Operational history

Because Frank Day joined up earlier than John, Charles and Orford he took part in a lot of operations before becoming a member of their crew, so the bulk of this page concerns those earlier missions. The page has been divided into two sections to reflect this.

The basic facts listed below in the tables are drawn from the Operational Record Books of 248 and 86 Squadrons. We have paraphrased the original text and added our own comments.

Part 1: Frank's operations prior to joining the crew

After only eight weeks training at number 4 Bombing and Gunnery School Frank was posted to 248 squadron at RAF Dyce, now Aberdeen Airport, on 26th March, 1940. He didn't go on an operational flight until after the squadron's move to Sumburgh in the Shetlands at the end of July. Sumburgh had yet to be fully developed - the squadron, including aircrew, slept in tents! We know he was sent on a course at 1 Operational Training Unit early in June; it's quite possible that, at least officially, he had no experience of the Blenheim until this time. It's also quite possible that he took part in several unofficial training flights in the period prior to the course as many squadron commanders would arrange these on their own initiative during the "phoney war". 248 squadron flew the Bristol Blenheim Mk IVF - a light bomber that was fitted with a gun pack under the fuselage to convert it into a makeshift fighter. In a crew of three the Observer was responsible for navigation, bomb-aiming and aerial photography. 248 squadron was part of Coastal Command by the time Frank started flying on missions. Consequently he only flew on maritime patrols and convoy escort operations.

Sumburgh Airfield in the Shetlands

Day flew in aircraft Z with Sgt Kenneth Massey as Pilot and Sgt Norman Stocks as WOp/AG on patrol SA1(e) Southern Track. They sighted a Dornier Do17 light bomber at 10:10, which took evasive action and disappeared into cloud. The patrol was flown at 1800 ft with visibility of 6 to 8 miles. This appears to have been the first mission for the whole crew.

Day flew in aircraft Q, again with Sgt Kenneth Massey as Pilot and Sgt Norman Stocks as WOp/AG. The operation was a photo reconnaissance of the Norwegian coast from Lister to Stadlandet, nothing was seen due to poor weather. Another aircraft failed to return from this mission.

Again flew in aircraft Q with Kenneth Massey and Norman Stocks. Patrol SA1(e) Middle Track. Nothing sighted.

Day flew in aircraft Z again with Sgt Kenneth Massey and, this time, air gunner Sgt Ferguson replacing Norman Stocks on patrol SA1(e) South Track. They didn't see anything. Norman Stocks was lost in aircraft E which went missing immediately after takeoff on the 20th of October.

He flew in aircraft Z with Sgt Kenneth Massey and WOp/AG Sgt J C Lumsden as escort for the Shetland ferry "St Rognvald", a photo of which is shown below this entry. The ship had reached port before they arrived at their rendezvous. This sort of thing was all too common because of the primitive state of aerial navigation at that time. It's also difficult to see how much use the Blenheim could be as an escort to shipping as it was too lightly armed to be of service against an aerial attack and could only counter an enemy submarine with bombs as it had no depth charges. It could possibly spot a submarine well before the ships's lookouts and give warning if their radio could contact the vessels. The landing time on this entry may be suspect; 11:01 would be more believable.

St Rognvald II, the Shetland ferry escorted on this and other missions

Flew in aircraft Q with Kenneth Massey and J C Lumsden on SAI(A) Tracks extended to coast then Tracks F and E. At 09:55 an aircraft believed to be a Messerschmitt 110 heavy fighter was spotted 15 to 20 miles South; it remained intermittently in sight until 11:05. They returned to base due to lack of cloud cover. Without cover the Blenheim would have been easy prey for almost every type of German fighter.

A Blenheim from 248 Squadron on patrol over the North Sea

Aircraft J with P/O John Morris and Sgt Ferguson on patrol SAI(E) extended to the Norwegian coast for reconnaissance of Stadlandet area. Cloud base at sea level, visibility nil, nothing seen.

