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14th December 1942
To HQ 11 Group RPT Hornchurch F/Lt. de Selys Sgt Davis From Manston M1/6 14/12 COMPOSITE ASR REPORT 14/12 (A) 609 (B) 2 Typhoons 1b (C) 1625-1735 (D) Defensive Patrol (E) N. Foreland - Dungeness (E) N/A (F) N/A (G) N/A GENERAL:- At 1630 hrs a square dinghy, or raft, was sighted approx 20 mls E. of Dover with 4 live occupants. F/Lt de Selys gave M'AIDIZ at 1000 feet but told this not received. Leaving Sgt Davis below de Selys climbed to 3000 feet and gave a series of M'AIDIZ, these received. Told to resume patrol but ignored and stayed orbiting dinghy as no other rescue in sight. After 30/40 minutes a Walrus a/c appeared and 3 from dinghy seen to embark but 4th was having problems. Now too dark to see so with Walrus still there returned to base. 2 other fighter a/c seen from time to time and floating mines observed in vicinity of Walrus. Visibility good at start up to 1000 - 1500 feet where haze but deteriorated after 1700 hrs, sea appeared rough. 1825A.
The Operational Records Book records: Dec 14th. Usual patrols, on last of which F/Lt de Selys sights a raft or dinghy with live occupants 20 miles E of Dover. After giving fixes, he remains orbiting, and after about half an hour sees a Walrus land, but the roughness of the sea seems to be causing it difficulty in getting all aboard. De Selys leaves only when it is too dark to see any more, and it is later learnt that the Walrus taxied all the way to Dover harbour with 3 out of the 6 survivors. Next day it is learnt they were German sailors, and de Selys takes the view: "What use is it shooting up German soldiers one day if you go and save German sailors the next"!
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