-1

On patrol 1420, sea slight to moderate. At 1711 the second pilot saw a bluish white smoke rising from the surface and this was confirmed by other members of the crew as the pilot turned. There was w whitish patch or hump of disturbed water from which the smoke rose over 15ft travelling at about 15 kts. This speed entailed awkward changes of course on the run in. An Attack was made at an angle of 700' to the U/BT's track but no visual results appeared, nor did purple High tea give definite sounds, except for some clanking sounds rather louder than usual. Sea noises were heard some time after the buoy had been dropped.

Crew on this day were: Pilot: F/L R.C. Penning - 2nd Pilot: F/L H.I. MacKay - Nav: F/O P.A. Richardson - F/O R.D. Webb - P/O G.H. Bonelle - Sgt. M. Thompson - F/S A.F. Keetley - W/O J.E. Berry - W/O H.G. Willows - Sgt. A. Waterfield.

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