This time it was aircraft V with P/O John Morris and Sgt Ferguson on SAI(E) Middle Track. The last 10 miles of the track were not completed owing to poor weather. Visibility was nil and nothing was seen.

He was in aircraft H this time with Sgt David Easton flying and Sgt E J McKie as WOp/AG. On a South Stab patrol. Nothing was seen, they did not approach the Norwegian coast due to a lack of cloud cover.

Day was in aircraft H again but this time with P/O John Morris and Sgt G Yates on the SAI(A) patrol, tracks F and E. Nothing was seen.

248 Squadron moved back to RAF Dyce on the 6.01.1941. It's possible that the Intelligence Officer (responsible for the ORB) was posted and replaced at this time. From this point on the aircraft tail numbers are included in the entries.

Day flew in aircraft G piloted by Sgt Eric Holmes, WOp/AG Sgt Hubert Flower as convoy escort to EN54, nothing to report.

Day flew in aircraft Y piloted by Sgt Reginald Ivey, WOp/AG Sgt Harris as part of the convoy escort to WN88. Both planes returned early due to bad weather and landed at RAF Wick, near the town of Wick in Caithness.

The pilot was Sgt Eric Holmes and the WOp/AG was Sgt Hubert Flower. They flew as convoy escort to WN91, nothing to report.

This time piloted by Flt Lt Roger Morewood with WOp/AG Sgt Martin, as distant escort to EN88, nothing to report.

No squadron letter given, the aircraft was flown by Sgt Reginald Ivey with WOp/AG Sgt Sharrall. They flew as escort to convoy "Bert". There are no further notes in ORB regarding this mission.

Again no squadron aircraft number is given. They were piloted by Flt Lt Roger Morewood, WOp/AG Sgt Martin. Escorted "St Rognvald" into Aberdeen harbour.

Once more they were flown by Flt Lt Roger Morewood, WOp/AG Sgt Martin. Escort to convoy WN6, nothing to report.

The same aircraft, flown by the same crew flew as escort to convoy WN7, they returned early due to bad weather.

The aircraft was flown by Sgt Eric Holmes, WOp/AG Sgt Hubert Flower as distant fighter escort to convoy EC5, nothing to report. The use of Blenheims as escort fighters shows the RAF's total lack of a proper fighter with enough endurance to perform this role. This situation wasn't rectified until the introduction of the Beaufighter and, later, the Mosquito FB VI.

Day flew as part of the same crew in the same plane in the same role as fighter distant escort to WN13, nothing to report.

The same crew and the same plane flew as escort to convoy EC5, nothing to report.

On their second mission of the day Frank flew with Sgt Eric Holmes and Sgt Hubert Flower for the last time. This time as escort to an unnamed trawler, the ship was not located.

This time Day was piloted by Sgt Graham with WOp/AG Sgt Daimond. They flew as escort to "St Ragnvold"; the ship was located after an extensive search. This ship was a ferry that operated between the Shetlands and Aberdeen.

The aircraft was flown by Flt Lt Roger Morewood with WOp/AG Robert (Bert) Mowat as escort to "City of Shanghai" there was nothing to report. The ship was sunk later in the voyage by a torpedo from U-boat 103 on the 11th May in the Atlantic while on the way to Cape Town.

The same plane with the same crew flew as escort to convoy WN16. The aircraft returned within minutes due to bad weather conditions. Whereas in Bomber Command an aborted operation would not have counted toward the completion of a tour in Coastal Command a tour was defined as 800 operational hours or 18 months on service. Given the relatively short time taken for most missions it would have required approximately 160 missions to log 800 hours so it must have been more common for aircrew to complete 18 months.

