What happened
The incident occurred during the return leg of a mission designated as 'Shamrock Patrol'. While en route back to RAF Detling, the aircraft came under attack and was hit by fire from a German Me.109. Unable to maintain flight, the pilot executed an emergency ditching in the sea approximately 12 km east of Ramsgate.
As the aircraft began to sink, all four crew members were successfully extracted from the water. The airframe subsequently submerged and was lost. The personnel involved in the incident included a Pilot Officer, a Sergeant, a Corporal, and a Leading Aircraftman, all of whom survived the event.