Webber, Francis Maxwell (Flying Officer)

Liberator B 24 FL923

Convoy Patrol 1943-October-04 to 1943-October-04

(CS) Sqn (RAF) Reykjavik

The following account of the action is compiled from German records.

Liberator FK 923, which was mistakenly identified as a Lancaster, was sighted at 1123 hrs when 7-8000 metres away, approaching at an altitude of 800 metres. All the boats flak guns which consisted of two twin and one quadruple 200-mm, were immediately manned and fire was opened. despite heavy flak the aircraft circled, drawing slowly closer to the U-boat, Until at 1138 hrs it ran into the attack replying to the -boats fire with cannon when at a range of 1000 metres. Although hit several times, the aircraft pressed home the attack, dropping six depth charges that fell ahead of the poet bow at a distance of between 10 and 159 metres from the U-boat, which was shaken violently. Both the aircraft's starboard engines were seen to have caught fire and shortly afterwards it came down in the sea, exploding on impact with the water. On assumption that none of the aircrew would escape from the wreckage, the CO ordered the U-boat to dive so that a proper inspection of damage, which turned out to be relatively minor , could be made. One of U 539's crew was slightly wounded

Flt Lt JNG Bruce RAF 66528; Wg Cmdr RM Longmore RAF;Warrant Officer EA Mincham 406306 RNZAF Flt Sergeant AE Parsons 901162 RAF;Warrant Officer W Stott 407563 RNZAF; FO RW Tait 21402 RAF; FO FM Webber RCAF J/14447

source: Malcolm Deeley, Ulster Aviation Society