Day flew in the same plane with a different crew, piloted by Sgt Reginald Ivey, WOp/AG Howett. Air Sea rescue, no further information in ORB although the short duration indicates an aborted operation. An Air Sea rescue mission for a Blenheim would have consisted of locating a sinking vessel or a wrecked aircraft, dropping a life raft to survivors if needed, radioing the position back to base and staying on station until relieved. As a land-based aircraft the Blenheim was unable to land on the sea to pick up survivors; the amphibious Supermarine Walrus was usually used for this purpose.

Day flew in the same aircraft reunited with Flt Lt Roger Morewood and WOp/AG Robert Mowat. They flew as fighter distant escort to WN17. There was nothing to report.

This time as part of a different crew in a different aircraft Day was piloted by Sgt Reginald Ivey with WOp/AG Sgt Douglas Rains. The patrol was abandoned after 2 hours due to engine failure, which apparently the Blenheim could survive.

Day found himself back with Flt Lt Roger Morewood and WOp/AG Robert Mowat. Escort to "Amsterdam". Located ship, escort carried out. It's hard to imagine the courage needed to go on another mission within hours of such a narrow escape.

Bit of a mystery this one. Day flew with Flt Lt Roger Morewood and WOp/A Martin as escort to "Harch" machine. The operation was aborted after only 10 minutes because of the weather. We are unable to find out what the "Harch" machine was. It"s possible there is a typo in the ORB; there"s one on the entry below this one.

The plane was flown by Flt Lt Roger Morewood with WOp/AG Martin as part of a fighter interception patrol of 4 aircraft. They flew into thick cloud and were recalled to base due to bad weather conditions. Exactly how a Blenheim capable of only 260mph was to intercept a German fighter capable of nearly 400mph isn't clear.

Frank appears in no more entries for 248 squadron until the 22nd June 1941 although that may be partly explained by the fact that the ORB entries for the first part of June show only the Pilots' names. 248 relocated to RAF Bircham Newton on the 13.06.1941.

Day was in aircraft B flown by P/O Miller with WOp/AG Sgt Croll. They flew as convoy escort to "Yield" from 13:57 to 16:50. At 14:05 three mines exploded just ahead of the convoy. There is no mention in the ORB of any ships being damaged.

The same plane with the same crew flew as part of a patrol of three aircraft escorting convoy "Alpha". They were unable to contact the convoy despite an extensive search. This appears to be Day's last operation with the squadron.

There is no further mention of Frank in the 248 ORB. Not even of his posting to 86 squadron, which is surprising because other aircrew postings were listed. It is also rather odd that he flew only one mission in May, only two in June and none at all in July. Equally odd is that there is no mention in the ORB of the conversion to Beaufighters at the end of July.

Day flew in aircraft U with pilot S/L Wurtele, both WOp/AGs had the surname Green. Theirs was one of five aircraft, with Y,Z,B and T detailed for gardening (mine laying) off Schiermonnkeog (Schiermonnikoog, one of the West Frisian islands off the coast of the Netherlands). Aircraft B was unable to locate the target and returned to base with its mine. Aircraft T failed to return; it was presumed to have been shot down by flak. At 03:28 a red glow was seen in the sky, which lasted for a minute before breaking up. It was thought to be a burning aircraft. The ORB makes no connection between this sighting and the loss of aircraft T despite the fact that at 03:28 they would have been in the target area and there is no mention of enemy aircraft defending the target.

Frank flew no more missions in August, September or October. All the squadron's aircrew spent October in training. Frank probably took part in the navigational exercises conducted that month.

Frank was in aircraft R flown by S/L Anstead, with P/O Worth as A/G and F/Sgt Brown as W/Op. One of six aircraft sent out on a "Rover" offensive patrol. All six returned with nothing to report.

Frank was back with the same plane and the same crew for the same type of mission: a "Rover" offensive patrol. All three aircraft returned with nothing to report.

Frank Day flew in aircraft Y this time with S/L Anstead, P/O Worth as A/G and F/Sgt Brown as W/Op in one of three aircraft sent to bomb an enemy convoy. One aircraft failed to locate the target and the other two both aborted the mission due to radio failure.

