British Forces

An unlucky Beaufort

Imperial War Museum

Groundcrew check Bristol Beaufort Mark I, DD959 “Q”, of No. 217 Squadron RAF, prior to a sortie from Luqa, Malta. Note the twin .303 machine guns mounted in the nose and the "Yagi" aerial of the airborne ASV radar underneath. DD959 was shot down in the Ionian Sea by a German night fighter Junkers Ju 88C of I/NJG.2 while returning from an aborted anti-shipping strike against an Italian convoy consisted of two merchant vessels, “Mario Roselli” and “Nino Bixio” escorted by three destroyers/torpedo boats on 20 June 1942. FO Frank John Robert Thomond Minster, RAFVR (Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve), having only flown his first operation on the 15 June, was force-landed DD959 on fire. Although he and his crew were seen to get into their dinghy, that was the last time any was seen. Another Beaufort, the Sgt. Hutcheson’s plane, managed back to Luqa. Victor Sierra