Base: Thorney Island
Take off time ?
Op: Cherbourg

Six Blenheims of 59 Sqn bombed oil tanks at Cherbourg. Five bombed successfully and one failed to return. P/O JJ Finlay and Sgt Leonhardt were posted as missing and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial and Sgt Peddie lies in the Quiberville Churchyard, France.

Crew awarded the Battle of Britain Clasp - Although entitlement was revoked by the Air Ministry in 1960 (read more)

All lost:

Sgt FJ Leonhardt - Obs	P/O JJ Finlay - Pilot	Sgt AL Peddie - WAG

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