To celebrate Boxing Day Frank and his comrades were sent out in aircraft V flown by S/L Anstead, with P/O Worth as A/G and F/Sgt Brown as W/Op as one of three planes sent on a "Line C" patrol. Nothing was seen except fishing vessels. The ORB makes no mention of the fact that the squadron has just converted to Beaufort MkIIs.

Aircraft D flown by S/L Anstead, with P/O Worth as A/G and F/Sgt Brown as WOp. Air/Sea patrol, about 100 fishing vessels seen, mostly heading back to the coast. The ORB entry for this operation needs to be taken with a pinch of salt as the normal endurance of the Beaufort was about six hours. Even with the auxiliary tank in the bomb bay a nine-hour flight would be impossible.

Part 2: The crew's operations

On the 5th March the squadron was moved to Skitten, near Wick. After his discharge from hospital in Plymouth Frank was crewed with Atkinson, Taylor and Twelvetrees.

Aircraft G, was flown by Sgt Atkinson, F/Sgt Day, Sgt Taylor and Sgt Twelvetrees on a "Stand" patrol. Visibility was poor and nothing was seen.

Aircraft G, flown by Sgt Atkinson, F/Sgt Day, Sgt Taylor and Sgt Twelvetrees was sent with four others on a strike patrol. One enemy destroyer was sighted but nothing else.

Aircraft A, flown by F/Sgt Atkinson, F/Sgt Day, Sgt Taylor and Sgt Twelvetrees was sent on a North Stand patrol from Stavanger to Kristiansand on the Norwegian coast. The aircraft was shelled from the shore but took no hits and returned to base with nothing further to report.

Aircraft U, flown by F/Sgt Atkinson, P/O Day, Sgt Taylor and Sgt Twelvetrees was sent on a North Sea patrol. Nothing reported.

Aircraft V, flown by F/Sgt Atkinson, P/O Day, Sgt Taylor and Sgt Twelvetrees took part in a fifteen aircraft strong attack on the German cruiser Prinz Eugen. They were led by Squadron Leader Jimmy Hyde and escorted by four Beaufighters. Aircraft A had a failure of the starboard engine and returned to Wick. The formation made landfall at Egero on the South coast of Norway and were about to turn South when they received a radio message from base directing them North. Almost immediately after this the formation was attacked by 18-20 Me109s. The air battle lasted 20 minutes, five enemy aircraft were seen to be shot down and crash into the sea. Four Beauforts failed to return. The Prinz Eugen was never even seen. A more detailed account of this action can be found here.

Back in aircraft A, flown by F/Sgt Atkinson, P/O Day, Sgt Taylor and Sgt Twelvetrees was one of six sent on a special strike to attack the German pocket battleship "Lutzow". Only one of the planes found the ship, which proved impossible to attack because of the escort of four destroyers. The other aircraft failed to find the target.

Aircraft Z, flown by F/Sgt Atkinson, P/O Day, Sgt Taylor and Sgt Twelvetrees sent on an extended North Stab. The patrol was abandoned when the Selector was found to be U/S. Frank was a commissioned officer by this time, omitted in the ORB.

Aircraft L, flown by F/Sgt Atkinson, P/O Day, Sgt Taylor and Sgt Twelvetrees sent on an anti-submarine patrol North of the Shetlands. An oil patch and a yellow buoy were seen but nothing else.

That was the last mission flown by the crew. The squadron was instructed by HQ to prepare the aircraft and crews for transfer overseas. The planes were fitted with the long-range fuel tanks in their bomb bays and, on the 17th July 1942, they were one of seven aircraft that took off for 1 Overseas Aircraft Dispatch Unit at RAF Portreath in Cornwall. A week later they set out for Gibraltar on their last flight.

Frank Samuel Day flew a total of forty-eight missions. The other crew members flew only nine missions before the war claimed their lives. Neither they nor anyone else in 86 squadron had ever flown AW288 on a mission before.